You have another chance to enter the annual Leeds Peace Poetry competition...
The competition started in 2002 and is supported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds Trinity and All Saints College and Leeds Metropolitan University as well as Education Leeds. This year the theme is 'Picture Peace' and the competition is open to all primary and secondary schools here in Leeds.
Over the last six years, thousands of children have written peace poems and I hope that once again this year children and young people will take this opportunity to think about why peace is important in our world and picture peace! Competition entries should be sent to Nicola Megson, Deputy Editor at the Yorkshire Evening Post, Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 1RF.
Chris
Sunday, 7 September 2008
We are currently consulting on developing a new Children and Young People's Plan for 2009 - 2014...
The consultation provides colleagues with an opportunity to reflect on where we are now with our support for children, young people and their families and the progress we have made. It will also help us determine what we need to change in the light of the changing national and local context to continue to improve the lives of the children and young people in Leeds. The new CYPP will help us provide a shared framework and a renewed focus for all the partners in Children Leeds and help inform our work, our planning and the way we target and prioritise our efforts.
The consultation ends on 30 September and I hope that colleagues in schools and Education Leeds will engage with this by going on the Leeds Initiative's Children Leeds web-site at www.leedsinitiative.org.
Chris
The consultation provides colleagues with an opportunity to reflect on where we are now with our support for children, young people and their families and the progress we have made. It will also help us determine what we need to change in the light of the changing national and local context to continue to improve the lives of the children and young people in Leeds. The new CYPP will help us provide a shared framework and a renewed focus for all the partners in Children Leeds and help inform our work, our planning and the way we target and prioritise our efforts.
The consultation ends on 30 September and I hope that colleagues in schools and Education Leeds will engage with this by going on the Leeds Initiative's Children Leeds web-site at www.leedsinitiative.org.
Chris
There was an interesting article in the Sunday Times today about Martin Seligman's work on 'positive psychology' being launched as a national programme following a small scale pilot in South Tyneside, Hertfordshire and Manchester...
I remember this initiative starting and this was on the blog in May 2007!
Despite everything research suggests that we are no happier now than we were 50 years ago. In his book 'Authentic Happiness' Martin Seligman argues that happiness is not the result of good genes or good luck and that we can teach people to be happy by cultivating and using many of the strengths and traits colleagues possess including kindness, originality, humour, optimism and generosity. by identifying the very best in ourselves Seligman argues that we can improve the world around us and achieve new and sustainable levels of commitment, contentment and meaning.
Lord Richard Layard, Director of the Well-being Programme in the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, argues that the key to success is to give higher priority to promoting better human relationships. He believes that the revolution to build character should be a major aim in every school with expert teachers of PSHE for whom that is their full-time mission and passion. Richard argues that PSHE is an extraordinarily difficult subject to teach but that we increasingly know what works and what does not. PSHE teaching must be based increasingly on evidence based research about what changes children and young people.
And this was on the blog in September 2007!
An American study has found that a school pupil’s self-discipline is a stronger predictor of their future academic success than their IQ, leading researchers to conclude that self-discipline may be the “royal road” to building academic achievement. In a first study, Angela Duckworth and Martin Seligman recruited 140 school children (average age 13 years) at the start of the academic year. In the Autumn, the children, their parents and teachers, all completed questionnaires about the children’s self-discipline. The measures asked things about the children’s ability to follow rules, to avoid acting impulsively, and to put off instant rewards for later gratification. Scores from the different measures were combined to create an overall indicator of self-discipline.The researchers found self-discipline predicted all sorts of academic measures taken seven months later, including the children’s average grade for the academic year, their Spring exam result and their selection into High School. A second study with 164 children (average age 13) followed a similar procedure but also involved the children taking an IQ test in the Autumn. Self-discipline again predicted later academic performance, as measured by their average grade for the year and their Spring exam result. Moreover, the researchers found that the children’s self-discipline scores accounted for twice as much of the variation in their later academic performance as their IQ did. The researchers said “Underachievement among American youth is often blamed on inadequate teachers, boring textbooks, and large class sizes. We suggest another reason for students falling short of their intellectual potential: their failure to exercise self-discipline”.
If you want to find out more you can read the report Self-Discipline Outdoes IQ in Predicting Academic Performance of Adolescents in the Journal of Pyschological Science at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/e and what does not!
Both Martin Seligman and Richard Layard use the example of the Penn Resiliency Programme in Pennsylvania which focuses on children understanding their own emotions and caring for others. I am not saying that this programme is the answer but it has had incredible outcomes and you can find out more at http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/prpsum.htm.
This initiative began after the Pacific Institute's Global Conference in York a couple of years ago where Martin Seligman spoke about the Penn Resiliency Programme. The work on well-being and happiness will apparently be showcased at a DCSF supported conference on Tuesday. It has the same basic elements as the Investment in Excellence, STEPS and 'Go For It' programmes we are already developing and delivering here in Leeds... and we know that it works so it is great to see that the DCSF are taking this important work forward.
Chris
I remember this initiative starting and this was on the blog in May 2007!
Despite everything research suggests that we are no happier now than we were 50 years ago. In his book 'Authentic Happiness' Martin Seligman argues that happiness is not the result of good genes or good luck and that we can teach people to be happy by cultivating and using many of the strengths and traits colleagues possess including kindness, originality, humour, optimism and generosity. by identifying the very best in ourselves Seligman argues that we can improve the world around us and achieve new and sustainable levels of commitment, contentment and meaning.
Lord Richard Layard, Director of the Well-being Programme in the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, argues that the key to success is to give higher priority to promoting better human relationships. He believes that the revolution to build character should be a major aim in every school with expert teachers of PSHE for whom that is their full-time mission and passion. Richard argues that PSHE is an extraordinarily difficult subject to teach but that we increasingly know what works and what does not. PSHE teaching must be based increasingly on evidence based research about what changes children and young people.
And this was on the blog in September 2007!
An American study has found that a school pupil’s self-discipline is a stronger predictor of their future academic success than their IQ, leading researchers to conclude that self-discipline may be the “royal road” to building academic achievement. In a first study, Angela Duckworth and Martin Seligman recruited 140 school children (average age 13 years) at the start of the academic year. In the Autumn, the children, their parents and teachers, all completed questionnaires about the children’s self-discipline. The measures asked things about the children’s ability to follow rules, to avoid acting impulsively, and to put off instant rewards for later gratification. Scores from the different measures were combined to create an overall indicator of self-discipline.The researchers found self-discipline predicted all sorts of academic measures taken seven months later, including the children’s average grade for the academic year, their Spring exam result and their selection into High School. A second study with 164 children (average age 13) followed a similar procedure but also involved the children taking an IQ test in the Autumn. Self-discipline again predicted later academic performance, as measured by their average grade for the year and their Spring exam result. Moreover, the researchers found that the children’s self-discipline scores accounted for twice as much of the variation in their later academic performance as their IQ did. The researchers said “Underachievement among American youth is often blamed on inadequate teachers, boring textbooks, and large class sizes. We suggest another reason for students falling short of their intellectual potential: their failure to exercise self-discipline”.
If you want to find out more you can read the report Self-Discipline Outdoes IQ in Predicting Academic Performance of Adolescents in the Journal of Pyschological Science at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/e and what does not!
Both Martin Seligman and Richard Layard use the example of the Penn Resiliency Programme in Pennsylvania which focuses on children understanding their own emotions and caring for others. I am not saying that this programme is the answer but it has had incredible outcomes and you can find out more at http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/prpsum.htm.
This initiative began after the Pacific Institute's Global Conference in York a couple of years ago where Martin Seligman spoke about the Penn Resiliency Programme. The work on well-being and happiness will apparently be showcased at a DCSF supported conference on Tuesday. It has the same basic elements as the Investment in Excellence, STEPS and 'Go For It' programmes we are already developing and delivering here in Leeds... and we know that it works so it is great to see that the DCSF are taking this important work forward.
Chris
It has been a funny week; schools back at work, fantastic new buildings being handed over and a quick trip to Germany and back...
My trip to Gutersloh made me realise once again, as I escaped from the intensity of being in Leeds, what a fantastic and very special organisation Education Leeds is. The accolades, the praise and the recognition we received from colleagues at the Bertelsmann Foundation for our work on 'Integration through Education: Fairness for All' and the feedback after the seminar where I talked about Education Leeds and its mission was humbling in so many ways.
To be nominated and taken forward as one of four examples of brilliant practice from across the world, four examples out of sixty nominations, is hard to take in but they also understood the critical importance and uniqueness of our culture, our leadership, our attitudes, our values and our people; all of which, they recognised, shape and drive every aspect of our work here in this wonderful city.
The Bertelsmann Foundation is, like Education Leeds, a unique and very special organisation: one from which we can learn and one with which we can share ideas and approaches. They share our search for what makes brilliant, our passion for equity and fairness, our commitment to music and the arts, our belief in our children and young people and like us they want to change the world to make it a better place for children, families and communities. They understand the need to listen and learn, to research and reflect, to influence and understand and most importantly to strive, to act and to get things done. They understand that actions speak louder than words, that blood, sweat and tears change the world and that it is not the critic who counts but the actor on the stage.
Peter and I were fired up by our visit and by what we learned. I keep thinking of the Calvin Coolidge quote..."Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." After a year where we have seen real success and achieved great things our slogan must be 'press on'. We have still got a lot to do to change the world for the children, families and communities we serve but reassuringly we are not alone and the solutions are out there in Toronto, Malmo, Zurich and at the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Keep the faith.
Chris
My trip to Gutersloh made me realise once again, as I escaped from the intensity of being in Leeds, what a fantastic and very special organisation Education Leeds is. The accolades, the praise and the recognition we received from colleagues at the Bertelsmann Foundation for our work on 'Integration through Education: Fairness for All' and the feedback after the seminar where I talked about Education Leeds and its mission was humbling in so many ways.
To be nominated and taken forward as one of four examples of brilliant practice from across the world, four examples out of sixty nominations, is hard to take in but they also understood the critical importance and uniqueness of our culture, our leadership, our attitudes, our values and our people; all of which, they recognised, shape and drive every aspect of our work here in this wonderful city.
The Bertelsmann Foundation is, like Education Leeds, a unique and very special organisation: one from which we can learn and one with which we can share ideas and approaches. They share our search for what makes brilliant, our passion for equity and fairness, our commitment to music and the arts, our belief in our children and young people and like us they want to change the world to make it a better place for children, families and communities. They understand the need to listen and learn, to research and reflect, to influence and understand and most importantly to strive, to act and to get things done. They understand that actions speak louder than words, that blood, sweat and tears change the world and that it is not the critic who counts but the actor on the stage.
Peter and I were fired up by our visit and by what we learned. I keep thinking of the Calvin Coolidge quote..."Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." After a year where we have seen real success and achieved great things our slogan must be 'press on'. We have still got a lot to do to change the world for the children, families and communities we serve but reassuringly we are not alone and the solutions are out there in Toronto, Malmo, Zurich and at the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Keep the faith.
Chris
Saturday, 6 September 2008
We have a new member of the family at home...
He's called Eugene and he's a hamster. He spends much of his time in his wheel and like me he works so hard and expends so much energy only to find that things haven't moved on and he is more or less where he started from. Still he manages to sleep a lot and everyday he goes for it regardless of the setbacks and the problems.
So what have I learnt from Eugene... whatever the setbacks he's not stressed, he's not downhearted, he keeps trying to get there, he never gives up and he ensures that his work-life balance remains in balance!
Chris
He's called Eugene and he's a hamster. He spends much of his time in his wheel and like me he works so hard and expends so much energy only to find that things haven't moved on and he is more or less where he started from. Still he manages to sleep a lot and everyday he goes for it regardless of the setbacks and the problems.
So what have I learnt from Eugene... whatever the setbacks he's not stressed, he's not downhearted, he keeps trying to get there, he never gives up and he ensures that his work-life balance remains in balance!
Chris
Peter and I got back from Gutersloh in Germany late on Thursday evening after an amazing couple of days with the Bertlesmann Foundation...
The Bertlesmann Foundation is, an amazing organisation, working, against a background of increasing social diversity, demographic change and increasing globalisation, to develop community engagement, social cohesion and to release potential. They share our belief that our children are the future and that we all must work to develop their potential and encourage and support them in playing a active role in society. They also see the need to focus on young people being happy, healthy, safe as well as successful, the power of music and the arts and the need to listen to young people.
This year the focus was to identify examples from across the world of integration and participation and particularly to find examples which reach and support children and young people from disadvantaged communities: our work with gypsy, roma and travellers, migrants and assylum seekers and black and minority ethnic communities meant that we can been selected as one of 60 nominees from 21 countries across the world. This had been slimmed down through a detailed evaluation and monitoring process to four finalists... Leeds, Malmo, Toronto and Zurich. The prize was won by the Toronto District School Board for their wonderful work on 'Integration through Education: Fairness for All'.
As part of this year's competition the Bertelsmann Foundation has developed a programme called 'All Kids are VIPs' and you can find our more about this and the Foundation by visiting www.allekidssindvips.de or www.bertlesmann-stiftung.de.
Peter and I had a fantastic time in Germany with colleagues from Toronto, Malmo and Zurich supported by brilliant team from the Bertlesmann Foundation. We learnt so much and while politician and professionals argue that change takes time and talk about it taking ten years, the seminar showed that the real issue is about attitudes, values and beliefs. My belief, as you know, is that change actually takes commitment, passion and hard work and that we can actually change the world right now... let's start on Monday!
Chris
The Bertlesmann Foundation is, an amazing organisation, working, against a background of increasing social diversity, demographic change and increasing globalisation, to develop community engagement, social cohesion and to release potential. They share our belief that our children are the future and that we all must work to develop their potential and encourage and support them in playing a active role in society. They also see the need to focus on young people being happy, healthy, safe as well as successful, the power of music and the arts and the need to listen to young people.
This year the focus was to identify examples from across the world of integration and participation and particularly to find examples which reach and support children and young people from disadvantaged communities: our work with gypsy, roma and travellers, migrants and assylum seekers and black and minority ethnic communities meant that we can been selected as one of 60 nominees from 21 countries across the world. This had been slimmed down through a detailed evaluation and monitoring process to four finalists... Leeds, Malmo, Toronto and Zurich. The prize was won by the Toronto District School Board for their wonderful work on 'Integration through Education: Fairness for All'.
As part of this year's competition the Bertelsmann Foundation has developed a programme called 'All Kids are VIPs' and you can find our more about this and the Foundation by visiting www.allekidssindvips.de or www.bertlesmann-stiftung.de.
Peter and I had a fantastic time in Germany with colleagues from Toronto, Malmo and Zurich supported by brilliant team from the Bertlesmann Foundation. We learnt so much and while politician and professionals argue that change takes time and talk about it taking ten years, the seminar showed that the real issue is about attitudes, values and beliefs. My belief, as you know, is that change actually takes commitment, passion and hard work and that we can actually change the world right now... let's start on Monday!
Chris
Friday, 5 September 2008
My colleague Peter Saunders, who heads up the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Achievement Service, and I have just got back from Germany...
And while we didn't win the Carl Bertelsmann Prize 2008 it was the most fantastic experience to be one of the four nominees for this prestigious and amazing award and to simply be part of the Symposium and Award Ceremony. The Toronto District School Board won the Prize for their incredible work on 'Integration through Education: Fairness for All' so we'll be sending an expedition to Toronto to learn.
I am very tired so I'll write more about this wonderful experience later.
Chris
I am very tired so I'll write more about this wonderful experience later.
Chris
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
We had three new Building Schools for the Future PFI buildings handed over and from everything I have heard they are simply brilliant learning places...
My colleague Heather Scott, Deputy Headteacher at Allerton High School sent me these pictures of her fabulous new school.The other two new schools are at Pudsey Grangefield and Rodillian and they are apparently equally stunning!
We are transforming the learning landscape here in Leeds and the future is certainly bright!
Chris
Monday, 1 September 2008
Looking back over the last year, our seventh year here in Leeds, we have had another great year with some extraordinary successes...
Remember, the CPA and JAR reported that children's services in Leeds was good, we were one of the first teams in the country to achieve the new Customer Service Excellence standard, our intergenerational work on 'Building Bridges' with Social Care won an international award, our innovative Artforms 'Find Your Talent' project was one of ten selected nationally to be developed, colleagues developed and delivered the first national Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month and Poster Competition, colleagues in Study Support developed the 'Backstage Past' initiative which won a regional 'Making a Difference' award, the VI Team were the first team in the country to receive the new VI Quality Mark, we were nominated for the international Carl Bertlesmann Prize for our work supporting assylum seekers, refugees, travellers and minority groups, we won the BETT Award for Leadership and Management Solutions for 'Bluewave Swift', we have also seen brilliant intitiatives and projects like 'Be Healthy, Stay Safe', Attendance Champions, 'The Power of Me' and STEPS going from strength to strength. OFSTED inspection results generally have been good, particularly around our behavioural provision, and the GCSE results have improved significantly...what more can you want?
At it's brilliant best provision and services here in Leeds are outstanding; are simply world class. However, when it comes to some of the most important things we need to constantly ask ourselves whether we have really changed the deeply embedded culture and attitudes which seem to simply accept things as they are, and why we still suffer from pockets of poor attendance, poor behaviour and poor standards. Just imagine what we could achieve together if everyone believed in our young people and everyone was as passionate, as committed and determined, as prepared to go the extra mile and as focused and as excellent as the most inspiring and exceptional colleagues in Education Leeds and in our schools.
I know that I say this every year but these next few months are critical for Education Leeds and Children Services as we approach the a new set of opportunities and challenges with more DCSF initiatives, even more focus on standards from the National Strategies, the Post 14 Review, the National Challenge and more Academies rolling across the learning landscape. We need to use this opportunity to refresh and rethink, to renew the vision, to recharge the batteries and to boldly go into 2009 to change the world and release the enormous potential in our teams, our schools, our colleagues and our children and young people.
As another academic year begins, we need extraordinary colleagues to bravely and boldly go where we’ve never been and we need an extraordinary back up team to provide support as and when they need it. Whenever someone does something extraordinary, it shows us all what is possible… you just have to look at what we have achieved as a team over the last year! We must continue to challenge each other; to clearly articulate our goals and our roles and make belonging to Children's Services, Education Leeds and the learning team here in Leeds a vibrant, exciting and dynamic part of our lives. I’ll try to get to as many team meetings and talk to as many of you as I can to listen to your views and to get your advice, help and support for the next stage in our journey to excellence, our journey to world class.
Just don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t be done!
Chris
Remember, the CPA and JAR reported that children's services in Leeds was good, we were one of the first teams in the country to achieve the new Customer Service Excellence standard, our intergenerational work on 'Building Bridges' with Social Care won an international award, our innovative Artforms 'Find Your Talent' project was one of ten selected nationally to be developed, colleagues developed and delivered the first national Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month and Poster Competition, colleagues in Study Support developed the 'Backstage Past' initiative which won a regional 'Making a Difference' award, the VI Team were the first team in the country to receive the new VI Quality Mark, we were nominated for the international Carl Bertlesmann Prize for our work supporting assylum seekers, refugees, travellers and minority groups, we won the BETT Award for Leadership and Management Solutions for 'Bluewave Swift', we have also seen brilliant intitiatives and projects like 'Be Healthy, Stay Safe', Attendance Champions, 'The Power of Me' and STEPS going from strength to strength. OFSTED inspection results generally have been good, particularly around our behavioural provision, and the GCSE results have improved significantly...what more can you want?
At it's brilliant best provision and services here in Leeds are outstanding; are simply world class. However, when it comes to some of the most important things we need to constantly ask ourselves whether we have really changed the deeply embedded culture and attitudes which seem to simply accept things as they are, and why we still suffer from pockets of poor attendance, poor behaviour and poor standards. Just imagine what we could achieve together if everyone believed in our young people and everyone was as passionate, as committed and determined, as prepared to go the extra mile and as focused and as excellent as the most inspiring and exceptional colleagues in Education Leeds and in our schools.
I know that I say this every year but these next few months are critical for Education Leeds and Children Services as we approach the a new set of opportunities and challenges with more DCSF initiatives, even more focus on standards from the National Strategies, the Post 14 Review, the National Challenge and more Academies rolling across the learning landscape. We need to use this opportunity to refresh and rethink, to renew the vision, to recharge the batteries and to boldly go into 2009 to change the world and release the enormous potential in our teams, our schools, our colleagues and our children and young people.
As another academic year begins, we need extraordinary colleagues to bravely and boldly go where we’ve never been and we need an extraordinary back up team to provide support as and when they need it. Whenever someone does something extraordinary, it shows us all what is possible… you just have to look at what we have achieved as a team over the last year! We must continue to challenge each other; to clearly articulate our goals and our roles and make belonging to Children's Services, Education Leeds and the learning team here in Leeds a vibrant, exciting and dynamic part of our lives. I’ll try to get to as many team meetings and talk to as many of you as I can to listen to your views and to get your advice, help and support for the next stage in our journey to excellence, our journey to world class.
Just don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t be done!
Chris
Sunday, 31 August 2008
We have had another great year and whatever happens this year, it will be another interesting one...
We will face new challenges, new opportunities and new demands in a year where we need to continue to be unique, special and different, to be creative and imaginative, to try new things, to learn new tricks and to continue to make a real difference… whatever it takes!
We must continue to develop respect and trust with our colleagues, with our schools and with the communities we serve. We must expect great things of each other; to embrace change and to celebrate the opportunities it brings. We all know that change is hard but it allows us all the chance to reflect, to review and to focus. It allows us the opportunity to spring clean and to ensure that we continue to do the right things.
Finally, it is also really important that we continue to be passionate and enthusiastic and to have fun and enjoy ourselves. And remember to never take yourself or anyone else too seriously and never forget that you choose everyday to be part of this team because you share its values, its beliefs and its mission here in Leeds... to make every school a good, improving and inclusive school where very child and every young person is happy, healthy, safe and successful... whatever it takes!
All I ask is that you come to work nd simply be your brilliant best!
Chris
We will face new challenges, new opportunities and new demands in a year where we need to continue to be unique, special and different, to be creative and imaginative, to try new things, to learn new tricks and to continue to make a real difference… whatever it takes!
We must continue to develop respect and trust with our colleagues, with our schools and with the communities we serve. We must expect great things of each other; to embrace change and to celebrate the opportunities it brings. We all know that change is hard but it allows us all the chance to reflect, to review and to focus. It allows us the opportunity to spring clean and to ensure that we continue to do the right things.
Finally, it is also really important that we continue to be passionate and enthusiastic and to have fun and enjoy ourselves. And remember to never take yourself or anyone else too seriously and never forget that you choose everyday to be part of this team because you share its values, its beliefs and its mission here in Leeds... to make every school a good, improving and inclusive school where very child and every young person is happy, healthy, safe and successful... whatever it takes!
All I ask is that you come to work nd simply be your brilliant best!
Chris
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