BACK AT OAKWOOD HIGH SCHOOL!

I visited Oakwood High School this afternoon to meet again,​ the wonderful young people who are on the Better Learners, Better Workers pilot with Rotherham Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. This programme is led by the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and is a consistent and coherent, employer-led approach that will develop, in this very special group of young people, the skills needed for employability and the world of the NHS.

BACK AT OUTWOOD ACADEMY CARLTON!

I was at Outwood Academy Carlton again this morning to see their Y10 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' ambassadors...

A GREAT PLACE: THE SHEFFIELD INCLUSION CENTRE!

I visited the Sheffield Inclusion Centre yesterday to see my colleague and friend Andy Ireland, who now heads up this dynamic and supportive learning environment. The Primary Inclusion Centre and the KS3/KS4 Inclusion Centre support children and young people from across Sheffield who are either displaying challenging behaviour in mainstream primary school or who have been permanently excluded from mainstream secondary schools.

MEETING WITH THE STOCKSBRIDGE AMBASSADORS!

I visited Stocksbridge High School after school yesterday and met again some of the wonderful young people who are on ambassador programmes. I was there to introduce the new BLBW materials and explain how to use the new BLBW Handbook.

HOW TO BE POSITIVE!

YES YOU CAN!

I have spent time with some really wonderful young people over the last couple of weeks and something worries me. Schools and teachers are hugely important in helping young people see themselves as capable learners or not!! So many of these young people believed it when they were told what they couldn't do and forgot to use the word yet!!!

MAKING ALL SCHOOLS IN WALES STRONG AND SUCCESSFUL LEARNING ORGANISATIONS!

I have argued for years that a new school curriculum needs a new learning culture and it is great to see that Wales is placing this at the heart of their school development strategy to ensure that all Welsh schools become strong and successful learning places. 

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE FUTURE!

Life is never ever dull, and the last couple of weeks working in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield has once again showed me the outstanding practice, inspirational colleagues and the incredible young people that exist in these places. Young people with skills, talents and abilities which we need to nurture and grow...

BACK AT SAINT PIUS X CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL!

I visited Saint Pius X Catholic High School today and met again the wonderful young people who we interviewed over a year ago for the Better Learners, Better Workers pilot with Rotherham Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

THE BLBW MADE IN BARNSLEY AMBASSADORS VISIT THE CUTLERS HALL!

Great to see the Year 9 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' ambassadors at the Cutlers Hall this morning.

THE BADGERS ARE MOVING THE GOAL POSTS!

I love this poem... Carol Ann Duffy tells us that all nature is in uproar, what with rule-bending ferrets, the fact-twisting skunks and the gun-jumping foxes... it explains a lot of things and makes as much sense as anything else at the moment!!

"Because the Badgers are moving the goalposts.

BLBW AUTUMN TERM NEWSLETTER

I LOVE MATHS... BUT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE SHARE THAT PASSION!

I have a had a great week working with some amazing young people who talked so positively about their interests and passions... social media, games, netball, gymnastics, kick boxing, swimming, reading. Sadly, as a maths teacher in the dim and distant past, no one talked about a passion for number!