Interestingly, talking about speading myself around and making the best use of my time, I missed my first 'Standards Meeting' yesterday...

In case you don't know 'Standards Meetings' are meetings between local authority colleagues and the DfCSF about standards in schools. They happen at this time every year and together we review progress, consider individual schools which might be causing concern and set targets for attendance, exclusions and Key Stage performance for the future. It's a really important meeting and shapes in many ways the working relationship between us and the DfCSF.

This year for the first time since I came to Leeds I knew that I didn't need to be there. That my colleagues would be brilliant without me, that I wouldn't add any value and that my time was better used with Terry Waite at the 'Respect for All Faiths' event. The question is was I right?

I am reliably informed that the meeting was a great success and that my team were fantastic! It makes me so proud when I realise that we all share the same values, that we live eat and breathe this stuff and that these highly intelligent, passionate and committed colleagues understand the challanges we face, the journey we have been on and whwt we have achieved over the years and importantly constantly and brilliantly fly the flag for Leeds, Children Leeds and Education Leeds.

Who were these powerful advocates and heroes... Gary Nixon, Jane Hall, Carol Jordan, Chris Pollard, Brian Tuffin, Dorothy Smith and Dirk Gilleard... I know that I will have missed some but I'll complete the list later.
Chris