Interesting thread. ..

'So what exactly is oracy, why does it matter, how do you teach it, and is oracy as important as literacy and numeracy?': good questions from Tom Richmond in our EDSK podcast conversation about the @OracyCommission I'm chairing: buff.ly/4aLUQzj

Schools in England are still waiting for final guidelines which I’m told will appear in due course. They will of course be informed by the Cass review bbc.co.uk/news/health-68…

I’ve been thinking all day quietly about #scrabble with my dad on holiday. He usually won - once with the word jakes which I refused to believe- had to wait until we got home and I could find a dictionary. Short words can be powerful

Every year a pleasure pop of blue

As many have pointed out it was 2010 - typo apologies

This is the full research paper - worth a read ifs.org.uk

The idea now reinvented as family hubs which government says “provide a number of advantages over the Sure Start model, including access to support up to when children turn 19 or 25 if they have special educational needs or disabilities, a wider range of support “

At their peak there were around 3000 sure start centres - a one stop shop for under 5s and parents - more than a thousand were closed in post 2020 austerity - others folded into other services. Now we have long term Institute for Fiscal Studies research that they paid for themselves

An important study from ⁦Institute for Fiscal Studies⁩ - the early sure start centres in disadvantaged areas had the biggest impact - traceable through the national pupil data base up to age 16 bbc.co.uk/news/education…

With statement from Julia Waters - sister of Ruth Perry: Ex-Ofsted boss to lead review into head teacher's death bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…

One of the issues raised repeatedly by headteachers and school governors with us last year was the 'tone deaf' nature of the response from Ofsted - something Martyn Oliver has been working hard at changing - this review will look at communication in the wake of Ruth Perry's death

Dame Christine Gilbert will have to use her considerable personal capital with education professionals to assert the robust and independent nature of any review into Ofsted's response - including a critical distance from an organisation she led

One of the challenges for Ofsted is that in a podcast last week Amanda Spielman insisted there had been no issue either in the inspection of Caversham Primary School or systemically within Ofsted - directly contradicting the senior coroner for Berkshire

While Dame Christine Gilbert is a former chief inspector - she has had a number of roles since leaving Ofsted in 2011. Most notably in recent times supporting Louise Casey in her review of the Metropolitan police

In response Paul Whiteman said 'it is important to confront head-on the concern that some might express about a former chief inspector reviewing the work of Ofsted. It is therefore crucial that the review demonstrates a robust level of independence and impartiality. '

The review was promised in response to the coroner from Ofsted and will: the actions Ofsted took in response to Ruth Perry's death, communications, engagement w stakeholders, and information-sharing within Ofsted regarding the incident as well as internal support to its staff

Dame Christine Gilbert is to lead the independent review that Ofsted has promised to look at the response to Ruth Perry's suicide - its communications and support for inspectors

You can find dumplings in cuisines around the world.

But where did they originally come from?

Download The Food Chain podcast to hear more 🎧 bbc.in/3xtQWN7

Bought a large posh jar of beans over Easter - now using up the second half with oven roasted tomatoes- dried oregano, fresh basil, small dash of wine & lots of black pepper. Lunchbox tmrw will soak up the excess