A Month in Delhi – The Power of Circle Time

I am currently in Delhi, working in one of the most exciting, warm and enthusiastic schools I have ever visited.

Everywhere you look, there is positivity. The teachers, the administrative staff – everyone is deeply caring and committed. You can see it clearly in this photo: a group of vibrant, curious, energetic people, full of life. I worry that I may sound over the top – after all, I have been in education for a very long time – but I can honestly say I am not exaggerating. Being here feels like coming home. If I lived in India, this is a school I would love to be part of.

The principal is someone who truly believes in Circle Time and isn’t that wonderful? She is an extraordinary woman who brings warmth and love into everything she does. The respect and affection her staff have for her is unmistakable. I have worked with her school several times over the past 23 years of visiting India, but this time she invited me for an entire month so that I could have a deeper, more lasting impact. That is an incredible privilege.

In preparation, I spent a month designing a rich and ambitious timetable alongside two remarkable colleagues, Amrinder Kaur and Shruti Ananya. They were asked by the principal, Manika, to coordinate the programme, and together we became increasingly excited about what could be achieved. A month offers huge potential—but with four large campuses, careful planning was essential to ensure we reached everyone. It was, without doubt, a mammoth coordination task.

The aim was to embrace a whole-school, ecosystemic approach, with a strong focus on wellbeing excellence. As part of this, it was decided to train a group of in-house trainers. The photograph shows these 34 individuals – diverse, dedicated staff from different departments across all four schools.

We spent seven full days together, immersed in Circle Time. Even now, I occasionally forget just how powerful the circle can be. There are moments when I wonder whether it will truly work, but it always does. When people come together with shared ground rules of respect, kindness and empathy, something remarkable happens. The group quickly bonds, and individual personalities begin to shine through: the gentle listeners, the lively singers, the wonderfully funny, the quietly thoughtful. What emerges is a rich weaving together of human connection—brave, wholehearted and deeply relational.

You can see highlights from each day on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18103500845296666/

Of course, not all circles are easy. Some are challenging and those are often the most meaningful. I was asked to work with two groups of children: 15 who were considered challenging or dysregulated, and 15 who were strong role models. Bringing these groups together in what I call “family circles” is something I feel particularly passionate about and have written about in my books. The impact can be profound.

That was just one of many moments that made me feel incredibly happy. It captures exactly what I mean when I say this place feels like home. The values here align so closely with my own.

I feel very lucky to be here, at the right place, at the right time, supported by wonderful people. And because of that, I have energy. I have purpose.

And above all, I am happy.