FANTASTIC NEWS: WILLIAM BOOTH PRIMARY AND NURSERY SCHOOL IS A GOOD SCHOOL!

I was really delighted to hear, from colleagues at William Booth Primary School in Nottingham where I was part of the IEB, that OFSTED have finally decided that this is a good school! It is a fantastic achievement for the whole team who have worked so incredibly hard to change almost every aspect of their practice and provision and to release the magic in some wonderful young people. 

It was great to read such a positive OFSTED inspection report.

PLEASE VOTE FOR MY BLOG!

UK Edchat is looking for the favourite educational blog.

They have been overwhelmed by the response during the nomination process.

THIS WEEKEND AND THIS EASTER!

START EARLY!

As with most things in life, the earlier we start to learn the easier it is to succeed.

SKILLS REALLY MATTER!

"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."

How do we equip our young people with what they will need to thrive and succeed in a world of work where the landscape is changing so rapidly that many if not most of the jobs they will be doing are new or haven't been invented yet!

THE BIG CHALLENGE 2014!

I was at The BIG Challenge Awards 2014 this evening at the Holiday Inn Royal Victoria in Sheffield hosted by David Grey MBE, Group Managing Director of OSL Group Holdings Ltd.

SHEFFIELD CITY-WIDE LEARNING BODY!

I was at the Sheffield City-wide Learning Body this afternoon to talk about the development of the Cutlers' Made in Sheffield scheme.

GOOD NEWS! PROBLEM SOLVING SUCCESS!

It is great to hear that England's teenagers are "significantly above average" in problem-solving, according to Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development's latest results. 

CULTURE MATTERS!

It has taken me a lifetime, working with some extraordinary colleagues and organisations, to fully understand that the key to success for any of us lies in the culture we establish.

WELL-BEING IN THE WORKPLACE!

NEF’s Centre for Well-being and NEF Consulting have published a new report outlining what the evidence shows about well-being in the workplace.

EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!

We should now be eating at least seven portions of fruit and vegetables every day to live longer and get real health benefits.

REMEMBER!

SING!

I have always said that singing and music makes you cleverer, happier and healthier and when you watch choirs in schools, at concerts or on the TV you see the power of singing. Professor Graham Welch, Chair of Music Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, has studied developmental and medical aspects of singing for 30 years: "The health benefits of singing are both physical and psychological. Singing has physical benefits because it is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the blood stream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even when sitting.Singing has psychological benefits because of its normally positive effect in reducing stress levels through the action of the endocrine system which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being. Psychological benefits are also evident when people sing together as well as alone because of the increased sense of community, belonging and shared endeavour."