I visited one of my favourite schools this afternoon...
I had been asked by Janet Spence, headteacher at Hovingham Primary School to officially open their new Harehills Children's Centre at Hovingham Cabin.which is the outcome of along period of planning, consultation and partnership working between the schools, Education Leeds and Early Years and clearly demontstrates what can be achieved when partners work together for communities.
This facility provides a base for so much work with young people, parents, carers and the community. Currently the programmes include ESOL, Family Literacy, Play and Stay, INVEST, STEPS, a baby clinic, Feel Good Factor and drop in sessions for families. They also provide sessions on aerobics, computing and sewing. Plans are in place to provide Kidscope, PCSO surgeries and possibly a supplementary school. This is coordinated by Ferhat Sadiq, the school's Family Support Worker, who clearly does a brilliant job.
It was a great afternoon with dhol drumming by the children, bubbles and balloons and Peanut the Clown and of course the sun shone on this little bit of magic in this rich, diverse and very special part of Leeds.
Chris
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
I moved on to Crossley Street Primary School in Wetherby...
It's a great little school and Sandra Clynes, the headteacher, has achieved so much over the last few years with the building, which has been transformed. It was good to be able to walk around the school with Sandra and Ann Lister, Chair of Governors, and to meet some of Sandra's team and some of her wonderful children.
Chris
It's a great little school and Sandra Clynes, the headteacher, has achieved so much over the last few years with the building, which has been transformed. It was good to be able to walk around the school with Sandra and Ann Lister, Chair of Governors, and to meet some of Sandra's team and some of her wonderful children.
Chris
I started the day early at Leeds Grammar School...
I was there to meet Dr Mark Bailey to talk about our school improvement work and to explore how we could work more closely with colleagues at Leeds Grammar School to further develop our provision, our curriculum offer, our work with gifted and talented young people and to develop the partnerships we have already established here in Leeds to include the Leeds Grammar School. The building is fantastic although the traffic around the school is incredible.
It was great to share coffee and bacon rolls with Mark and explore our shared and common agendas to see how we can do even better for the young people, the families and the communities we serve.
Chris
I was there to meet Dr Mark Bailey to talk about our school improvement work and to explore how we could work more closely with colleagues at Leeds Grammar School to further develop our provision, our curriculum offer, our work with gifted and talented young people and to develop the partnerships we have already established here in Leeds to include the Leeds Grammar School. The building is fantastic although the traffic around the school is incredible.
It was great to share coffee and bacon rolls with Mark and explore our shared and common agendas to see how we can do even better for the young people, the families and the communities we serve.
Chris
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
I attended another Education Leeds induction session at the Derek Fatchett Centre...
These sessions are really inspiring because I get the chance to meet the new starters who have such enormous potential to add-value to what we are doing and really bring something special to the company. They are some of our most positive, committed and enthusiastic colleagues since they have recently made the choice to join the team. The group were young, talented and gorgeous and were everything you would want our new colleagues to be; interested, engaged and enthusiastic. Everyone of us, along with our children and young people, needs to be happy, healthy and safe to be increasingly successful.
We all need to coach, support and work with these new colleagues to release their potential and magic.
Chris
I started the day early at Garforth Community College...
I was there for a meeting with Ian Garforth, Chair of Governors, and Sir Robert Edwards, headteacher. We were catching up on the progress of the School Partnership Trust and the work the Trust is doing as the sponsor for the Academy at South Leeds.
Chris
I was there for a meeting with Ian Garforth, Chair of Governors, and Sir Robert Edwards, headteacher. We were catching up on the progress of the School Partnership Trust and the work the Trust is doing as the sponsor for the Academy at South Leeds.
Chris
Monday, 16 March 2009
I finished the day at a 'Connecting Classrooms' reception at the Civic Hall...
The 'Connecting Classrooms' project links Robin Hood Primary School, Yeadon Westfield Junior School and Royd's School here in Leeds with schools in Uganda and Senegal. This evening there was a civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leeds. The colleagues from Africa talked about the challenges they face in Uganda and Senegal with huge classes and limited resources and children who walk up to seven kilometres a day to get to school. These colleagues were passionate about the 'Connecting Classrooms' project and the need to educate colleagues here in Leeds about what life in Africa is like. Sometimes sessions like this make you realise how lucky we are here in Leeds and how much we need to learn.
Chris
The 'Connecting Classrooms' project links Robin Hood Primary School, Yeadon Westfield Junior School and Royd's School here in Leeds with schools in Uganda and Senegal. This evening there was a civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leeds. The colleagues from Africa talked about the challenges they face in Uganda and Senegal with huge classes and limited resources and children who walk up to seven kilometres a day to get to school. These colleagues were passionate about the 'Connecting Classrooms' project and the need to educate colleagues here in Leeds about what life in Africa is like. Sometimes sessions like this make you realise how lucky we are here in Leeds and how much we need to learn.
Chris
I started the day early at Ralph Thoresby High School...
Billy Flynn, Chair of Governors, had asked to see me to talk about the various roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of governing bodies, headteachers and the local authority. I met Billy with Stuart Hemingway, headteacher, at Ralph Thoresby to discuss these issues. I searched the DCSF website for guidance:
"Governors are at the heart of how a school operates. It is important they get things right. How they do their jobaffects the interests of pupils, staff morale and how the school is seen by parents and others in the community. Governing bodies are responsible to parents, carers and the community. The governing body's main role is to help raise standards of achievement. It:is accountable for the performance of the school to parents and the wider community plans the school's future direction selects the head teacher makes decisions on the school's budget and staffing makes sure the national curriculum is taught decides how the school can encourage pupil's spiritual, moral and social development makes sure the school provides for all its pupils, including those with special needs"
"The head teacher provides vision, leadership and direction for the school and ensures that it is managed and organised to meet its aims and targets, which are established by the Governing Body. The head teacher:
Billy Flynn, Chair of Governors, had asked to see me to talk about the various roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of governing bodies, headteachers and the local authority. I met Billy with Stuart Hemingway, headteacher, at Ralph Thoresby to discuss these issues. I searched the DCSF website for guidance:
"Governors are at the heart of how a school operates. It is important they get things right. How they do their jobaffects the interests of pupils, staff morale and how the school is seen by parents and others in the community. Governing bodies are responsible to parents, carers and the community. The governing body's main role is to help raise standards of achievement. It:
"The head teacher provides vision, leadership and direction for the school and ensures that it is managed and organised to meet its aims and targets, which are established by the Governing Body. The head teacher:
is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school
advises on, and implements the governing bodies strategic framework
formulates aims and objectives, policies and targets for the Governing Body to consider adopting
reports on progress to the Governing Body at least once a year
formulates and implements the policies for leading the school towards the set targets
gives the Governing Body enough information to ensure that the governors are confident that delegated responsibilities and the head teacher’s responsibilities have been met
is along with the other professional staff accountable to the Governing Body for the school’s performance
draws up and submits to the Governing Body an annual budget plan for the school’s voluntary fund, and any proposals for revisions to the budget plan as required by the LA scheme."
I couldn't get the role of the authority on the page!
Chris
My colleague Jeremy Dunford, headteacher at Deighton Gates Primary School in Wetherby sent me this after red nose day...
"Hello Chris, A quick note with some pictures...
A great day, initiated and planned by pupils with staff support. Activities included gunging me, painting the staff in the style of Jackson Pollock, faces in jelly, toe nail painting, cross dressing and bun sales.
It raised well over £1000 and pupils were a credit to the school thoughout. Jeremy"
"Hello Chris, A quick note with some pictures...
A great day, initiated and planned by pupils with staff support. Activities included gunging me, painting the staff in the style of Jackson Pollock, faces in jelly, toe nail painting, cross dressing and bun sales.
It raised well over £1000 and pupils were a credit to the school thoughout. Jeremy"
Jeremy and his team are doing fantastic things at Deighton Gates Primary School. It is an amazing amount of money raised for a great cause.
Chris
It has been a good week and I have been lucky enough to spend time with some outstanding colleagues. Talented, brilliant, gorgeous and wonderful colleagues with a positive attitude who are achieving great things in schools and at Education Leeds...
Apart from the usual round of meetings I had a meeting with Tessa Mason to plan a visit by Susannah Todd, deputy director at the DCSF, to showcase the best of Leeds. We held yet another long service awards at the banqueting suite at the Civic Hall, where we celebrated the dedication and service of a group of fabulous colleagues who have given their working lives to the children and young people of Leeds. With Rosemary Archer I attended a meeting with the Leeds secondary headteachers to talk about 21st century schools, and the key role our schools play in delivering brilliant outcomes for our children and young people. I had meetings with headteachers from the Inner East family of schools, and from the North East schools learning partnership. We talked about the opportunities we face to continue to build brilliant provision consistently for all our children and young people, their families and the communities we serve. I attended an away day with the Education Leeds board at Weetwood Hall, where we talked about how Education Leeds continues to develop to support schools and learners to achieve outstanding outcomes. I met with Suzy Alderton from the young people's enterprise forum to talk about how we could contribute to the Education Day at the Yorkshire international business conference in June, and showcase the best of our work on creativity, enterprise and innovation. I also managed a couple of school visits. I went to East Garforth Primary School where Kirsty Godfrey is doing great things and releasing the magic, and I went to Morley High School to congratulate John Townsley on his brilliant Ofsted report. And finally I went to the David Young Community Academy where Ros McMullen and her colleagues were releasing their own very special magic with a wonderful production of 'Oliver'.
We all want to be outstanding and we all want success in our lives. We want success at home, at work, at school and in our relationships. The most important single factor that guarantees our success in every aspect of our lives is having a positive attitude. Without a positive attitude, nothing else is possible, and if you're constantly thinking about problems you will find them. And it's true that you will attract positive things into your life if all of your thoughts are positive. Simply, if you tell yourself something often enough your subconscious will eventually come to believe it. If you repeat something often enough whether it be positive or negative it will become your reality. It's all a matter of conditioning and the great thing is that you can train your mind to think positive thoughts the same way you can learn anything else. Then, make a habit of avoiding negative people and stopping negative thoughts any time they appear and replacing them with positive thoughts. You simply need to replace, "I can't do it" with "I can do it" and you'll find your attitude and your life will change for the better.
Chris
Apart from the usual round of meetings I had a meeting with Tessa Mason to plan a visit by Susannah Todd, deputy director at the DCSF, to showcase the best of Leeds. We held yet another long service awards at the banqueting suite at the Civic Hall, where we celebrated the dedication and service of a group of fabulous colleagues who have given their working lives to the children and young people of Leeds. With Rosemary Archer I attended a meeting with the Leeds secondary headteachers to talk about 21st century schools, and the key role our schools play in delivering brilliant outcomes for our children and young people. I had meetings with headteachers from the Inner East family of schools, and from the North East schools learning partnership. We talked about the opportunities we face to continue to build brilliant provision consistently for all our children and young people, their families and the communities we serve. I attended an away day with the Education Leeds board at Weetwood Hall, where we talked about how Education Leeds continues to develop to support schools and learners to achieve outstanding outcomes. I met with Suzy Alderton from the young people's enterprise forum to talk about how we could contribute to the Education Day at the Yorkshire international business conference in June, and showcase the best of our work on creativity, enterprise and innovation. I also managed a couple of school visits. I went to East Garforth Primary School where Kirsty Godfrey is doing great things and releasing the magic, and I went to Morley High School to congratulate John Townsley on his brilliant Ofsted report. And finally I went to the David Young Community Academy where Ros McMullen and her colleagues were releasing their own very special magic with a wonderful production of 'Oliver'.
We all want to be outstanding and we all want success in our lives. We want success at home, at work, at school and in our relationships. The most important single factor that guarantees our success in every aspect of our lives is having a positive attitude. Without a positive attitude, nothing else is possible, and if you're constantly thinking about problems you will find them. And it's true that you will attract positive things into your life if all of your thoughts are positive. Simply, if you tell yourself something often enough your subconscious will eventually come to believe it. If you repeat something often enough whether it be positive or negative it will become your reality. It's all a matter of conditioning and the great thing is that you can train your mind to think positive thoughts the same way you can learn anything else. Then, make a habit of avoiding negative people and stopping negative thoughts any time they appear and replacing them with positive thoughts. You simply need to replace, "I can't do it" with "I can do it" and you'll find your attitude and your life will change for the better.
Chris
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Over the weekend I read the OFSTED publication "twelve outstanding secondary schools: Excelling against the odds"...
We have some outstanding secondary schools here in Leeds, schools like Carr Manor, Cockburn, Roundhay, John Smeaton, Morley High and David Young. These schools have achieved great things and reading the OFSTED report you understand that these are the characteristics we need to build consistently across all our secondary provision. The outstanding schools in the OFSTED sample succeed for the following reasons.
■ They excel at what they do, not just occasionally
but for a high proportion of the time.
■ They prove constantly that disadvantage need
not be a barrier to achievement, that speaking
English as an additional language can support
academic success and that schools really can be
learning communities.
■ They put students first, invest in their staff and
nurture their communities.
■ They have strong values and high expectations
that are applied consistently and never relaxed.
■ They fulfil individual potential through providing
outstanding teaching, rich opportunities for
learning, and encouragement and support for
each student.
■ They are highly inclusive, having complete
regard for the educational progress, personal
development and well-being of every student.
■ Their achievements do not happen by chance,
but by highly reflective, carefully planned and
implemented strategies which serve these
schools well in meeting the many challenges
which obstruct the path to success.
■ They operate with a very high degree of
internal consistency.
■ They are constantly looking for ways to improve
further.
■ They have outstanding and well-distributed
leadership.
We must learn from the success stories captured in this OFSTED report and continue our relentless and uncompromising focus on building brilliant provision to serve every community in Leeds; whatever it takes!
Chris
We have some outstanding secondary schools here in Leeds, schools like Carr Manor, Cockburn, Roundhay, John Smeaton, Morley High and David Young. These schools have achieved great things and reading the OFSTED report you understand that these are the characteristics we need to build consistently across all our secondary provision. The outstanding schools in the OFSTED sample succeed for the following reasons.
■ They excel at what they do, not just occasionally
but for a high proportion of the time.
■ They prove constantly that disadvantage need
not be a barrier to achievement, that speaking
English as an additional language can support
academic success and that schools really can be
learning communities.
■ They put students first, invest in their staff and
nurture their communities.
■ They have strong values and high expectations
that are applied consistently and never relaxed.
■ They fulfil individual potential through providing
outstanding teaching, rich opportunities for
learning, and encouragement and support for
each student.
■ They are highly inclusive, having complete
regard for the educational progress, personal
development and well-being of every student.
■ Their achievements do not happen by chance,
but by highly reflective, carefully planned and
implemented strategies which serve these
schools well in meeting the many challenges
which obstruct the path to success.
■ They operate with a very high degree of
internal consistency.
■ They are constantly looking for ways to improve
further.
■ They have outstanding and well-distributed
leadership.
We must learn from the success stories captured in this OFSTED report and continue our relentless and uncompromising focus on building brilliant provision to serve every community in Leeds; whatever it takes!
Chris
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