Rachel Harding

Ireland’s basic income for the arts scheme becomes permanent When piloted, initiative that provided €325 a week to eligible artists recouped more than its net cost, study shows

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

Thank you @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social for posting our article. If you have a particular interest in Ofsted or school inspections, do contact us directly to discuss further.

"A better system is possible, but until Ofsted fully reforms how it conducts and reports inspections, teachers will continue to fear the bullying, public shaming and lack of redress that destroyed Ruth." 3/3

“Warnings from my sister's inquest, a parliamentary inquiry, and other official reviews continue to be ignored, potentially putting more lives at risk 2/3

“This study clearly presents the evidence of the terrible human cost posed by Ofsted inspections, evidence that Ofsted and successive governments have still not fully grasped 1/3

What has the reaction been to the paper from Ruth Perry’s family?
Professor Julia Waters, sister of Ruth Perry who died by suicide in 2023 following an Ofsted inspection, made the following comments on our paper:

We argue that responsibility for teacher suicidal ideation is with the Department for Education and with Ofsted.

The Education Committee’s Inquiry Report also appears to be misleading in saying there were several positive reports about Ofsted but refer to four submission which also contain some of the most negative comments written.

❓What was the government and Ofsted’s response?
The Education Committee’s Inquiry Report, the government’s response and Ofsted’s response fail to acknowledge teacher suicidal ideation and, we argue, concerns about suicidal feelings remain unresolved.

We also drew on Durkheim’s theories of suicide to argue that suicide is not only because of mental ill health, but that it has a social context, and in this case, the context of inspection.

❓How were these negative experiences described?
A continuum of harm was drawn from reading about experiences of a double bind where following demands of inspectors could put children at risk, feelings of shame at receiving a low grading and feeling trapped with having no appeal.

We wanted to understand why headteachers and teachers could experience suicidal ideation (have suicidal thoughts and feelings) because of Ofsted.

❓How are Ofsted inspections experienced?
Our analysis of the 233 written submissions published by the UK Parliament Education Committee’s Inquiry into Ofsted’s Work with Schools suggests 98% of these had negative comments about Ofsted including teacher suicidal ideation.

Ofsted experiences: performing inspection and suicidal ideations In this paper, we examine people’s experiences of Ofsted, the state school inspectorate in England. From thematic analysis of the 233 written submissions published by the Education Committee Parlia...

Our article Ofsted Experiences: Harmful Performativity and Suicidal Ideation is now published in the Journal of Education Policy www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

❗WARNING: our article discusses workplace suicide/suicidal ideation in some detail & reference to Ruth Perry's coroner's report

Love this quote. Sums up the point of learning for me. #EduSky

a cartoon of a penguin with the word shock written on it ALT: a cartoon of a penguin with the word shock written on it

Just for the record, I'm working from home AND being very productive!
(GIF of a very shocked cartoon penguin)

...She confidently shows herself in a way that none of her male contemporaries possibly could, as only a female artist could combine their self-portrait with the allegory of ‘Painting’." (Royal Collection Trust website)

...In this bold, energetic painting, Artemisia demonstrates the practicality and physicality of the act of painting. She shows herself with sweat on her brow and an apron tied over her fine dress, the sleeves pushed up to keep them clean...

...‘Painting’ as a beautiful woman with dark, dishevelled hair to indicate creative passion, a gold chain to show skill at imitation, and an iridescent shot silk dress to prove a mastery of colour...

"The act of ‘Painting’ (‘Pittura’) was traditionally represented in works of art in the form of a female allegorical or symbolic figure...

So happy to receive a print of Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (‘La Pittura’) by Artemisia Gentileschi from the Royal Collection Trust www.rct.uk/collection/s...

Its been out a while & the tour is long done... but as I finish the next book, here's a reminder of the antidote to rumours about secret passages, ship timbers & claims to be the oldest pub!

Out now via all good (and bad) booksellers:
triskeleheritage.triskelepublishing.com/historic-bui...

Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue

Soaring pneumonia cases linked to cold, damp houses

Pneumonia cases have soared 25% in two years. People living in cold, damp, mouldy houses are particularly at risk.

Well that will never work. Why is creativity so hard in SUs? Jim Dickinson explores how students’ unions have professionalised themselves into creative paralysis – and what continental counterparts can teach us about embracing experimentation, silliness and sur...

wonkhe.com/blogs-sus/we...

Jim Dickinson's excellent article on creativity, risk and new students having the time of their lives

Trump's Greenland plan is Putin's wet dream.

Let's talk about the Aylesbury tunnels.

We can’t win as disabled folk…

We are either seen as lazy and not trying hard enough, or that we can’t really be disabled because we’ve done something…

Enescu & Mendelssohn: Octets

open.spotify.com/album/2C6jpA...

New release of Mendelssohn and Enescu octets by Quatuor Ébène and Belcea Quartet. Oh and it's brilliant.

Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 & Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98

Really good week working on a paper made even better for listening to this glorious new release of Brahms conducted by Edward Gardner with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

open.spotify.com/album/2Y0M0W...