Who we are now, and where we're going
Schoolmix today is a lot smaller than the platform it started out trying to be, and that's very much on purpose. It's a community interest organisation built to connect schools, teachers, parents, carers and the clubs and services that make childhood a bit brighter, without the layers of process or the do everything ambition that got in the way the first time round.
It's run day to day by one person, me, the technical one behind it, though I've spent as much time outside of code as in it, working in charities and working directly with children. I'm also a parent myself, which means I've felt firsthand what a good community, a reliable club or a teacher who goes the extra mile actually means to a family, not just as an idea but as something that matters on an ordinary Tuesday.
Being small means I can move quickly. There's no committee to convince before trying something new, and if an idea isn't working, I can change direction without needing to justify it to layers of people first. What I do have is a genuine willingness to listen, to teachers about what would actually help, to parents about what they're missing, and to schools about what real partnership would look like, and to let that shape what Schoolmix becomes next.
Where this goes from here depends a good deal on who gets involved. I'm looking for teachers, school admins, parents and people running children's services who fancy helping shape it, not just using it once it's finished, but having a hand in what it becomes. If that sounds like you, get in touch. For the fuller story of how Schoolmix came to be, including the ambitious version that didn't quite work the first time, have a look at Our Story.