I delivered my first session of my new training on Understanding and Supporting Parental Challenge and SEND Parents in Liverpool this week (working title) Rarely have I experienced a bigger energy shift in a room....

Two features in our new newsletter from Scotland's ACEs Action Community. You can sign up to receive it on: connectedbaby.net/scotlands-ac... @drpam.bsky.social @anam-alba.bsky.social @grahamchatterley.bsky.social @margl24.bsky.social @lynburnnurture.bsky.social @alexrenton.bsky.social

It's interesting that someone who has consistently pushed negative reinforcement, and has no issues with publicly shaming children Doesn't think it motivates adults

Is there a truer statement in education? If we view discipline simply as manipulating children to conform, we aren't teaching them anything other than survival strategies

Had a meeting with the owner of a children's care organisation, I raised concerns that profit was being prioritised over the child's needs They got very defensive and offended by this, before confirming that they were a business, they didn't care about the rest of the child's family...

We seem to have forgotten somewhere that every child with an EHCP was once a child without one, most of which had a failed mainstream experience Every child in SEMH has a failed m/s experience If we only make reasonable adjustments post failure, its not the child's fault?

Here's yesterday's event in Leeds. #TheNextDecade Conference attracted more than 1100 delegates to talk about how we create truly relational cultures in schools. I felt delighted & relieved to be amongst such a large number of people who are committed to this vision.

We're at the @thenextdecadeuk.bsky.social Conference today, where the brilliant Matthew Syed is live on stage. A powerful keynote on humility, leadership and diversity in education💡📚 #IfNotUsWho #TheNextDecade #FutureOfEducation

The behaviour arguments about aggression run on and on Behaviourist responses still favoured by many Arguing against these is immediately making excuses for the behaviour I'll often argue that we are actually doing is explaining it But should we be excusing it? 🧵...

I've written a new blog for @bloomsburyed.bsky.social ahead of the publication of my latest book on adaptive teaching. Hope you find it useful! #EduSky www.bloomsbury.com/uk/discover/...

There is undoubtedly a better awareness of SEND than in decades gone by But we aren't great at looking how different needs interact with each other, often in conflict We are even worse at looking how low self esteem and shame interact Until we do, SEMH needs will never really be understood 🧵...

So I was sat in the car today, next caller to speak to @mrjamesob.bsky.social on @lbc.co.uk Unfortunately I never got the chance because time ran out, but the topic was the issue of record low men teaching secondary and what is the impact So here's my thoughts on 🧵 form...

What would a trauma-informed analysis of the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting look like? I think it would pay attention to body language. It would consider what was happening biologically. Here's my THREAD tracking changes over the 50 mins. Here's the link I'm working with: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEOv...

‘Pupils are in fear every day’. Parents raise alarm at Essex schools taken over by Mossbourne before inquiry into allegations of emotional abuse launched. One secondary boy wet himself in front of class after toilet refused. Left in wet clothes all day. Disturbingly familiar allegations.

changingperceptions3.wordpress.com/2025/03/02/c... I think it's time we realised how much we place on appearance If you are outraged by what happened to President Zelensky in the white house but okay with what happens to children on Monday It's time to reflect a bit

Look at this picture through the lense of the school uniform message we give children Guy on the left is, - more respectful - more employable - more trustworthy - more hardworking Then there's the reality! It's 2025 it's time this nonsense stopped, a blazer and tie does none of those things

www.early-years-reviews.com/play-matters We have some news. An update. You are not going to want to miss this. Play Matters will be out on March 18th 2025 🥳🥳🥳🥳 “Play Matters” – A Groundbreaking Free Guide to Champion the Power of Play in Early Childhood. #PlayMatters

And yet we continue to tell children they can't challenge adults Due to some twisted 'stiff upper lip' view of resilience many will think this young man should have 'just got on with it' or 'learned to deal with it'

Not surprised by this If you have a behaviour policy that focuses on surface behaviour and lacks curiosity, then you see misbehaviour not struggling children Good SEND identification requires curious adults

This wasn’t an easy article to write, as it involved dredging up memories of a very difficult period in my life. However given the vitriol in Parliament being poured on current attempts to deal with this long-running situation, I thought it was time. #EduSky #AcademicSky

I'm not gonna lie, after a week that has consisted of training courses, consultancy, 2 days as headteacher, unusual job offers and Daniel's care home serving notice on him My head and my multiple hats are frazzled

Watching Katherine Birbalsingh's current decent is entirely predictable KB has manipulated children and the curriculum unchallenged for some time and has been encouraged and lorded for it rather than held to account KB can no longer manipulate the same way and that fear of losing control was...

Going beyond the tick box! If you're frustrated at the lack of deep personal inquiry, no real knowledge about recovery and watching the talk without the walk, then this conference has been designed for you. www.ticservicesltd.com/conference20...

The prevalence of hypermobile #EhlersDanlos syndrome at a gender-affirming primary care clinic: 2.7% of the 2180 #TGD patients had a diagnosis of hEDS. Sample had high rates of comorbidities, plus anxiety, depression, or ADHD, consistent with emerging research: journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

We’ve been failing children with SEND, particularly those with Learning Disabilities, for generations. It’s just that we are now failing a greater number so it has become more noticeable and more noticeably expensive. 1/2

We can't learn to regulate when you don't feel safe. You can't teach resilience when you've learnt to hide how you actually feel. We do know this is not okay for us. But you keep telling us it is fine. Yes we can do lots of stuff. Yes we are bright and able.

Children deserve to and need to have a sense of agency in their learning. It's not only important and useful, I think it's also essential for the development of self-regulation. #edusky

Me, banging on about that time I left my full time job not realising how uncertain and terrifying a freelance educational career might be! 😂😂 #Barnsley #Botheredness #Freelancer www.business-village.co.uk/case-study/c...

Another nice review of #ChangingPerceptions

There's been a lot of talk about play recently in the #EarlyYears community especially given the @ofstednews.bsky.social quote that children's "hands and bodies are active, but their minds are not". Firstly, this is very obviously a misunderstanding of how play works based on poor observation. 🧵⬇️

It's fascinating to me that the farmers are angry with the government rather than being angry with rich people exploiting the tax system by buying farmland. The UK is very strange place...

youtu.be/VCxCb-1JhQc?... I see 'behaviour is choice is doing the rounds on X again and children are being rewarded for bad behaviour by being given oxytocin from support staff Just a reminder that everything is built on a foundation of emotional safety

"The best reason to give a child a good school. . .is so that child will have a happy childhood, and not so that it will help IBM in competing with Sony. . . .There is something ethically embarrassing about resting a national agenda on the basis of sheer greed." - Jonathan Kozol

Are Multi-Academy Trusts in England using public money to fund huge salaries for non- teaching managers& administrators, whilst scrimping on teacher salaries& per-pupil spend? #EduSky @bylinesnetwork.bsky.social @bylinetimes.bsky.social yorkshirebylines.co.uk/news/educati...

youtu.be/VCxCb-1JhQc?... If you are involved in transitions with young people, especially year 6 to year 7, safety and trust need to be regained before these children can thrive Resilience is more than just being able to take lots of crap and get on with it

Who'd have thought it

youtu.be/-hd3QKJoSqw?... Little emotion coaching video I've been working on