How to Say NO to The System - with guest Headteacher Willie French

Описание: In March 2026, Scotland’s grassroots ACEs Action Community hosted a Conversation Series: ‘How to Say NO to The System’. Our goal was to explore the reasons that relational practice, underpinned by trauma-informed principles, is often resisted by the systems charged with children’s care. Over three weeks, we invited three people who have held positions of responsibility within the Scottish or English education systems to tell us their stories of trying to make change. We asked them to share their wisdom about how any of can take action to make change, even in the face of resistance. We know this takes courage, so we were keen to learn from their experiences.

In this first conversation, our host Gary Robinson talks to Willie French, who held Primary Headteacher posts for 27 years in Scotland. He now serves as Chair of the campaigning organisation Upstart, which seeks the implementation of a kindergarten stage in the Scottish education system.

We think a conversation about saying NO is important, because a rapidly growing number of people are concerned about the power of the system to block real change – change that is in alignment with all we now know about children’s developmental and relational needs. If the system isn’t able to change in accord with that knowledge, then new ways of driving change need to be found. If that does not happen, children are harmed – because their development is impaired. We are working to find ways to prevent that.