DON'T BE A COASTER, A JOGGER OR A STRIVER, BECOME A STAR!

HARD WORK, DETERMINATION AND PERSISTENCE COUNT!

I was in Barnsley again first thing this morning planning with Kelly Drury,who is the Training and Professional Development Manager at Barnsley Healthcare Federation.

THE CUTLERS' SKILLS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

The Cutlers’ ‘Better Learners, Better Workers’ programme is a consistent and coherent employer-led approach that develops, in young people, the skills needed for employability and the world of work. It reconnects schools and business / employers through Business Champions and builds relationships and an understanding of the world of work in schools. In simple terms, it provides:

• Businesses with home grown talent which will allow them to grow and:
• Young people with the skills they need to gain employment and be the best they can be

MANNY AND ETHAN AND THE CUTLERS' SKILL SET IN ACTION!

I have just received some fantastic feedback from Sarah Ward, Managing Director Straaltechniek UK Limited, on the work experience placements we organised for the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' engineering ambassadors from Westfield School.

BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS: MADE IN BARNSLEY!

 I visited Horizon Community College again this morning to work on the 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' programme.

WOW MATTERS !

'BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS' AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING!

Project-based Learning lies at the heart of the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' approach we have been developing in Sheffield and are now piloting in Barnsley and Rotherham and hopefully Doncaster from September. It provides us with the opportunity to connect with the real world and young people's interests and passions and to bring learning alive for  those who find engaging with the classroom tough.

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY?

We have created a negative and destructive culture where bullying, command and control, academisation and high stakes testing are seen as the only way to achieve excellence. Those in control dismiss anyone who disagrees with, them despite evidence from the best performing systems across the world which highlight that structural change isn't the key to success and reinforce the need to nurture, develop and support outstanding teaching and learning supported by learning leadership, beautiful systems and intelligent accountability.

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE... ANYONE CAN DO IT!

"In times of change, learners inherit the earth,

while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped

to deal with a world that no longer exists."

I always ask myself after visiting great schools and brilliant places what is it that makes it a brilliant learning place and what can we learn from what talented colleagues are doing...

The answers aren't rocket science...

CREATIVITY IS AT THE HEART OF EVERY SUCCESS!

JUST PLAN, DO, CHECK AND ACT!

I have been reading some of William Deming's work. Deming was an American statistician, professor, author, lecturer and consultant. He is perhaps best known for the "Plan-Do-Check-Act" cycle popularly named after him which we know better as plan-do-review. In Japan, from 1950 onwards, he taught top management how to improve design, product quality, testing, and sales. Importantly, Deming offered fourteen key principles to managers for transforming business effectiveness. The principles apply as much to schools as to any other organisations.

PASS IT ON!

THIS LONG WEEKEND, WHILE YOU HAVE THE TIME!

We all want to be well thought of, to be special and important to someone. Most of us never get the feedback, never have these glimpses of how we are seen by others and the difference we have made.

So this long weekend, make sure that you pick up the phone, send a card or write an e-mail and tell people how much they mean to you and the difference they have made to your life!