Michael Hall Parent Portal

Friday Flyer - 8th May 2026

Dear Michael Hall Community,

I started the week thinking that a 4-day working week would be quite nice for a change. However, it has felt like actually squeezing 5 days work into 4 days which has left me feeling a little tired; be careful what you wish for I guess!

This difference between expectations and reality is so common amongst us all, but I wonder how many of us pause to consider whether our initial expectation was realistic. Often this gap between expectation and reality of outcomes is described as a ‘disappointment gap’. There is of course a counter to this where your expectations have been exceeded in the reality of the outcome; no one ever complains about this!

There is a definite life skill in managing expectations which is reassuring, calming and shows a real understanding of the context in which you find yourself. There is a greater skill in managing your expectations of others around you, often with relationships being impacted by the difference between what we thought would happen and the reality of what actually happened.

This is the constant question which teachers wrestle with on a daily basis. We constantly check to assess where pupils are before putting the next stepping stone on the journey in place. In our mind we question how far should the next step should be, how big the platform, the texture of the stone, the colour, the weather of the moment, and of course, how the pupil is presenting at that time. We manage our expectations of them to support and develop their expectations of themselves.

The holistic approach we take at Michael Hall is beautifully underpinned by the Waldorf teaching philosophy, and in particular the pastoral element of educating a child. On my interview days I was warmed by the connection that could be seen between colleagues and pupils: caring, mutually respectful and trusting. Now, I will not malign the rest of the educational world and say that other teachers do not care for pupils, because I know they do. But in our school, we live and breathe it in a different way.

The nurturing element of teaching is first seen in our idyllic early childhood setting where children are greeted with warmth and care as soon as they pass the sun gate each morning. The class teacher years create a strong pastoral bond with the respective teacher with daily greetings, bonding routines and carefully crafted lessons bringing the group together. Even when there is a change of teacher in the class years, the connections are formed quickly through the positive intent. The transition to the upper school sees a shift, but not a disconnection. The guardians take on a huge role in the life of the classes and the individuals within, setting new routines as pupils make one more step towards full independence. The guardians hold a lot with an overview of the academics, the pastoral, the main point of contact for parents, and deliver lessons. That knowledge of the child is shared through faculty meetings so that all teachers have a consciousness of each individual. There is no silo of information, but rather an interconnected network to promote excellent care and excellent teaching.

There is beauty in how the structure of Waldorf education is put into action here at Michael Hall. And, there is so much to admire about how colleagues invest themselves in their roles and how successfully they do this. By having that child centred approach to education we deliver what our pupils need from us at the right time, with the right intention and through knowing them well, we manage our expectation of them with great outcomes.

At a time when nerves may be a little fraught as we move into the ‘meaty’ part of the summer exam session for our classes 10 and 12 and edge towards tests for other classes it is vital that the all of the adults manage our expectations of the children. It is under these, potentially more stressful times, that faith in our routines, rhythms and our education process take on the most importance. Where there are adult worries, please reach out to our guardians and class teachers who have that knowledge of your children as rounded pupils in school for clarity, guidance or with any queries.

I feel it is a little trite to offer good luck to those sitting exams as there has been no luck in the hard work that has been completed across the years in school, nor is there any luck in the revision and study conducted beyond the school hours. Instead, I hope that your hard work is rewarded and the door to your next steps are opened at the first time of asking through this process.

Warm wishes,

Stuart

Stuart McWilliams
Principal