I attended the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard Faith Cluster Launch this morning at Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School...


The launch brought together children and colleagues from eighteen schools who wanted to work together and support each other to promote and champion race equality in their schools, parishes and the communities they serve. They all aim to prepare their young people, families, colleagues and communities to become successful, engaged and responsible global citizens and achieve the Stehen Lawrence Education Standard. Central to the values of these great schools is the belief that the uniqueness of each individual is recognised, respected and celebrated.

The event at Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School was brilliant and had an extraordinary magic and it is inspiring to see these great schools coming together to share, to network and to learn. Freedom, flexibility and responsibility lie at the heart of everything we are doing here in Leeds to build brilliant learning in brilliant learning places. However, they are not about isolation and separation and standing alone they are about trust, empowerment and understanding the relationships, the connections and the bigger picture and most of all understanding the power of teamwork as we wrestle with the biggest challenges we face. It is wonderful to see these schools working together to develop respect, tolerance and understanding and working together to tackle racism, prejudice and intolerance. This is so important as they work with our young people who are after all the future of Leeds.
Chris