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A Moment of Reflection: Casey Bailey’s Live Poem at NGA’s National Governance Conference

Among the many standout moments from NGA’s 2025 National Governance Conference was a powerful live performance by poet, educator, and former Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey

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29/07/2025

Among the many standout moments from NGA’s 2025 National Governance Conference was a powerful live performance by poet, educator, and former Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey. Invited to observe and compére the day’s discussions and respond creatively in real time, Casey delivered an original poem that captured the energy, challenges, and shared purpose of those in the room, governors, trustees, governance professionals, senior leaders and sector experts all working to shape a better future for schools and pupils.

Casey’s words offered a pause for reflection and a call to action. Drawing on themes of leadership, accountability, and care, his poem held up a mirror to the realities of school and trust governance, honouring the commitment and challenges of those in the room while urging us all to stay rooted in the needs of children and communities. As an Assistant Headteacher himself, Casey brought a lived understanding to his performance, speaking with both clarity and compassion.

We’re proud to share the full written version of Casey’s poem below, along with a recording of his performance and a highlights film from the wider conference. Together, they capture not only what was said, but what was felt.

Can you tell me why you’re here? Can you tell me why you come back to this work?
Driven by pride and passion, and always putting children first,
In an ever changing landscape, where we’re always on the search
For things that make us better, for the communities we serve
We have to talk accountability, checking what we’re seeing,
Sometimes that leads to challenge, and respectful disagreeing,
Understanding behind the numbers lies the human beings
so ensuring that there’s always a keen eye on well being,
When schools achieve their why the staff feel great,
But we have to create that wellbeing we can’t wait,
When it’s tough that positivity is hard to generate,
But it comes back to the environment we are choosing to curate,
In the swirl of information, change in legislation,
A million questions like, should we review the scheme of delegation,
Can AI do some of the lifting? With the correct verification
even if its just the start point to aid you with creation,
How do you safeguard you, while you safeguard them,
Turning policy to practice, and reviewing it again,
Knowing that wellbeing is important but ensuring you remember,
Is your staff well being on every meeting’s agenda,
Is it on the national agenda, with the attention it deserves,
How do we have a big listen but, nobody feels heard,
Their are three legs to education but there’s one we’re cutting short
Too much focus on inspection, when we really need support
For an education system that is inclusive by design,
a proactive foundation, that we always hold in mind,
So we don’t see it again, time after time,
That when your start is disadvantaged you will always be behind
Safeguarding pressures continue to cause concern,
SEND funding is increasing, but not in real terms,
So the SEND system is broken, when we’re desperate for it work,
It would be easy to be dejected, but think about this first,
A room full of people, dedicated in their drive,
To see our young people do so much more than survive,
Knowing there’s so much we can do, and nowhere we can hide,
And it will not come without work. But we’re strapped in for the ride

Watch the highlights from the conference to hear more of the voices, insights and energy that shaped the day. From keynote speakers to real-world reflections, this short film captures the conversations and commitments driving change across education.

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