As I reflect on 2022, I am struck by the enormous resilience, passion and dedication of teachers, despite all the challenges they face. There is no doubt that it’s very tough in teaching right now. Schools are still grappling with the legacy of the pandemic, and in addition, many of them are finding themselves on the frontline of a cost-of-living crisis which stands to hit the lowest paid hardest. 

There are growing challenges with talented teachers leaving the profession and not enough new entrants to keep up with demand, especially in certain specialist subjects, and there are many schools where the churn of staff makes it almost impossible to either improve practice or make positive changes stick. 

I am reminded of my own experience of teaching, from missionary zeal to disillusion and burnout within just three years, and the survival mentality that continues to plague the culture of so many schools.  

In this context, SHINE seeks to attract teachers who have new innovations to develop, test and expand – and I am so inspired by those who are relentlessly focused on what can be done. We believe that teachers who work with children day in and day out often know what they need to thrive, and we need to place the power in their hands to retain talent within education and ensure all children can meet their full potential.  

This year, we supported a range of promising new innovations, across areas as diverse as Salford, Hull and Newcastle and Northumberland. Each of these projects is led by exceptional teachers who care passionately about the children they serve and who are willing to put themselves forward to see whether a better approach is possible. We look forward to testing these programmes and helping to share those which are most effective for the benefit of many more children across the North in the years to come.