My colleague Liz Taylor, Headteacher at St. Philip’s Catholic Primary and Nursery School in Middleton sent me this e-mail which cheered me up...

"Good afternoon Chris, I’ve just read your blog and was moved by your comment about so much negativity being around. I suppose I just wanted to say that it’s not everywhere! Our school is a very positive place where the challenges are seen as opportunities and where we never lose sight of the fact that we’re in this for the children and feel privileged to be so. I wish you could have been at our cluster planning meeting yesterday afternoon, where the four primary schools in the Middleton Cluster and Cockburn (along with our brilliant cluster co-ordinator) were represented by people who are excited, stimulated and thankful to be doing what we’re doing, for the good of our children and the benefit of their families! As you said as you signed off – keep the faith! Liz."

Liz is right there is so much great stuff going on in schools across Leeds; colleagues who are passionate, committed, engaged and working incredibly hard to release the magic.
Chris