Headteacher blog 7th November 2025

It’s mild but there is a definite autumnal feel to the school as we have returned from half term. We are now into welly season across the grounds but it is good to be able to use our lovely space all year round, whatever the weather.

On Saturday morning we have our first major cross country event of the winter season and we have 17 runners registered for the event at Cardinal Heenan High School. These are fantastic events and are great for fitness, healthy competition and resilience. We also have a great team ethic, supporting each other in the runs. Each race typically has up to 150 participants and are quite a spectacle.

This week I have been briefing headteacher colleagues on funding issues in the city, including proposed changes to SEND funding for Leeds schools that will impact the more inclusive schools negatively next financial year. There is a real crisis in SEND funding – locally and nationally – and budgets are getting out of control. Pretty much all schools are finding needs increasing markedly in the under 7s and funding support is now difficult to access in a timely manner. Funding has increased but nowhere near enough to meet need.

Sometimes, it is the small things that stick with you and can cheer you. Yesterday a group of about six to eight Y3 children had a small collection of PE marker cones at lunchtime (I didn’t ask why). They were playing a simple chasing game using them, within the markings of one of our mini-tennis courts. I suspect this was a game that they had played in a PE lesson but what I loved about the game was the excitement, giggling and enjoyment on show. They played the same game for at least 20 minutes, taking it in turns to be ‘it’. They were out of breath – from running and from laughing – and had wide smiles to brighten the foggiest day!