I have been having a hard time dealing with some impossible challenges and a friend who saw that I was not my usual self sent me this...

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."

It is always important that we remember why we do what we do here in Leeds. We are climbing a mountain and while we have so much more to do to reach the heights of real excellence and world class standards, we must never forget what we have achieved over the last few years to drive up standards and continue our relentless and uncompromising focus on improving outcomes, attendance and behaviour. We are all working hard to deliver brilliant outcomes for all our children and young people.

I am grateful for the message and the support I have received from so many colleagues.
Chris