Colleagues have asked about the small school pilot we are planning...

The pilot will build on what we know works well and will make the greatest difference in our most disadvantaged communities. It is at a very early stage in it's development but will draw together outstanding elements from National Strategies, Extended Services, coaching, PE and school sports,the arts and Investment in Excellence and STEPS. It also builds on the KIPP ( Knowledge Is Power Programme ) approach that started in New York and is now operating across the United States.

The KIPP schools share a core set of operating principles known as the “Five Pillars”: High Expectations, Choice & Commitment, More Time, Power to Lead, and Focus on Results. We believe that a significant additional element for us here in Leeds is more time. KIPP students are in school learning for significantly more time than average students, typically from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, every other Saturday, and for three weeks during the summer. Rigorous teaching is balanced with extracurricular activities, experiential field lessons, and character development.

If you know someone rich who wants to help us fund this exciting initiative please let me know and if you want to find out more about KIPP schools you can visit the KIPP website at www.kipp.org.

Chris

My colleague Sue Sanderson, Headteacher at Swarcliffe Primary School, sent me this e-mail at the end of a quite remarkable year for the school...

"Hi Chris, I wanted to take a few moments at the end of the year to share with you that everyone here has made, yet another year at Swarcliffe Primary School, such a success and amazing place to be! As headteacher I am so lucky to work with a fantastic team. A team of Governors, parents, children and staff. EVERYONE here gives 100% and more!! I want to especially highlight every member of the staff. Our staff are so keen, enthusiastic and willing to have a go! Yes! they certainly throw themselves in to everything from Wake Up Shake up..Street Dance….dressing up to time travel...challenging learning...discos...Christmas performances.. Summer Fairs... Prom...digging up the allotment...organising tiles on a new welcome mosaic ...the list is endless. Everything they do they do because it has a impact on our learners. And what amazing learners we have! As I watch our Year 6 leave I am so proud knowing we have released a group of young adults in to the wider world! As the team leave this evening to relax, rejuvenate and regroup the message is we've been a bit down but we are not out! We look forward to September to starting it all again! Watch out on Monday 7th September we will be back with a bang to launch our focus on Sculpture. Please look at this picture ~ its from the Year 6 Prom last night ....

...look at those faces; they are the future, they are what keep us coming back for more!!!
Thanks again, Sue."

It's wonderful to watch the real progress that the school has made during the last year under Sue's inspirational leadership and to see the results of her hard work in her childrens' faces is simply wonderful.
Chris

And finally for today I attended the Governing Body Meeting at Woodlands Primary School...

I was there to talk to the governors about child protection, attendance and the extended schools pilot we are planning to run over the next couple of years. We know that a brilliant school delivers about 12% of a child's success, a brilliant family secures about 30% and a brilliant community secures about 30%. If we are serious about delivering significantly better outcomes for our children we need to work more consistently with families and communities. It was a great meeting and I look forward to developing the work with Woodlands Primary School to deliver better outcomes for children and better outcomes for families in this community.
Chris

I moved on to another of my favourite schools...

I visited Hunslet Moor Primary School to see Narinder Gill, headteacher, her wonderful colleagues and her amazing children. I had been invited by the children to their leavers party where they had raised the money to buy the party food and were having a great time with the staff hoola hooping and playing rounders. The children gave me some of their fantastic art work, a copy of their brilliant book, 'The Little Book of Stories', a copy of their school magazine, Humslet Moor Newsflash and a copy of their green actions logbook, 'Taking Small Steps to Greater things!' along with some other gifts.
Chris

I moved on to Cross Flatts Park Primary School...

I was there to see Georgina Sykes, Science Coordinator at Cross Flatts Park Primary School, who had invited me to see her allotment which has been given a makeover as part of Yorkshire Water's Million Green Fingers initiative. We walked down to the school's allotment on Dewsbury Road which has such enormous potential.There are great things happening across the city to build brilliant provision for our children and it is wonderful to see how far Yorkshire Water's Million Green Fingers have reached.
Chris

I started the day at Allerton Bywater Primary School...

I was visiting the school with Cllr Richard Harker to congratulate Nathan Atkinson, headteacher, and his colleagues on their wonderful OFSTED inspection outcome having recently emerged from special measures. It was great to walk around the school, meet some of Nathan's talented team and see the real transformation that has taken place at this little primary school.
Chris

This evening I attended a performance of the 'Wizard of Oz' at another one of my favourite schools...

I was at Castleton Primary School for their Year 5 and 6 performance and it was brilliant. The incredible team at Castleton Primary School are releasing a very special magic working with some great young people, many of whom are now heading off to Swallow Hill Community College to start their secondary education.
Their SAT results are also fantastic and Swallow Hill colleagues are going to be receiving some incredibly talented young people to work with in their new Year 7.
Chris

I started the day early at Pudsey Grangefield High School...

I was there for the Education Leeds Board Meeting and then for a joint meeting of the Education Leeds Board with the RM Board. The RM Board had a guided tour of the school with Ken Cornforth, headteacher, and were really impressed with Ken, the incredible building and the whole school approach to teaching and learning, coaching and personalisation. The joint meeting was a brilliant opportunity to share ideas and explore how RM and Education Leeds can continue to work together, to experiment, to take risks, to develop cutting edge approaches and to build brilliant learning here in Leeds.

Watch this space!
Chris

My colleague Jeremy Dunford, headteacher at Deighton Gates Primary School in Wetherby sent me some good news...

"Hello Chris, I have attached a copy of a press release that will go with an article in Wetherby News this week. We have 33 Year 6 pupils who will gain arts award. Two will get silver and 31 bronze. We are the only primary school in Leeds with pupils involved in this national award scheme. It was only opened to Year 6 pupils last year and have two of a very small cohort of Year 6 pupils to gain silver. They have used the EPOS RJC dance project as a basis for their portfolios. It is also a good example of the role a governor can play. Fran Hannan, a parent governor and consultant with artforms, has supported the Year 6 staff and pupils voluntarily as the demands on staff and pupils are high.

“ this is a fantastic opportunity for the pupils and, if given the chance in high school, they can progress further growing to be leaders in the arts. They have worked very hard and produced a high standard of work and deserve the recognition they have got. It is also a great example of partnership between staff and governors who have worked together to support the pupils. Parent Governor Fran Hannan and teachers Ivan Lister & Jo Tate have done a fantastic job”

Regards Jeremy."

Another example of brilliant work at the end of another wonderful year.
Chris

I received this e-mail from my colleague Rehana Minhas, Director for Equality and Entitlement, about another of the events I was invited to last night...


"Dear Chris, I attended an excellent 'Playing for Success' Celebration Event at Elland Road yesterday. The large Lorimer Suite was totally packed with Young People, their parents, families, mentors, headteachers and school staff. The Lord Mayor was present and championed the work the study support team are doing and the many activities Education Leeds has initiated to support Children and Young People. The special guests were presented with beautiful hand made designer cards to thank us for our attendance. I received a lovely one made by Matty Ward from South Leeds High School. The following schools were involved:

• Mount St Mary's High School
• Asquith Primary School
• Windmill Primary School
• Low Road Primary School
• Morley Victoria Primary School
• Lawns Park Primary School
• Lower Wortley Primary School
• Broomfield SILC
• Cockburn College of Arts
• South Leeds High School

Well done and congratulations to the study support team. Kind regards, Rehana."

These events are a fantastic reminder of the brilliant work that Steve Smith and his talented colleagues in the Study Support Centres across Leeds are doing to improve literacy, numeracy, ICT and personal skills for our young people. The brilliant partnership working with sports clubs and centres provide the motivation and incentive that draws young people and their families into learning and helps improve outcomes. We need to franchise these places and build a study support centre in everyone of our schools to reach even more young people with the Playing for Success magic.

Chris