HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY!

This Easter send flowers to those you love and care about!

REMEMBER THIS EASTER, THAT KINDNESS MATTERS.... SO PASS IT ON!

Just think what a better world this would be,

 if we all did one of these things everyday!

THIS GOOD FRIDAY REMEMBER THE THINGS THAT MATTER: FAITH, FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

We should all remember that when it comes down to what really matters... it's faith, family and friends that make life worth living!

THANK YOU: WILLIAM BOOTH PRIMARY SCHOOL!

I visited an amazing little primary school in Nottingham yesterday. It's a school I have spent a lot of time at over the last two years and one that will always be a special place with some extraordinary colleagues and some wonderful memories. These pictures are from the display in the area outside the hall and illustrate the brilliant work the children have been doing as part of their homework challenge.

WHERE ARE WE GOING AND WHY!

SKILLS MATTER: FUTURE WORK SKILLS 2020!

WE LEARN WHAT WE LIVE, MICHAEL!

I was reading that wonderful piece 'A Child Learns What They Live' by Dorothy Law Nolte and thinking about the barrage of criticism we are facing.

LEARNING FROM THE BEST IN THE WORLD!

I found this really interesting site where you can find out about the systems that are achieving great results across the world. We all need to share, network and learn from what works to ensure that we create a brilliant learning landscape for all our children and young people.

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS 2!

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS!

THE FOURTH WAY!

I found 'The Whole Child Blog' and it makes important reading. Andy Hargreaves and Pasi Sahlberg explore where are we going and why..."Educational systems across the globe are under pressure to change. Many countries are focusing attention on additional accountability, school choice and competition, short-term outcomes, and data-driven decision-making...what have been called the Second and Third Ways. Many high performing countries and systems, however, are reexamining their structures and policies to move towards greater collective professional autonomy from bureaucratic control, stronger active involvement of local communities and diversified teaching to respond to today’s widely varying populations of learners. The Fourth Way of educational reform heralds the next stage for educational improvement – a movement which reverts educational authority back from centralized bureaucracies to educators and communities."

IMPORTANT STUFF: 33 Ways to stay Creative!

I found this on-line and wanted to share it with you...

HAPPY SUNDAY!

"That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest."

Henry David Thoreau

CANON LEE SCHOOL

I was at Canon Lee School in York again on Thursday evening. I had been asked to be a judge for their Arts Talent Show and I was really pleased that I agreed to do it! What the evening showed very clearly was the incredible talent and enormous potential our young people have. We had outstanding performances by some wonderful young people; musicians in Key Stage 3, musicians in Key Stage 4, actors, solo performers and dancers. No-one watching these young people perform could doubt the skills and abilities they were developing through the arts; communication, creativity, adaptability, resilience, concentration, responsibility, determination, teamwork, learning, speaking and listening, evaluating and learning! I am passionate about the arts and the powerful contribution they make to the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of young people. This evening showed that the arts, with PE and sport, belongs right at the heart of any curriculum. Fantastic!..

CHARACTER, RESILIENCE AND GRIT NEEDED!

What happened to the weather? And as we struggle with financial problems, more cuts, local authority services increasingly under pressure, schools facing increasing challenge and academisation, OFSTED turning up the pressure and plenty of personal challenges we need to develop character, resilience and grit.

THE BRIGHTEST AND THE BEST!

I was in Sheffield yesterday working with some great colleagues on the Cutlers' "Made in Sheffield" Programme which aims to develop 21st Century Skills as fundamental building blocks within the curriculum for target groups of young people at Bradfield School, Stocksbridge High School, Yewlands Technology College and Firth Park Community College.

IMPORTANT STUFF: The Cutlers' "Made in Sheffield" Programme

Off to Sheffield again today to see colleagues from the schools and colleges involved in the Cutlers' "Made in Sheffield" Programme. This is a unique programme developed in Sheffield by schools, colleges and businesses working together to help young people develop the skills and abilities they need for the world of work.

THE PRINCIPAL GOAL OF EDUCATION....

"The principal goal of education... 

should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things,

not simply of repeating what other generations have done... 

men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers."

Jean Piaget

Life is never ever dull, and my travels have once again showed me the outstanding practice, the incredible young people, and the inspirational colleagues that exist in Nottingham, Lincoln, Sheffield, Leeds, Guernsey, York and other places up and down the country.

BEAUTIFUL SYSTEMS!

The challenges we face in education today focus for me on three aspects: learning leadership, beautiful systems and intelligent accountability. Wherever I go what we see are not issues with failure but issues with consistency and we need to capture, celebrate and share the magic while we build trust, autonomy, high expectations and school to school and teacher to teacher partnerships within a clear simple strategic framework. 

One system that helps schools pull all this together is bluewave.SWIFT which started life as the 'Quality Standards Framework'; developed by teachers in Leeds as a common language to describe the learning journey schools were on in their search for brilliant.

IMPORTANT DATE FOR THE DIARY: International Day of Happiness!

The United Nations have designated 20th March as International Day of Happiness.

BRILLIANT LEARNING!

We can only realise and release the potential of our children and young people if they are better prepared for life and work in the twenty first century.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

ALWAYS REMEMBER The most significant and important influence in anyone's life in terms of their learning, their achievements and their successes is their mum!

THIS WEEKEND: Remember to Love and Dance!

"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -real life.

But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first,

some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin.

At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

Alfred D'Souza 

BEHAVIOUR, INTEGRITY AND CHARACTER MATTER!

Interestingly, someone asked me the other day if values were important in education. I think values define who we are and when they are lived and shape the way we behave they attract people to the cause, the endeavour, the organisation. And importantly they enable people to decide if they want to be part of the cause, the endeavour, the organisation. Colleagues don't come to work to be part of something ordinary they want to be part of something important and special.

IT'S WORLD BOOK DAY!

PERSISTENCE, DETERMINATION AND HARD WORK MATTER!

The ingredients of the culture we need to develop to create an outstanding organisation include teamwork, leadership, character, persistence, determination and hard work. We must all be passionate about what we do and work to make what we do rewarding and enjoyable.

GRIT MATTERS!

Grit is a positive trait that involves perseverance of effort to accomplish a long term goal no matter what challenges lie in the way.

GET INVOLVED: The World Education Games!

The World Education Games is an annual global online challenge to get all students (4-18 years of age) excited about learning, and to give the top students in all schools an opportunity to see how they measure up against the best in the world. Last year, over 5 million students were a part of what is now the world’s largest online education event. 

HAPPY SUNDAY!

"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

Alfred D'Souza

THE FEAR FACTOR!

We are increasingly living in an educational landscape shaped and driven by fear. And the research suggests that fear produces mediocrity because it creates stress, resistance, uncertainty and silence!

FEEL THE FEAR!

Colleagues who work and live within a climate of fear often experience stress because they feel that their future is unknown and unpredictable. Importantly for those of us passionate about learning and children's outcomes, colleagues who don't feel in control and don't feel supported often experience dramatically increased stress levels which impact in the workplace through absence, lowered performance and detachment. We all know from our own experiences that when colleagues experience fear at work and don't receive positive, encouraging feedback from their heads, managers and colleagues, they respond with resistance in the form of reduced effectiveness, a lack of participation, unwillingness to change and isolation. Colleagues working in a culture of fear often feel overwhelmed by uncertainty. This can make employees question their future, the future of their school and their long-term goals. Fear can also lead to silence in the workplace, forcing colleagues to refrain from expressing their views and opinions to heads, managers and colleagues.

If we are serious about creating excellence in learning we must eradicate the fear factor. We need intelligent accountability where we develop trust, develop beautiful systems and empower colleagues to be their brilliant best and work hard to release the magic in our little learners.