Lucy Whiffin

I definitely think that it is seen as more "cool" now by the majority to embrace being different and to stand up for your own beliefs. Unfortunately though, as you say, online bullying by cowards who can remain faceless is a huge issue. And I think it's even worse as there is no escape, no time out.

Immigration special? Isn’t that every week on every BBC current affairs show?

Thanks to all who have reposted this thread to help get the word out. The selling of these books "as new" on Amazon is making it more difficult for Unbound authors to rebuild what we lost and move on.

Public sectors have crumbled and are in survival mode with those staff who haven't quit hanging on by a thread. I work in education and it's the same. People outside of these sectors don't realise how bad it is.

We need to read/see more of this reported instead of endless immigration 'news.'

There should be book clubs for babies. "I enjoyed the crinkliness of this one but I have to say the little mirror at the end was a bit predictable."

Such a good thread

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

I was listening to your excellent lecture on BBC Radio 4 this morning and my kids will be listening to it this evening. The fact the BBC sensored that line is perfect. I hope their cowardice has a Streisand effect because everyone should listen to your lecture.

The great thing about this is the fearless interviewer. Imagine if all journalists were fearless seekers of truth instead of folding in the face of Farage's prickly blustering.

The truth behind Reform UK’s reckless budget £25bn of imagined savings, real-world cruelty and mathematics that should come with a trigger warning

If you read one thing today, make it The Bear’s withering dismantling of Reform UK’s “budget” with the precision of someone who understands numbers… unlike the people who wrote it. A a masterclass in calm annihilation that's ruthlessly savage. 🔥

@eastangliabylines.co.uk @bearlypolitics.co.uk

More then 2,000 trafficked children and lone child asylum seekers missing from UK councils’ care Charities say vulnerable young people are being failed by local authorities, the police and central government

How is this not the top story on every news bulletin?
This has been happening for years and instead of doing anything to protect children successive governments have made the situation worse. This isn't just on councils. It is part of failings on a State level.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

My y9 daughter is keen to take GCSE French and I was pleased- but, reading some of your blog posts, I'm wondering if taking a language is the best idea at the moment!
(Seriously, I know it's always a good idea, but the actual GCSE seems concerning).

Some examples of outstanding progress made in our school by various Y6 children:
-Comes to school every day
-Works with a peer
-Follows our school rules 80% of the time
-Answers the register aloud
-Has a go at a test without panicking

None will get SS 100 on a SATs paper.

And the article doesn't give voice to any of the leaders of the "hostile" schools (probably quite a few women).

He was Prime Minister!

Can you imagine leaders in other public sectors being able to just say, "I did my best," and expect that to make it all ok?
Headteachers telling Ofsted, "Well, I'm doing my best, so why should I be held to account?"

Martyn Oliver wants " a system that accounts for the complexity and richness of what happens in your schools every single day."

If this is really true, and they genuinely want to know what really goes on, and will stop calling this 'excuses,' then I welcome it. But I can't help but feel sceptical.

Yet more guidance written by people who seem to have no idea about the realities of day-to-day school life.

It makes it sound like it's as sinple as just telling TAs that they have to start working earlier than they're currently contracted to. Many TAs are parents of young children, hence their working during school hours. They don't want to work at breakfast club.

So irritating!!

I’m wondering if any children’s publishers need a freelance writer to write reading scheme books for them or branded picture books etc? I’ve written reading scheme books for Star Wars and Disney before! Any shares would be amazing!

#BookSky #KidLit

And herein lies the crux of it.
Ultimately, the most successful way (and probably, if we're truthful, the only way) to truly narrow the attainment gap, is going to be to tackle poverty and other forms of disadvantage head on. It won't be cheap. And schools certainly can't do it alone.

Oh no. I bet he was so pleased when he thought of that. Ugh.

"Complete novels play a role in reading formation that excerpts, I would argue, cannot. Novels demonstrate what sustained narrative engagement feels like. They model the rhythms of literary art. They show students that some pleasures require patience and effort"

My neurodivergent son already finds school extremely overwhelming. Every day, the uniform, the noise, the expectations to act a certain way, are constantly niggling at him. He copes. But when he is unwell, that additional discomfort is too much and if I force him in, it will not end well.

And writing letters like that is not going to help persistently absent children come to school, it will just make children who generally have good attendance feel anxious about staying off even when they might really need to.

I agree- and really wish we were in a place where teachers felt able to- or where other school staff could do it. But, certainly in my current school situation, there is not an adult with a moment of free time to do this during a school day. I have loved running clubs in the past.

Even better, read it and seen it in the illustrations in the marvellous book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.
If you haven't read it, I highly recommend- a cinematic experience.

I always wonder with these hypocrites, to what degree they are aware of their hypocrisy and will just say and do whatever suits themselves, or to what degree they genuinely believe (have convinced themselves of) their own rhetoric.

I personally hope that people continue to buy The Art and Science of Primary Reading not only because it raises money for a great cause but also because the two Christopher Such books on reading are complementary and both are great. open.substack.com/pub/markgood...