I had lunch today with Dina Martin, headteacher at Firs Hill Community Primary School in Sheffield...
Dina is a National Leader of Learning, an energetic and enthusiastic headteacher and a real breath of fresh air. Her passion, commitment and inspirational leadership are clearly releasing magic and achieving extra-ordinary results at Firs Hill Community Primary School. Her school is a community resource, open early, late and at the weekends and her mission is to reach and change the lives of those children who are hardest to reach. Like me she believes that one of the best ways to safeguard a child is to teach them to read, to build their self-esteem and aspiration and to help their parents and carers as partners in learning. It was great to spend time with Dina; I must visit her school.
Chris
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
ANIMATION11
Toby Howard who chairs the UK Schools Computer Animation Competition sent me the details about Animation11; the 4th Annual UK Schools Computer Animation Competition which has now been launched...
"Animation11 is a not-for-profit competition run by The University of Manchester, designed to enthuse young people about Computer Science. For full details, and to register, please visit:
www.cs.manchester.ac.uk/Animation . Apparently if you registered for Animation10, you don't need to re-register, but you need to login using your credentials. If you've forgotten your password, please visit:http://elearn.cs.man.ac.uk/phpBB/ucp.php?mode=sendpassword
The 2010 competition attracted over 1,300 entries from more than 200 schools, with 50 prize-winning students, and over 400 children, teachers and familiies attending the Animation Festival and Inspirational Computer Science Day at The Lowry, Salford Quays. You can see a video about the day, and see all the winning entries, at: www.cs.manchester.ac.uk/Animation
This years competition is open to all UK schoolchildren aged between 7 and 19 and the deadline for entries is 1 April 2011. Entrants can create their animations (maximum duration: 1 minute) using any of the following programs: Alice, Scratch, Flash, or Serif DrawPlus. There are great prizes, and the Animation Festival and Inspirational Computer Science Day will be held at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry on 1 July 2011.
With best wishes! Toby."
"Animation11 is a not-for-profit competition run by The University of Manchester, designed to enthuse young people about Computer Science. For full details, and to register, please visit:
www.cs.manchester.ac.uk/Animation . Apparently if you registered for Animation10, you don't need to re-register, but you need to login using your credentials. If you've forgotten your password, please visit:http://elearn.cs.man.ac.uk/phpBB/ucp.php?mode=sendpassword
The 2010 competition attracted over 1,300 entries from more than 200 schools, with 50 prize-winning students, and over 400 children, teachers and familiies attending the Animation Festival and Inspirational Computer Science Day at The Lowry, Salford Quays. You can see a video about the day, and see all the winning entries, at: www.cs.manchester.ac.uk/Animation
This years competition is open to all UK schoolchildren aged between 7 and 19 and the deadline for entries is 1 April 2011. Entrants can create their animations (maximum duration: 1 minute) using any of the following programs: Alice, Scratch, Flash, or Serif DrawPlus. There are great prizes, and the Animation Festival and Inspirational Computer Science Day will be held at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry on 1 July 2011.
With best wishes! Toby."
I hope that those who love Wallace and Gromit and have aspiring Nick Parks to work with will want to enter this exciting competition.
Chris
Monday, 20 September 2010
GOOD PROGRESS BUT MORE TO DO!
This afternoon I attended the Leeds Children's Services Improvement Board which is chaired by Bill McCarthy, Chief Executive of NHS Yorkshire and Humber...
I had been asked to talk to the Board about the progress we are making with educational outcomes particularly for underachieving target groups, tackling persistent absence, improving attendance and reducing the number of our young people who are not in education, employment or training. John Lawlor, Chief Executive of NHS Leeds, also talked about the changes facing the NHS over the next few years which strongly parallel those facing the education sector.
Chris
I had been asked to talk to the Board about the progress we are making with educational outcomes particularly for underachieving target groups, tackling persistent absence, improving attendance and reducing the number of our young people who are not in education, employment or training. John Lawlor, Chief Executive of NHS Leeds, also talked about the changes facing the NHS over the next few years which strongly parallel those facing the education sector.
Chris
TEAM LEEDS!
It's a difficult time to be in the public sector as we wrestle with change on an unprecedented scale...
However, the last week reminded me what talent and potential we have here in Leeds and what a difference we are making. I visited Hillcrest Primary School and Victoria Primary School; two great primary schools serving very different communities with outstanding early years provision and helping children make the best possible start in life. I visited Temple Moor High School where with their students, their parents and carers and the staff team we celebrated the school's best ever examination results in their brilliant remodelled building. I spent time talking to the secondary headteachers and the SILC principals whose leadership, passion and commitment has built some outstanding provision and transformed the learning landscape here in Leeds. I also attended the Children's Trust Board and the children's services transformation programme leadership event where we shared the latest thinking about the new children's services arrangements for the city.
It was a wonderful week where I spent time with so many great colleagues who are changing things for the better, transforming little lives and building strong and effective local partnerships to secure better outcomes for children, families and communities. Over the last ten years we have achieved so much. We have transformed the learning landscape and the learning environment here in Leeds. We have achieved some incredible outcomes for our children and young people and their families and communities. Together, we have released the talent, magic and potential in so many of our children and young people, in our colleagues and in our schools. But we can never be complacent because, as always, there is much more to do!
We all know that we must work even closer together now because we now face a powerful combination of elements that will change the shape of everything we do whether we like it or not. Public spending cuts loom alongside the end of grant funding for a lot of our work. Education Leeds along with National Strategies; Government Office, the Building Schools for the Future programme, Becta, the General Teaching Council, the Qualifications, Curriculum and Development Agency and the Rose Review are all going to be consigned to the history books. Together, we must ensure that the new arrangements build on the best of what we have created over the last ten years and our collective challenge now is to continue the work we have been doing to ensure that every child in Leeds is happier, healthier, safer, even more successful and free from the effects of poverty… whatever it takes!
The climate of higher and higher accountability increases the weight of expectations facing all of us and as always the stakes are high. The biggest challenge lies in how we build intelligent leadership and create a culture of learning, a culture of safeguarding, and a culture of excellence. These challenges require all of us to work together... to take control and to re-imagine systems, processes and provision and to further develop the power of TEAM LEEDS!
Chris
However, the last week reminded me what talent and potential we have here in Leeds and what a difference we are making. I visited Hillcrest Primary School and Victoria Primary School; two great primary schools serving very different communities with outstanding early years provision and helping children make the best possible start in life. I visited Temple Moor High School where with their students, their parents and carers and the staff team we celebrated the school's best ever examination results in their brilliant remodelled building. I spent time talking to the secondary headteachers and the SILC principals whose leadership, passion and commitment has built some outstanding provision and transformed the learning landscape here in Leeds. I also attended the Children's Trust Board and the children's services transformation programme leadership event where we shared the latest thinking about the new children's services arrangements for the city.
It was a wonderful week where I spent time with so many great colleagues who are changing things for the better, transforming little lives and building strong and effective local partnerships to secure better outcomes for children, families and communities. Over the last ten years we have achieved so much. We have transformed the learning landscape and the learning environment here in Leeds. We have achieved some incredible outcomes for our children and young people and their families and communities. Together, we have released the talent, magic and potential in so many of our children and young people, in our colleagues and in our schools. But we can never be complacent because, as always, there is much more to do!
We all know that we must work even closer together now because we now face a powerful combination of elements that will change the shape of everything we do whether we like it or not. Public spending cuts loom alongside the end of grant funding for a lot of our work. Education Leeds along with National Strategies; Government Office, the Building Schools for the Future programme, Becta, the General Teaching Council, the Qualifications, Curriculum and Development Agency and the Rose Review are all going to be consigned to the history books. Together, we must ensure that the new arrangements build on the best of what we have created over the last ten years and our collective challenge now is to continue the work we have been doing to ensure that every child in Leeds is happier, healthier, safer, even more successful and free from the effects of poverty… whatever it takes!
The climate of higher and higher accountability increases the weight of expectations facing all of us and as always the stakes are high. The biggest challenge lies in how we build intelligent leadership and create a culture of learning, a culture of safeguarding, and a culture of excellence. These challenges require all of us to work together... to take control and to re-imagine systems, processes and provision and to further develop the power of TEAM LEEDS!
Chris
BE POSITIVE!
“If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't! If you want to win, but think you can't, It's almost a cinch you won't. If you think you'll lose, you're lost; For out in the world we find success begins with a fellow's will; It's all in the state of the mind. Life's battles don't always go to the strongest and the fastest, But sooner or later the colleague who wins is the colleague who thinks they can.”
I was at Children's Services Scrutiny Board this morning talking about this Summer's results and a colleague raised the issue about morale and communication across Education Leeds. Then as I returned to Merrion House another colleague was looking thoughtful and said that it would be good to know where he fitted in the new world and the new arrangements. We have been through a lot together over the last ten glorious years; good times and bad times, and there have always been opportunities and challenges and we've shed a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I know times are tough but above all we need to stay positive and constantly remind each other about the journey we've been on, our achievements and the recognition Education Leeds has received for it's outstanding work in so many areas.
Whatever you do, over the next few weeks and months, make sure that you:
- Manage your diary and your life to create space to think and plan;
- Focus on the things that have gone really well;
- Find allies and friends to give you support and encouragement;
- Give colleagues things to do that will build capacity;
- Stay in touch with the real world of schools and classrooms;
- Look for the little things that make a big difference;
- Exercise, stay fit and look after your self; and
- Collect bits of magic to keep the soul alive!
And whatever you do… be positive!
Chris
Friday, 17 September 2010
THANK YOU, WHOEVER YOU ARE AND WHEREVER YOU ARE!
I have been doing the blog now since 1st January 2007...
There are now getting on for 2500 posts and it is always great to know that people are out there reading my ramblings about my life here in Leeds especially as that life is rapidly coming to an end with the end of the Education Leeds contract. Blogger has introduced this fantastic new feature which provides me with the data about the people who have visited the blog and it is great to know that it has attracted over 10000 hits with 3500 hits last month and about 100 hits every day. Most of the interest is here in Leeds but it also attracts interest from across the country and from countries across the world including the United States, France, South Korea, Russia, Germany, Ukraine, China, Canada, Austria and Sweden.
My life has been brilliant and it has been a truly incredible ten years here in this great city. We have transformed the learning landscape and released the magic in so many places and in so many people. The last three years of my life are recorded here on this blog and funnily enough it makes a real difference to know that somewhere out there someone is reading this.
THANK YOU, WHOEVER YOU ARE AND WHEREVER YOU ARE!
Chris
There are now getting on for 2500 posts and it is always great to know that people are out there reading my ramblings about my life here in Leeds especially as that life is rapidly coming to an end with the end of the Education Leeds contract. Blogger has introduced this fantastic new feature which provides me with the data about the people who have visited the blog and it is great to know that it has attracted over 10000 hits with 3500 hits last month and about 100 hits every day. Most of the interest is here in Leeds but it also attracts interest from across the country and from countries across the world including the United States, France, South Korea, Russia, Germany, Ukraine, China, Canada, Austria and Sweden.
My life has been brilliant and it has been a truly incredible ten years here in this great city. We have transformed the learning landscape and released the magic in so many places and in so many people. The last three years of my life are recorded here on this blog and funnily enough it makes a real difference to know that somewhere out there someone is reading this.
THANK YOU, WHOEVER YOU ARE AND WHEREVER YOU ARE!
Chris
THANK YOU JENNY!
Our colleague Jenny Marshall is taking early retirement and leaves us today...
Jenny has been an amazing colleague who has helped me personally with the Education Leeds Board and been one of the team pioneering Customer Service Excellence and our achievement of our Times 100; Best Places to Work in the Public Sector Award. Jenny is leaving us to live her dream having, as she said this morning, spent the best eight years of her working life here with us in Education Leeds which she described as the best place she has ever worked! We will all miss Jenny's bright and enthusiastic persona and her sheer enthusiasm, passion, determination and hard work. She is a brilliant example of what Education Leeds stands for and I personally, and all those colleagues who know her and love her, will really miss her.
As Jenny reminded us this morning of the message at the top of this blog...
"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it’d be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."
Chris
Jenny has been an amazing colleague who has helped me personally with the Education Leeds Board and been one of the team pioneering Customer Service Excellence and our achievement of our Times 100; Best Places to Work in the Public Sector Award. Jenny is leaving us to live her dream having, as she said this morning, spent the best eight years of her working life here with us in Education Leeds which she described as the best place she has ever worked! We will all miss Jenny's bright and enthusiastic persona and her sheer enthusiasm, passion, determination and hard work. She is a brilliant example of what Education Leeds stands for and I personally, and all those colleagues who know her and love her, will really miss her.
As Jenny reminded us this morning of the message at the top of this blog...
"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it’d be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."
Chris
EVOLVE
My colleague Scott Jacques, Teaching and Learning Adviser, sent me this timely reminder about the wonderful EVOLVE website which is there to share and network the magic...
"Hi Chris, I don’t know if you’ve had chance to have a look at the Evolve website recently www.evolveleeds.org.uk? There are now over 30 short videos on the site, showing examples of fantastic practice in Leeds schools. Each clip shows teachers and students explaining and demonstrating how effective use of technology is positively impacting on learning in their school. The site is getting an ever increasing number of hits from within Leeds and beyond, with one clip, from Pudsey Waterloo school having over 1000 views. It really is developing into a fabulous resource for sharing and celebrating practice in Leeds and as each video is no longer than a couple of minutes, you can quickly get a sense of the wonderful work going on around the city. Regards Scott."
"Hi Chris, I don’t know if you’ve had chance to have a look at the Evolve website recently www.evolveleeds.org.uk? There are now over 30 short videos on the site, showing examples of fantastic practice in Leeds schools. Each clip shows teachers and students explaining and demonstrating how effective use of technology is positively impacting on learning in their school. The site is getting an ever increasing number of hits from within Leeds and beyond, with one clip, from Pudsey Waterloo school having over 1000 views. It really is developing into a fabulous resource for sharing and celebrating practice in Leeds and as each video is no longer than a couple of minutes, you can quickly get a sense of the wonderful work going on around the city. Regards Scott."
This is an amazing resource for schools to share a little bit of their magic across the Team Leeds partnership. As it says on the blog every school I have ever visited has outstanding practice, outstanding colleagues and things worth sharing! Please let us know if there is anything you want to share and celebrate about the magic in your school or your service so we can put it on EVOLVE!
Chris
OPEN SHOW 2010
I visited the Leeds Art Gallery this morning...
I had been invited by my colleague Sue Davies who is Head of Learning and Audience Development at Leeds Museums and Galleries. I have been trying for the last nine years to get children's work exhibited at the Art Gallery and Sue has this year persuaded colleagues to include children's work in the Open Show 2010. It is simply wonderful to see the impressive collection of children's art in the middle of the Open Show and some of it is brilliant. Who knows there may be another David Hockney, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst or Pablo Picasso displayed there. There are certainly pieces that if the were included amongst the adult works no-one would have a clue that they were produced by children!
This is a real landmark and I hope will encourage the Art Gallery to be more imaginative and creative. We must continue to use the Art Gallery to display and celebrate the best of Leeds. My next suggestion would be why don't we every Summer display the best of our GCSE and A-Level work in the Art Gallery. It is world class and would attract an audience of parents and carers and those who are passionate about nurturing the artists of the future.
I understand that this requires leadership and commitment and I am grateful to Sue and everyone involved for their faith and trust which has achieved something outstanding at the Art Gallery this year. If you haven't seen it, pop in, you'll be amazed!
Chris
I had been invited by my colleague Sue Davies who is Head of Learning and Audience Development at Leeds Museums and Galleries. I have been trying for the last nine years to get children's work exhibited at the Art Gallery and Sue has this year persuaded colleagues to include children's work in the Open Show 2010. It is simply wonderful to see the impressive collection of children's art in the middle of the Open Show and some of it is brilliant. Who knows there may be another David Hockney, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst or Pablo Picasso displayed there. There are certainly pieces that if the were included amongst the adult works no-one would have a clue that they were produced by children!
This is a real landmark and I hope will encourage the Art Gallery to be more imaginative and creative. We must continue to use the Art Gallery to display and celebrate the best of Leeds. My next suggestion would be why don't we every Summer display the best of our GCSE and A-Level work in the Art Gallery. It is world class and would attract an audience of parents and carers and those who are passionate about nurturing the artists of the future.
I understand that this requires leadership and commitment and I am grateful to Sue and everyone involved for their faith and trust which has achieved something outstanding at the Art Gallery this year. If you haven't seen it, pop in, you'll be amazed!
Chris
CONGRATULATIONS TO Holy Rosary and St Anne's Catholic Primary School
It is simply wonderful to know that the choir from Holy Rosary and St Anne's Catholic Primary School here in Leeds will be entertaining the Pope this morning...
This amazing little choir from Harehills is the only primary school choir performing for the Pope during his visit and are part of todays Big Assembly in Twickenham.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM AT THE SCHOOL
Chris
This amazing little choir from Harehills is the only primary school choir performing for the Pope during his visit and are part of todays Big Assembly in Twickenham.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM AT THE SCHOOL
Chris
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