In the last Fully Alive briefing, I shared a thought based on a quote by Vincent van Gogh: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” I would like to now continue that thought and begin with Kate’s story. 

A Special Welcome 

Kate attended a Catholic primary school—in fact, one of the schools that is now in our Trust. Kate vividly remembers her Year 2 sports day. The sun beat down relentlessly. Her mum arrived with Kate’s newborn sister, doing her best to keep the baby shaded and cool. One of the teaching assistants immediately noticed and gently invited Kate’s mum into school so the baby wouldn’t be exposed to the heat. 

She remembers watching this simple act of kindness.  Even as a child, Kate felt proud to belong to a community where people truly looked after one another. The warmth of that welcome stayed with her long after the significance of sports day had faded. 

The Power of Being Seen  

In Year 3, Kate faced a challenge: relay races. She dreaded them. She was slow—painfully slow in her own mind. The races were timed, which only increased her anxiety. Often, she tried claiming she felt unwell to avoid participating. A volunteer used to come into the school to help run these relay sessions.  One day, after yet another sweaty afternoon on the field, he gathered the class. 

“There are some children I want to celebrate today,” he announced. 

To Kate’s shock, her name was called. He recognised her improvement. Not her speed. Not her placement. Her improvement. For the first time, Kate felt seen not for what she lacked, but for how hard she was trying. That moment was huge for her. It taught her something she carries even now: when you are encouraged in your weakest areas, you feel empowered to excel in your strongest. 

Persistence, Patience, and Pride 

By Year 5, Kate’s struggles had shifted. Now it was handwriting. Despite her best efforts, her writing felt messy, but her teacher never gave up on her. Day after day, she would model the letters for Kate, gently reinforcing the belief that Kate could do this. She persisted—not out of duty, but out of genuine care.  

Then came the breakthrough. Kate wrote an entire paragraph neatly from start to finish. When she looked up, she saw her teacher’s eyes welling with tears—pride spilling over. Kate has never forgotten that moment: the validation, the joy, the feeling of achieving something she once thought impossible. 

Returning to Faith 

As Kate grew older, she drifted from the path of faith. Adulthood, however, brought its own challenges—harder ones. In those moments, something stirred inside her. She remembered the foundation laid in those early years: the Bible stories, the values, the quiet certainty that she was loved, safe, and held by something bigger than herself. Those memories rose again within her. They weren’t just lessons from school; they were anchors. 

Answering the Call 

Kate became a teacher and spent the first few years of her career in a non‑faith school. She enjoyed her work, but something felt missing. She noticed what children were losing by not being part of a community rooted in shared values and faith. 

Then one morning, she woke up with absolute clarity: I’m going to change schools. That very day, she saw an advertisement for a post at her childhood primary school. It felt like more than coincidence. It felt like being called home. Kate wanted to return to a place where the culture wasn’t just spoken about—it was lived; where faith wasn’t an add‑on, but the heartbeat of the community; where values weren’t just posters on a wall, but the way people interacted, cared, taught, and loved. 

“You can’t put it into words,” she says. “You just feel it—the shared values, the faith, the vision, the sense of belonging.” 

Coming Full Circle 

Now, as a teacher at that same school, she offers the same encouragement, welcome, and belief that she once received as a child. Her journey has come full circle. When you have felt so safe and loved in a place, she explains, you want to love back.  She is giving to today’s children what shaped her all those years ago: faith, hope, belonging, community, and the knowledge that they are loved, seen and valued. 

It is a reminder to us all that we are helping to shape “Kates” every day, whatever profession or path they choose.  

The staff who made a long-lasting impact on Kate’s life may be completely unaware of the difference they made. Years on, Kate has not forgotten. It is well known that children will not always remember what we taught them, but they will always remember how we made them feel.  

Together, we are creating inspirational moments that bring learning to life, and not just the learning to life, but bringing the child fully alive. The seeds of faith, hope and love sown today may become the anchors our children hold onto tomorrow.