Jim Lauder
@mrjlauder
Work at Dixons Academies. Schools as civic institutions - ensuring our communities have a voice and power. Building place based partnerships. Views my own.
The ARGHH bit: Labour politicians need to relearn macroeconomics and political economy. Public services can't create jobs by themselves:
The scary bit: if you introduce different pathways for kids labelled potential NEET in *primary school* this has the potential to be secondary moderns on steroids. 'Oh your child didn't reach GLD age 5, they won't be studying A Levels I'm afraid'. With one pathway until 16, this wouldn't happen.
The good bit: we have useful indicative data from early years that helps steer us towards the students that are at risk of low attendance and becoming NEET. Our schools are using this already.
Lucy Powell doubling down on this in today's Times. As the Times points out, if this is the case it is a mystery as to why the NEETs issue is as bad if not worse in Scotland and Wales.
This isn't good news on SEND in terms of continuing as planned (but not a surprise)... SEND parents will continue to fight tooth and nail... As it stands, the new system designs in conflict between parents and schools by limiting the tribunal and promising undeliverable individual support plans.
First, on this bit, Reeves and Starmer are culprits more so than Tory edu ministers - min wage hikes, emp NI, new workers' rights (all stuff I agree with in the abstract) all piled on at once... Yes, you're going to get a NEETs issue. That's pretty basic economics.
There is something deeply ingrained in the British political psyche that prevents properly funding FE
Made gyros. Mainly because I had a pack of Mythos in the freezer and several people said I should make gyros.
She's so close to getting it... It's almost as if the inclusion base policy - designed entirely as a sop to heads, LAs, and the Treasury - naturally invites the mass segregation of awkward and inconvenient kids. More DfE guidance can't patch over structural flaws.
Observing the ancient English tradition. Off to Spain. (and yes, someone did drop a glass and the people therein assembled did unto shout 'wahey')
I am very impressed with the Southport Inquiry report. It pulls no punches and calls out the elephants in the room. Everyone passed the buck and no one took responsibility. Safeguarding leads will find these sections all too familiar.
I made some pizza dough on Friday. Checked this morning - and it had risen! Happy Easter everyone.
It's not clear cut but this point from @mattyglesias.bsky.social has something in it, I think - we might see a negative correlation between school achievement and parent satisfaction. A slice of parents aren't happy with increased pressure for results, and we've not really engaged with that.
Chaser. Paper is a wild read this morning. I should've gone into private equity and profited from state failure and suffering.
I'm a trust leader working on EDI at Dixons Academies. Available at all good bookshops and online retailers now :)
1. Of course it's only the 'visuals' that ever matter, not people's lives 2. Bed wetting. Really. We're really doing that in our comms with SEND parents. OK.
Turkey jalfrezi. Yes I did get a stainless steel pan for Christmas and it's great.
Turned out like most of my cooking - not elegant but tasty! Thanks for the idea.
I might have overordered/allowed the butcher to upsell me on the ham. My guests have just left, with ham sandwiches for the road, and I still have so much ham. No one else left in my house eats ham 🙃