It would be so easy for young people, and society more broadly, to turn their back on schools at this time.

Following the flawed exam results process in summer 2020 (which looks set to be repeated in 2021) it can seem that the whole school and examination system belong to another time, when the world has moved on.

However, there are three key areas in which schools offer beacons of hope to pupils and families in a time of uncertainty.

The first is adaptability. Since the spring, schools have developed a completely different style of education.

School remains the best place for children to learn; now if they cannot be in the classroom, we have built effective models of remote learning.

Of course these are not perfect and need refining further. The key lesson is that schools, like so many other businesses and organisations, have shown that they can adapt rapidly when the circumstances change.

The second beacon of hope which schools provide is resilience.

When faced with the challenges of adapting in these ways, school staff have been role models of determination and perseverance.

This is down to both the commitment of individual staff, and the collective will within schools to keep going – to keep teaching, caring, supporting, and providing our young people with the education they deserve.

Which brings me to the third beacon of hope - the pupils themselves and their willingness to work to together to overcome the difficulties they face.

The enthusiasm with which they have returned to school remains undimmed; the desire to challenge themselves and to make the most of every opportunity to learn. And what do our young people need for their future as they look ahead beyond 2020?

Most of all, they need to be adaptable, they need to be resilient, and they need one another’s support in whatever they do. I see this every day here at Bobby Moore Academy - it happens because of teachers leading their pupils to build up layer upon layer of detailed subject knowledge.