I think the key to answering this question is understanding Starmer/Reeves unpopularity among natural allies. A majority of Laboir voters disapprove of him, as do large majorities of LD/Green voters. Hostility from natural political opponents is normal. Hostility from natural supporters is not.

Full report can be accessed here: cerebra.org.uk/systems-gene...

This was excellent.

😂

Fuck it I don’t care anymore

This picture is lodged deep in my memory.

Great blog. Worth considering the effects of teacher's anxiety more broadly, especially in terms of monitoring and inspection.

I’m making a New Year’s Resolution in response to @markgoodrich.bsky.social‘s call regarding getting more involved over here. I’m going to start #EduBlogClub on Mondays at 8pm (UK time). I’ll pick a blog, and ask three questions about it. Let’s try to get some conversations flowing.

This should be interesting. I wonder what it will find 😬

As someone once pointed out (@missmc.bsky.social possibly?) schools have the budget to do what they were doing in c2010. The problem is so many agencies have retreated/closed that schools pick up the slack without the full budget nor skills to do it properly. Then getting blame when it goes wrong…

Violent crimes against parents by children up 60% since 2015, shows London data

Happy New Year's Eve everyone. If you are a teacher (or indeed anyone) still posting on X, I have a suggested New Year's Resolution for you. Stop! If you agree, please REPOST here and on X if you maintain an account there. open.substack.com/pub/markgood...

Two Labour ministers in Wes Streeting's Dept of Health & Social Care met with authors who believe mental health and neurodiversity-related condition are over-diagnosed. This could be significant for Labour's imminent second assault on PIP payments. @dis-ppl-protest.bsky.social @leedsdpac.bsky.social

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas, join a trade union!

The Birth Keepers is our latest podcast series from the Guardian Investigates, following a year-long investigation on two influencers who made millions selling a radical version of free birth. Listen to all episodes now wherever you get your podcasts. theguardian.com/thebirthkeepers

That's a big sinkhole. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Making graphic novels the cornerstone of my book corner development.

Great presentation from @suereviews.bsky.social So many autistic children in my city have had very little education provision, and yet, sometimes when I tell people, the reaction is "that's sad" or "that's frustrating", like it's unfortunate but what can you do?

On SNJ Today: Will your school speak out on what @chriscoghlanmp.bsky.social calls councils’ "systematic, moral, and ethical” abuse of #SEND law? He commits to defending children's rights—ask your MP do the same! www.specialneedsjungle.com/m...

Explicit instruction isn’t just a method - it’s a social practice. What does Basil Bernstein tell us about power, language, and who benefits from 'what works' in education? A rethink of pedagogy beyond cog sci 👇 #edusju #uked #education #sociology #speech mrjoneswhiteboard.blog/2025/12/13/b...

Today in the fight against American Fascism.

In this ACAMH Learn talk, Sydney Stevens presents the development process behind the Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for #Anxiety in CYP, created by the Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy Anxiety Guideline Development Group. https://bit.ly/3JTYgYJ

After MTG lied about me for weeks, she said that she felt bad for my unborn child because he'd have me as a mother. Her rhetoric led to threats against my family. No one, even her, should receive threats like those, but I'd like to see her own up to the role she played in creating them for others.

The majestic man-taur Half man... half another man

A safeguarding review warns against impact of zero tolerance behaviour policies and highlights a school "that simultaneously achieves remarkable academic success whilst causing harm to some of its most vulnerable pupils". www.tes.com/magazine/new...

I don't really speak about details because it's his story to tell, but my son's ADHD is life threatening. He has nearly died 3 times in his almost 7 years of life. The NHS has supported us wonderfully, but I live each day hoping I get to a 100 because I'm worried what happens when I'm gone.

Yeah, I think about this and lot... www.theguardian.com/society/2014...

Really worry about this. One of my kids receives PIP - autistic/ADHD with severe anxiety - which we use to pay a mentor (who we are hoping will support him into employment). Abandoned by the education/health systems. It's no surprise that, given the state of SEND/MH services, these kids are not /1

Have we ever even been not in austerity the past 2 decades ?

Very proud to have contributed evidence to this report which I think has real potential to drive a step change in how we provide for inclusion in UK society.

'UK has too many ADHD diagnoses' doesn't pass the smell test as explanation for UK's rising number of young people not in education, employment or training - ADHD diagnoses have gone up at similar rates across our peers, but the UK's rising NEETs are a UK issue.

National Theater, the Philippines r/brutalism

Dr. Simon Wessely (now knighted, but shouldn't be - at all) is a massive concern - he is the vice chair of the commission. He is the tool they employ to bend medical concerns to the will of political economics - www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/controv...

Read this. Bang on. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This is probably the most accurate one I've read ⬇️ www.forbes.com/sites/drnanc...

Latest from me: on overdiagnosis, a craze/bandwagon the govt is indulging by commissioning an official review, complete with the clunky blurring of mental illness & neurodivergence www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A talk I gave earlier this year has, unfortunately, become relevant again this week so I've published it here. open.substack.com/pub/neurodiv...

No one in receipt of public funds shall ever be allowed to live a happy life. Unless they are wealthy conmen, in which case here’s a VIP Lane.

Never forget.

Hesitated pressing publish. Did it anyway.

Not been on here for months but someone on X said people were missing blogs. I am now writing on substack for anyone interested. My latest post is here. open.substack.com/pub/richardw...

On SNJ Today: New Cerebra research reveals widespread patterns of ‘systems-generated trauma’ by public bodies caused to desperate families asking for help. Cerebra CEO Jess Camburn Rahmani says action is urgently needed: www.specialneedsjungle.com/r... #parentblame

Deep dive today into the personal accounts of #ADHD and #autistic young people who are not attending school. This work is part of the @grrand-team.bsky.social generously funded by Barts Charity, alongside our brilliant RESTAR youth co-researchers co-delivering creative personalised interviews.

If you read one thing this weekend, read this. The way we treat young people who are a little 'different' is endlessly shocking. With thanks and respect to Kate Szymankiewicz. From theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

"...like a good little rule follower, I listened and trusted their advice. I was grateful even, for someone to tell me how to navigate this. Yet, all the while, a little voice inside me knew that Ruth needed something different." www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Did this today. It was great. Only the sound of pencil on paper!

This is how I plan to keep going as a class teacher when the retirement age goes up.