As a school, we continually seek to monitor not only the quality of our provision, but how we do what we do. This can take the form of book scrutinies, talking with parents, pupil focus groups, peer observations, surveys and a whole host of other processes. Talking with children and watching them learn – rather than just watching teachers teach – is key to this process. Staff are constantly using their knowledge of each child to skilfully differentiate their learning to not only cultivate their understanding, but also develop their independence and resilience.

A recent review stressed that for an environment to facilitate resilience it needs to be rich in both challenge and support. Too much challenge and little support can result in excessive stress, ‘burnout’ and isolation. Too much support, but not enough challenge can lead to complacency and boredom. Therefore, if we want to help our pupils cope with change and struggles; we should not rush to do too much for them, whilst also ensuring that they are aware that appropriate support is always available. How teachers gauge when a child is struggling under too much challenge is an art, not a science, and good teachers understand this. Getting the right balance is a challenge for us all.