So lovely to see my book on display in the library today, and to be able to thank the team, the Intellectual Forum, and the wider @jesuscollegecam.bsky.social community for giving me such a lovely haven in which to write it. 🥰

‘Singapore on Thames’, ‘small boat crossings’, ‘grammar school gambles’ & ‘maxed out national credit cards’ - Narratives at 4️⃣ levels, shape what is thinkable & doable in policy but can also be used to shape possibilities. Order now to find out more: 🙌 www.amazon.co.uk/How-Policy-H...

They’ve arrived!!!! 🥳 📖 🍾

“Too much emphasis on political institutions is like sex education with too much emphasis on anatomy” (according to B Crick, architect of Citizenship Ed) So in Chapter 4 of my book I tell 2 policy stories to show how structure&agency interact to shape th govt machine www.amazon.co.uk/How-Policy-H...

As yet another political transition looms over the horizon it might feel like churn is winning the day once again. But, in Ch3 of my book I identity 6️⃣ mechanisms for continuity that are wired into our policy system. ✅ Preorder now to find out more! www.amazon.co.uk/How-Policy-H...

So what *is* policy? In Chapter 2 of ‘How Policy Happens’ I explain - using the story of Free Schools & their journey from Michael Gove’s speech about “schools upstairs from chip shops” to 4 year olds cross-legged in 16th century tithe barns. 👀 Pre-order here! www.amazon.co.uk/How-Policy-H...

When I 1st walked into the world of education policy it felt like stumbling around a black box & it took me years to learn how to crank the handle. But the policy process *can* be explained, and it *could* run more smoothly. That’s why I wrote How Policy Happens... www.amazon.co.uk/How-Policy-H...

What can countries like England learn from Netherlands, Finland & Wales’ reforms to their special needs systems? Taylor Hughson and I share a few lessons in @schoolsweek.bsky.social -all based on @centreedusyst.bsky.social @nuffieldfoundation.org funded research. schoolsweek.co.uk/looking-over...

Keep checking my email to see if @jamesomalley.co.uk has written a piece about the northern powerhouse rail announcement yet… ⏳

"England already has one of the most complex and messy accountability systems in the world, and there is a risk that MAT inspections could add another layer of accountability without freeing up any space." Interesting analysis here from @loicmnzs.bsky.social, drawing on international comparisons.

What will MAT inspections really change?

With Labour announcing that it will introduce inspections of trusts, what do the accountability arrangements for groups of schools in other parts of the world tell us about how the new system will ope...

tes.com

How will MAT inspection help? Researcher @loicmnzs.bsky.social looks at the lessons to be learned from accountability systems around the world

What will MAT inspections really change?

With Labour announcing that it will introduce inspections of trusts, what do the accountability arrangements for groups of schools in other parts of the world tell us about how the new system will operate? Loic Menzies takes a look

tes.com

So @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social has confirmed Trust inspection could begin in 2027. But how “out there” is the idea? Thanks to @centreedusyst.bsky.social’s groundbreaking international study, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org , I can tell you. @tesmagazine.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

What will MAT inspections really change?

With Labour announcing that it will introduce inspections of trusts, what do the accountability arrangements for groups of schools in other parts of the world tell us about how the new system will ope...

tes.com

4 dilemmas of educational fairness from my chapter in @ptieducation.Bsky.social’s recent book: 1. Just desserts & merit 2. Gold stars v real-world opportunities 3. The moralising state 4. The gilded cage of aptitudes Book available here: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/38931669...

Couldn’t include it since I haven’t read it yet but an honourable mention to this new essay collection from Civitas. With contributions from @claresealy.bsky.social @bennewmark.bsky.social @tombennett71.bsky.social and others, it’s sure to be worth reading. www.civitas.org.uk/publications...

The value of a knowledge-rich curriculum

The value of a knowledge-rich curriculum: An essay collection is a multi-author anthology bringing together a wide range of professionals from teaching, education leadership, policy and academia to…

civitas.org.uk

No. 3 is a fascinating report on approaches to SEND across different jurisdictions by CES by @loicmnzs.bsky.social and others. I have only read the summary so far (linked below) but there is plenty in there to think about! 3a551fc8-7675-4cc5-9ecd-8697a47d348f.filesusr.com/ugd/5d3f2a_f...

No. 2 is this article in @schoolsweek.bsky.social (who need to add a Bluesky share button!) on a recent study looking at note-taking and AI (h/t @paulclinepsy.bsky.social for drawing to my attention). Lots to unpack and ponder here but note-taking still the best! schoolsweek.co.uk/note-taking-...

How note-taking and AI reading aids could support learning

Our research found students performed better when they took notes - whether or not they also used an LLM

schoolsweek.co.uk

Hi #EduSky - it's my last #Saturday3 before Christmas and first up is this fascinating blog on Basil Bernstein by @jonesedu.bsky.social. I have to confess that I had not heard of him but this explains how he anticipated a lot of cogsci and yet was quite different. bsky.app/profile/jone...

Andrew Jones FCCT@jonesedu.bsky.social · 8mo ago

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...

This is well worth the read. Most thorough comparison of #SEND across countries I’ve read. @samfr.bsky.social @mmulholland.bsky.social

Loic Menzies@loicmnzs.bsky.social · 8mo ago

England is not alone in grappling with rising need, unsatisfactory support and spiralling costs in its SEND system. But comparing countries shows that policy choices diverge in 7 important areas. Find out more here! 👀www.ces.partners

England is not alone in grappling with rising need, unsatisfactory support and spiralling costs in its SEND system. But comparing countries shows that policy choices diverge in 7 important areas. Find out more here! 👀www.ces.partners

England is not alone in grappling with rising need, unsatisfactory support & spiralling costs in its #SEND system. But comparing countries shows that policy choices diverge in 7 important areas. Find out more from @centreedusyst.bsky.social! 👀 www.ces.partners/copy-of-latest @nuffieldfoundation.org

One of the side projects I've been involved in over the last few years is the Centre for Education Systems - doing big comparative reviews of 14 systems around the world. We've now published our first three reports on curriculum, accountability and SEND. www.ces.partners/copy-of-latest

The Centre For Education Systems | CES Partners

Centre for Education Systems (CES) exists to improve the effectiveness of education policy by learning from education systems around the world

ces.partners

Given the debate on the English school curriculum and concerns about the growth in pupils with SEND, you might want to look at some interesting international comparisons from the Centre for Education Systems with @loicmnzs.bsky.social @samfr.bsky.social Lucy Crehan and Patrick Wall www.ces.partners

The Centre For Education Systems | CES Partners

Centre for Education Systems (CES) exists to improve the effectiveness of education policy by learning from education systems around the world

ces.partners

- Is our curriculum unusually overloaded? - What does a supportive accountability system look like? - Does anyone get better bang for their buck out of their SEND system? ...now, thanks to @nuffieldfoundation.org's support, there's somewhere you can go to get the answers. www.ces.partners

Fascinating piece, looking beyond correlations and delving into some of the potential causal mechanisms at play

Dan Willingham@dtwuva.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Have student's attention spans been decimated by digital technologies? In @educationnext.bsky.social I look at the data and conclude that's not the problem. www.educationnext.org/pay-attentio...

So much going on in this excerpt from Blunkett’s diaries: alliances & coalitions; strategic narratives; negotiation & trade-offs; the influence of personal experience on powerful actors; policy windows/multiple streams; &, the sheer frustration of “drilling through the hard boards”

INSET season is just round the corner - so @teachertapp.bsky.social are spotlighting this handy research @profbeckyallen.bsky.social, Iain Ford and I worked on to provide some hard evidence on what’s going on with CPD… teachertapp.com/uk/publicati...

Given all the talk of SEND reform in England at moment, I’m delighted to be the PI on this newly funded @centreedusyst.bsky.social work in partnership with @ioe.bsky.social, supported by @nuffieldfoundation.org. Fascinating to learn about other countries’ approaches + the genesis of their reforms

How can politicians make the case for educational equity in an age of populism? Just stumbled across this blog - written nearly 5 years ago. Still feels very relevant. Featuring @jonathansimons.bsky.social and others... cfey.org/2020/12/gene...

Generating political will for educational equity: When it’s all true. But it’s not all the truth.

Trump defeated, Dom Cummings in retreat from Downing Street – box in hand and tail between legs. It’s almost as if the wind has gone from the billowing sails of populism. Only time will tell whether N...

cfey.org

Amazing anecdote about the Pope interceding in the debate on grant maintained schools in the 1980s

These two know where we keep the mealworms…