Dr Barry Black
@barryblackne.bsky.social
Education researcher. Dons, Lynx, Jets, & Becky Lynch. Stand Free 🐑
My incredibly talented friend Gemma is presenting interesting findings from her dissertation tomorrow at 2.30 and 6.30. Please drop in! DM for the link. To Need ‘care,’ To Want Care. An Analysis of ‘Need’ and ‘Want’ between the Care Sector and the Care Community’
Tremendous to speak with the National Leadership Network at today’s Children in Scotland conference today about participation, centring lived experience, and moving from ‘co-production’ to production. Standing room only!
A wonderful afternoon in and around the Botanic Gardens book fair 📚
A tremendous afternoon at Paisley Food and Drink Festival ☀️
One of the most significant changes to child poverty imaginable comes into force today, with over 450k children lifted out of poverty, in a move that will be welcomed across society and all sectors. www.itv.com/news/2026-04...
itv.com
The most tremendous lunch. The Sherlock Holmes menu at Six by Nico 🕵️♂️
I guess you’re old enough to know… certain songs get so scratched into our souls Some Saturday evening listening 😎 youtu.be/Ko3axaI__0M?...
Certain Songs
YouTube video by The Hold Steady - Topic
youtu.be
Incredibly strong and evidenced article from MCR Pathways on delivery of the Promise here. Including this from board member Susanne Richards: “We are halfway through The Promise, but nowhere near halfway through its delivery.” mcrpathways.org/news/the-pro...
The Promise: Six Years On, Four Years to Deliver - MCR Pathways
Scotland is six years into The Promise, but there is still some distance to cover. Discover how MCR Pathways is using mentoring to deliver real change by 2030.
mcrpathways.org
Put a tenner on 0-0 at Pittodrie today. My thought was the storm like weather and two struggling teams would produce a borefest. Eight goals and two red cards later shows how much I know about football…
"If the state is to invest in the education of all children, then asking the families who purchase a premium tier of schooling to contribute a little more is not radical. It is common sense." Will this be the defining legacy of the VAT policy?
Dr Barry Black@barryblackne.bsky.social · 9mo agoSome policy analysis about VAT on private school fees, why it is set to raise more than originally forecast, and why this matters. Please read, share, and subscribe for more! open.substack.com/pub/barrybla...
Heartbreakingly sad findings ‘Nearly a third of kids can't use books when starting school - and try to swipe them like phones’ news.sky.com/story/nearly...
Nearly a third of kids can't use books when starting school - and try to swipe them like phones
Staff also report around 28% of children started school unable to eat and drink independently, and 25% had difficulty with basic life skills.
news.sky.com
Early Christmas celebration in our wee house today, and an excellent Christmas dinner if I say so myself 🎄
A fantastically fun evening at Parkhill Secondary’s Christmas show: Toy Story the musical 🎄
Policy Analysis: Why VAT on private school fees will raise more than planned, and why it matters barryblack.substack.com/p/policy-ana...
Policy Analysis: Why VAT on private school fees will raise more than planned, and why it matters
Policy analysis of a debate I was privileged enough to be involved in last year
barryblack.substack.com
Some policy analysis about VAT on private school fees, why it is set to raise more than originally forecast, and why this matters. Please read, share, and subscribe for more! open.substack.com/pub/barrybla...
Policy Analysis: Why VAT on private school fees will raise more than planned, and why it matters
Policy analysis of a debate I was privileged enough to be involved in last year
open.substack.com
Thought this was a very interesting piece from Barry. I wasn't aware that the OBR had revised the revenue from VAT on private school fees up. I have had people tell me "this is the politics of envy" and that I was wrong to think private schools are businesses, so good to see this policy analysis.
Dr Barry Black@barryblackne.bsky.social · 9mo agoSome policy analysis about VAT on private school fees, why it is set to raise more than originally forecast, and why this matters. Please read, share, and subscribe for more! open.substack.com/pub/barrybla...
Some policy analysis about VAT on private school fees, why it is set to raise more than originally forecast, and why this matters. Please read, share, and subscribe for more! open.substack.com/pub/barrybla...
Policy Analysis: Why VAT on private school fees will raise more than planned, and why it matters
Policy analysis of a debate I was privileged enough to be involved in last year
open.substack.com
I was among the first to call for this. January 4th 2021. My call was rubbished and told there were no plans. A few months later it was Government policy. The reform hasn’t taken the shape I or many others wanted, but hopefully a page has been turned www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Why Scotland's exam body - the SQA - has been scrapped
Qualifications Scotland comes into being on Tuesday but is it any more than a rebranding of the existing exams agency?
bbc.co.uk
As I, and others, predicted there has not been an exodus of pupils from private schools due to VAT on fees, partly because the price point is not a factor in accessing private education. The policy is set to raise *more* than originally forecast. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
Very much looking forward to the Kilbrandon Lecture by @carlenefirmin.bsky.social in the resplendent Barony Hall this evening
As I, and others, predicted there has not been an exodus of pupils from private schools due to VAT on fees, partly because the price point is not a factor in accessing private education. The policy is set to raise *more* than originally forecast. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
I have always thought that the value of a Covid inquiry would have been setting out a future framework for how the prioritisation of rights work in an emergency. So many rights violated (many of that necessary which is my point) with so little reflection or those decisions.
Two years ago (time flies!) I wrote about why Labour need to scrap the two child benefit cap - for many reasons - including if we as a society want to meaningfully reduce education inequalities. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
SNP blew £1 billion failing to close the educational attainment gap. Labour must learn from its mistakes – Barry Black
The SNP’s failure to improve the exam results of the poorest children shows the need to focus on tackling child poverty. Labour should rethink its approach
scotsman.com
Two years ago (time flies!) I wrote about why Labour need to scrap the two child benefit cap - for many reasons - including if we as a society want to meaningfully reduce education inequalities. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
SNP blew £1 billion failing to close the educational attainment gap. Labour must learn from its mistakes – Barry Black
The SNP’s failure to improve the exam results of the poorest children shows the need to focus on tackling child poverty. Labour should rethink its approach
scotsman.com
‘I had never supported Universal Free School Meals. Then I looked at the evidence.’ barryblack.substack.com/p/i-had-neve...
I had never supported Universal Free School Meals. Then I looked at the evidence.
A (brief) look at the research which changed my mind. From July 2023.
barryblack.substack.com
Tes magazine@tesmagazine.bsky.social · 10mo agoThe majority of children in poverty in England aren’t entitled to free school meals, according to an @edupolicyinst.bsky.social report that warns FSM eligibility is no longer a reliable measure of pupil deprivation
‘I had never supported Universal Free School Meals. Then I looked at the evidence.’ barryblack.substack.com/p/i-had-neve...
I had never supported Universal Free School Meals. Then I looked at the evidence.
A (brief) look at the research which changed my mind. From July 2023.
barryblack.substack.com
Tes magazine@tesmagazine.bsky.social · 10mo agoThe majority of children in poverty in England aren’t entitled to free school meals, according to an @edupolicyinst.bsky.social report that warns FSM eligibility is no longer a reliable measure of pupil deprivation
