💡 Did you catch our new 16-19 effective development guide drop last week?

Based on evidence from hundreds of research studies and a practice review led by @sheffieldhallamuni.bsky.social, it’s built around three recommendations:

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New analysis from @britishelectionstudy.com highlights a critical point I made in my post about the liklihood of a Reform election win this week.

Labour's lost votes from 2024 have nearly all gone to DK/LD/Green. There is a viable anti-Farage coalition there.

samf.substack.com/p/will-refor...

Teachers are so often a glue that holds society together.

Your periodic reminder that mRNA vaccines are a scientific and public health game-changer. Those that have been approved have passed stringent efficacy and safety checks. They protect you and your child against potentially fatal diseases. You may, however, get a sore arm.

I am 76 & I have had most of these vaccinations at one time or another. Also vaccinations against Covid, Tetanus, plus Cholera & Yellow Fever when travelling in foreign countries.
These prevented me catching horrible diseases & dying a gruesome death. They did not harm me, they protected me!

Someone forgot to take down this webpage:

www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/v...

For the love of God, Radio 4, the EU will NOT pay a 15% tax. US consumers will.

The Guardian view on talking in class: the writers speaking up for oracy education are right | Editorial Editorial: Verbal communication has always been crucial. But today more than ever, young people must be equipped for jobs that can’t be done by machines

This morning The Guardian has thrown its weight behind the campaign for oracy education.

This is an important moment for the oracy movement.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

YouTube video by BBC News Former US Green Beret says Israel committed war crimes at Gaza food distribution site | BBC News

From 2:56
youtu.be/72aZhsNMOWk?...

Britain isn't broken We have our problems but the doomerism is getting out of hand

New post just out:

"Britain isn't broken"

We have our problems but the doomerism is getting out of hand.

I look at the real picture on crime, migration, social cohesion and the economy - rather than the dsyoptian fantasies of the radical right.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...

Chart showing Estimated annual cost and reduction in the number of children in relative poverty after housing costs, various two-child limit options, 2029-30: UK

The most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty is to abolish the two-child limit, which would cost £7,480 per child lifted out of poverty.

If it is not scrapped then one-in-three children will be in poverty by 2029-39, including half of children in large families 👉 buff.ly/oiV5Re2

EBU anniversary project premieres 10 new classical music works to millions As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, the EBU has launched the EBU Music Commissioning Scheme, a new initiative uniting media orchestras, choirs, festivals and classical radio channels across ...

www.ebu.ch/news/2025/07...

The first years of a child's life are a critical period, but this is also when gaps in outcomes between poorer children and their wealthier peers begin to take hold.

A well-resourced early years system is key to ensuring that all children have the chance to fulfil their potential in life.

Can we have weight-based car taxes too please? These are loathsome vehicles and they’re mushrooming all over London

'We need greater standardisation and a re-introduction of the 12-month minimum duration'
Rebecca Montacute, head of research, @suttontrust.bsky.social on learning from our overseas neighbours' apprenticeships systems
feweek.co.uk/what-england...

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...

Come on folks, the #parkypetition is in danger of falling behind the run rate - we need c650 signatures a day if we’re to hit our 100k target by September 10 and today we’ve only done about 500. Let’s have a big push to get above 46,000 tonight

It’s my goal to live to 100 – and it’s not just diet and exercise that will help me achieve it | Devi Sridhar Every time my mind goes down the ‘optimisation’ route, I’m reminded of my job as a public health scientist, looking into the factors that affect how long we will live, says public health academic Prof Devi Sridhar

It’s my goal to live to 100 – and it’s not just diet and exercise that will help me achieve it | Devi Sridhar

Read this. It's asking lots of the big and essential questions.

National Institute of Teaching gains degree-awarding powers Move means government's flagship teacher training provider will award its own PGCE to trainees

The National Institute of Teaching has been granted the power to award degrees, in a move it says takes it closer to becoming a 'specialist, school-led university for the teaching profession'

buff.ly/pYzMLQ7

Would you like to work with me?

If you’re a primary leader and want to develop literacy across the curriculum, I’m working with a small number of schools.

If this is you send me a message

One in four pupils in England ‘disengage’ when they move to secondary, report finds New study found a drop in enjoyment, trust and feelings of safety after year 7 and a largely positive primary experience

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

Children are speaking to strangers online – and grooming is on the rise. This is how to protect them | Devi Sridhar Parents are used to worrying about walking home alone and sleepovers, but games and messaging apps pose new risks, says Devi Sridhar of the University of Edinburgh

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Asked this weekend, 66% of Britons said they supported a closer relationship with the EU, and 53% said they supported rejoining the EU

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

Nine months in power: how does Labour’s legislative plan look? Since the election, the government has been busy making new laws, but most people have not noticed. So, here’s a roundup of progress.

✍️ Nine months in power: how does Labour’s legislative plan look?

Since the election the government has been busy making new laws, but most people have not noticed. So, here’s a roundup of progress | Stephen McNair

@eastangliabylines.co.uk @stephenmcnair.bsky.social

How universities were sent over the edge UK higher education institutions did as the government asked and took on more students. Now many face collapse

“No single decision is to blame” for UK universities' dire financial situations, writes @rostaylor.bsky.social. “But many trace [the crisis] back to a decision made by chancellor George Osborne in December 2013.”
www.prospectmagazine...

Authentic oracy goes beyond mere articulation.

It involves developing a genuine voice, fostering collaboration, and ultimately supporting deeper understanding and personal development within educational settings

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Immune amnesia: Why even mild measles infections can lead to serious disease later How even mild measles infections can lead to serious illness later

Getting #measles doesn’t confer benefits on the immune system — in fact, it’s just the opposite.
Even a mild case of measles destroys the memory cells that confer resistance to infections the patient has previously fought--called immune amnesia.
www.latimes.com/science/stor...

Cognitive science and learning the curriculum:

Given the amount of research that has become available to us in the last few years, there are some great gains to be made if we take account of these when we are considering how to help our pupils learn the curriculum.

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New on @MyattandCo my webinar introducing

KS3: The Ambitious Years

We’re aiming to position Key Stage 3 as the ‘intellectual powerhouse’ of the secondary school!

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