What on earth have I signed up for?

I'm going to be starting from Corfe Castle on 13th May and I'll be walking and jogging 100 kilometers along the Jurassic Coast (including 2200 metres of elevation) to the finish line at Bridport. I start at 9am on the Saturday and I finish whenever I finish. I'm really hoping to do it under 24 hours. This will mean going through the night and finishing on Sunday morning, but who know how it will go on the day!

Why am I doing this?

I trained as a secondary school business teacher in 2010 through the Teach First programme. During my first few years in the classroom, I experienced the immense joys that can come from working with young people (who can be truly incredible!). I also learned more and more about the harsh realities and challenges that some children face, at home, at school and in their communities.

Fast forward to 2016, I was a Head of School trying to make positive change and find effective ways to support pupils in and beyond the classroom, but it didn't seem like enough.

So, in 2018, Heads Forward was born when a group of school leaders with similar experiences got together to ask: 'What would it look like if we worked together and supported each other?'

Now in 2023, Heads Forward is a growing group of head teachers and education system leaders focused on tackling educational disadvantage and making education fairer.

We lead different types of schools in a range of contexts and contribute to the mission in a variety of ways. 

We have come together to form a grassroots organisation that positively impacts the education sector and supports our membership to develop, collaborate and thrive.

Collectively, we represent the most significant leadership pipeline for schools serving disadvantaged communities. 

By supporting Teach First and Heads Forward we can indirectly contribute to improving education and opportunities for over 60,000 pupils.

Thank you,

Dennis