Status Anxiety | 31 December 2011

For me, the end of one year and the beginning of the next is a time of mixed feelings. I always take stock, looking back to see what I’ve accomplished in the year gone by, and on that score I have much to celebrate. The West London Free School opened in September, the culmination of two years’ work, and has proved to be a success. Children, parents and staff are happy and we’ve had over 1,000 applicants for our next 120 places. Much of 2012 will be taken up with laying the groundwork for our lower school and sixth form, both of which we hope to open in 2013.

But there’s also the inevitable sense of wistfulness. One of the oddities of having children is that they slow down the rate at which time appears to be passing minute by minute, with some experiences seeming to last for an eternity, such as waiting in Accident and Emergency after they’ve fallen off a climbing frame.