The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) has announced plans for an innovative strategy to enhance the capacity of school leaders to secure primary schoolchildren's wellbeing and skills for life...

NCSL has been given the go ahead from the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to begin some sustained work on primary school leadership – including developing further the role of highly skilled school business managers that could save up to a third of headteachers' time. To find out more visit the national College website at http://www.ncsl.org.uk.
Chris

I then met with Abdul Udin and Frank Hartle from the Hay Group...

The identification and development of future school leaders is a key strategic challenge. Sustaining the flow of high-quality school leaders is critical to achieving the best outcomes for all our children and young people. The most effective leaders and practitioners must be encouraged and enabled to work where their skills are most needed. Frank has written some materials for the National College for School Leadership on succession planning and the challenges we face with recruiting, keeping and managing leadership talent. They are working with hampshire and other authorities to develop local programmes and we are looking at how we might further develop this work here in Leeds.
Chris

I spent most of the day on a bus ride around the city with the inspectors...

And I learned such a lot about the city; it's history, it's geography and it's highlights. We visited Bridgewater Place the 30 story block which is home to Eversheds and a lot of upwardly mobile people. The views from the top were breathtaking and as it was s sunny day you could see the whole of Leeds. We passed the New Bewerley Community Primary School and Children's Centre as we went on to the Two Willows Children's Centre in Beeston which is an amazing oasis of care and support for children and their families. We went next to the new Swimming and Diving Pool at the John Charles Stadium which is a brilliant addition to that fabulous campus. Then passed South Leeds High School and on to Roundhay Park and to Carr Manor High School. At Carr Manor we had lunch with students and staff team members before a quick session with Simon Flowers the headteacher. Everyone was really impressed with the school, it's staff team and the wonderful students. Finally we visited the Meanwood Recycling Centre before finishing our tour back at the Victoria Quarter for coffee with business partners.

It was a great session organised brilliantly by Marilyn Summers and her colleagues.
Chris

I finished the day as I started it with Ros and Dirk and a small group of primary headteachers. Not breakfast this time but tea... an inspiring session.
Chris

Next stop was to meet with the Teenage Pregnancy National Support Team who were looking at our strategy and its impact. We are doing great things with young mums, young dads and prevention. However we need to do more around our PSHE programmes to target vulnerable young people, address alcohol abuse and help young people manage risk.
Chris

I went on to Executive Board to present a paper on 'Excellence and Inclusion' the Learning and Skills Council's formal public consultation document on proposed changes to the organisation of Further Education provision here in Leeds. The proposals aim to establish a new institution through merging the existing provision at Joseph Priestley College, Leeds College of Building, Leeds College of Technology, Park Lane College and Leeds Thomas Danby.
Chris

I then went briefly to a lunchtime session to meet the Joint Area Review team...

They look very normal and hopefully the team will be able to understand the context, the real strengths in our provision and importantly help us with our journey to deliver brilliant outcomes for all our children and young people and their families.
Chris

I went next to the Queen's Hotel to meet Lord Adonis with Cllr Richard Harker...

Lord Adonis was in Leeds to talk at the Girls Schools Association and had asked to see Cllr Harker and I about the progress we are making with the secondary standards and transformational agenda... Trusts, Federations, Academies and all that!
Chris

I went on to the first meeting of a new group...

The Business Education Strategy Group aims to review current arrangements and establish a more coherent strategic framework for delivering the business-education agenda here in Leeds.
I'll keep you posted!
Chris

It's been one of those starts to the day when you think I should have rolled over and gone back to sleep...

The A64 from York was a nightmare this morning and it is always difficult to work out why. I managed to get to the Breakfast Meeting with headteachers on time but only to discover that the hotel had forgotten to arrange breakfast. Still when you are with colleagues from the Seacroft Manston, Richmond Hill and Inner East Families of schools it doesn't seem to matter what is going on around you... and looking around the room, at the faces, I know that the focus is on brilliant provision, on improving outcomes, on raising standards and on meeting the real needs of children and their families. These issues are at the heart of everything these colleagues are doing. These are great schools doing great work in some of the most challenging circumstances.

The challenges these colleagues raised with me were:

• can we refine and improve the Financial Management processes everyone is going through to recognise the size and context of the school?
• can we provide more help with the large number of non English speaking children arriving in schools across Leeds?
• can we duplicate and maintain initiatives like MAST?

As a listening and learning organisation we will look at these issues and get back to colleagues. The last two are critically important aspects of the Inclusive Learning Strategy and of the Children's Services approaches we are developing here in Leeds.
Chris