ALWAYS HAVE THE COURAGE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN... PASS IT ON!

"There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. 

You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing...

NOTHING'S IMPOSSIBLE... PASS IT ON!

Throughout my working life, people have told me that things were impossible and that some things couldn’t be changed or achieved; North Yorkshire was too big, York was too small, Leeds was too challenging, some schools were impossible and some children simply couldn’t learn. They were wrong!

WHAT WORKS... FEEDBACK, REFLECTION AND COACHING!

We know what works, from the Sutton Trust and EEF toolkits, EPPI studies, John Hattie, Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves, and importantly we know what doesn’t work!

BRILLIANT LEARNING... PASS IT ON!

People constantly ask me what brilliant learning looks like...

BE POSITIVE... PASS IT ON!

We all want success in our lives; even if some of us think it will come through winning the lottery or finding our way onto the X-Factor!

HOW THE WORLD'S MOST IMPROVED SCHOOL SYSTEMS KEEP GETTING BETTER!

I have been re-reading the McKinsey report ‘How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better’.

HOW THE WORLD'S BEST-PERFORMING SCHOOL SYSTEMS COME OUT ON TOP!

We need to develop more evidence based approaches to improving teaching and learning.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD... PASS IT ON!

 

"I see trees of green........ red roses too 

I see em bloom..... for me and for you 

And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

VISION MATTERS... PASS IT ON!

Where is the vision?

SOFT SKILLS MATTER!

Here in the UK, the DfE and OFSTED dismiss so called soft skills, while the Asian countries, that lead the world, are already actively reinventing their educational systems around skills, educational innovation, school designed curriculum, and the intelligent use of technology. They recognise that these skills are the hard-edge entrepreneurial essentials of 21st century success and that schools and other educational institutions should cultivate attitudes, cultures, and skills within creative and collaborative learning environments.

INTERESTING STUFF!

Interesting that in this country we are still focusing attention on unannounced inspections, additional top down accountability,  school choice and competition, whole class teaching, short-term outcomes, and data-driven decision-making while high performing countries and systems are re-examining their structures and policies to move towards research based approaches, developing learning communities, professional and intelligent accountability alongside greater autonomy, stronger active involvement of local communities and diversified teaching that responds to today’s widely varying populations of learners.

LEARNING MATTERS... PASS IT ON!

I'Ve spent time with a lot of old friends and great colleagues recently and I had forgotten how invigorating it can be.

DIRK GILLEARD

I saw my friend and colleague Dirk Gilleard this week and he reminded me that we mustn't let anyone tell us or tell our children and young people that we are not bright, not clever and not full of potential. It was great to simply talk to Dirk about the things that really matter and remember how great it was to work with him in Leeds!

ENTRUST AND THE KEYS TO SUCCESS!

I was with Sharon Kelly, Director of Educational Services with Entrust, today talking about ‘the keys to success’ and how to nurture, support and build on the brilliant provision in Staffordshire.

THE FIVE WAYS TO WELL-BEING... PASS IT ON!

 

CUTLERS 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' AT THE INDEPENDENT STATE SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIPS FORUM

I was with Lord Nash, the Schools Minister, at the Department for Education in London today, at the Independent State Schools Partnerships Forum talking about the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' programme; this radically different and unique programme developed in Sheffield by businesses and schools working together.

EVERY SCHOOL A GREAT SCHOOL... WHATEVER IT TAKES!

Interestingly, reading Michael Gove's speech to the Policy Exchange event, listening to Tristram Hunt, hearing Mary Bousted and a raft of others, it seems that we all want the same thing: great schools with great teaching and young people achieving world-class outcomes and it seems that the only argument is who you do it for and how you do it.

THE £20 NOTE STORY... PASS IT ON!

"A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a £20 note. In the room full of people, he asked. "Who would like this £20 note?"

HAPPY SUNDAY FROM WIMPOLE HALL!

Smile and the world smiles with you...

So keep smiling!

ANOTHER WEEKEND... WHERE DO THE WEEKS GO?

Time is such a strange thing and I seem to have spent most of the week on motorways travelling between York, Sheffield and Leicester. You can get bogged down by the challenges life throws at you, but I hope, this week, this will remind you how you can be happy and stay happy!

THE PROFESSIONAL SECTOR!

I attended a great meeting yesterday morning chaired by Tony Peddar, the current Master Cutler,  to look at how we might extend the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' scheme to the professional services sector and how Workwise could support companies in the sector by helping deliver their ambassador programmes.

TEACHING THE ELEPHANT TO DANCE!

A colleague asked me recently how she should start with the challenges she was facing  and I told her she should read a great book by James Belasco...

OFSTED IS SIMPLISTIC AND DAMAGING!

I suppose I have been a critical, reflective learner all my life. All the best colleagues I know, reflect on the quality of their work. They do this as professionals who are responsible for the quality of their work and for the achievements and the personal and social development of the young people they teach, and as members of a team, which is responsible for the overall quality of educational provision.

HAPPY SUNNY SUNDAY!