We have had another few weeks of wonderful coverage by the Yorkshire Evening Post team...

As we wrestle with some of the really difficult issues and challenges facing us in education as we strive to deliver better outcomes for children and young people across the city, it is great to have such incisive and well informed coverage. It is brilliant to have such focused and articulate editorials providing the answers and keeping us on our toes.

Honestly, I am simply bowled over by the journalistic standards our local paper reaches.
Chris

I moved on to the Leeds Strategic Plan Strategy Group at the new Leeds City Museum in Millenium Square...

Sitting there for two hours listening to inputs on governance, performance management, renewing and refreshing the targets and the implications of the changing economic climate makes you wonder if the answers really do lie in more priorities, more targets and stronger and deeper accountability systems or is there life after yet more corporate assessment. I know that this is the lifeblood of some of my colleagues but for me you can't disentangle accountability from leadership and culture. You can't talk about impact without talking about relationships. You can't tell the story unless you develop creativity and innovation.

Someone told me the other day that the difference between leadership and management is captured by the story about the child who learns to crawl. The manager works on a better crawl, a faster crawl and a more efficient crawl while the leader encourages the child to stand, to walk, to run, to climb and to fly!
Chris




If you haven't been to the new Museum go; it's fantastic!

My colleague Elaine Bown had asked me to attend the Newly Appointed Headteacher's Conference at Oulton Hall...

This is always a great event and this year it was in a fantastic setting at Oulton Hall. Elaine had organised a wonderful programme with inputs from Chris Halsall, Vanessa Huws-Jones and Elaine on structure, support, mentoring, school improvement planning and needs identification. There was also a session on the creative curriculum by Sarah Creighton, Headteacher at The Hill Primary School in Barnsley and tomorrow Simon Camby, Headteacher at Brodetsky Primary School, is delivering a 'Headship for Real' day. Elaine had also organised a 'service providers market place' to allow our new colleagues to network and connect with some of the outstanding teams around them here in Leeds.

These are some amazing colleagues and it is a real priviledge to work with them as we build brilliant here in Leeds with another fantastic group of talented, brilliant, gorgeous, wonderful and new headteachers. I am only sorry that some new headteachers missed out on the opportuinity to network, connect and be inspired!
Chris

I spent the early part of the evening with the leadership teams from Boston Spa School and Wetherby High School before meeting with the governors from both schools...

We were looking at how we include the schools in the next round of the Building Schools for the Future programme and it was a stimulating and interesting evening with people who share our passion, our commitment to excellence and want to build brilliant provision to serve the communities in North East Leeds.
Chris

I went on to one of our wonderful little primary schools...

Grimes Dyke Primary School is facing the future with a smile after their OFSTED inspection in July recognised that so much about this wonderful little school is great including the leadership provided by Diana Mann and her Deputy.

I've visited the school many times over the years and the things that make this little school so good are...

• committed and passionate leadership;
• some very talented, enthusiastic and creative lead teachers;
• a clear vision driving all aspects of the school;
• a rich curriculum offer strongly rooted in the basics;
• a stimulating and interesting learning environment;
• inspiring teaching and learning within a nurturing climate;
• tracking of childrens progress and achievements;
• early, appropriate and focused interventions.

This is a good school, releasing a very special kind of magic under Diana focused leadership.

Chris

I moved on to Ryecroft Primary School to meet their School Council...

Rosie Molinari, our School Meals Strategy Adviser, had invited me to the school to meet the School Council with Jan Toothill, headteacher, and to talk about the new Education Leeds Packed Lunch Policy Guidance. The children were really well informed and had already tackled fizzy drinks and introduced water and a fruit tuckshop. They were now looking at how they could reduce salt and fat from their diets. These children were brilliant ambassadors for healthy food and drink and did Jan and her team proud.
Chris

I started the day at Harehills Primary School...

This is a fantastic school. Margaret Broughton, the consultant headteacher, Jenni Thomas, Creative Curriculum Leader, and Ian Forster, Chair of Governors talked me through the thinking and the planning which are shaping the approach the school has adopted. Jenni also gave me copies of their 'Harehills Creative Curriculum' and their 'Learning to Learn' publications which really demonstrate incredible hard work and commitment around building a skills based thematic and creative approach to the curriculum... it really is fantastic!

Margaret, Jenni and Ian also showed me round the school to meet some of the learning team and some of the children. They are doing great things through a creative curriculum they have developed based on Mick Waters' and Ken Robinson's work. The things that make Harehills Primary School so good are...

• focused and passionate leadership;
• a highly developed team of talented, energetic, enthusiastic and creative individuals;
• a rich, creative and skills based curriculum;
• a bright, stimulating and interesting learning environment;
• inspiring teaching and learning within a nurturing climate;
• tracking of children's progress and achievements;
• early, appropriate and focused interventions.

This is a brilliant learning place with a wonderful learning environment and an excellent team with enormous potential. Margaret, Jenni and Ian are leading a great school and releasing a very special kind of magic.
Chris

Terry Sweeney, Chief Executive of RM, our strategic partner for ICT visited Leeds at the end of last week and sent me this e-mail after his visit...

"Hi Chris, I wanted to drop you a line to say how inspired I was by my visit to Allerton High School and Pudsey Grange last Friday. I have spoken to colleagues and friends (both inside and outside Education) about how inspired and excited I was by what I witnessed at the schools. It is clear to me that the schools have extremely strong leadership with a very clear vision about how they are improving teaching and learning in their new schools. I genuinely believe you are creating world class schooling exemplars in Leeds that will help prepare the young people who attend them for the challenges they will face as they move on through their education and ultimately for the world of work they will enter. I am resolved to make sure that the issues that we have had at the schools get fixed as quickly as possible and I held a full internal review of the situation with colleagues yesterday to this end. I am fully committed to ensuring we can focus our efforts on working as a part of the LEP, and to play our part in the educational transformation that is taking place in Leeds. Best regards, Terry"

It is brilliant to know that we have strong, successful and determined partners working with us here in Leeds to build brilliant provision for our young people. It is also great to hear that what we are doing is world class!
Chris

John Ellard Managing Director of the International Communications Group accompanied our Swedish visitors last week and sent me this e-mail...

"Hi Chris, I am writing to firstly thank you on behalf of the group from Sweden for the wonderful and stimulating visit we had last week in Leeds. The arrangements and support from Allyn and her team were first class and she and her colleagues should be congratulated on providing such a fine programme. Secondly all of your team who offered their time, expertise and knowledge during the morning discussion groups should be commended on an excellent job and really this is the key to knowledge sharing and exchange and the networking of senior professionals. Thirdly, I would like to thank all of your heads from the four schools visited as well as their teams and the students involved who really inspired the group to ‘think outside the box’. We were so impressed by the work done at the schools and the wonderful atmosphere we found in all four of the schools visited. A great and truly warm thank you to all concerned and especially the schools, Carr Manor High, Carr Manor Primary, Notre Dame 6th Form College and Park Spring Primary. Additionally we would like to thank The Derek Fatchett Learning Centre for a very stimulating visit which by the way is going to bring real life benefit to the children of Sollentuna as some ideas gained are going to flow on into a newly developed youth centre. These opportunities to share knowledge and exchange ideas are going to bring both cities many more real benefits in the future than those already gained.
Interestingly Chris in the four years we have been visiting and had connections with Leeds we at ICG can notice a real difference of atmosphere in the schools, a high degree of professionalism and commitment amongst leaders and we can see that your professionals have a real sense of achievement. Best Regards, John"

It's great to get feedback like this and it simply reinforces what I have been saying... the future is here in Leeds it's just inconsistently distributed.

Chris

I was contacted by Conchita Garcia, Senior Project Executive at MOVE

"Dear Mr Edwards, I am writing to you regarding the West SILC in Leeds. You may know that they have been successfully running the MOVE Programme for a number of years now, under the guidance of Sarah Riley, the schools’ PMLD Co-ordinator. The MOVE Programme is an innovative approach to working with children with severe physical disabilities. The underlying philosophy is one of teamwork with the child and their parents at the centre. MOVE is a mobility based programme focusing on what a child can do and it aims at giving each individual the opportunity to learn new skills. These can be small achievements from holding their head up independently for 30 seconds to larger ones, such as being able to walk themselves out to the playground so that they can play with their friends.

Since the implementation of the MOVE Programme at West SILC many children and young people have benefited not only from an improvement in physical skills but also the development of communication skills and an enhancement in self esteem, dignity and overall quality of life. To acknowledge the success of MOVE at West SILC we intend to award them Regional Centre status.

A Regional Centre is an exemplar of good practice, tying in the MOVE principles with the aims of the local authorities. It is a place where teamwork, progress and social inclusion are a natural part of the daily running of the school. Although there are over three hundred schools/centres throughout the UK using the MOVE Programme, only nine have achieved the status of a MOVE Regional Centre of Excellence, which is an indication of the level of work being carried out at West SILC.

As a Regional Centre, West SILC will be the point of contact within West Yorkshire for any other schools or centre who wish to learn more about the MOVE Programme. Officials from other schools or centres will be welcome to visit the site and to see the progress of the children who are following a MOVE Programme. Sarah Riley as one of our MOVE Consultants will be able to answer any questions.

The launch event for West SILC to become a Regional Centre of Excellence will be held on November 5th. We very much hope that you will be able to attend this event and to show your support for the wonderful progress that is being made on a daily basis. Yours sincerely,
Conchita"

It is brilliant to hear about the West SILC becoming a centre of excellence

Chris