Is the ethos of public service an element in getting people to do thankless jobs?
At times it feels like it’s a thankless job, although you do have times when you get very positive feedback from parents, or just from seeing a child progress. But the demands on you as a public servant have grown – more and more is expected of you because of the role you are in. You are expected to have more affects on young people in general in respect to social behaviour, whether or not that’s possible I don’t know. What ethos difference have you seen in each sector? Working for a private provider now I think there is a strong strategic vision about where our authority needs to go compared with before. I think there is a very positive move towards improving achievement. You are expected to make sure that children do as well as they can. It’s stronger than before EduAction took over. ยท Polly Curtis INDEPENDENT Marion Gibbs is headmistress of James Allen’s girls’ school (Jags), an independent school in north Dulwich, London, and is a member of the Independent Schools Council’s communi
