"If I were absolutely certain about all things, I would spend my life in anxious misery, fearful of losing my way. But since everything and anything are aways possible, the miraculous is always nearby and wonders shall never, ever cease."

Robert Fulghum

It has been another wonderful, exciting yet challenging term. Whatever happens to us, I still believe that the only possible response is that we should be constantly and relentlessly positive about what we are doing. We have so much to be proud of here in Leeds and our approach to the challenges we are facing must be intelligent, direct and honest. If anyone out there believes they can do it better they should come on down, roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.

Like you, and after a long hard term, I need a break but before I go here’s how to survive the year ahead...

• Remember that absolute feedback does not exist
• Remember that it's their opinion, it's not fact!
• Remember to keep talking about our successes.
• Remember to keep learning how to do it better.
• Remember to constantly support your colleagues.
• Remember to phone a friend when you need help and support.
• Remember to focus on the outcomes you are achieving.
• Remember to stay positive!

The blog is going to go quiet for a few days so that I can unwind and get rid of the knots, recharge the batteries and gear myself up for another year in Leeds... Education Leeds last year in Leeds. Take care and look after yourself while I am gone and after a term like this it is important to know that miracles can happen and will happen.

Keep the faith.

Chris

MORE GREAT NEWS!

My colleague Jane Kaye, Senior Support Assistant at ArtForms sent me some brilliant news...

"Dear Chris, As you are no doubt aware, ArtForms Music has recently been judged to be an 'outstanding music service'. Following a detailed review of ArtForms Music's self-evaluation, the moderators decided that the department was 'outstanding' in 10 out of 12 areas and 'good' in the other two. 82% of our music lessons were judged to be good or above (national average is 75%) They concluded that 'the range and breadth of provision is truly impressive with activities provided for three-year-olds to those beyond pensionable age'. The evaluators observed several of our City of Leeds Youth Music Groups and were very impressed by the musical standard on show . In particular they noted that 'the skills and musicianship demonstrated by the Youth Percussion Ensemble were not only outstanding but breathtaking'. All the best and have a lovely holiday. Jane"

I am a passionate advocate of the arts in all its forms and it is wonderful to hear that the music service here in Leeds is outstanding with aspects that are simply breathtaking.
Chris

NOW WE ARE NINE!

I have been in Leeds for nearly nine wonderful years and today, 1st April 2010, Education Leeds is nine years old...

At it’s best our schools, our educational provision and our support services are fantastic, making an incredible difference and releasing real magic in so many ways. We have transformed the learning landscape here in Leeds and achieved great things with standards, outcomes, school improvement, inclusion, special educational needs, healthy schools, music and the arts, sport and activity, sensory support, the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard, Parent Partnership and so much more. Our brilliant support services have focused and strengthened the way we use our human, financial and technical resources to create golden threads that connect everything we do with our passionate commitment to ensure that every child and every young person is happy, healthy, safe and successful... whatever it takes!

They say time flies when you are having fun and it has been great fun thanks to you; the brilliant, talented, gorgeous and wonderful colleagues who have made me laugh, made me smile, made me cry and enriched, energised and brightened my life over these nine great years... THANK YOU ALL.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Chris

And finally, I attended another Higher Level Teaching Assistant Award Ceremony at the Village Hotel...

The Higher Level Teaching Assistant Celebration Evening brought together another group of our talented, brilliant, gorgeous and wonderful colleagues from primary schools, secondary schools, a SILC and a PRU. We have the largest group of HLTAs anywhere in the country and these colleagues are helping us transform outcomes for our young people and make a real difference in our communities. It was a fantastic evening. Sue Roe and her team had done an incredible job and the room looked wonderful. We had music once again from a young jazz band from Garforth Community College who were fantastic.

Sue, Louise, Rebecca and Peter had worked really hard to create a very special evening to celebrate these great colleagues achievements. Photographs to follow.

Chris

THINK TEAM!

I moved on to our fourth staff briefing session at the Blenheim Centre...

I wanted to discuss with interested colleagues the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as we all work to build better children's services here in Leeds. I wanted colleagues to understand why the review was necessary, the big challenges we still face, the opportunities to work in a more joined up and integrated way and most importantly to recognise and celebrate what we have achieved together over the last nine years; the outstanding initiatives, the extraordinary buildings and the outcomes we have achieved... all of which have been recognised by awards, feedback and celebrations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

It was great to meet with colleagues from the Education Psychology Team, the Sensory Services Team, the Deaf and Hearing Impaired Team, the Early Years Support Team, the Parent Partnership Service, the Safeguarding, Looked After and Vulnerable Children's Service, the SEN Statutory Assessment and Provision Service as well as some colleagues who had managed to pop in to the session. We have achieved something quite remarkable because of these talented, brilliant, gorgeous and wonderful colleagues, the culture we have created and because of the leadership we all provide which makes Education Leeds such a special organisation to work in.

Whatever we do we must all constantly celebrate our achievements, challenge the critics, the moaners and the negative and destructive voices and most importantly we must look after each other through this period of opportunity, uncertainty and change and THINK TEAM!
Chris

I moved on again to the Leeds West Academy for the sod cutting ceremony with Ed Balls Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families...

I was there with Sir Bruce Liddington who now heads up EACT, the Academy sponsors, local councillors, members of the governing body, staff and students from the Academy and from local primary schools. It was wonderful to see the start of the #30 million investment to create a brilliant new school for this community. The new Academy should be completed and the Leeds West Academy will move in by September 2011.
Chris

I moved on to another brilliant learning place...

I visited the East SILC, at the John Jamieson site, where Diane Reynard, the principal, and her talented team are releasing a truly extra-ordinary magic in this outstanding learning place. I talked to Diane, Roger Cannon, the chair of governors, and the leadership team about some of the work this amazing learning place is doing for some of our most special children. I also judged their Easter egg competition and attended a special performance of Mary Poppins which was simply amazing. Diane and Roger then gave me a swift guided tour of the SILC. What struck me as we walked around the SILC was the quality of the provision and, as an ex-science teacher and inspector/adviser for science and technology, the wonderful specialist provision and the brilliant learning environments colleagues have created for science, design technology and home economics. The SILC has one of the best science environments in Leeds where colleagues have created an extra-ordinary context for science learning and teaching.

The SILCs are increasingly doing brilliant work in terms of providing an outstanding specialist offer, supporting partnership provision in resource and partnership schools and providing outreach training and support. We need to continue to develop our SEN and Disability Services building on the SILC model. We need to look at the gaps in our provision and ensure that provision and support is more consistent across the city particularly for older students. We also need to urgently look at the whole behavioural continuum and work to fill the gaps in terms of rapid respite response and provision for children exhibiting the most complex mental, emotional and behavioural problems.

It was brilliant to visit Diane and her great team who are making such a difference at the East SILC for some of our most special children.

Chris

THINK TEAM!

I started the day early with another group of colleagues at our third staff briefing session at the Elmete Centre...

I wanted to discuss with interested colleagues the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as we all work to build better children's services here in Leeds. I wanted colleagues to understand why the review was necessary, the big challenges we still face, the opportunities to work in a more joined up and integrated way and most importantly to recognise and celebrate what we have achieved together over the last nine years; the outstanding initiatives, the extraordinary buildings and the outcomes we have achieved... all of which have been recognised by awards, feedback and celebrations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

It was great to meet with colleagues from School Improvement, National Strategies, Healthy Schools, Aim Higher, Leeds Mentoring, Extended Services, the FAST Team as well as some colleagues who had managed to pop in to the session. We have achieved something quite remarkable because of these talented, brilliant, gorgeous and wonderful colleagues, the culture we have created and because of the leadership we all provide which makes Education Leeds such a special organisation to work in.

Whatever we do we must all constantly celebrate our achievements, challenge the critics, the moaners and the negative and destructive voices and most importantly we must look after each other through this period of opportunity, uncertainty and change and THINK TEAM!
Chris

I also met with colleagues from Radio Aire, Radio Leeds, The Guardian, The Yorkshire Post and The Yorkshire Evening Post to talk about the National Challenge papers we are taking to Executive Board next week...

I wanted these colleagues to really understand why we are making these proposals, what our recommendations are and that we have listened to concerns about the future of the City of Leeds School and girls only provision in the city. It is also important to understand that the process continues with the three school closure proposals to the publication of Statutory Notices and that the final decisions will not be taken until June.
Chris

I finished the day at a meeting between Corporate Leadership Team and NHS Leeds Leadership Team at the Civic Hall...

It was refreshing to spend time with NHS colleagues looking at how we can work more closely together as we build the new approach to children's services in Leeds.
Chris

I started the day early with the Secondary Headteachers at Weetwood Hall...

We talked about the challenges we are facing and the opportunities with the new children's services directorate. They felt that we needed to ensure that there was a strong education and learning framework within the new arrangements building on local arrangements that include 21st Century Schools, Extended Services and 'Think Family' approaches.
Chris

At the end of the day I met briefly with Dirk Gilleard and Chris Halsall to talk about our World Class Primary Plan...

We have achieved great things with primary education here in Leeds; children in our primary schools generally make outstanding progress and the World Class Primary Plan will identify the additional work we need to do around the schools facing the greatest challenges. We know that we need to take a more holistic and joined up approach to improve attendance, behaviour, standards, outcomes and the other issues facing these schools, their families and their communities.
Chris

This afternoon I attended the second special meeting of the Children Leeds Partnership which was looking at the Children's Services Review, the Children's Services Improvement Plan and the refresh of the Children and Young People's Plan...

It was an interesting afternoon where colleagues stressed the importance of holistic 'Think Family' approaches, keeping things simple and building on the best of what we have established here in Leeds.
Chris

"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage... Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another week of challenges and opportunities...

On Monday, after leadership team we had the third Leeds children's services improvement board. On Tuesday, it was the usual round of corporate meetings before Dirk Gilleard and I took our colleague Ros Vahey out for a meal to celebrate her success in being appointed director of children's services in Derby. Ros is the fifth deputy chief executive with Education Leeds to be appointed to a director of children's services post, and she is the latest in a long line of remarkable individuals who have made a real and unique difference here in Leeds. On Wednesday, I had breakfast with the Meanwood and Moortown family of schools headteachers before attending a meeting with cabinet. I also managed to visit the end of the headteachers forum at West Park, and then finally Dirk Gilleard and I met with Jan Bennett HMI and Mike Cladingbowl HMI to discuss Ofsted inspections in Leeds. Thursday was Ros' last day, and I spent some time with our integrated children's services team leaders in the morning to talk to them about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as we move towards the new children's services directorate. After lunch I visited Lineham Farm with Cllr Richard Harker. It is a brilliant resource for Leeds schools offering a unique and very special experience to our primary age children from schools all over Leeds. I returned to the Civic Hall for the 2009-2010 Stan Kenyon school challenge award ceremony where ten great schools received awards, before finishing the day with a group of colleagues at our first staff briefing session at Merrion House to discuss with interested colleagues how we can all work together to build better children's services here in Leeds. And finally on Friday morning I started the day with a group of colleagues at our second staff briefing session at the West Park Centre to discuss with interested colleagues the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

You could argue that we are facing a combination of challenges that threaten to overwhelm what we have achieved together over the last nine years with budget cuts looming, capital funding disappearing and an increasing difficulty attracting and retaining talented colleagues. However if you look at it more creatively these challenges are really opportunities for talented colleagues, with the future depending on brilliant leadership, social enterprise, powerful communities, responsibilities alongside rights and civic companies enabling local authorities to champion and commission rather than provide services. It is important that we rise to these challenges and continue to focus on the things that really matter... whatever it takes!
Chris

THINK TEAM!

On Friday, I started the day with a group of colleagues at our second staff briefing session at the West Park Centre...

I wanted to discuss with interested colleagues the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as we all work to build better children's services here in Leeds. I wanted colleagues to understand why the review was necessary, the big challenges we still face, the opportunities to work in a more joined up and integrated way and most importantly to recognise and celebrate what we have achieved together over the last nine years; the outstanding initiatives, the extraordinary buildings and the outcomes we have achieved... all of which have been recognised by awards, feedback and celebrations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

It was great to meet with colleagues from Artforms, the Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service and the Attendance Team as well as some colleagues who had mangaed to pop in to the session. We have achieved something quite remarkable because of the culture we have created, because of the leadership we all provide and because of these talented, brilliant, gorgeous and wonderful colleagues who make Education Leeds such a special organisation to work in.

We must all constantly celebrate our achievements, challenge the critics, the moaners and the negative and destructive voices and most importantly we must look after each other through this period of uncertainty and change and THINK TEAM!
Chris