It’s absolutely right that we continue to advocate for children enjoying being outside. There have been some powerful arguments for this recently. But we need to be careful not to get too finger waggy with parents. I’ve just taken my kids to the park and… The zip line was broken plus…

What happens after someone feels included? This simple model has helped me reframe the challenge: Belonging + Becoming = Mattering. New blog just out, on culture, contribution, and what it really means to feel significant in school communities. open.substack.com/pub/mabdalla...

Incredible album and perfect on a sunny afternoon.

Schools cannot deliver on the Opportunity Mission when the money they have to support lower income students (the pupil premium) has both been eroded in real terms over time, and schools are being forced to use it to plug wider budget gaps, rather than to support this group of pupils ⤵️

Read our latest blog by @mab-dallah.bsky.social, Head of The Inclusive Leadership Course at The Difference, putting forward the case for schools as anchor institutions: the-difference.com/wp-content/u...

Why anchoring schools in their communities can be a force for good. the-difference.com/wp-content/u...

We’re in Birmingham today with over 300 trust leaders, sharing learning and practice about how to improve schools. This is sector-led collaboration in action. As I write about in this piece for @tesmagazine.bsky.social today www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

It’s Arab Heritage Month Day One of 30 Days of Arab Voices Please read and share! www.consultwithsawsan.com/30daysofarab...

This was the journey for Alperton Community School in establishing their AP. As we look to establish our own onsite AP in our setting it’s reassuring to see that we are already having lots of these conversations too. #IAPSymposium

Work for the day at the @thedifferenceed.bsky.social Internal Alternative Provision Symposium. #IAPSymposium

Great first session with @jacoblawton.bsky.social of Positive Regard linking a wide range of trades h into how we can create truly inclusive school environments. #IAPSymposium

Great morning at @thedifferenceed.bsky.social IAP Symposium sharing the work of Positive Regard and Wellspring Academy Trust

Thinking differently about school improvement. Hope and possibility as levers for change. open.substack.com/pub/mabdalla...

Today's Diverse Educators blog is by Purvi Gandhi True Inclusion Starts with Seeing Students for Who They Are www.diverseeducators.co.uk/true-inclusi... #DiverseEd

See Kathryn Thompson and Rebecca Godfrey from Percy Main Primary School in North Shields, who share the success of their work in planning and implementing their highly successful IAP. To register for the Internal Alternative Provision symposium, click here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/internal-a...

The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces. Philip Zimbardo thebelongingcollective.blog/2024/09/29/t...

What if you belong, but you do not feel like you matter? The response and engagement with my blog has been incredible and thank you for all of you who have shared your reflections on it. For those who missed it the first time you can dive into it here ⬇️ open.substack.com/pub/mabdalla...

Our children are humans first and learners second Our colleagues are humans first and professionals second Spot on as ever @marymyatt.bsky.social

📢 Against Youth Violence, the book me and Keir Irwin-Rogers published in 2022, is now fully open access! 📢 Link here: bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/display/book... Contents list in image. You can download chapter by chapter, or the whole thing. Please share!

Today's Diverse Educators blog is by Emma Sheppard Leaders Engagement in Mothers’ Matters www.diverseeducators.co.uk/leaders-enga... #DiverseEd

🫵 We need you! We’re on a mission to ensure that every child, no matter their background, has the opportunity to thrive from cradle to career—and we’re looking for a new trustee to help shape our next chapter. www.reachfoundation.uk/join

It can be so hard if your child comes home and says they have experienced racism. What should you do? New Substack: open.substack.com/pub/bennieka...

Learning through play literally builds brains. Policymakers and funding gatekeepers for state education programmes must understand this much better | Dr Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social

🤝 'One of us is a Muslim parent, the other is his son's headteacher. We have both seen first-hand how schools can foster trust, understanding and social cohesion'

After a mini-hiatus, I bring you Episode 4 of The Unlearning micro-podcast, this time on letting go of ego in leadership in schools. Have a a listen: open.substack.com/pub/bennieka...

Thank you to @hannahwilson.bsky.social and #DiverseEd for posting my blog on belonging and mattering. The importance of feeling like you are valued and add value.

I love the idea of mattering: I think the reason why I feel more and more connected to my institution is because I feel like my work matters. However, this has largely been a result of finding my tribe within the institution.

Today's Diverse Educators blog is by Mohamed Abdallah To Belong Is Not Enough: Why We Must Move Towards Mattering www.diverseeducators.co.uk/world-book-d... #DiverseEd

Is belonging enough? We talk a lot about belonging in schools, rightly so. But I keep coming back to this question: is it enough? mabdallah.substack.com/p/to-belong-...

Here are our brilliant speakers/ authors for #WBD2025. All of their books can be found our bookshelf here: uk.bookshop.org/shop/diverse... #DiverseEd

Off with a bang with the superb @jonhutchinson.bsky.social as keynote for our #InspireSW conference series brought to you by @celtacademies.bsky.social

We're looking for schools and trusts to join our growing network of Cradle-to-Career Partners for an October 2025 start. Head here for more information 👇 gamma.app/docs/250205-...

Only a few days left until the Inspiring the Southwest Curriculum conference with some amazing speakers! One not to miss.

🔬 ' It will be vital to ensure the data that drives decisions in schools and in government reflects the diverse experiences of all students' @nicoleponsford.bsky.social schoolsweek.co.uk/how-to-gathe...

We are at Villa Park tonight and for the first time the nerves are kicking in for me. Not sure if I can watch it! #YNWA

In just five days, applications for the cohort 2 of East100 will close. But what is it? East100 is, at its simplest, a leadership course. You’ll join a cohort of twenty school leaders from different phases and settings for a year of development activities, in preparation for your first headship.

“People avoid trying to measure belonging because many are scared of it. I have heard it called ‘nebulous’ or ‘obscure,’ but it isn’t. Your sense of belonging is right there at the heart of everything you do, every thought, every interaction and every decision” 👏🏽 Great blog Phil Banks

“The absence of a separate SEND judgment means SEND is likely to dominate the inclusion judgment to the detriment of other factors.”

Really looking forward to working with staff at Kernow Learning for their Inset day. www.thekernowchallenge.co.uk

@beewelluk.bsky.social, fellow Fair Education Alliance member and partner of The Difference, #Beewell is calling on the government to implement a national wellbeing measurement programme to address the needs of children and young people across England. Get involved!

One of my favourite illustrations demonstrating meaningful asset-based approaches.

Last wk was a lot of fun with trips to London to speak at the Royal Society of Medicine conference & Edinburgh for the Community Renewal Trust conference. This wk I’m in Bristol for an ABCD Train the Trainer course & then Pontypridd in Wales to meet the Trivallis board & strategic partners. #ABCD

Today's Diverse Educators blog is by Kate Williamson on behalf of Pop'n'Olly Ltd How we Made our School More Inclusive www.diverseeducators.co.uk/how-we-made-... #DiverseEd

I’m looking forward to speaking at Inspiring the South West on Saturday 1st March. I’ll be talking about curriculum coherence, and how we all could, and should, take a longer term view of building knowledge and understanding for pupils. Tickets here 👇🏽 www.ticketsource.co.uk/cornwall-edu...

If you’d like to apply for this job at our ‘ultra-progressive institution’ please visit the National Trust Jobs website. NB our member retention has remained higher than average throughout the cost of living crisis and visits & donations have increased. www.gbnews.com/news/nationa...

"..as adults; if we do not in the first instance challenge the content they may have accessed, & then provide counter-information, then perhaps we are guilty of putting our heads in the proverbial sand." @benniekara.bsky.social in uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/th... @sagepub.com 2/2

*** NEW POST *** ‘Supporting shy pupils to talk in class’ Teacher relationships & ‘warm calling’ can help, but peer relationships may not be the positive we expect. alexquigley.co.uk/supporting-s...

I’m thrilled to be delivering the third round of sessions for our Inclusive Leadership Course. We’ll be focusing on trauma-informed practice and the compassionate minds approach, exploring how these concepts can be implemented to drive whole-school improvement and relational practice in schools.