Dani Hall

Progress has been made but the day job has been all consuming for the last week (or year!!) or so. Agh, too many plates to spin. I have managed to spend all of the last two weekends focused on writing but my brain is quite tired. Was grateful for the extra hour yesterday! 😂😂

It's #buyastrangerabook day.

To celebrate Bluesky being back online I'll give out a book.

FOR FREE.

If there's one you'd like, let me know what it is.

Also, if you'd like to #BuyAStrangerABook too, let me know.

Here's what it's all about.

www.biggreenbookshop.com/stuff-you-mi...

UK only

This is the first time in 15 years that I'm running Ada Lovelace Day without also putting on a big event in London, and I have to admit, it feels kinda weird.

If you have a minute, please share a story of your favourite woman in STEM with the hashtag #ALD25.

[Scene is a 1960s suburban sitting room, with a grand piano in it. The religious songwriter ESTELLE WHITE is sat at the piano, with a rotary phone sat on top of the lid. She is on the phone to her music publisher, someone I've made up called JERRY] 1 ESTELLE WHITE: OK Jerry I’ve got another banger for you 2 ESTELLE WHITE: Listen to this! [She slams the receiver on the top of the piano]. 3 ESTELLE WHITE [hammering on the piano]: AUTUMN DAYS WHEN THE GRASS IS JEWELLED AND THE SILK INSIDE A CHESTNUT SHELL! JET PLANES MEETING IN THE AIR TO BE REFUELLED, ALL THESE - JERRY [voice from the phone handset]: Eh? 4 JERRY: What was that last bit, Estelle? ESTELLE WHITE: “Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled”… 5 JERRY: Is that a thing you often see in autumn? ESTELLE WHITE [Smoking from a long cigarette holder]: All the time, Jerry. Aaaaall the time.... 6 JERRY: Nothing to do with it being the only thing that rhymes with ‘jewelled’? ESTELLE WHITE: No! 7 ESTELLE WHITE: It’s one of the high-speed, high-altitude feats of military aviation one often sees in autumn time. 8 JERRY: What about leaves and squirrels and - ESTELLE WHITE: Now listen, Jerry. 9 ESTELLE WHITE: Do you want a crap hymn about conkers… 10 ESTELLE WHITE: Or do you want an all-time earworm banger that everyone who hears it will sing in their heads, every single time they see a fallen leaf, until the day they die? 11 JERRY: OK… sorry… carry on… 12 ESTELLE WHITE: FROS-TY WINDOWS ON HARR-IER JUMPJETS AND THE SMELL OF NUCLEAR SUB-MAR-INES… JERRY: How about acorns? [ends]

Autumn days when the grass is jewelled

when I worked in an independent bookstore, the owner told me the most stolen book was one about getting your first period and if I saw anyone walking out with it, I should just let them go.

That’s great.

Yep.

Thanks!

In related news, a certain government white paper is now forever known in my head as Education Excellence Everywhere All At Once (DfE, 2016).

Not sure this is the spirit of #70DaysofPhD but I have managed to spend 25 out of the last 48 hours writing and thinking. Progress made. Back to the day job tomorrow. #PhD #PhDSky #EdD

I have a list of about 20 ideas for novels (although given my advancing age I think I ought to aim at a list of 20 unwritten short stories instead) but I am really enjoying writing my thesis and wondering…

This is probably a mad thought but what if there was an opportunity here to run an experiment on the impact of smaller class sizes for a couple of years before closing some schools?

A game changer for me was realising I could tolerate them on an empty stomach and could therefore take them before getting out of bed if needed (to help get out of bed…)

A bit late but…
Worth considering you might need to thank people twice. If you’ve spent time with a member of staff thank them for that time and their wisdom in supporting your role. But also it is an opportunity to thank them for the job they’re doing every day. Acknowledge both. #BigQuestions

Quote reads “Children feeling that they belong in school isn't just a nice to have...” and was said by the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, @bphillipsonMP, in 2025. Below text is #BIGQuestions logo and the words ‘Created by Alan Richards.’ Alan Richards was a National Leader of Governance.

Pupils feeling that they belong isn't just nice to have.

So how do great governing bodies support an inclusive school culture?

#BIGQuestions #Inclusion
@hoylerosemary.bsky.social
@danigov.bsky.social
@rachelj47127149.bsky.social
@sallyfarsley.bsky.social
@forrishilier.bsky.social

Your Very Short Introductions habit? 😂

Top work!

🎂 I imagine it has a lot more bookcases now!

This probably isn’t actually answering the question but I think it’s worth GBs understanding that if their accessibility plan *isn’t* making a difference for SEND pupils then it needs revisiting ASAP. #BigQuestions

Reminds me of an old joke…

I do not like referencing, not et al.

#EdD #PhDSky #PhD

ALSO spotted an (NGA, 2021a) which is in fact an (NGA, 2021c) 😱😱

Work absorbed yesterday but I got a chance to catch up today. Not as many words as I hoped for but I think they’re good ones. Some productive thinking time too. Extra points for managing to tune out the sounds of ongoing renovations going on next door. #70DaysofPhD #PhDSky #EdE

This is a repeat of the image in the first post in this thread. Quote reads “If they don’t actually do it, then it’s a worthless piece of paper.” Referring to an A.L.L.F.I.E. report on Accessibility Plans from 2019. Below text is #BIGQuestions logo of a orange and green lightbulb and the words ‘Created by Alan Richards,’ a man who was a National Leader of Governance.

Back to our #BIGQuestion.

How do governing bodies and school leaders ensure their accessibility plan makes a difference to SEND pupils?

@danigov.bsky.social @rachelj47127149.bsky.social
@hoylerosemary.bsky.social @sallyfarsley.bsky.social
@simonknight100.bsky.social @forrishilier.bsky.social

This is a lovely thing.
I’ve signed up. Gone for monthly. It is was really easy (unless I did it wrong of course). 📚❤️

Oh yes!

…

it looks like a speech bubble with three dots in it . ALT: it looks like a speech bubble with three dots in it .

So glad social media doesn’t do this!

Well done today!

Very much eeeek!

I think it is important that governors understand just how challenging life is for so many SEND families. Remember that those struggling the most may not have the capacity to readily share their views. #SchoolGovernors #UKEdGovs #BigQuestions