KEEP CALM and CARRY ON!

"The principal goal of education... 

should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things... 

men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers."

Jean Piaget

My visits, over the last school year, to schools in Nottingham, Sheffield, Lincoln and Leeds have once again showed me the outstanding practice, the incredible young people, and the inspirational colleagues that exist in this country. These are 'ordinary schools' where colleagues are achieving the extraordinary; working hard to equip our little learners with the skills they need to be successful bigger learners and to be successful in a world that is changing beyond recognition. These are schools who are striving to ensure that every little learner is a reader, write and counter by seven or eight, a powerful little learner by the time they leave primary school and on a pathway to success by the time they leave secondary school. These are schools developing project-based learning, nurturing talent, creativity and imagination and sharing and networking the things that work and stopping doing those that don’t!

At the end of yet another academic year these schools need to be celebrated and our commitment and promise must be to work with and help these schools, and hundreds and thousands like them across the country, continue to build brilliant. The agenda isn't about some great schools serving some lucky students but every schools a great school... whatever it takes! We must agree that we will never settle for things that are just good enough when with a bit of energy and effort all our schools can be outstanding places releasing the magic in every child and young person. Over the Summer we must all set new goals where we commit to work each and every day to help our all children achieve their potential and all our colleagues be extraordinary, be outstanding and be brilliant… whatever it takes!
Chris