Christmas week is the normal mayhem in school at the moment. Have GCSE mock re-takes tomorrow and Thursday and it always seems to take such an effort to organise anything. Plus I have the photographers in for the Yearbook photos tomorrow as well. Lunchtime is a coursework catch up club – aaarrrggghhh! “Free period” seems to be a euphemism for “working even harder that I would do if actually teaching”. Tomorrow I am also on (joy of joys) Formal School Detention duty. Can’t wait.

Today I attended the funeral of Colin Barker, a very good friend of mine. It was a moving service and there was a really sincere tribute by his sister. It makes you think that you never truly know people half as well as you should. I have found out so much about Colin today, and yet I’ll never be able to share any of it with him. Rest in peace, Colin.

This evening I have been doing more general election planning. However, as somebody said today, it all rather pales into insignificance really.