Mohamed Abdallah

It’s absolutely right that we continue to advocate for children enjoying being outside. There have been some powerful arguments for this recently.

But we need to be careful not to get too finger waggy with parents.

I’ve just taken my kids to the park and…

The zip line was broken

plus…

The Mattering Model: What if Belonging Is Only 50% of the Answer? Exploring how belonging and becoming shape cultures where everyone matters.

What happens after someone feels included?

This simple model has helped me reframe the challenge:
Belonging + Becoming = Mattering.

New blog just out, on culture, contribution, and what it really means to feel significant in school communities.

open.substack.com/pub/mabdalla...

Incredible album and perfect on a sunny afternoon.

Schools cannot deliver on the Opportunity Mission when the money they have to support lower income students (the pupil premium) has both been eroded in real terms over time, and schools are being forced to use it to plug wider budget gaps, rather than to support this group of pupils ⤵️

Read our latest blog by @mab-dallah.bsky.social, Head of The Inclusive Leadership Course at The Difference, putting forward the case for schools as anchor institutions:

the-difference.com/wp-content/u...

Why anchoring schools in their communities can be a force for good.

the-difference.com/wp-content/u...

The quiet revolution in school improvement ‘Collaboration’ is a buzzword of the moment. Confederation of School Trusts deputy chief executive Steve Rollett says it’s good to see the policymakers catching up with practice

We’re in Birmingham today with over 300 trust leaders, sharing learning and practice about how to improve schools. This is sector-led collaboration in action. As I write about in this piece for @tesmagazine.bsky.social today www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

A Link to Audio — Education Unfiltered Consulting

It’s Arab Heritage Month
Day One of 30 Days of Arab Voices
Please read and share!

www.consultwithsawsan.com/30daysofarab...

This was the journey for Alperton Community School in establishing their AP.

As we look to establish our own onsite AP in our setting it’s reassuring to see that we are already having lots of these conversations too.

#IAPSymposium

Work for the day at the @thedifferenceed.bsky.social Internal Alternative Provision Symposium.

#IAPSymposium

Great first session with @jacoblawton.bsky.social of Positive Regard linking a wide range of trades h into how we can create truly inclusive school environments.

#IAPSymposium

Thank you Jacob for delivering a great session to a packed room!

Great morning at @thedifferenceed.bsky.social IAP Symposium sharing the work of Positive Regard and Wellspring Academy Trust

What If Hope Is a Better Strategy for School Improvement? Why focusing on what's strong — and not what's wrong — might be the key to more sustainable school improvement.

Thinking differently about school improvement. Hope and possibility as levers for change.

open.substack.com/pub/mabdalla...

True Inclusion Starts with Seeing Students for Who They Are | Diverse Educators Education is not just about imparting knowledge; it is about shaping identities. A student who feels unseen will struggle to engage. A student who feels valued will thrive.

Today's Diverse Educators blog is by Purvi Gandhi

True Inclusion Starts with Seeing Students for Who They Are

www.diverseeducators.co.uk/true-inclusi...

#DiverseEd

See Kathryn Thompson and Rebecca Godfrey from Percy Main Primary School in North Shields, who share the success of their work in planning and implementing their highly successful IAP.

To register for the Internal Alternative Provision symposium, click here:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/internal-a...

The Dark Side of Belonging Helping students to find their sense of belonging is not all about test scores and performance outcomes. It is proven to impact these, as outlined in my previous blog The Belonging Bonus, but this …

The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces.

Philip Zimbardo

thebelongingcollective.blog/2024/09/29/t...

To Belong Is Not Enough Why We Must Move Towards Mattering

What if you belong, but you do not feel like you matter?

The response and engagement with my blog has been incredible and thank you for all of you who have shared your reflections on it.

For those who missed it the first time you can dive into it here ⬇️

open.substack.com/pub/mabdalla...

Our children are humans first and learners second
Our colleagues are humans first and professionals second
Spot on as ever @marymyatt.bsky.social

📢 Against Youth Violence, the book me and Keir Irwin-Rogers published in 2022, is now fully open access! 📢

Link here:
bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/display/book...

Contents list in image. You can download chapter by chapter, or the whole thing.

Please share!

It’s official, I start in September!

This is my target now Rob! I haven’t got any excuses.

10 degrees. Which to May is basically freezing!

Leaders Engagement in Mothers’ Matters | Diverse Educators How far do school leaders still consider the retention, progression and wellbeing of parent-teachers as a ‘mothers matter’?

Today's Diverse Educators blog is by Emma Sheppard

Leaders Engagement in Mothers’ Matters

www.diverseeducators.co.uk/leaders-enga...

#DiverseEd

I might need to start when the water is warmer and acclimatise myself when the temp drops! I’ll let you know how I get on, I can’t possibly let it get to 4 years without trying 😂

I live in Falmouth and every morning I walk the dog past the beach and tell myself “one day I’ll do it”… three years have passed and still nothing.

How do you do it?!

🫵 We need you!

We’re on a mission to ensure that every child, no matter their background, has the opportunity to thrive from cradle to career—and we’re looking for a new trustee to help shape our next chapter.

www.reachfoundation.uk/join

It can be so hard if your child comes home and says they have experienced racism. What should you do?

New Substack: open.substack.com/pub/bennieka...

Playing smarter: How play builds human intelligence Learning through play literally builds brains. Policymakers and funding gatekeepers for state education programmes must understand this much better

Learning through play literally builds brains. Policymakers and funding gatekeepers for state education programmes must understand this much better | Dr Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social

Five steps to tackle Islamophobia with lasting impact With the UN's international day to combat Islamophobia behind us, here's how to sustain building inclusive cultures

🤝 'One of us is a Muslim parent, the other is his son's headteacher. We have both seen first-hand how schools can foster trust, understanding and social cohesion'