"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Despite our success this year we still face a reality where about half our young people are achieving mediocre and unsatisfactory outcomes at the end of eleven years of statutory education. There is increasing recognition that secondary schools as we know them will not deliver for all of our young people. The current testing and standards approach will only ever slowly ratchet up the scores; it will not reform learning, improve outcomes and close the increasing gap between the best and the worst.

Schools need more than tinkering at the edges… we need a learning transformation to achieve transformational and brilliant outcomes. While Tony Blair and Lord Adonis believe that autonomy and academies will provide us with the answers, I have my doubts. Deep down I believe that if schools are to be significantly better they must be significantly different. I think the answer lies in new institutional models that recognise the nature of learning and the nature of the learner. New community based learning centres with local leadership creating new dynamic institutions with creative and imaginative responses to a rapidly and constantly changing society.

To achieve this fundamental transformation we must:
¨ Make our institutions places that support 24:7:365 learning;
¨ Focus on learning not teaching;
¨ Move away from the idea of the teacher to the coach, consultant or learning leader model;
¨ Ensure that each learner has a personal learning plan, a personal adviser and a personal mentor;
¨ Focus on the powerful and imaginative use of ICT;
¨ Develop new systems to encourage innovation and creativity;
¨ Build learning networks;
¨ Develop integrated multi-agency partnerships;
¨ Develop ways of engaging parents and carers;
¨ Develop ways of engaging children and young people;

In this brave new world, we need to understand the importance of people, of ideas, of networks and of connections. Above all, we must to be open to new ideas and we must continue to thrive on chaos.

Chris

AND MORE REFLECTIONS

Brilliant people make Education Leeds a very special place. We need to learn from each other and remember some of the key messages so that we continue to nurture the magic, develop the creative edge and keep our people happy, healthy, safe and successful… whatever it takes:

• Clean up the clutter;
• Get some sunshine;
• Count your blessings;
• Don’t dwell on the negatives;
• Find some silence;
• Live for today;
• Do something you love;
• Listen to music;
• Watch the sunrise or the sunset; and
• Never lie about anything important.

Chris

AND MORE REFLECTIONS

Our lives are full of stress, challenge and hastle. The pace never seems to let up. We all know what we need to do but we never seem to find the time.

These are some of the things that will make a difference:

• Breathe.
• Exercise.
• Stretch.
• Walk.
• Stamp your feet.
• Dance.
• Touch your toes.
• Sing.
• Get enough sleep.
• Regularly take a break.

Chris

REFLECTIONS

It is important that we remember the things that we should all do to keep Education Leeds a special place. We need to remember that people are our business and we must develop all our colleagues to become the talented, wonderful, gorgeous and brilliant people they have the potential to be.

My top ten work-life tips:

• Relax;
• Smile;
• Laugh;
• Read;
• Hug a friend;
• Keep a pet;
• Say thank you;
• Share experiences and successes;
• Search for ways to have fun; and
• Wear comfortable shoes!

Chris

They say that strong, dynamic and proactive communication lies at the heart of an effective organisation...

We have a brilliant, talented, gorgeous and wonderful Communications Team here at Education Leeds but we all need to keep looking at how we communicate and engage our partners, schools and young people. Interestingly, I am told that only 7% of the messages we receive are the things we say. The other 93% is wrapped up in our body language, our tone of voice and our expressions.

In a people organisation like ours we need to understand and practice the 93% rule. Here are a few practical tips you might like to consider:
¨ Smile;
¨ Listen and pay attention;
¨ Don’t interrupt or dismiss concerns;
¨ Use names;
¨ Focus and concentrate;
¨ Encourage;
¨ Give genuine praise;
¨ Take a personal interest;
¨ Spend time;
¨ Learn.

Chris

As we rush towards the end of yet another term it's easy to get demoralised and to forget the real progress we are making. On Friday as we all laughed and raised money for Comic Relief, one colleagues asked me if it was worth it... everyone working so hard and still things go wrong and terrible things happen.

In his book, “The Star Thrower”, Loren Eiseley talks about the day when early one morning he was walking along a sandy beach where thousands of starfish had been washed up on the shore. He noticed a boy picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them back into the sea. Eiseley watched for a few minutes and then asked the boy what he was doing. The boy told him that he was returning the starfish to the sea or they would die. Eiseley asked the boy how saving a few would make any difference whatsoever. The boy picked up a starfish and as he threw it back into the sea said, “It’s going to make a lot of difference to this one.”

Whatever the powers that be and the gods throw at us we must always remember that we are making a difference... we are changing lives... we are transforming communities... we are building brilliant learning places.

And by the way the red hair raised over £500 for Comic Relief!
Chris

We had a fantastic day yesterday...

The Prime Minister came to Leeds to officially open Carr Manor High School and it was brilliant. Simon Flowers and his team did an amazing job of organising the opening which worked with militray precision until it came to the timing... Tony Blair was running 30 minutes late and then when he and Cherie toured the school they took longer than expected. The real problem was that the event was outside and it was so cold. Still it isn't that often that a Prime Minister opens your school...

Tony Blair, who is the first serving Prime Minister to open a new school in Leeds since the Second World War, said: "This is a magnificent school and it's going to provide a first class education for the children who come here."

As I said it was a fantastic day.
Chris

OK I now have red hair and we raised £416 for Comic Relief! Thanks to everyone who contributed. I just hope it washes out!
Chris

OK it's red nose day... the BIG ONE...

What are you doing? I've agreed to dye my hair red if colleagues here at Merrion can raise £50. I'll keep you posted... I think I set too low a target!
Chris

I had lunch with the Performance Management and Information Team...

We talked about beautiful systems and how we are developing our performance management framework to support and drive our culture. We talked about this message which they felt encouraged a lack of focus and could undermine their work on our plans and startegies.

"Success is NOT plan driven, it is NOT the product of strategic thinking or planning or the product of focus groups. It is NOT about strategies, inspections, targets, meetings, command and control, power, bureaucracy, glossy publications and paper mountains
Success is NEEDS driven, it is messy, unpredictable, about living on the edge, evolutionary, trivial, creative, experimental and the product of trial and error. It is about brilliant colleagues, powerful relationships, dynamic partnerships, no-blame, trust, taking risks, empowerment, intelligent accountability and action."

What is obvious is that the two things go hand in hand. .. beautiful systems and a culture which encourages innovation, creativity and experiment. Peter Storrie and the team are doing some great stuff around the transformational projects, the School Contact System and the Strategic Plan. These talented colleagues are available to help and support any colleagues on their journey to create truly beautiful systems!
Chris