Sorry, it's been hectic here and I've been away...

On Monday we had the Children Leeds Open Forum at South Leeds Stadium. The accoustics were terrible which didn't help but Cllr Brett and Rosemary Arher talked about the chalenges we all face and the successes we are seeing. I was asked to be part of a small panel talking about leadership and what motivates me...

The answer I gave was my brilliant colleagues and the wonderful young people I have the privilege to serve here in Leeds. I am in awe of the colleagues in schools who do such an incredible job to ensure that our children are happy, healthy, safe and increasingly successful.

So why is the Children Leeds thing so important? I am into jigsaw puzzles and I suppose I recognised very early on that my piece wouldn't make a fundamental difference, after all it's only 15% of the whole thing, unless it was powerfully connected with all the other pieces that shape and condition a child's life and their outcomes... it's back to the waht makes brilliant debate!
It's good to talk but better to listen.
Chris