Some people bristle at the fact I talk about clever and stupid kids. I wouldn't apply those terms to specific individuals but I think people's intelligence varies and that matters a great deal when it comes to how well they do at school.
Ed Cadwallader
@cadwalladered.bsky.social
Desperate measures for our times https://substack.com/@blocked2
Really thoughtful piece Ed. I completely agree that too many young people leave school believing they’ve failed simply because they weren’t successful in a system where academic attainment dominates. 🧵
I agree with Sam that selection at 14 is a bad idea but the reason it keeps coming up is that there's a genuine problem we're not addressing with what school offers kids at the bottom of the academic distribution
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 4d agoNew post just out: "Burnham's first mistake" Splitting 14 year olds into academic and vocational paths seems intuitive. But it's a terrible idea that risks increasing inequality, and closing down options for the young people that need them most. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
The problem with using the Ofsted cudgel to force schools to expand their vocational offering is that our vocational qualifications are not very good - I wrote about why here www.block-ed.com/p/vocational...
Vocational Qualifications
A history and a suggestion
block-ed.com
There's a group of people who get a really rough deal from society and yet have no representation to fight for a better deal: people with below average intelligence
Really interesting post from @samfr.bsky.social - makes the sobering point that while it's fun when Farage steps on a rake, if he flounces off it would probably benefit even worse people like Rupert Lowe substack.com/inbox/post/2...
Farage's Folly
Why he's in serious trouble and what happens if he quits
substack.com
I can't stop thinking about this post. Sam is right that school inevitably ranks pupils by their academic achievement. But that creates a problem: if our future prospects are summed up by our grades...
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2mo agoNew post out: "The gap that never closes" I've spent much of my career trying to reduce the rich/poor gap in education. Nothing's worked. Which has led me to the conclusion that we're thinking about inequality the wrong way... (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
Hi @samfr.bsky.social I agree that school has to create an academic hierarchy but I think it creates a big problem for the kids at the bottom. This is an idea for how to mitigate the harm www.block-ed.com/p/the-kids-w...
The kids who come last
The big problem with school and how to fix it
block-ed.com
Could be worse. Could be the gyy who invented ITVX
Burnham's victory over reform is a hollow one because he used their populist argument: that the problem is *who* is in charge. Put in a man who listens to ordinary people and he'll do what the last guy couldn't cos he was so incompetent/corrupt/out of of touch
New blog on vocational qualifications - a space in the curriculum I think is ripe for redevelopment www.block-ed.com/p/vocational...
Vocational Qualifications
A history and a suggestion
block-ed.com
Which MATs are best at improving schools? I've added a Sponsorship page to CSP KS4 to try to find out. I looked at sponsored academies whose predecessors have results between 2016 & 2024, then tracked the difference between current year and last year of predecessor.
You'd need solar panels as well as AC units to keep the running costs under control but that's exactly the kind of big upfront investment/long term payoff a govt committed to real change would be making
Ben Newmark@bennewmark.bsky.social · 2mo agoImagine if we'd spent COVID catch up money on air conditioning schools. bennewmark.wordpress.com/2021/06/09/c...
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Ordering it from a menu is the least entertaining way of filling your mouth with donkey jizz share.google/dyTeRcEPFAez...
Move over matcha lattes: horchata is cold, creamy and coming to a menu near you
The sweet drink is a staple in Spain and Mexico, and it’s being served around the UK as an iced beverage and even in desserts. Here’s how to drink it
share.google
Keir starmer cooking for a sceptical public: "How about...a nothing burger with cheese?"
Hi @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk you wrote a piece a while back that stayed with me about british aversion to management. I think a contributing factor is the (bad) way we're introduced to working with others at school. open.substack.com/pub/blocked2...
Groupwork: Teamwork's Evil Twin
A travesty whose harms extend beyond the school gates
open.substack.com
Groupwork is terrible and we should stop doing it open.substack.com/pub/blocked2...
Groupwork: Teamwork's Evil Twin
A travesty whose harms extend beyond the school gates
open.substack.com
Groupwork is terrible and we should stop doing it open.substack.com/pub/blocked2...
Groupwork: Teamwork's Evil Twin
A travesty whose harms extend beyond the school gates
open.substack.com
100% this. When assessing any AI/Edtech solution you should check if the pitch implicitly assumes users that want to learn
Ben Newmark@bennewmark.bsky.social · 4mo agoYes I think this is true and something people outside teaching don't understand well enough. The greatest driver of learning is motivation and humans are not naturally motivated to want to learn stuff. So you need to be inspired to do it. Humans are needed for that.
Before the culture wars ruined everything a terf was just a smiling boy, terrapin surfing
Petty crime is soaring and prison's expensive and full si we should bring back the stocks. open.substack.com/pub/blocked2...
The Imprisoner's Dilemma
How to deter low level crime
open.substack.com
I saw Kanye play the big chill in 2011 and he was rubbish
If the govt wants a supply side reform that delivers a big boost to tourism they should legalise ecstasy
Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 4mo agoTourism is an area which genuinely benefits from state-driven industrial strategy, and where it is a lot easier. but the kind of person who is into industrial strategy often subconsciously thinks that it is a “soft” topic not worth their time unfortunately.