My brilliant colleague Heather Scott, Deputy Headteacher at Allerton High Business & Enterprise Specialist School sent me this message and another picture of her wonderful school...

"Hi Chris, Hope you are keeping well. Here we are at the end of week 6 of term (33 to go!) and we've done so much: unpacked 3,500 crates, trained students and staff on how to use our stunning new building, delivered quality lessons, worked out how to do electronic registration, activated 61 interactive whiteboards and 25 laptop trolleys, lived through Ofsted (two months early), welcomed over 650 visitors to our Open Evening on Tuesday and produced our new prospectus. And we're still bouncing and full of energy! Here is a photo we took on our Open Evening, thought you might like it. Best wishes. Heather."

Elaine, Heather and her colleagues have built something world class at Allerton High and it is wonderful to know that the school is going from strength to strength.

Chris

My colleague Jo Speak, international co-ordinator at Cookridge Primary School, sent me details of the partnership schools in Leeds have established with Nigeria and South Africa...

"The partnership is part of the British Council’s initiative ‘Connecting Classrooms’, the partnership links clusters of three schools in each of the three countries. This year, Cookridge Primary School is leading the project, the other two schools in Leeds are Ireland Wood Primary and Iveson Primary. The partnership was formed following a Connecting Classrooms partner finding seminar in Ghana at the end of July 2008.

From September 27th to October 6th 2008, three teachers from Nigeria and three from South Africa, visited the Leeds Schools. Visiting teachers took part in a week of activities in school, which involved teaching traditional songs, stories and dances. The International School Council made up of children from the three Leeds primary schools interviewed the African visitors during a lunchtime planning meeting. Children from Cookridge Primary School demonstrated their South African Gum Boot dance and South African hymn to members of a local community group, OPAL (older persons group) as part of their AGM on Friday 3rd October.

Children from Ireland Wood, Iveson and Cookridge all came together to hold a cultural celebration. Performances included Samba drumming, exercise routines singing (in English, Spanish, and Zulu) and the African teachers were presented with a book about Yorkshire and a presentation plate for their schools. Cultural visits throughout the week included meeting the Lord Mayor and a tour of the Civic Hall, a historical tour of York and an Iftar meal (the breaking fast of the month of Ramadan) at the home of one of the teachers.

The visit was a wonderful opportunity to begin working in partnership with our African colleagues. Children in all schools are so excited about working together, despite the miles separating us”

Please contact Cookridge Primary School for further information.
Chris

I was sent these photos from the npower Climate Cops session...

Fantastic.

Chris

Leeds' Peace Poetry Competition

Calling all budding poets and everyone below the age of ten...

You are invited to explore the theme ‘Picture Peace’, and submit a poem of no more than 24 lines to Nicola Megson (Deputy Editor), The Yorkshire Evening Post, Wellington Street, LeedsLS1 1RS before Friday 24 October. The winning entries will be published in The Yorkshire Evening Post.

What have you got to lose?
Chris

I missed something special yesterday and my colleague Ros Vahey attended on my behalf...

"Chris, We had a conference at Elland Road called Safeguarding Children and Young People in a Digital World. It was a Leeds City Council, RM and Education Leeds event led by Cathy Morgan education development manager for RM Education. It included a fantastic presentation by Helen Penn from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) about tackling online abuse. Helen reminded us how easy it is to find out everything very quickly about where a child lives, goes to school, pictures of their uniform, and the names of their parents. etc etc by showing us a google search. The event was well attended by police, childrens, social care, teachers, administrators, youth officers, ICT co-ordinators, Bradford, Wakefield and Middlesborough schools, and the voluntary sector, etc. Also Edward Gibson, chief security adviser from Microsoft Lt UK, an ex FBI special agent, (!) shared with us his insights into how we can protect ourselves from the cybercriminals. We heard how the UK is a safe haven for e-crime and how we can better manage the risks. We got freebies of the "free to schools" parents CD-ROM called Know IT All; a guide to getting the most out of the internet and keeping children safe online which can be used in schools ( produced by DCSF, Becta and Childnet International) We saw a video made by a young person about how damaging cyber bullying can be and that it's whole-school community issue. Ros"

Apparently, everybody should have been there!!
Chris

I visited another amazing little learning place this morning...

I had been invited by Alison Wrigglesworth, headteacher at Thorner Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, to open their new library which was quite an honour for me because, as you know, I am more used to closing things.

Thorner Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is an outstanding little primary school with some fantastic children and a good team led by a great headteacher doing some brilliant work. After my visit Alison sent me this e-mail and this great photograph.




"Dear Chris, Please find attached the photos from your visit this morning. May I say how grateful I am that you visited today and how supported I felt that you took the time to talk to me? I know the staff were pleased that you came out to see us. Looking forward to seeing you next week! Kindest regards Alison."


It was great to visit this wonderful little school and an honour to be asked to open their new library.
Chris

Cllr Harker and I moved on to Rodillian High School...

Rodillian High School is one of the three new Building Schools for the Future schools opened this term and it is brilliant! The teaching and learning team and the students very clearly love their new building. The school was amazingly calm, orderly and purposeful and Andy Goulty, the new headteacher,and his leadership team are doing a wonderful job focusing on behaviour and discipline and teaching and learning as two key strands to build brilliant.

This is the future and we were deeply impressed with the gym, the dining hall, the Children's Centre run by Daisy Chain, the hall, the streets, the South SLC partnership and the ICT facilities.
Chris

I moved on to Colton Primary School with Cllr Richard Harker...

We had been invited to npower's Climate Cop Academy Day at Colton Primary School. This is part of npower's Greener Schools Programme and reflects their long term commitment to helping children and teachers make a real difference to their school and their environment and it's brilliant.

The programme helps children in Years 5 and 6 learn about climate change and energy efficiency in a fun and stimulating way. The young people experience interactive activities, video presentations and team challenges to develop their knowledge and understanding and their personal skills.

I think every primary school in Leeds should experience this fantastic programme.
Chris

I started the day with some more brilliant colleagues...

I had breakfast with the SILC Principals at Space@Hillcrest and it was a great start to the day. Bill Chatwin, Andrew Hodkinson, Diane Reynard, Sue Steward and Michelle Wilman are leading our special educational needs work at the front line and we have achieved so much together in this vitally important area over the last few years. We have seen a transformation in provision and outcomes for these very special children through the brilliant core provision which we continue to deliver, the innovative and creative partnerships the SILCs have established with primary and special schools and through some amazing outreach and development work pioneered by the SILCs in areas like hospital provision, work on the autistic spectrum and emotional and behavioural provision.
Chris

My colleague Tammy Prince headteacher at Garforth Green Lane Primary School contacted me today with some brilliant news...

Nicola Davies, the Year 3 Coordinator for Modern Foreign Languages has been awarded MFL Teacher of the Year at a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament today. Nicola has been teaching Spanish and French for the last four years. Her nomination states “Nicola is an experienced, dedicated, enthusiastic and very effective primary teacher in Modern Foreign Languages.” She has a “multi-sensory, fun and innovative approach to teaching and learning in all year groups from Reception to Year 6”. Themed weeks at school and Nativity plays in French are run by Nicola to encourage learning. She has recently been appointed Primary National Strategy Leading Teacher in Modern Foreign Languages.

Scholastic and La Jolie Ronde decided to launch this Award from a shared desire to recognise and celebrate the very best in language teaching taking place in UK primary schools. From 2010, the teaching of foreign languages will become compulsory for all Key Stage 2 children in England and Wales. This makes the teaching of foreign languages a high priority for teachers and schools.

The finalists were selected by a Panel of experts: Geoff Swinn, Deputy CEO and Director of Education & Skills, The National Centre for Languages (CILT), Michelle Guy (Editor, Junior Education PLUS), Colette Hallam, Founder of La Jolie Ronde, Peter Satchwell, Independent Language Consultant and Britta Giersche – German Managing Editor Mary Glasgow Magazines.

Nicola can choose either an all expenses paid two-day trip to Northern France for up to 30 children and 5 teachers or a tailored MFL training course. She will also receive £1000 of La Jolie Ronde resources and £1000 of Scholastic books, plus a framed certificate and a class set of La Petite Presse, Scholastic Modern Foreign Languages book and a Scholastic magazine subscription of her choice.

Congratulations to Nicola, one of our stars releasing the magic at Green Lane Primary School!
Chris