I met Maria Bourke again yesterday to talk about how we might work together...
You all know I have a thing about health, discipline and effectiveness. Well, Maria leads an organisation called 'Lets Get Healthy' and we are working to develop two pilot programmes here in Leeds:
1. A schools pilot to tackle childhood and family inactivity and obesity;
2. A schools/Education Leeds 'health and well-being' pilot.
Maria's energy and enthusiasm is fantastic and I hope that we can get things going next term. As always we just need to find the resources!
Exciting times.
Chris
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Thursday, 24 July 2008
I started the day with Max Amesbury and Helen Plimmer who wanted to talk to me about a project they had been working on...
They have been developing an exciting cross-curricular project for primary schools involving creating a mini-olympic games. The project started with four primary schools: Gledhow, Rothwell Victoria, St Chad's and Whingate and this year expanded to involve thirty schools. The brilliant thing about the initiative is that the children plan, manage and organise their own event including the opening ceremony, all the games and the closing ceremony.
What is very obvious about the work that Max and Helen have been doing is that the whole curriculum can be delivered through this project in the same way we have the international curriculum and the creative curriculum we here have the olympic curriculum and in the build up to the London Olympics this initiative is simply magic.
Chris
They have been developing an exciting cross-curricular project for primary schools involving creating a mini-olympic games. The project started with four primary schools: Gledhow, Rothwell Victoria, St Chad's and Whingate and this year expanded to involve thirty schools. The brilliant thing about the initiative is that the children plan, manage and organise their own event including the opening ceremony, all the games and the closing ceremony.
What is very obvious about the work that Max and Helen have been doing is that the whole curriculum can be delivered through this project in the same way we have the international curriculum and the creative curriculum we here have the olympic curriculum and in the build up to the London Olympics this initiative is simply magic.
Chris
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
I moved on to yet another STEPS event at Harehills Primary School...
This celebration was of a group of mums who had been through the programme supported by REEMAP and once again very clearly the programme has had a massive impact. There is no magic ingredient to the success of STEPS; the power of the programme is that it is delivered by passionate advocates who understand what can be achieved if you simply believe.
Chris
This celebration was of a group of mums who had been through the programme supported by REEMAP and once again very clearly the programme has had a massive impact. There is no magic ingredient to the success of STEPS; the power of the programme is that it is delivered by passionate advocates who understand what can be achieved if you simply believe.
Chris
I went on to the retirement event at Oakwood Primary School for Anne Matthias...
Anne's passion and her gentle but highly effective style has influenced so many people over the years and many of these colleagues turned up at the school to say thank you to this amazing headteacher. I was proud to be one of the crowd and to have a public opportunity to say what she meant to the educational community and how much she would be missed. She will be a very hard act to follow!
Chris
Anne's passion and her gentle but highly effective style has influenced so many people over the years and many of these colleagues turned up at the school to say thank you to this amazing headteacher. I was proud to be one of the crowd and to have a public opportunity to say what she meant to the educational community and how much she would be missed. She will be a very hard act to follow!
Chris
I started the day yesterday with Common Purpose talking on their 'Who Do You Need To Be' Programme Day...
Ken Cornforth and I had been asked to be a double act and we talked about our approaches to leadership. Feedback from Veronique Raingeval Director of Common Purpose here in Leeds has been wonderful... 'inspiring, passionate, dedicated, driven.'
In truth it was great to be asked and I really enjoy the opportunity to network and share my passion for education here in Leeds.
Chris
Ken Cornforth and I had been asked to be a double act and we talked about our approaches to leadership. Feedback from Veronique Raingeval Director of Common Purpose here in Leeds has been wonderful... 'inspiring, passionate, dedicated, driven.'
In truth it was great to be asked and I really enjoy the opportunity to network and share my passion for education here in Leeds.
Chris
Monday, 21 July 2008
I received this e-mail from my colleague Lesley Dolben, headteacher at Harehills Primary School...
"Dear Chris, Just thought I would share some good news with you. Today our school was awarded ‘Investor in Diversity’ Status. This followed a full assessment day where Bruce Waller from the National Centre for Diversity interviewed a wide range of parents, staff, children and other stakeholders. The feedback given to the school stated that we were ‘Outstanding’ in every aspect of the assessment and that we are only the third school in the country to have achieved this award! This award reflects two years of hard work by my staff team and is particularly gratifying to receive in my final week as its headteacher. I know that you will want to congratulate my team and I hope that this work will further enhance Leeds’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.
On a personal note I am very sad to be leaving this wonderful school at the end of term. I know that much has been achieved in the four and a half years I have spent as its school leader. I can reflect upon an improving trend in standards of attainment, accelerated progress for pupils across the school and high aspirations for future progress. Ofsted have recognised us as a good and inclusive school with great potential. We are now as an investor in diversity, at the cutting edge of the community cohesion agenda, and, as this new IID standard acknowledges; providing a sensitive and well tailored response to the community we serve. We even have a lovely new building, large enough to accommodate our increased numbers!
Leeds has been a vibrant and exciting place to work in and I take many good memories with me. I have been privileged to have worked alongside some very talented individuals. I am only sorry that you were not able to see the school this year, since the encouragement and support your role could provide to my colleagues, working hard in challenging circumstances, is greatly appreciated. I am told that you are to visit us in October and I am sure my colleagues and the children will be delighted to see you. With my best wishes, Lesley"
It is wonderful to hear about the 'Investors in Diversity' Award Lesley and her colleagues have achieved. Congratulations to them all in being one of the first schools in the country to achieve it. Lesley is a great loss to Leeds and we will miss her passion, commitment and enthusiasm. Chris
"Dear Chris, Just thought I would share some good news with you. Today our school was awarded ‘Investor in Diversity’ Status. This followed a full assessment day where Bruce Waller from the National Centre for Diversity interviewed a wide range of parents, staff, children and other stakeholders. The feedback given to the school stated that we were ‘Outstanding’ in every aspect of the assessment and that we are only the third school in the country to have achieved this award! This award reflects two years of hard work by my staff team and is particularly gratifying to receive in my final week as its headteacher. I know that you will want to congratulate my team and I hope that this work will further enhance Leeds’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.
On a personal note I am very sad to be leaving this wonderful school at the end of term. I know that much has been achieved in the four and a half years I have spent as its school leader. I can reflect upon an improving trend in standards of attainment, accelerated progress for pupils across the school and high aspirations for future progress. Ofsted have recognised us as a good and inclusive school with great potential. We are now as an investor in diversity, at the cutting edge of the community cohesion agenda, and, as this new IID standard acknowledges; providing a sensitive and well tailored response to the community we serve. We even have a lovely new building, large enough to accommodate our increased numbers!
Leeds has been a vibrant and exciting place to work in and I take many good memories with me. I have been privileged to have worked alongside some very talented individuals. I am only sorry that you were not able to see the school this year, since the encouragement and support your role could provide to my colleagues, working hard in challenging circumstances, is greatly appreciated. I am told that you are to visit us in October and I am sure my colleagues and the children will be delighted to see you. With my best wishes, Lesley"
It is wonderful to hear about the 'Investors in Diversity' Award Lesley and her colleagues have achieved. Congratulations to them all in being one of the first schools in the country to achieve it. Lesley is a great loss to Leeds and we will miss her passion, commitment and enthusiasm. Chris
Thursday, 17 July 2008
My colleague Helen Pemberton sent me this e-mail about Horsforth School...
"Hi Chris, When you're next on your visits to schools Horsforth would be a good place to go. The Head of Science there, David Mulvaney, has been working with students this year to enter a rocket building competition. The team won the UK event by designing and building a rocket which had to fly to 215m carrying 2 eggs and return them safely to the ground. As part of the prize the team won a trip to Washington DC. They will also be launching in direct competition with the US winners at Farnborough Air show at the end of this month. On the strength of the success in the competition they have also been invited to take part in an Aerospace Summer School at Cranfield University and the Ritsumeikan Science Fair in Japan in October this year. Also the music department are taking a group of 40 students to Holland for five days from this weekend to play at different locations. They're taking a number of different groups including a samba band, a choir, an orchestra, a swing band and a jazz band. There is always a lot going on at Horsforth which they are often quite modest about, but as the first school to face the new Ofsted framework it is now preparing for the second Ofsted under the new framework. They have much to be very proud of and should be in a position to go for outstanding so any support you can give would be great - a visit would really help acknowledge what they're doing. Thanks, Helen"
It is wonderful to hear from colleagues like Helen about some of the fantastic things happening in schools across the city. Horsforth School is a great school with a great headteacher leading a great team and I look forward to getting there next term.
Chris
"Hi Chris, When you're next on your visits to schools Horsforth would be a good place to go. The Head of Science there, David Mulvaney, has been working with students this year to enter a rocket building competition. The team won the UK event by designing and building a rocket which had to fly to 215m carrying 2 eggs and return them safely to the ground. As part of the prize the team won a trip to Washington DC. They will also be launching in direct competition with the US winners at Farnborough Air show at the end of this month. On the strength of the success in the competition they have also been invited to take part in an Aerospace Summer School at Cranfield University and the Ritsumeikan Science Fair in Japan in October this year. Also the music department are taking a group of 40 students to Holland for five days from this weekend to play at different locations. They're taking a number of different groups including a samba band, a choir, an orchestra, a swing band and a jazz band. There is always a lot going on at Horsforth which they are often quite modest about, but as the first school to face the new Ofsted framework it is now preparing for the second Ofsted under the new framework. They have much to be very proud of and should be in a position to go for outstanding so any support you can give would be great - a visit would really help acknowledge what they're doing. Thanks, Helen"
It is wonderful to hear from colleagues like Helen about some of the fantastic things happening in schools across the city. Horsforth School is a great school with a great headteacher leading a great team and I look forward to getting there next term.
Chris
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
My colleague Richard M. Boughey our Service Delivery and Transformation Manager sent me this after his visit to the LGI...
"Hello Chris, Patricia Rose and I had the chance to visit the LGI School today and I was really impressed, as ever, with the amazing work that goes on across all Leeds schools! We had a great time working with a pupil doing a science experiment to determine acidity and alkalinity of three mysterious liquids, did maths exercises on the interactive whitboard, and had a go with kar2ouche. As ever the excitement of the pupils, parents, and staff and in this case the nursing staff from the hospital was invigorating and I'll try to keep this in mind through the more challenging moments of our work. Thanks. Richard"
"Hello Chris, Patricia Rose and I had the chance to visit the LGI School today and I was really impressed, as ever, with the amazing work that goes on across all Leeds schools! We had a great time working with a pupil doing a science experiment to determine acidity and alkalinity of three mysterious liquids, did maths exercises on the interactive whitboard, and had a go with kar2ouche. As ever the excitement of the pupils, parents, and staff and in this case the nursing staff from the hospital was invigorating and I'll try to keep this in mind through the more challenging moments of our work. Thanks. Richard"
It is wonderful to know that wherever our children are in Leeds including the hospitals they can have access to inspiring and engaging teaching and learning.
Chris
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