A close shave with a plane prompted Allan Foulds to reflect on what can be learned when anything that can go wrong does go wrong.

Accident investigator...

I propose to re-write Murphy’s law. How about: ‘Anything that can go wrong, not only will, but will be inherently surprising and usually offer some opportunity for useful learning’?

OK, not nearly as catchy.

Read on and my thinking will become clearer...

In the hazy forgotten days of last summer I was hunkered down in a sleepy meeting with governors when the drone of conversation (mine) was mercifully interrupted by a high-pitched and rather loud whooshing noise from above.

This was followed by a loud crack and yawning became dawning an anticipation. We knew that something was simply not right. Being the only leader in the room I was, of course, the one who left immediately to find out more. Running – but naturally not appearing to (that is in itself a well-honed leadership skill) – to nearby reception, I met a cluster of staff and members of the public gazing slack-jawed at a row of houses less than 100 yards away.

We all saw a silver light aircraft being unceremoniously deposited atop an overgrown leylandii hedge courtesy of a very large orange parachute. It missed the house by a couple of metres and had clearly cruised over the school grounds, avoiding the main building, by only a little more.

So what of the learning according to the aforementioned re-written law? I learned immediately about a stark issue regarding human behaviour in a crisis. In the face of the very surprising it is easy to categorise observers into three camps.

There are those who head towards the problem in order to offer a solution. There are others who head fairly rapidly in the rough direction of ‘away’, either owing to the need for self-preservation or because they have allegedly just thought of something else incredibly important to attend to. Finally, there are the collaborators and prevaricators who stand stock still and confer.

Meanwhile, the leader needs to do something. Well it was too late to prevent the well-meaning member of staff from running full pelt to the crash to help. As it turned out, he was eminently qualified to do so.

There was no point in joining the conference or seeking out the avoiders so I phoned the emergency services. Interestingly, it was impossible to get through because, the world being a stage, half of south Cheltenham was clearly attempting the same.

Common sense

It was a few nanoseconds later that I dismissed the thought of referring to a crisis-management policy. I have always hoped for common sense to prevail in times of difficulty and rarely does a policy steer you at such times. A rapid connection with a few others helped me learn just how many curious eyes had strayed from well-rehearsed learning objectives and been completely awestruck by the very real possibility of an aeroplane being in collision with the school.

Not a 747 you understand, but this was the rumour that needed dispelling pretty rapidly. After some thoughtful and rapid communications and some pretty directive leadership, everyone went home calm and in one piece, albeit with plenty to talk about.

The sprinting teacher, by the way, happened to be a special (police) constable. Being well trained for such things he was absolutely the right person to be the first there and to help the hapless 76 year-old pilot climb from his plane while the dazed owners of the house looked on.

Later, it was not difficult to milk the publicity angle and shamelessly grab Sky TV coverage, expressing care and concern for all students and our local community. Beyond this, our science department was able to encourage students to muse on the physics of the jet-powered Ballistic Recovery System (BRS) that had saved the day.

So where does all of this take us? Re-translate ‘Shift Happens’ because it surely does and will. It could be horses in a field, a mineshaft opening up in the foyer or even something genuinely challenging.

When it does, have fun, do your leadership thing and reflect a little later.

Allan Foulds is Headteacher at Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre, Gloucestershire.

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Last Word always welcomes contributions from members. If you’d like to share your humorous observations of school life, email Permjit Mann at leader@ascl.org.uk ASCL offers a modest honorarium..

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