The Courage to Keep Trying: Why What You Do Tomorrow Matters More Than What Happened Today

This closing keynote, delivered at the Isle of Wight Virtual School Annual Conference, is for everyone who works with or cares for vulnerable children and sometimes wonders whether what they do actually makes a difference. Built around three composite stories, it explores the quiet courage that changes children’s lives: the courage to keep showing up when there’s no response, to go back after getting it wrong, and to look at a child you’ve already decided about and decide again. Practical, honest, and designed to send people home ready to try one thing differently tomorrow.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand why persistence and relationship matter more than perfection for looked-after and trauma-experienced children
• Recognise the power of repair and why going back after difficulty can be more significant than getting it right first time
• Identify the small, consistent acts that build belonging over time
• Leave with the courage and the tools to try something differently tomorrow