Sophie S

Some children starting school ‘unable to climb staircase’, finds England and Wales teacher survey ‘Covid baby’ explanation starting to feel like an excuse, say some teachers, as quarter of children begin reception in nappies

Very concerning to read about the decline in school readiness among young children.

A child's early years are vital, playing a major role in shaping their outcomes later in life.

More needs to be done to support the development of this generation of children.

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Today's trip to Ickworth Estate @nationaltrusteast.bsky.social

And tbh, the theatre was the RAH so the Proms ensured there was work available pretty much every day... so many days I worked the internship during the day, and then a Prom in the evening.

Basically I'm saying I managed it, but it wasn't the chill, post-degree summer holiday of many of my peers.

I was also able to twist the perks slightly - they reimbursed my travel expenses, so with a monthly travelcard it also covered my work commute. My job was at a theatre, so mostly evening, and was given dinner on matinée/doubles.

My unpaid internship in London was Absolutely the first step in my career - it directly led onto a job in the same company three months later.

I was only able to make it work because it was two days a week, and I was able work the other five. I worked seven days a week for over a month.

Cropped photo of me in a parka coat; my scarf covers my chin and neck, and the hood is dropped over my eyes. I am grimacing as I try and lift it, with my hand that is also holding a travel mug!

The freezing rain and wind started at the furthest point of my little circular route. This coat is not waterproof.

Photo of a tree lined path, very grey and wet. The distance is blurry because of the drizzle.

Literally yesterday in therapy we talked about how I probably should be taking the week's weather forecast into account when I'm planning my week, so that I can be realistic in my expectations of myself.

Tell me why I woke up this morning thinking "Ooh, I fancy a walk today instead of the gym"

Welp, just seen that Skeets is IOS only, which may rule this out for me too...

Huh, well, I guess we'll see how this goes?

@flashesapp.bsky.social

Last summer I started to build a more public-facing, blog-esque Instagram to cover more Art History/Reenactment things, but my motivation fizzled out due to both seasonal malaise and disenchantment about meta/the platform. What other alternatives are out there?

🚨 NEW: The gap in access to internships between working-class and middle-class graduates has almost doubled since 2018.

Our new research reveals a growing gap in access to increasingly important internship routes, with many opportunities under and unpaid 🧵⬇️

I'm really enjoying it, I didn't regularly watch it as it aired - so I knew the main storylines but it's so nice to see it all linking together!

I started watching Call the Midwife from the beginning just before Christmas, and I still cant get over the heavy implication that Sister Julienne took her name from Julian of Norwich because it's such a... Good way to share so much about her character

Get thee to a nunnery ✝️

Duo seems to have worked out exactly why I am learning Spanish

First visit to @nationaltrust.bsky.social Stowe today! I've walked for HOURS and I honestly believe I could walk for hours more, if only I had a hot chocolate trolly trundling along behind me

Nooooo... if only I'd seen this in August! 🫠

I've been slogging through a book for the last... 6 weeks maybe? And I'm so torn between DNF and trying to get to the end - I want to know the resolution, but the writing is so clunky and repetitive that it's a genuine chore. It's 600+ pages and I'm finally over halfway through but it's.... so meh.

Writers, musicians, actors & other creators strongly oppose upending copyright law to favour AI companies, as suggested in the UK's AI Opportunities Action Plan.

As Kate Mosse says, seeking economic growth "cannot be on the basis of theft of our work".

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Cambridge’s outreach departments deserve some love Evie McMahon argues that college access and outreach departments and their student-led initiatives are the backbone of progressing accessibility at Cambridge

Lovely little article in Varsity from a student ambassador at Cambridge; it cannot be understated how much of a difference their time and commitment can make for prospective students.

www.varsity.co.uk/comment/28853

Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life

@courtauld.bsky.social have a Wayne Thiebaud exhibition coming later this year!! I am going to eat So Much Cake!!!!!!!

courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/exh...

Mental health: Children should be more resilient, say experts The surge in mental health referrals among young people has prompted debate among experts about the cause - and the most effective solution

I've been thinking about this near-constantly since reading yesterday, mainly because despite my Head of Year 9 over a decade ago being obsessed with the concept, repeatedly shouting "Resilience" in assemblies like a Mad Eye/Blair combo, I've still ended up depressed.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Screenshot of a WhatsApp chat. Sender says "after Zuck's Meta announcement I have actually made the jump" with a BlueSky share link. Second person says "I'm just going to go back to 4cab which is genuinely toxic but at least it knew". Sender has reacted to this message with a laughing emoji.