WESTWOOD AND CLAPGATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS

I spent some time this week with the leadership team from the Westwood/Clapgate primary schools talking about ‘the keys to success’. I particularly enjoyed being able to kick off their development session and spend some time with such a young, passionate and committed group of colleagues.

SORRY, I HAVE BEEN AWAY!

I am sorry that the blog has been quiet this week but I have been moving into my new home! I have no landline, no internet and no broadband! I am doing my best to respond to e-mails and stay in touch. Hope to be back soon!

REMEMBER: "It is best to hold hands and stick together."

After my session yesterday at York St John, I was thinking about the things that really matter...

"All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pit at school. 

RELEASING THE MAGIC AT YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY!

I was at the York St John ITE Partnership NQT Conference 2014 this afternoon…

MADE IN SHEFFIELD GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH!

I was in Sheffield this week for two breakfast meetings with the employers and the schools involved in the Cutlers' Made in Sheffield scheme. We wanted to review the progress we have made and to look at how we continue to develop the work we have been doing. 

WHAT WORKS?

Everyone who cares about learning, closing the attainment gap and achieving world class outcomes for all our children and young people should look at the evidence and read the EEF Toolkit of Strategies to Improve Learning.

ANOTHER DAY IN SHEFFIELD!

I was over in Sheffield again this morning for the Cutlers' Employers breakfast meeting.  The Cutlers' Made in Sheffield Programme is developing at a pace. The scheme started with plans for one school in the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector. We currently have nine schools and the two Sheffield colleges working with us across six employment sectors with over 300 student ambassadors. Next year the scheme looks likely to have fourteen schools and two colleges working across ten employment sectors with over 700 students ambassadors and with the potential to reach around 20,000 students!

HOW DO WE BUILD BRILLIANT?

It is strange that so many people believe that you create great schools simply by wheeling in the 'best' headteachers, changing the school name, refreshing the governance and sacking half the staff.

SMALL STEPS CAN CHANGE OUR LIVES FOR THE BETTER!

Research suggests that we can change and become happier and healthier just by taking small steps which can change our lives for the better. So always remember that we need to be persistent, disciplined and work hard for as long as we possibly can and we need to stay connected with friends and colleagues. And we need to volunteer and give to others whenever and whatever we can.

WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD BRILLIANT!

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.

FIRTH PARK ACADEMY'S CULTURAL AMBASSADORS!

I visited Firth Park Academy in Sheffield again this morning to attend a session with stakeholders and partners working in the cultural sector.

LET'S MAKE THE EXTRA-ORDINARY COMMONPLACE!

I visited some great schools today and I don't know about you but I find it deeply depressing that the UK education system has one of the highest levels of variation in pupil outcomes of the world's industrialised economies, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

OLD FRIENDS AND BRILLIANT COLLEAGUES!

I was in Leeds today and met up with some wonderful old friends and brilliant colleagues.