I guess the first day with the merger in place proved anything it was despite how much they 'hate' each other, the Waterloo Road kids and the ex-John Fosters kids aren't that different. Of course that didn't mean that today went smoothly at all. In the midst of one of our peace-building activities which seemed to be working, a gigantic fight broke out with about 100 people from each side attacking each other.
The person to break it up was no other than John Fosters ex-headteacher Max Tyler. He was an interesting character. I'm not sure the way he handled the kids was always that necessary. I mean "We will make sure the John Fosters standards are kept in the new Waterloo Road". What was that about? Obviously someone like Michaela was going to come out with some wise comment. I made it clear to him that he can't single out pupils and I think it sunk in because at break he came to apologise. When we got to talking, he wasn't that bad really. He was just use to strict order from kids whose family were paying for education. Him and Rachel locked horns straight away, and I don't think that's about to settle anytime soon. I didn't quite know what to say to her because apparently Max has made his mind up that she's a rubbish head, which is as far from the truth as it gets.
Not only were the kids at it, but the staff were as well. I went in at break to find Steph and Grantly in the middle of a row with Ruby the new cooking teacher. As Tom so rightly pointed out she is a disgrace to the profession- not only did she constantly pick out and bully the likes of Denzil Kelly, but she also undermined Rachel in front of the kids.
Christopher Mead was another interesting one. We spent a lot of time talking, and I could already tell that he'd fit in with the rest of the staff just fine, especially Steph Haydock. I wasn't quite sure if Rachel was after him or not, because as we know, she likes her deputy's, but then I'm a fine one to talk. It was too soon for me to be getting into anything anyway. It felt like Andrew had just gone back to Rwanda, and deep down I was reeling for him.
Then there was Helen Hopewell. Apparently she was picked out by Max as one of his best students, so I dread to think what the rest of them were like. The fact that Steph Haydock was a better teacher than her really said something. The kids had already nick-named her 'Hopeless Hopewell' by the end of first lesson. I suppose it wasn't the easiest first lesson in her defence, two of the toughest kids decided to scrap at each other. The reason one of them snapped was awful though, and I reckon I'll have a lot of work to do with the James sisters. I've done that sort of thing with kids before because like I said, the Waterloo Road and John Fosters kids are not that different.
Still this is Waterloo Road, the first day back or any day for that matter, were never going to be simple.
