IT'S NEW YEAR... BE HAPPY!

Happiness appears to be connected to seven things: relationships, contentment, security and money, health, transcendence and fulfilment. 

BE HAPPY!

I always find it interesting to read that while personal income has more than doubled in the past 50 years happiness levels have remained the same. While this might be surprising, recent research has shown that only 10% of our happiness is due to our external circumstances: 50% of our happiness level comes from our genes and 40% comes from the things we do.

THE HOW OF HAPPINESS!

The University of California's professor of psychology Sonja Lyubomirsky has pioneered a detailed yet easy-to-follow plan to increase happiness in our day-to-day lives — in the short term and over the long term. Nothing new here but great that her research supports the approach I've been working on over the last twenty odd years.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... REMEMBER TO LIVE FOR TODAY!

I wanted to share this with you at Christmas because it reminds us all that we should 'never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion'. Remember that each day, each hour, each minute, is special. Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE!

Another Christmas! 2015 has been another interesting year full of wonderful people, successes and surprises, brilliant stories and shared adventures with of course, it's fair share of challenges, problems and tears along the way! Christmas is a time for people, families, love, kindness and giving and I have been lucky this year to have spent so much time with people I love and care about... you know who you are... thank you for spending some time with me during the year.

THIS CHRISTMAS REMEMBER TO LIVE FOR TODAY, BECAUSE TOMORROW IS PROMISED TO NO ONE!

I wanted to share this with you at Christmas because it reminds us all that we should 'never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion'. Remember that each day, each hour, each minute, is special. Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.

LET YOUR OWN LIGHT SHINE!

Christmas is being celebrated everywhere... every high street and every shop has become full of magic and sparkle... but always remember that the magic is really in you!

THIS CHRISTMAS, REMEMBER...

WHATEVER YOU DO THIS CHRISTMAS, EAT CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree. The Greek term means literally "food of the gods". Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare a hot, frothy drink with stimulant and restorative properties. Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests because the Aztecs valued its ability to confer wisdom and vitality.

LET IT SNOW!

TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY!

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED...

WE SHOULD ALL GO OUT AND BUY SOME MARBLES!

It's funny how Christmas brings everything into sharp focus.... we need to be with friends, families and those we love. Let me tell you story that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities.

In the hurly burly of work and our struggle against the challenges and problems life throws at us where there is never enough time or money to get by or to get ahead we can forget the things that are really important. This is the theory of "a thousand marbles."...

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN LIFE IS THAT I STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN!

I have also been reviewing some of the stuff I put on the blogs and I re-read this and wanted to share it again with the people I care about. Read it carefully because it's powerful stuff.

OLD FRIENDS REALLY MATTER!

"Whether they burst with excitement or simmer quietly, when you are in the presence of enthusiastic people, you feel happier and more excited about your life, perhaps you even feel inspired."
I met my old colleague and friend Neil Straker this morning at the Queen's Hotel by the railway station in Leeds.

AND ANOTHER KEY IS ...CREATIVITY!

We know that creativity is an important foundation for learning, productivity, and success. 

Here are five reasons why.... 

AND ANOTHER KEY IS ... PROBLEM-SOLVING!

THE ONTARIO SKILLS PASSPORT!

Every young person needs to have a skills passport which details the skills they are developing. The Ontario Skills Passport is a great model, which identifies the essential skills and work habits needed for work, learning and life.

REMEMBER THIS SUNDAY TO BE POSITIVE!

“If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't! If you want to win, but think you can't, It's almost a cinch you won't. If you think you'll lose, you're lost; For out in the world we find success begins with a fellow's will; It's all in the state of the mind. Life's battles don't always go to the strongest and the fastest, But sooner or later the colleague who wins is the colleague who thinks they can.”

My life over the last few weeks has shown me all too clearly, that it doesn't matter what you are dealing with, the challenges remain the same. We must work to create a culture of excellence in our schools, our hospitals and our care homes building provision for our children, the elderly, the challenged and those who need us most where we constantly and relentlessly focus on what works and finding brilliant practice so that we can learn and make outstanding provision commonplace.

WE ALL NEED TO GET ACTIVE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WE ALL NEED TO EAT LESS!

I finally got back to the gym and it's true that exercise makes me feel better but I am not convinced by those people who constantly tell me that exercise is the best way to lose weight.

WHEREVER THE WEEKS GO.... BE HAPPY!

Another Friday and we are getting close to the end of another year. Time is such a strange thing and I seem to have spent most of the week in hospitals and care homes and on motorways travelling between York and Leicester. You can get bogged down by the challenges life throws at you, but I hope, this week, this will remind you how you can be happy and stay happy!

CHANGE THE CULTURE AND YOU CHANGE THE WORLD!

I have spent a lot of time recently in hospitals, care homes and classrooms and it has made me realise more than ever that we must continue to work together to change the culture in our schools, hospitals, care homes and organisations. If we want excellence and world class provision we must break down the barriers which limit personalisation, curiosity and creativity, which stubbornly maintain the status quo and which limit our opportunities to make a fundamental step change in outcomes, processes and systems. We must network, learn and build on the magic, the wonder and the real excellence in the system and challenge and change the things that don't work.

AND ANOTHER KEY IS... COMMUNICATION!

At the heart of any success is communication... our ability to tell our stories, to share our memories and to connect with other people.

WHAT MATTERS?

“Because knowledge is available on every internet-connected device, what you know matters far less than what you can do with what you know. The capacity to innovate — the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life — and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge."
Professor Tony Wagner (Expert In Residence at Harvard University’s new Innovation Lab)

YOUNG PEOPLE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD!

Tony Wagner has captured some really important messages in his book “Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World”. I read this brilliant piece by Thomas L. Friedman again which I first saw in the New York Times. I have highlighted and underlined some sections which confirm the importance of the work we are doing with the Cutlers' "Made in Sheffield" approach which is about to be launched into its next exciting phase.

AND ANOTHER KEY IS... RESPONSIBILITY!

I always think it's interesting that so many people think that well-being is first and foremost a health issue to be dealt with by health professionals! Having spent so much of my time lately in hospitals it is clear that we all need to take responsibility for our own well being. Reading the research it is clear that there are five things we can all do to enhance our own well-being... so take responsibility and connect with these five ways to improve your well-being.

AND ANOTHER KEY IS... TEAMWORK!

"Team work is the ability to work together with others towards a common vision. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."

AND ANOTHER KEY IS... RESILIENCE!

I have been struggling with family illness and the challenges elderly care brings to us all and Martin Seligman, Carol Dweck and Alison Duckworth all stress that resilience is a key aspect of successfully managing the challenges life throws at us.

THE CUTLERS' 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' ARTS, CULTURE AND SPORTS PARTNERS MEET!

Yesterday, I met with the colleagues from the partners and schools who are bringing the Arts, Culture and Sports sectors alive for some impressive young people at Firth Park Academy, Stocksbridge High School and Westfield School.

THE TEAM MEET UP AGAIN!

I was in Leeds again yesterday and it was really great to have Christmas lunch at Browns with some old friends and colleagues who, after five years, I still miss.

AND THE KEY IS... LEADERSHIP!

Research clearly shows that leadership matters...

FEEDBACK MATTERS!

The Sutton Trust research sees effective feedback as the single most important part of any organisational improvement toolkit.

CREATING THE MAGIC AND SPARKLE!

It's Sunday and the end of term is rushing at us now, and with four weeks still  to go, Christmas is being  celebrated everywhere... every high street and every shop has become full of magic and sparkle! 

BUILDING BRILLIANT LEARNING PLACES!

People constantly tell me how hard it is to create brilliant learning places but it's appears to be really easy when it comes to Christmas. What need to...

Be GREAT learners… by constantly questioning and asking why.

Be GREAT performers… by being confident and energetic.

Be GREAT storytellers… by bringing strategies and policies alive.

Accept responsibility… for decisions and outcomes and focus on what really matters!

AND above all be passionate about what you do.

THESE ARE THE KEY SKILLS YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO THRIVE AND SUCCEED!

These are the key skills businesses and educators have identified as the keys to success and should be at the heart of the offer we make our young people.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE NHS!

What is wrong with the NHS? 

THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT WHO IS IN YOUR TEAM!

CUTLERS' AMBASSADORS VISIT SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY!

I was at Sheffield Hallam University yesterday afternoon with the Y11 engineering ambassadors from Bradfield School, Firth Park Academy, Stocksbridge High School and Westfield School. 

GREAT SCHOOLS USING THE CUTLERS' 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' PROGRAMME AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

I was in Sheffield again yesterday with colleagues from the Cutlers' "Made in Sheffield" engineering schools who have worked with us over the last three years to develop this radically different and unique programme. A programme which helps young people develop core and work skills and character and understand what can be achieved with persistence, determination and hard work.

RELEASE THE MAGIC... LIGHT YOUR OWN FIRE!

I bumped into an old colleague in a service station cafe recently and she reminded me that we simply need to stop waiting for someone else...

IT'S A WHOLE NEW WORLD!

We need to build a new, rewarding and engaging curriculum for our young people because we are preparing them for a world that is changing fast. We are preparing them for jobs that don't yet exist, using technologies that haven't been invented yet. We need them to solve the problems facing us with climate change, population growth, disease, technological change... and others we simply don't know about yet!

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS: TEAMWORK, COACHING, PRACTICE AND HARD WORK 3!

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS: TEAMWORK, COACHING, PRACTICE AND HARD WORK 2!

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS: TEAMWORK, COACHING, PRACTICE AND HARD WORK!

BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BUSINESS AND EDUCATION SURVEY 2015

Firms think careers advice should include workplace experiences (64%), encounters with employers and employees (62%), and link curriculum learning to careers (45%).

This is exactly what we have been developing in the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' programme over the last three years. If you want to find out more about the programme please get in touch.

BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BUSINESS AND EDUCATION SURVEY 2015

Business leaders surveyed think that secondary schools could do more to help students get on the career ladder, with three key actions needed to bridge the gap between the world of education and the world of work. Most businesspeople think schools should teach students how to conduct themselves in an interview (78%), demonstrate transferable skills (54%) and communicate lessons learned from work experience (46%).

This is exactly what we have been developing in the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' programme over the last three years. If you want to find out more about the programme please get in touch.

BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BUSINESS AND EDUCATION SURVEY 2015

The report identifies the skills employers believe young people need and urges schools to embed key skills for work into the curriculum. The top five skills that firms value most are communication (88%), literacy (69%), numeracy (64%), computer literacy (56%) and teamwork (53%).

This is exactly what we have been developing in the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' programme over the last three years. If you want to find out more about the programme please get in touch.

BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BUSINESS AND EDUCATION SURVEY 2015

Two-thirds of businesses (69%) believe that secondary schools are not effective at preparing young people for work, according to a major new UK-wide survey of over 3,500 business and education leaders published by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

This is exactly what we have been developing in the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' programme over the last three years. If you want to find out more about the programme please get in touch.

THINK TEAM!

Schools need relationships with other schools, headteachers need relationships with other headteachers and teachers need relationships with other teachers.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE; DO SOMETHING!!

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM!

Working with another group of young people in Sheffield last week reaffirmed my belief in people; their energy, passion, enthusiasm and commitment. It also made me realise how destructive the current accountability system is and the desperate need to develop learning leadership, beautiful systems and intelligent accountability as the drivers for change across the country.