It has been an exceptional week involving unique, extraordinary and exceptional people and places...

I started the week with some wonderful colleagues from Vaxjo in southern Sweden, the greenest city in Europe, who were here to see some of the best of learning in Leeds. I went on to listen to Lou Tice launch The Pacific Institute's brilliant new 'PX2' materials targeting 14 to 19 year olds. I opened the third 'The Store' event at West Park which was an extraordinary showcase and celebration of what the arts in Leeds can offer our children and young people. I talked about brilliant learning in brilliant learning places at an event for the senior leadership team from Liverpool City Council who were spending a day here. I presented the Education Award at the University of Leeds Student Volunteering Awards, an event recognising the outstanding contribution these young people make here in the city. I also fitted in a visit to Shadwell Primary School, an outstanding little primary school where Sue Pyatt and her colleagues are releasing the magic with some wonderful young people.

Colleagues from Vaxjo and Liverpool were blown away by what they saw and heard about learning in Leeds, our brilliant learning places and by the extraordinary people they met. I saw it again and again last week at Shadwell Primary School, at the University of Leeds and at The Store. We are blessed with some uniquely talented, extraordinary individuals who are doing great things and achieving brilliant outcomes. It's true you know, to be extraordinary we need to learn to focus; to focus on one or two things and to commit to them over a period of time.

So, if your goal is to become outstanding, take a careful look at how you are spending your time and focus, focus, focus. Chris