Two weeks ago

Sometimes we all need reminding that the daily grind, the paper, the meetings, the hassle, the criticism, the politics and the negative people aren't what it is all about. However, those things can wear you out and make you question whether what you are doing is worth it. At those times, we need to take time to focus on the outcomes we are trying to achieve and the difference we are all making.

Last week was great and gave me another chance to see the difference we are making and to remember just how special education in Leeds really is. I started the week at Corpus Christi Catholic College where Cllr Richard Harker and I joined Rosie Denison and the dinner lady who inspired Jamie Oliver, in celebrating the 1000th colleague to complete the innovative and unique training programme we are running for our kitchen staff. The assembly with nearly 1000 young people was amazing and recognised the students' fantastic charitable giving as well as celebrating the achievements of the lunchtime staff at this great school. We then had three hectic days with a group of colleagues from Stockholm and Sollentuna. My thanks go to Allyn, Khian, Carrie, Thomas, Margarita, Donna, Caroline and Claire. These brilliant colleagues managed and organised a wonderful visit for our friends from Stockholm. I am also deeply grateful to colleagues at Methley Primary School, Hillcrest Primary School, Ireland Wood Primary School, Carr Manor High School, Otley Prince Henry's Grammar School, South Leeds High School and the North East SILC who helped us show our visitors the best of Leeds... and they were quite simply bowled over by what they saw!

I finished the week with a fantastic group of young people who were launching the 'Be Healthy! Stay Safe' campaign which we hope will engage all our young people, our colleagues and parents and carers across the city in a series of challenges to improve health and well being and to encourage them to stay safe... and I was bowled over by what I saw! Wherever you go in the education world there are great people... talented brilliant, gorgeous and wonderful colleagues helping to release a very special kind of magic... headteachers, teachers, lunchtime staff, office staff... and it is simply wonderful to see the impact and the outcomes.

At the end of another week I know that it is worth it and that we are making a difference to our most valuable and precious resource... our children and young people!
Keep the faith!
Chris

Three weeks ago

A week back after Easter....an Easter where I spent time at Auschwitcz and Birkenau being deeply touched by these dreadful monuments to man's inhumanity to man....

It was a week of meetings but I also visited two great schools; Sharp Lane Primary School and John Smeaton Community College and opened our conference on 'Successful Inclusion for Children on the Move.'

However, the highlight of the week was the lunch Dirk, Ros, Dee and I had with a group of young people from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School. The lunch had been planned to follow up the issues they raised when we had the '11 Million Takeover Day' last November. Hilary Benn MP also popped in to see them and they were brilliant.
Chris

Now we are SEVEN!

I have been in Leeds for nearly seven years…

And today… 1st April 2008… Education Leeds is seven years old! They say time flies when you are having fun and it has been great fun thanks to the brilliant, talented, gorgeous and wonderful colleagues who have made me laugh, made me smile and brightened my life over these seven incredibly wonderful years. At it’s best our schools, our educational provision and our support services here in Leeds are breathtakingly wonderful and my colleagues are just incredible.

Let’s make sure that we continue to clear away the stuff that gets in the way and release the magic…. whatever it takes!

Chris

I am sorry but I need a break...

The blog is going to go quiet for couple of weeks while I unwind and get rid of the knots, recharge the batteries and gear myself up for another year in Leeds. Take care and look after yourself while I am gone.
Chris

What a morning...

I started the day early at a meeting with Catherine Marchant looking at the next steps with Children's Services here in Leeds and how we further develop responsibilities, accountabilities and communications. I went on to Cockburn Arts College to officially open their new technology facilities with Cllr Penny Ewens. Then it was over to the new West Leeds High School for some photographs of the site for the new school with young people and the headteachers from West Leeds and Wortley High Schools. Then on to Wortley High School to attend a special presentation to Doris Dalton; tea-lady, lunchtime superviser and cleaner since 1975! Finally I attended the latest 'staff induction session' at the Derek Fatchett Centre where I met another talented group of new colleagues.

What a day!
Chris

My colleague Valerie Hannon, Director - Strategy at The Innovation Unit sent me this e-mail about a project that builds on the Musical Futures initiative we have been working on...

"Dear Chris, I would like to draw your attention to the ‘Learning Futures: Next Practice in teaching and learning’ booklet which will be arriving on your desk very soon, if you have not received it already. This project, in partnership with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, is founded on our shared belief that to make really significant advances now, we need to hone in on the learning-teaching process: particularly on how students become deeply engaged in their learning in classrooms and beyond. We have sent this booklet to all secondary schools in England with an invitation to engage with the work. That engagement may be at a variety of levels – from becoming part of a community of interest to applying to come to one of two forthcoming events in which we will enable people to co-design possible new approaches, which in turn could form part of a major new initiative with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

With this in mind, I wonder whether you would wish to draw it to the attention of any of the secondary schools in your authority who you feel would be well placed to take part and who might be particularly interested in this innovative project? Information on how to get involved can be found at http://www.innovation-unit.co.uk/projects/next-practice/learning-futures.html

The timescales are quite tight – schools need to have come back to us by Friday 18th April 2008. Best wishes ~Valerie"

This is a brilliant initiative and I hope schools will see how it connects with 'brilliant learning' and get involved!

Chris

I went on to Headteacher Forum at the David Lloyd Centre...

We had brief presentations from Mariana Pexton, Simon Flowers and Peter Lawrence on Children Leeds issues, from Mark Hopkins on Extended Services and from Sally Threlfall on our Early Years Outcomes. These powerful sessions simply reinforced the need for us to work collaboratively with colleagues across Children's Services to secure better outcomes for all our children and young people and their families.
Chris

I went on to South Leeds High School to meet with Colin Bell and Cllr Geoff Driver...

Dirk Gilleard, Pat Toner and I had arranged a meeting with Colin, Geoff and Paul Edwards from Garforth Community College to take stock after the recent monitoring visit by our friends from OFSTED. The South Leeds story is a brilliant one and Colin and his team have achieved such a lot already... the challenge for us all is how do we continue to drive up standards, continue to improve attendance, further develop teaching and learning and secure brilliant outcomes for some wonderful young people. Answers on a postcard!
Chris

I started the day early at Blenheim...

I had coffee with Gary Nixon and Mike Haworth who have been doing some brilliant work around our provision for young people with behavioural problems. It is remarkable that ALL the behavioural provision here in Leeds is at least satisfactory and the majority good and outstanding. Our friends from OFSTED have told us that we are dealing with some of the most complex cases locally and what we are achieving is outstanding.

Gary, Mike and colleagues have certainly helped us focus and deliver at the hardest end of our provision. I know that there is still a lot to do but it is brilliant to see the progress we have made and it's impact across the city.
Chris

"If you always tell the truth, you don't have to remember what you said."

After another term where we have been inspected, monitored and srutinised to death I still believe that honesty is a good thing, here’s how to survive...

• Remember to keep your balance.
• Remember to focus on behaviour.
• Remember that absolute feedback doesn't exist
• Remember that it's their opinion, it's not fact!
• Remember to stay positive!
• Remember not to argue.
• Remember to always ask for feedback.
  

Now that you have some pain-killers when the inspectors attack, here’s how to ask for more:

• Say thanks
• Be totally honest.
• Don’t justify
• Laugh at yourself.
• Compliment others
• Be Positive.
• Understand.
• Disagree.

Remember never take criticism from people who you don't hold in high regard.
Chris