Two stories out today on the impact of poverty on education. The government will need to tackle the disadvantages that boys from low-income families face if it is to meet its new school-readiness targets, the Institute for Government has warned. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Trump is making international leaders walk onto a stage to him and shake his hand, as he stands behind a giant “peace” sign. 🤣 Such an exploitative, narcissistic and desperate act. Would make a lot more sense without the grammatically incorrect spelling of the sign…

Interesting session with colleagues from across the sector and the office of the @childrenscomm.bsky.social, exploring a better way of working for AP and special schools. Thanks to Wasim Butt and @ormistonacads.bsky.social for hosting. Wish I could have stayed for the tour.

At a time when special schools have never been under more pressure and there’s an urgent need for capital investment, we get priority being given… to school libraries. You know, that endemic issue that school leaders everywhere have been campaigning for 🤦🏻 #HowOutOfTouch?

Is Ofsted’s inclusion measure fair to over-capacity special schools directed to take pupils whose needs they’re not equipped to meet? Lots of concern from the specialist sector here inc from @simonknight100.bsky.social and @warrencarratt.bsky.social Great reporting by @johngroberts.bsky.social

A convicted liar, a cheat, a serial creator of false statements & unsubstantiated claims. He imposes tariffs on partners & welcomes Putin back onto the world stage. He and his VP repeatedly criticise the UK. He is, at best, a satirical figure. Yet the Daily Fail & Express back him. Wow. 🤦🏻

Really excellent article @johngroberts.bsky.social with dangerously sensible points from @jonnyuttley.bsky.social @jarlathobrien.bsky.social @warrencarratt.bsky.social and others. The inclusion element of the new Ofsted toolkit is dangerously tokenistic and not looking at intake makes it pointless.

Well done to all the Y11s finishing school today, and especially those across our family of schools - many of whom have been with us since primary stage. Today is the end of a long and rewarding journey - with a fresh chapter starting from here. You should all be so very proud.

It’s warm, it’s a Sunday, I have a glass of Côtes-de-Rhône Villages in hand, and Test Match Special is on the radio. What more can a boy ask for?

Very proud to see our respective Chairs taking the lead on this so publicly. Our Trust communities are so fortunate to have such bright and capable volunteers leading governance like this.

The countdown is on…

Special school staff could be given extra training and pay to act as consultants supporting mainstream schools, MPs have been told

Special school staff “could receive advanced training and remuneration and could then operate as consultants, as is the case in the fields of medicine and social work”. ^Interesting suggestion in a SEND inquiry submission, covered here by @johngroberts.bsky.social

MPs told special schools should be seen as centres of excellence and their staff given training and renumeration to act as consultants for the mainstream sector. My story for @tesmagazine.bsky.social on the latest submission to the Solving the SEND crisis inquiry. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

On the train with these crazies…

💸 Exclusive: Many councils have effectively frozen special school budgets again this year, with leaders sounding the alarm that £1 billion of extra SEND funding is 'not getting anywhere near children' schoolsweek.co.uk/extra-1bn-se...

Finding this hard to believe really, very honoured. Thanks so much to everyone who has trusted me over the past few years. SEND support is such a huge issue and glad it’s being recognised. Normal reporting service resumes when I’m back at my desk later this year

This is a lot better than schools expected and has honoured the STRB recommendation. The detail for individual schools will be key, including not just what is funded but how - @jasminenorden.bsky.social will be updating this story across the afternoon www.tes.com/magazine/new...

A quick special school thread. In a submission to the Education Select Committee the DfE said the last govt had sent mixed messages on inclusion by “creating very large numbers of new special-school places, including for needs that could reasonably be met in mainstream”. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Really excited to see this make the news - a very positive partnership approach between us & Sheffield Council that will make a big difference to local sufficiency, in the face of mind-boggling denial from the DfE on the need for more places. 1/2 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

And @warrencarratt.bsky.social the CEO of Nexus multi academy trust said he was "appalled” that in the DfE submission “officials are now saying that the opening of more special schools under the last government is a key issue that needs addressing by the current one”.

More than one in three councils are taking new measures to slash spending on home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sparking fears more vulnerable pupils will be left with hour-long school drop-offs schoolsweek.co.uk/the-long-and...

We have submitted our response to the DfE school accountability reform consultation. Read the response: cstuk.org.uk/knowled...

The number of suspensions in spring 2024 was nearly double the pre-Covid figure - with the most common reason being 'persistent disruptive behaviour', latest DfE stats show.

So we’ve a 3.2% NJC pay offer & the DfE has provided a 0% minimum funding guarantee for this year (and last) for special and AP schools. Contracted services are going up (NI increase & inflation). Energy costs continue to be high. Yet 0% additional funding is what our most vulnerable learners get.

Another year, another real terms funding cut for special and AP schools. The high needs operational guidance continues to ensure that all state special and AP schools pay the price for years of underfunding high needs budgets. 1/2

Happy Mothering Sunday to all those mothers and mother figures out there. Feeling loved is the key foundation stone for a happy life, and that’s what you give others. Thank you!

This one will rumble on and on - the legal position, particularly around the gov ringfencing TPS scheme cash, has always been tricky and Sir Jon clearly not going to back down as he believes he is within his legal rights to do this. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

The leader of the country's biggest MAT has criticised a move by the government that could prevent it from offering an alternative pension scheme to its teachers

Very pleased we could make this difference - one of 46 different improvement projects across our Trust right now! #BestWeCanBe

Nexus MAT CEO @warrencarratt.bsky.social warned some special schools employing more staff "Might have a significant shortfall" due to the methodology He also points out schools will not be compensated for supplier cost rises due to increased employer NICs

Congratulations to all those who contributed to and helped secure the Good judgement for @mydoncaster.bsky.social Children’s Services. Having spent eight years in local government children’s services, I know how challenging it can be. 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼

"They say America First but they mean America Next." Woody Guthrie

Exclusive: Councils across England are paying families thousands of pounds after failing to provide SEND support set out in EHCPs. But experts say the costs can be less than providing the special educational needs provision children are entitled to. buff.ly/tbZ0FxJ

Spring’s arrived! ☀️☀️☀️

73% of our upper pay range employees are women. 84% of women make up the upper middle pay range. Our Trust and our schools thrive because of the amazing women who lead and serve. We wouldn’t exist as an employer without them, and we couldn’t do the great work we do.

I’ve been digging into the quality of EHCPs, plans that parents are dragged through court sometimes to obtain, and that are bankrupting councils What’s actually in them? Are they good quality? Personalised? Include interventions backed by evidence? Are they fully funded? The answer often is no

Convicted criminal Donald Trump has to be the most appropriately named individual since Arsenal appointed Arsene Wenger.

Beautiful celebration event this morning at Sheffield Cathedral to thank Bishop @bishopsophie.bsky.social for her leadership of - and service to - Doncaster. One of the most inspirational leaders I’ve met.

Blimey. Over 1,400 employees from across the @nexusmat.bsky.social family of schools together at Magna, Sheffield today for our whole Trust conference! Gulp…

Nine years since my last half marathon, I'm running London Landmarks Half. With an ageing body and dodgy knees it ain't going to be fast & it ain't going to be pretty but I will finish! Hoping to raise £500 for @samaritans.bsky.social If anyone is able to support me I'd be enormously grateful.

If we truly value the role of special schools and AP settings then these 4 problems urgently need fixing, writes special-school trust leader @warrencarratt.bsky.social https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/specialist-sector/4-things-special-schools-and-ap-settings-need-send-support

The last piece is Sam's incredible work on exposing the failings of one of the most horrific school scandals I've ever covered - and most importantly delivering answers and accountability for parents schoolsweek.co.uk/disturbing-n... and schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-cost-cut...

The second piece is the time we were a few hours from being hauled into court with an injunction just for reporting information in the public domain about the £££ earnt by SEND consultants We were gagged, but we're still fighting to reveal the info ... schoolsweek.co.uk/gagged-pa-co...

The first shortlised piece is on this cracking investigation revealing that while parents fight in court for support, and schools are left short changes - private equity giants are making millions from our bankrupt SEND system ... schoolsweek.co.uk/how-investor...

SO proud @samanthajbooth.bsky.social has been shortlisted for specialist journalist of the year at The Press Awards Her phenomenal investigative journalism has blazed the way in revealing the sorry state of our country's broken special needs system ... www.thepressawards.com/finalists/sa...

The vast majority of 'stuck schools' targeted for improvement are already academies – and a third won’t be eligible for help because they’ve already undergone 'structural change'

Plans to grade schools on up to 11 areas will make Ofsted’s 'inability to accurately capture the complexity of a school far more apparent', experts have said

Thank you to Sheffield Litter Pickers for supporting our school, Lotus Academy, by helping to tidy up the areas around our premises. It’s made the world of difference, and has made a demonstrable positive change for our learners and school community. Thank you!