EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER!

DON'T WORRY IF YOU MISS OUT ON LIFE'S GREAT PRIZES!

The Sunday Times published its latest Rich List last weekend, and 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 and the long weekends.

DON'T GIVE UP, PRESS ON!

WHAT IS GRIT!

BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS!

Character, skills and attributes lie at the heart of the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' approach and there is a growing body of research that suggests that there are a set of 'soft' skills, attributes and character traits that, while not easy to measure, lie at the heart of success at school, at work and in life in general. 

LOVE THIS: Snow Patrol Reworked - Run Live at the Royal Albert Hall

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE!

It has taken me a long time to realise what really matters when it comes to school improvement and I suppose that the only thing I would say in my defence is that I have been doing it for a long, long time now. 

WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

It has been another interesting week... I know they all are!!

BEN RHYDDING PRIMARY SCHOOL

I was at Ben Rhyming Primary School yesterday visiting an old colleague and friend.

CODE>MAKE>WIN!

CODE>MAKE>WIN is a brilliant opportunity for young people interested in digital making to meet others doing the same thing around the city, and to showcase their ideas to professionals in the sector.

TAKE A LOOK AT PANJANGO: CONNECTING LEARNING TO LIFE!

It has never been more important to help young people develop the essential skills, knowledge and experience to fulfil their potential and thrive in the world of work. I met Joe Leech, an old colleague, last week at Get Up to Speed at Magna. Joe is Director of 'big green fox' a pioneering company, unique in their commitment to careers education starting in primary schools, and is supporting educators in delivering a competency, not just content, based education which helps young people better understand why they are attending school.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

"It always seems impossible until it is done."

Nelson Mandela

CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

We need to constantly think about what works and reflect on the impact and outcomes we are achieving to develop, improve and refine what we are doing.

GRIT = Guts, Resilience, Industriousness and Tenacity!

When the going gets tough, we must simply...

 stay focused, stay determined, stay optimistic, roll our sleeves up and work even harder!

LEADERSHIP, SYSTEMS AND ACCOUNTABILITY MATTER!

I am confused that people keep telling us that schools in England are performing so poorly when compared to the best in Europe let alone the best in the world.

PHONE A FRIEND!

This Sunday, remember what is important in life. It is't fame or celebrity or money... it's faith, friends and family. I was contacted by an old friend this week and it reminded me that when it comes down to what really matters, faith, family and friends make life worth living!

THIS WEEKEND REMEMBER TO SMILE AND SMELL THE COFFEE!

ANYONE FOR GARDENING?

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

WHERE ARE THE SKILLS GAPS?

WHERE ARE THE SKILLS GAPS?

EXPERIENCE OF THE WORLD OF WORK MATTERS!

NFER has produced a really good resource which should be read by all senior leaders in schools and colleges. It reinforces the fact that meaningful experience of the world of work needs to be part of an entitlement for all young people..

WHAT WORKS: KEEPING YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED IN LEARNING!

The NFER has published this really interesting report outlining strategies to keep students engaged. Importantly this isn't simply about young people who are at risk of becoming NEET. These elements should lie at the heart of provision for all young people...

OUTWOOD ACADEMY CITY SUCCESS AT THE 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Schools again this year took part in the 'Made in Sheffield' Innovation Competition, which is judged at GUTS and is part of efforts to attract and prepare young people for apprenticeship opportunities. The innovation competition sees local companies buddying with local schools, presenting them with a real business challenge or opportunity, which they work on together and present their work to a panel of judges from the business community. Against fierce competition from school teams across South Yorkshire the individual winner came from.... 

OUTWOOD ACADEMY CITY

CONGRATULATIONS!

FIRTH PARK ACADEMY WIN THE 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Schools again this year took part in the 'Made in Sheffield' Innovation Competition, which is judged at GUTS and is part of efforts to attract and prepare young people for apprenticeship opportunities. The innovation competition sees local companies buddying with local schools, presenting them with a real business challenge or opportunity, which they work on together and present their work to a panel of judges from the business community. Against fierce competition from across South Yorkshire this year’s winning team came from... 

                                      FIRTH PARK ACADEMY

CONGRATULATIONS!

GUTS 2016!

I was at GUTS 2016 today. GUTS is the annual Get Up To Speed event and was held again at the Magna Science Adventure Centre. GUTS was organised by Work-wise and has broken all records with over 2000 visitors, exhibitors and attractions.

DIG IN... GRIT NEEDED!

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. What do they say... "when the going gets tough, the tough get going"!

CUTLERS' 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMME

I was in Sheffield again this afternoon at the steering group meeting for the Arts and Culture strand of the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' programme.

LIFELONG LEARNING: REFORMING EDUCATION FOR AN AGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE!

The Institute of Directors (IoD) report 'Lifelong Learning: Reforming education for an age of technological and demographic change' was published this week and once again an influential group are challenging the current thinking about the curriculum, skills versus knowledge and understanding, careers guidance and the place and value of work experience. 

CAREERS AND THE WORLD OF WORK MATTER!

“The honest truth ... is there has never been a golden age of careers advice.” 

Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education

PASSPORT TO YOUR FUTURE: LESSON PLANS FOR DEVELOPING KEY EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS!

The Erasmus+ Project ‘Passport to your Future’ aims to boost the employability skills of European teenagers through a collaborative project involving schools from the UK, Finland, Spain and Slovenia.

SOMEONE SPECIAL SENT ME THESE RULES FOR LIVING THE GOOD LIFE!

IT'S A LOVELY DAY TODAY... HAPPPY SUNNY SUNDAY!

"It's a lovely day today

So whatever you've got to do

You've got a lovely day to do it in, that's true...

A CAUTIONARY TAIL.... JUST REMEMBER!

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!

Four years after we pioneered and developed this work in Sheffield with the Cutlers' Company and Sheffield City Council recognising that young people need skills and attributes as well as knowledge and understanding, it is good to see that the Department for Education and OFSTED are increasingly talking about the importance of skills, character and employability within the offer we make our children and young people. 

GREAT STUFF: PASSPORT TO YOUR FUTURE!

I was at Meadowhead School last night for a celebration event at the end off their Erasmus+ Project ‘Passport to your Future’. The aim of the project is to boost the employability skills of European teenagers through a collaborative project with four partner schools from the UK, Finland, Spain and Slovenia.

TOO MANY STUDENTS ARE OVERLOOKED AND LEFT BEHIND!

"The transition from school into work is a vital point in the lives of young people. Making a successful transition through a high quality and valued pathway can mean a successful career. Becoming trapped in poor quality and under-valued alternatives can mean a lifetime of poverty."

The report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Social Mobility "Overlooked and left behind; improving the transition from school to work for the majority of young people" is essential reading.

BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS: MADE IN ROTHERHAM!

I was in Rotherham yesterday at the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust.

GET SKILLED UP.... JOIN US!

WHY NOT COME AND JOIN US!

We are looking to further develop an innovative employer led programme which targets, coaches, mentors and supports young people from harder to reach communities and gives them the skills needed for success in school, work and life generally.

LET'S GET THIS STRAIGHT, SOFT SKILLS AND PEOPLE SKILLS MATTER MOST!

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD OF WORK, SKILLS AND WORK EXPERIENCE MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE!

The Cutlers’ ‘Made in Sheffield’ programme is a consistent and coherent, employer-led approach. It develops, in young people, the skills needed for employability and the world of work.

OUR AMBASSADORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

OUR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES!

OUR EMPLOYERS!

MAKE SURE YOU VISIT OUR WEB-SITE!

just go to www.misambassadors.org.uk

WE MUST ALL BE BETTER LEARNERS AND BETTER WORKERS!

I have had a great week working with some really amazing people in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham...

THE CUTLERS' 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' SCHEME GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AT OUTWOOD ACADEMY CITY!

Mike Garnock-Jones from Sheffield City Council and I visited Outwood Academy City yesterday. It was really good to be able to catch up with Richard Brooke, the Academy Principal, and Demi Cardwell, who manages the programme at the academy, and see what we have achieved so far in terms of what we agreed when the academy joined the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' scheme.

BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS: MADE IN BARNSLEY!

 I visited Horizon Community College again this morning to meet Nick Bowen, the College Principal Jim Logan, Paul Bibby and Kelly Drury from the Barnsley Commissioning Group, Helen Shaw from Barnsley Council and Chris Webb from Barnsley College. We were meeting to plan how the 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in...' programme could develop in Barnsley. 

‘BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS: MADE IN SHEFFIELD’

The Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' scheme is a demand driven, employer-led approach based on developing the skills that matter in the world of work. It is based on a unique partnership of employers and schools, led by the Cutlers' Company and Sheffield City Council (SCC).