I started the day early at Christ Church Upper Armley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School with Pat Richards and her team...

I chatted to Pat over a cup of coffee before we did 'Wake Up and Shake Up' at 8.50 to 'When the Going Gets Tough!' with the whole school in the playground led by the young PE coordinator and Pat... and it was wonderful to see the way the children responded and the real buzz it gave everyone including me! I then moved on with Pat and her Assistant Headteacher to Year 6 who were having a French breakfast with coffee and croissants for the big people... c'est magnifique! After a brief tour of the school, which was playing host to the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Blah Blah Theatre Company, finished my visit with Pat and Doreen Armitage, her Chair of Governors.

The school has made real progress under Pat's leadership over the last few years and as I walked around the school with Pat I could see that these are very special children and the culture and ethos Pat has worked so hard to create was there in the Wake Up and Shake Up session and in the French breakfast.

What makes Christ Church Upper Armley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School such a great place? The answers...

• Pat's strong and passionate leadership;
• a talented, energetic Assistant Headteacher and some enthusiastic colleagues;
• clear values and beliefs driving the work of the school;
• a focus on purposeful teaching within a positive learning environment; and
• some fantastic young people!

Pat and her team are working hard to create something really special at Christ Church Upper Armley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School .

Chris