Last week was another fantastic week with a Building Schools for the Future event at the Carriageworks, visits to Allerton High School and Pudsey Grangefield High School, two of the new BSF schools, by Rosie Winterton MP, Minister for Yorkshire and the week ended with the opening of the brilliant new City Museum in Millenium Square.

I also attended an induction session at the Derek Fatchett CLC and a celebration event for the INVEST programme which Jane Haswell runs supported by colleagues from the Families and Schools Together team. Then over the weekend I went to London to see the latest Matthew Bourne ballet at Sadler's Wells.

What I realise every time I get really involved in the arts is that talented people don't do a good job or a great job because they are being monitored or because someone is watching them. They do a brilliant job because that is what they are ... brilliant and they simply love what they do. After last week this is obviously also true about the colleagues who delivered the new BSF schools and the new City Museum and the colleagues in the FAST team.

It is important to always remember that we have a choice and that we choose to work in the team here at Education Leeds. We choose to be here and being here gives us a chance to share our talents, our abilities, our passion and our energy... so whatever you do be your brilliant best and work hard to release the magic!
Chris

Over the weekend I went to see Matthew Bourne's new ballet Dorian Gray at Sadler's Wells...

The ballet was a more controversial production that the other Bourne works that I have seen and takes the Oscar Wilde classic into a 21st Century setting. Wlide's dark, obsessive and sinister story of a beautiful and charismatic hero who is also a sadistic killer is brought up to date by focussing on our obsession with youth and the cult of celebrity.

What you always get in a Matthew Bourne ballet was captured wonderfully by the cast of eleven great dancers supported by a talented team of musicians who performed the original score by Terry Davies... power, strength, energy, discipline and the result was fantastic.
Chris

My colleague Jane Haswell sent me this...

"Chris, Thanks for attending the celebration yesterday Chris. I know in my speech yesterday I mentioned that some of the ladies there yesterday were receiving their first qualification since leaving school and also the lady from OCN echoed that in her talk. In your blog you have also mentioned this, I would like to redress the balance a bit by pointing out that many of the parents who attend INVEST, including attendees yesterday, are in fact graduates and that the course is inclusive and there really is something in it for everyone."

Thanks for the reminder, Jane. it's great to know that our brilliant programmes reach everyone with a child in Leeds.
Chris

This evening I attended the official opening of the new Leeds City Museum...

It is simply brilliant and brings a 21st century museum to the heart of Leeds, occupying the wonderful Leeds Institute Building in Millenium Square. It houses, on four fantastic floors, five exciting galleries: the Leeds Story, the Leeds Arena, Life on Earth, World View: Out of Africa and Ancient Worlds as well as special exhibitions, a cafe, shop and learning centre. And best of all, it's free!

My highlight at the opening was the performance by children from Westgate Primary School in Otley who sang and were wonderful. This amazing Museum was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Leeds City Council and I hope that every school in Leeds will want to visit and experience the magic.
Chris

My colleague Liz Talmadge sent me a wonderful paper called 'Leading through Adversity: What to do when 'failing' becomes the latest fashion' a Hay Group Viewpoint publication. This is a little bit of the common sense from the paper...

"How then do schools persuade talent from walking when the going gets tough? Hay Group believes in focusing on the basics:

• Provide clarity of strategy direction and pace.
• Instil trust and confidence in the most driven, focused staff.
• Address fundamental concerns – everyone needs to know what is expected of them, what their objectives are and the behaviours they should be exhibiting.
• Put staff in roles most suited to their skills and ambitions.
• Provide the resources for people to do their jobs properly.
• Act quickly – the longer a school waits, the more they create a vacuum, leaving employees to worry and draw their own conclusions about what the National Challenge means to them.

Leaders must set the tone and model the behaviours around honesty, telling people what is known and admitting what is not, explaining why, how and when things need to happen. For the National Challenge, this means collaborating with a broad group of people and inviting them to share their concerns and ideas.

At the same time, healthy levels of stress and pressure are important levers for change. Honesty about the direction of travel and the expectations of staff will provide the school with a way of monitoring and addressing performance. Poor performing staff should be held to account. It may even be the right time for some of them to part company with the school.

Local solutions are the answer. Doubtless the National Challenge will be an ongoing and complex initiative. However, we should not lose sight of the opportunities it creates for schools and local authorities to solidify their partnership. They should adopt broad strategies to harness the emotional resources within their workforce, get the best performance from their staff and ultimately deliver better outcomes for children. Authorities must assess leadership capacity across all schools in their region and consider which leaders could make a system contribution beyond their own organisation by offering support for schools involved in the National Challenge."

Everyone should read this paper. You can download a copy at the Hay Group website at www.haygroup.com/uk/research. It sits in the organisational effectiveness section.

Chris

My colleague Allan Hudson, Transport Services Manager in our Admissions & Transport team sent me this at the end of a long hard week...

"Chris, I thought you might be interested in some cutting edge developmental work we are engaged in which will link our home to school transport and sustainable travel policies with the roll out of Yellow School buses.

As you can see, zero emissions and if they take it in turns to pedal, stronger, fitter and healthier kids! Allan."

Chris

Heather sent me some more photographs from Allerton High...

Thanks Heather.

Come on colleagues where are the pictures of Pudsey Grangefield and Rodillian?

Chris

I spend lunchtime today at the Civic Hall with a group of parents who had been through our INVEST programme...


The INVEST programme is the volunteering programme developed by Jane Haswell in our Families and Schools Together Team. I was there to present certificates to a group of parents who had completed the volunteering course my colleague Jane has developed and which now can be accredited through the Open College Network. The event started with a DVD showing the impact this programme is having across Leeds with What have you done today to make you feel proud as the musical background.... and this event made me deeply proud to be part of the team here at Education Leeds.

The parenting programmes in Leeds are brilliant and reaching groups of mums and dads who missed out on qualifications and courses at school and it is wonderful to see and celebrate their successses. This event celebrated the achievements of parents, mums, at five great Leeds primary schools and a wonderful Children's Centre:

• Cottingley Primary School;
• Five Lanes Primary School;
• Harehills Primary School
• Hovingham Primary School;
• Raynville Primary School;
• Hawksworth Wood Children's Centre.

These programmes are changing lives and clearly having an extra-ordinary impact in some of our most diverse communities. Chris Bennett, Val Cain and the FAST team are doing a brilliant job. I hope that we will have some photos later.

Chris

My colleague Andy Humphreys has sent me another set of figures...

"Chris, Here's the extra value at KS4 added since Education Leeds started in 2001.
An extra 8176 pupils have achieved 5+A*-C since 2001; almost a whole additional Leeds year group cohort achieving 5+A*-C. Now that IS value added !! Andy"

Seems we are making a difference!

Chris

My colleague Andy Humphreys, Research and Information Officer in our fantastic Performance Management and Information Team responded to my request about the number of young people getting good GCSEs now compared to 2001...

"Hi Chris, Your recent blog entry regarding KS4 improvements since 2001.... well, since you asked, I thought I'd work it out. In 2001, 39.6% of 8271 pupils in Leeds schools achieved 5+ A*-C, which is 3275 pupils. In 2008 we believe that more than 62% of pupils will have achieved 5+A*-C, which is at least 5355. Which means an extra 2080 pupils will have achieved the 5+A*-C standard at KS4 - great stuff !
Andy"

OK Andy, so over the years from 2001 to 2008 how many young people have achieved good GCSEs compared to the 2001 baseline?

Chris