I started the day with the Leeds Skills Board at Weetwood Hall...

I had been asked to talk to the Skills Board about the work we are doing to raise standards in our schools and to improve outcomes for young people at sixteen. I outlined for the Board the progress we have made since 2001, how the learning landscape had developed during this period and our plans for the future to enable us to build a world class learning city.

We discussed the outstanding progress some of our schools have made which has been recognised by the DCSF. We also discussed the remaining challenges we are facing, the radical solutions available to us and how we need to develop more joined up solutions to tackle the impact of worklessness, poverty, deprivation and poor parenting.
Chris