COACHING MATTERS!

I have been to some incredible learning places recently. In Leeds, Sheffield and across the country, brilliant colleagues, working in schools and classrooms, are releasing the magic and delivering world class outcomes, often against the odds. 

We know what it takes to build brilliant... it's alive and well in so many places.

COACHING FOR SUCCESS!

A colleague has asked me to do some coaching for her and it made me think that whether we like it or not, our colleagues know what we think of them and we all know that children, young people, colleagues and friends live up to, or down to, our expectations of them.

LEARNERS INHERIT THE EARTH!

"In times of change, learners inherit the earth,

while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped

to deal with a world that no longer exists."

Eric Hoffer

I spent time today with two extraordinary colleagues who have had incredible learning journeys and achieved so much.

SIMPLY BELIEVE!

"Those who believe they can, can
and those who believe they can’t, can’t"…

TEACHERS SHOULD BE GARDENERS!

I have always thought that being a brilliant teacher is a lot like being a brilliant gardener.

LIFE'S BIG PRIZES!

If like me you are fed up, with the vacuous celebrity culture that dominates everything in this country and the way the media and the rich and famous take advantage of the rest of us, you probably need encouragement to get you through the dark days.

LUNCH IN LEEDS!

"Good friends are like stars.

You can't always see them 

but they are always there."

WESTFIELD SPORTS COLLEGE

I visited Westfield Sports College in Sheffield again this morning.

FIRTH PARK ACADEMY

I was at Firth Park Academy in Sheffield again today.

BRADFIELD SCHOOL

I started the day at Bradfield School again this morning.

HAPPY SUNDAY!

 

SLOW DOWN, YOU MOVE TO FAST!!

I am really at a loss to understand why everyone is in such a hurry all the time. Everywhere I go people are constantly rushing from one appointment to another, from one place to another with little regard or care for anyone else; jumping traffic lights, ignoring the needs of others and pushing past people without looking or caring. I don't understand why it is but it appears that no-one seems to have any time or patience anymore.

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets"

I love that quote and at times like this when the challenges increase I realise how many fantastic people there are in my world... family, friends and colleagues. It's true by the way that you should love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t because they are simply not worth the effort. I am not sure at the moment that I can believe that everything happens for a reason but I do know that if you get a chance, you should take it and if it changes your life, let it.

Nobody promised that my life or your life would be easy, but I hope that the journey I am about to embark upon with the people I love will be worth it.
Chris

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." Marian Wright Edelman

We must continue to make a difference for those children and young people who need us most. But it's hard when colleagues are having to work so hard and the climate and the context are so negative!

FIRTH PARK ACADEMY!

I visited Firth Park Academy in Sheffield yesterday morning.

THE FAT EPIDEMIC!

I  have become obsessed by the fact that 60% of men and 50% of women in this country are overweight and an increasing proportion are obese.

LONGLEY PARK SIXTH FORM COLLEGE!

I visited Longley Park Sixth Form College in North Sheffield again this morning with my colleague Mike Garnock-Jones.

                                

IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!

Change is with us: perhaps it always has been and perhaps it always will be.

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS MATTER!

This Sunday, have a great day and don't let things get you down.

The things that matter still matter... faith, friends and family!

Since I can't send you flowers, here's the next best thing.

HAPPY SUNDAY!

FANTASTIC: MATTHEW BOURNE'S SWAN LAKE!

I went to the Lowry in Manchester to see Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake for the fifth time this weekend and it was once again an extraordinary experience!

HAPPY SATURDAY!

I have had a wonderful week meeting old friends and colleagues and working with colleagues in Sheffield.

WE MUST ALL STUDY AND LEARN!

We all know, that it is the quality of the teaching team that makes for brilliant learning. That means the teacher, teaching assistants, volunteers and helpers all have a part to play in creating the conditions where learning will flourish.

'When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Success is about attitude, determination and persistence. If you want to be successful in any aspect of your life you need great support, a lot of luck and to work hard, be determined and be persistent. There will always be people who will tell you that things can't be any different, that you are wrong to search for better things and that what you are doing is impossible to achieve. They are wrong!

REMEMBERING EDUCATION LEEDS!

"Good friends are like stars.

You can't always see them 

but they are always there."

GENIUS, TALENT AND POTENTIAL!

"If I were absolutely certain about all things, I would spend my life in anxious misery,

fearful of losing my way. But since everything and anything are always possible, 

the miraculous is always nearby and wonders shall never, ever cease."

Robert Fulghum

People constantly tell me what they can't do but as Robert Fulgham reminds us 'everything and anything are always possible'! So we have to make our colleagues understand that they have enormous potential; that they can do anything if they work at it and believe, and that the miracles and the magic are commonplace. 

DO SOMETHING: MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Watching the horrendous coverage of the aftermath of the cyclone that struck the Phillipines, it is easy to think that there isn't anything we can do that will help or make a difference. However, whenever things seem impossible I read this story...

                            

BUILDING BRILLIANT: TEN TIPS!

After five years in Wolverhampton, North Yorkshire and York and nearly ten years in Leeds it has become easier to understand the keys to success, how to deliver outstanding outcomes and how to build brilliant teams. I have also learned what leaders need to know to release the magic...

THE HECKMAN EQUATION!

At the heart of the Cutlers' "Made in Sheffield" approach is a recognition that to be successful young people need skills, character and knowledge and that we need to develop a curriculum entitlement that develops all three.

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS!

It's interesting that Tony Blair spoke recently about the leadership deficit we face in so many crucial aspects from politics to banking and from the NHS to education. And Sir Michael Wilshaw has been stressing the importance of great leadership driving great teaching and learning.

RESILIENCE, GRIT AND DETERMINATION!

I am constantly looking for the keys to success and how we can apply them to the education and learning landscape to ensure that all our children and young people achieve their goals and reach their potential.

SHEFFIELD SPRINGS ACADEMY

Mike Garnock-Jones and I visited Sheffield Springs Academy again this morning to see Russell Heritage, the principal, and some of his senior colleagues to discuss how the academy could get involved in the 'Made in Sheffield' programme

'MADE IN SHEFFIELD'

I was in Sheffield again today working with colleagues who are managing the Cutlers 'Made in Sheffield' programme which now involves six different strands and twelve secondary schools. We are now working in advanced manufacturing and engineering, the Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, the glass industry, the retail sector, computer science and the Children's Hospital.

FIND A WAY!

Working with another group of wonderful colleagues yesterday at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford reaffirmed my belief in people; their energy, passion, enthusiasm and commitment.

WHAT WORKS!

Whatever anyone says the performance of our primary and secondary schools has improved significantly over the last few years. 

THE CHERWELL PARTNERSHIP OF SCHOOLS!

I spent the morning with the Cherwell Partnership of Schools in Oxford, at their 'Innovation for Learning' conference. These schools have worked together to create a learning community whose focus has been on 'Making Learning Irresistible'.

CONNECT, COLLABORATE AND CHALLENGE!

Everyone I talk to about the challenges we face recognises that to achieve world-class outcomes we need a new and different approach to education and learning. This isn't going to be easy in Michael& Michael's world! But always remember that...

BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER!

In order to stimulate new thinking and create the impetus for more radical change, headteachers need to move from focusing overwhelmingly on their own particular school or community, to working more closely together.