Amelia Grey's Fireside Dream by Abby Clements Read Free Book Online Page B

you’ve made some great progress with all of the classes you’ve been teaching this year.’
    ‘Thank you.’ I was grateful for the unexpected praise. I’d been focusing so much on getting through the days that it had been a while since I’d found the time to be proud of what I’d achieved.
    Lewis shuffled papers on the desk into a tidier pile, not meeting my eyes.
    ‘There are going to be some changes at St Catherine’s – and when we return after the summer break some aspects of the school are going to be run slightly differently.’
    ‘OK,’ I said. ‘I guess we’ve all been expecting that.’
    It wasn’t as though we could carry on the way we were. The details of the last OFSTED inspection still echoed in the halls of the school, and were embedded in all our minds. In spite of our hard work, our commitment, the talent of some of our pupils, there was a word that had reduced that to nothing –
failing
.
    ‘Thank you for your application for the role as Head of English.’
    I could do it. I knew I could. I could help steer St Catherine’s back on course.
    ‘But I’m afraid we’ve decided to appoint an external candidate. Graham Kilfern has achieved some fantastic results over at William Greaves School,’ Lewis said, ‘and I think he could really turn things around here.’
    ‘Sorry?’ I croaked.
    ‘Graham Kilfern. He will be our new Head of English, starting from September.’
    That was it. I hadn’t even had a look-in.
    ‘OK, right,’ I said, trying to swallow my hurt pride. ‘I look forward to meeting him.’
    ‘I know this is likely to be disappointing for you, Amelia,’ Lewis continued. ‘As I said, we really value everything you do here. But we felt that in order to show our commitment to changing the fortunes of St Catherine’s we needed to recruit externally in this case.’
    My chest felt tight. I’d worked hard preparing for that interview – surely I was well enough qualified to at least have been worthy of serious consideration?
    ‘How will the new appointment affect me?’
    Lewis closed the folder he’d barely looked at and moved it aside on his desk, leaning forward on his elbows. ‘There are a couple of things that will affect you and the other members of staff. As I said, we respect how you teach, and we want you to be able to continue doing that in the way you have been up till now. But there are certain classes, particularly those students heading for exams, where we have not yet seen the attainment we had hoped for – and Mr Kilfern has expressed a wish to take those over and teach them directly.’
    ‘My exam classes are going?’ I choked out.
    ‘No, no,’ Lewis said. ‘Your A-level class seem to beperforming well, and we’re happy to leave things as they are. But I think we both know that there have been some issues with 10E, and a fresh approach could benefit all the students there. And all Mrs Humphries’ classes will naturally transfer to Mr Kilfern.’
    I felt the breath go out of me. 10E, the class I’d nurtured since the day they arrived at the school – the chaotic group of teenagers I’d thought I might be able to bring in line over the next year. It was true that the results weren’t brilliant – but with fewer assistants for those with special needs, and only a handful of students who had English as a first language, I felt we were doing OK. They were improving.
    ‘But … I have plans for 10E. And I promised Isabel’s Year 12s I’d see them through.’
    ‘I’m sorry, Amelia. It’s not a decision I’ve made lightly. It’s for the good of the school as a whole. You’ll be taking on two of the new Year 7 classes instead.’
    I sat there, mute and numb. I didn’t want to start again with Year 7s – I wanted to see my own classes through, and fulfil my commitment to Isabel’s class.
    I’d done it before – walked out of this room with my tail between my legs only to get home, cry on Jack’s shoulder and realize what I should have