"My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky..." On the first day of the New Year, an auspicious sight on the Helford: according to The Bible, a sign of God's promise that things will get better.

‘The best and most successful schools have a coherence that flows from the implementation of their basic philosophy, it doesn’t come about by accident’ @johncosgrove.bsky.social in @raesnape.bsky.social The Headteacher’s Handbook

Short 🧵 2 cases from the Teaching Regulation Agency last Friday. First, HT ZZZ of [REDACTED], banned from teaching for malicious emails to staff and placing pupils at risk by illegal exclusions. With no explanation, his name, whereabouts and the date are all concealed. (continues)

The TRA names and shames those it finds guilty. "Teacher ZZZ" of "REDACTED" must feel very humiliated and the 19 people whose details HAVE been published so far this month must be full of admiration for the TRA's fairness. (Here's a blog I wrote earlier.) johncosgrove55.wordpress.com/2024/08/18/t...

It's pouring with rain. There are 2 buckets catching drips from a leaky roof, just in front of the Reception desk at the GP surgery. "We'll have to be careful we don't kick the bucket while we're waiting," I joked to the woman in the queue in front of me. She didn't have a clue what I meant.

I do like this.

To be honest, there isn't much to laugh at in politics today so Michael Glasheen, who is apparently in charge of anti-terrorism at the FBI Comedy Club, deserves our thanks. He is hilarious.

In 2023 Ofsted rated Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy Outstanding in all areas. This week it suddenly discovers the "inflexible" behaviour policies, which it has encouraged and praised for years, harm children - as many of us have repeatedly pointed out. This dreadful organisation needs to go. NOW.

A simple 8 word headline to remind us all that, yes, The Spectator really is as bad as you might expect for a periodical once edited by Boris Johnson and now under the stewardship of a certain Michael Gove.

What a delightful headline to wake up to on a December morning.

Anne Longfield has been announced as chair of the Inquiry into Grooming Gangs. Far more important than the identity of the Chair is what happens with the inquiry's recommendations. Will they be ignored, as so often in the past? johncosgrove55.wordpress.com/2025/01/26/i...

It depends on how one is measuring ‘success.’ Because this is what we are currently dealing with. Pat McFadden, SoS for Work and Pensions expressed concern over this state of affairs at the weekend. I would suggest the government put all the factors together and respond cohesively. #EduSky

Northern Ireland is a fantasy land, far far far away from the reality in which Kemi Badenoch inhabits

Friends of @wombat37.bsky.social unite! By quote reposting this, I’m hoping to make a virtual chain of people around Wombie. Full of love and happy memories of this great friend of ours, so he can feel us making a huge circle of love and care around him. Are you in? #CirleofLoveForWombie

If you want to know what's going really badly wrong with SEND (and much else in education) in England, just note that the Gove -Gibbs -Wilshaw -Spielman -Oliver falsehood that the "best" schools are those with the "best" academic outcomes has been accepted as fact by our media.

Congratulations to the fabulous Dorothy Lepkowska and welcome "SENDsationalfutures" a new magazine-website which launches this week with news, views and information about the SEND sector aimed at professionals and families. Check it out at: sendsationalfutures.com

All this froth and indignation about Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer "lying" ought to remind us of how the press unfailingly called out Boris Johnson's apparent inability to ever tell the truth. Strangely, I can't bring up those memories or recall the headlines. Can you?

‘Children with SEND just have to survive school.’ How have we got here, #EduSky? And what are we (urgently) going to do about it? All of these children featured should be able to have their needs met, and thrive in mainstream state education.

Today we’ll get latest net immigration figures - They’ll show immigration for work is plummeting. Why is this not part of the discussion on Rachel Reeves balancing her books & stalled growth? For every 100,000 drop in net immigration, the OBR adds £7bn to the deficit. #r4today

By far the best analysis I’ve seen.

Excellent, insightful article: thank you TES and @mmulholland.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

Martyn Oliver says he wants school leaders "to feel comfortable and motivated... not anxious but energised" by this term's changes to Ofsted inspections. If that's really what he wants he should have brought in sensible, serious reforms... johncosgrove55.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/o...

I don’t like to say ‘I told them so,’ but I will, because it might help stop it all happening all over again. #CovidInquiry

A whole nation betrayed for a second time by its feckless ‘oven ready Brexit’ government. And still, no individuals have ever taken sufficient responsibility for any of this. #CovidInquiry #FBPE @bylinetimes.bsky.social @yorkshirebylines.co.uk @bylinesnetwork.co.uk

So, I posted about this before, but now I would like to know which cabinet member approved spending £6m to place children in danger, and who sits on the committee that nodded it through? £6m is not an officer's decision. www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwal...

Not in my name, Starmer.

Labour’s “we have to do it, or racism will get worse” argument is striking. Any other public policy failures British ethnic minorities should be on the hook for? Can we be blamed en bloc for Rachel Reeves’ budget next week too? www.ft.com/content/37b0...

Well done Mr Tice. You win today's prize for: "ignorant and proud of it." search.app/PRvyL

Heavens to Betsy, who could possibly have imagined that people who campaigned to be local councillors on the slogan "Stop the boats," might not know what they're doing? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

On Tuesday, Keir Starmer said he was concerned that racism was returning to British politics. This morning, his Home Secretary is loudly letting the world know that the government intends to make the lives worse of even those found to be genuine refugees.

Dunno whether I’m more shocked by Cornwall involvement, or horrified and ashamed by the sheer scale of all this in the write up. We are truly lost

Cornwall Council... What on earth? www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

"The pressures have been such that the wonder is not that some schools have tried to squeeze out pupils with SEND, but that so many have continued with courage and tenacity to do their very best for all." Interesting blog post here from John Cosgrove.

This morning's Guardian report is about something that's been happening, and accelerating, for over a decade. Why "Some schools in England [are] taking up to six times more SEND pupils than others" is explained in my blog post: link in next post. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

SEND REFORM: IT'S NOT (JUST) ABOUT THE MONEY. "No amount of funding can “put things right” because a rotten system can never be “right”... [It's] a “uniquely bad system … which guarantees conflict” [and] is also ruinously expensive." BLOG POST johncosgrove55.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/s...

SEND CRISIS: IT'S NOT (JUST) ABOUT THE MONEY... Today, The Times points to concerns over the Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund running special schools in the UK for profit. Another reminder that our SEND system is rotten and ruinously expensive. johncosgrove55.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/s...

SEND REFORM: IT'S NOT (JUST) ABOUT THE MONEY. "No amount of funding can “put things right” because a rotten system can never be “right”... [It's] a “uniquely bad system … which guarantees conflict” [and] is also ruinously expensive." BLOG POST johncosgrove55.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/s...

With Mrs C away (and swanned off with the car) I am heading to my hospital appointment by bus. It takes forever - but it's free for old folk like me, I am in no rush and the front seat at the top was available!

Another interesting article from Dr Pam. Well worth a read.

Well that’s an interesting possible campaign slogan ….

Reading the curriculum and assessment review. Very interesting, and will offer longer thoughts when through. But reflecting on lack of mention, at least at the start, for the copious concerning evidence we have on pupil wellbeing/engagement,+lack of a parent or pupil representation on review panel.

And on the proposals for mathematics...

I would love to welcome the new commitment to enrichment. Our schools, our curriculum, our children need enrichment BUT... ALWAYS WITH THE JUDGING! More and more new ways to fail create nothing but resentment, stress and low morale. They improve nothing.

I enjoyed this. Thank you @drpam.bsky.social

@johncosgrove.bsky.social manages to press many buttons in this very detailed and evidenced blog. Like John, I'm not sure that @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social has a strong grasp of the realities of inclusion. "Culture change" needs a mindset change; it's a principle, not just a word.

NEW BLOG POST: SEND Reform - It's not (just) about the money... There is no amount of funding which can “put things right” because a rotten system can never be “right”. johncosgrove55.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/s...

3 things Starmer could do instead of camps in old barracks that would actually WORK👇 1. Create safe, regulated routes to apply for asylum in the UK 2. Let asylum seekers WORK & support themselves 3. Fast track status for people from obviously unsafe countries metro.co.uk/2025/10/29/k...

An article by Amanda Spielman in The Spectator (editor M Gove) about a report authored by former DfE permanent secretary, Jonathan Slater, prompts the question: how did anyone with so little insight, understanding, humanityor even common sense ever get to be HMCI?

From Private Eye... It amused me.

150 New Zealanders have accessed my blog this week. Their interest is in this post from June about attendance. Do the references to Phillipson, Keegan, De Souza, Gove et al... resonate in NZ? Maybe I need to keep the global audience actively in mind. johncosgrove55.wordpress.com/2025/06/28/t...