Congratulations, you’ve made it. It’s half term.

It’s been a long, hard slog, but the break is now upon us. You’ve earned it, so make the most of it. Celebrate by putting your feet up, read some books, watch some box sets, have a long bath, go for a long walk. But whatever you do, don’t do any work if you can.

The autumn term so far has been relentless, but everyone has rallied together - teachers, heads, principals, teaching assistants, school business leaders, lunch supervisors, caretakers, cleaners, CEOs, supply staff, and even a former Ofsted chief inspector has pitched in.

There’s not been much thanks or celebration, so it was heartwarming to see a little rejoicing in the form of the long-delayed 2020 Tes FE Awards last Friday. Although virtual, the jubilation of the winners was uplifting and a ray of sunshine in the autumn gloom. Ian Pryce, chief executive of Bedford College Group, which scooped two awards including college of the year, said: “Never thought an online awards night could be so emotional.” The lack of a real ceremony did not stop the celebrating and partying well into the night.

It’s this joy and optimism we’ve come to expect from the education sector. Teachers can always be depended on to turn the tide. No profession is better at growing a wondrous bed of flowers from the clay-clogged soil delivered to them by the government.

Nothing demonstrates this better than the fate of the nativity or Christmas show this year. You’d think that with all the Covid-19 restrictions surrounding us, the Christmas performance would be going the way of Gavin Williamson’s career.

But no. Teachers aren’t letting anything like a pandemic stand in the way of this annual extravaganza. They are coming up with weird and wonderful ways to make sure every child still gets the chance to stand on a stage waving at a parent or carer while dressed in a slightly ill-fitting costume. They want every child to get that valuable introduction to public performance, nerves and all, so vital to building awareness of the world. And, importantly, although the government may have a big downer on the arts, schools know their value and how crucial they are to every one of us.

So, parents should hold on to their Christmas party hats, because they’re in for a treat. It may all be talk of tiers and lockdowns out there, but in schools the creative juices are flowing, with some amazing ideas doing the rounds. Some teachers are creating a whole-school performance filmed in separate bubbles and then stitched together to be sent home; others are dutifully getting everyone dressed, heading to the stage and streaming it all live; and some ambitious people are even thinking of creating a blockbuster of their own: a rework of famous films such as Home Alone or How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Why would they go to so much trouble? Because teachers understand that humans are not machines; we need both our bodies and our souls fed. They know that a shot of joy can keep everyone going through the darkest of times. A nativity or a Christmas show is not just about children on a stage, it’s about pride, about showing that there is a lot more to education than a grade on a piece of paper. It’s about a community coming together. And, most importantly, it’s about hope.

We need that hope, optimism and creative thinking more than ever for the second half of this term. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but teachers can show her a thing or two.

@AnnMroz

This article originally appeared in the 23 October 2020 issue under the headline “Gavin may be a Grinch but he’ll never be able to steal Christmas”