I haven’t yet wanted to publicise this website, partly because it’s still under heavy development, and partly because I think there are lots of logistical and legal matters which mostly relate to conducting this project in the college for an outside cause which I have a vested interest in. Although I’d been given an initial thumbs up from my Programme Area Manager, I didn’t want to start this project and then have the carpet pulled from underneath. Ultimately, I don’t want to get Ada‘s hopes up only to disappoint her. With this in mind, today I went to visit the Principal.

I had intended to ask the principal’s PA to arrange a meeting but as she wasn’t in her office but the principal was, I knocked on his door.

It felt like I was breaking strict protocol by going straight to him rather than taking a gradual approach through the chain of management, so when he invited me in I was quite anxious. I suppose my anxiety was heightened by an underlying sense that there was a lot riding on the next five minutes. I could be going home from work today and telling Ada that the principal said “No”.

Previously I’d attended a meeting in which the principal had been involved and thought then that he seemed approachable. Today my beliefs were confirmed; whilst explaining Ada’s story I was caught completely off guard when he asked how I’d been coping. There were lots of things I wanted to explain, and questions I had wanted to ask but in the moment they had all escaped me. I made a poor attempt to collect my nerves, said it felt good to be doing something proactive, and think I was able to give enough of an overview of the project so that he understood.

Now I appreciate that I must have caught him off guard too, and I hadn’t been able to explain the issues that I foresee will arise in the future, but he said “yes”.

The Principal said “Yes”!