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Reposted by Michael Tidd

Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 33m

In an exclusive interview, Searching for Normal author Sami Timimi tells @helen-amass.bsky.social why he believes labels for autism, ADHD and other mental health conditions have become commercialised and offer no benefit

Sami Timimi: Why ‘invented’ SEND labels are disabling pupils

Diagnostic labels are medicalising young people for behaviours once considered ordinary and are contributing to unsustainable workload in schools, argues psychiatrist Sami Timimi

www.tes.com

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Reposted by Michael Tidd

NAHT @naht.org.uk · 12h

Ofsted’s revised inspection framework, due to take effect from 10 November 2025, continues to put school staff well-being at risk.

We’re calling on Ofsted to halt the introduction of its revised framework and rethink its approach.

Read about and join our campaign here: https://bit.ly/43j0HuC

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Reposted by Michael Tidd

Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 1d

I can't quite get my bearings with this article. I understand that a school recently judged outstanding in every category might be more positive about Ofsted in general, but this feels just a little too full of praise for the new framework.
www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

New Ofsted inspections: 5 insights from our school's test visit

A head who had a two-day pilot inspection under Ofsted's new framework shares what he learned – and why it was a positive experience

www.tes.com

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 11h

His school website says he worked with Ofsted in 2023, although not in what category

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 1d

Every paragraph feels like what HMCI would want someone to say.
I'm sure Asif Bharti genuinely holds very positive views, but phrases like "The new five-point grading scale, ranging from “urgent improvement” to “exceptional,” brings much-needed nuance" feel rather forced.

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 1d

I can't quite get my bearings with this article. I understand that a school recently judged outstanding in every category might be more positive about Ofsted in general, but this feels just a little too full of praise for the new framework.
www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

New Ofsted inspections: 5 insights from our school's test visit

A head who had a two-day pilot inspection under Ofsted's new framework shares what he learned – and why it was a positive experience

www.tes.com

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Reposted by Michael Tidd

Daisy Christodoulou @daisychristo.bsky.social · 2d

The government are said to be planning a new Year 8 reading test.

Do we need it?

Some thoughts here.

substack.nomoremarking.com/p/does-engla...

Does England need a new Year 8 reading test?

And if so, what can we learn from America?

substack.nomoremarking.com

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 2d

He'll have done his basic groundwork to check it's not already in the national curriculum, right?

Oh...

Pupils should be taught to:
Key stage 1
 use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
 understand where food comes from.
Key stage 2
 understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
 prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking
techniques
 understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown,
reared, caught and processed.

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 3d

Hopefully accept their resignation gracefully.
You can't tolerate that sort of undermining of the school's efforts with pupil attendance.

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 3d

It seems to be more about the organisation of the days and people

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 3d

Yes - very odd to think that we should be running mock inspections to train someone to manipulate the real thing.

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 3d

I'm intrigued by this nominee thing. But I still don't get what it would actually look like in practice. Why would a head hand over the management of an inspection to anyone else?
schoolsweek.co.uk/how-to-make-...

Don't waste time! Identify your Ofsted nominee now

The role can transform the inspection experience - but only if its holder is equipped for the challenge

schoolsweek.co.uk

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 4d

Such a good point.
Have we become trapped in a system where "something must be done"?

Ben Newmark @bennewmark.bsky.social · 4d

New post.
Has additional become the point?
bennewmark.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/h...

Has additional become the point?

Saying the SEND system is in crisis is no great reveal; it is proving ruinously expensive while failing to deliver either improved experiences or outcomes. One consequence of its long-term failure …

bennewmark.wordpress.com

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 7d

Whenever I read an article like this about reducing exclusions, I want a chance to hear from teachers in the school. The ones actually dealing with the behaviours in the classroom.
www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

How ‘true’ inclusion cuts exclusions

A new approach to inclusion has helped one school to reduce exclusions to zero and significantly cut suspensions. Phil Humphreys and Kiran Gill explain how

www.tes.com

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 7d

There are so few all-through schools that really live the all-through approach. Usually they're just co-located primary and secondary schools, which is not quite the same.

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 7d

Notable that NAHT heads are majority primary

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Reposted by Michael Tidd

David Herdson @davidherdson.bsky.social · 8d

This below is from the 2005 BNP manifesto.

Spot the difference with current Tory and Reform policy.

(p14 news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp... )

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 8d

I think "systems" is such a key thing.
So much of what confuses Y7s - and frustrates teachers of Y7 - is the shift in what is and isn't consistent. Kids panic and teachers curse their inability to do things, when in fact they're just dealing with a systems shift!

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 8d

I think I broadly agree, but I'm interested in your rationale.

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 8d

Not sure it's interesting enough to be scaremongering.

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 8d

All this time, money and effort to produce data which everyone knows is junk.

Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 8d

🤖 Exclusive: Standardisation tests for SATs moderators will include questions written by artificial intelligence under a new government trial to cut costs and school workload

AI questions to be trialled in SATs moderator tests

Government launches trial in bid to cut costs and school workload, amid push to 'harness the power of AI'

schoolsweek.co.uk

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 11d

And yet it'll be repeatedly listed in EHCPs as if some revelatory new idea.

Of course it's quite hard to make a non-visual timetable...

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 11d

Well, it's not like fudging the details has caused any problems before...

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 11d

You mean it's not just full of these...?

Image of a large tin of Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies, featuring images of the common biscuit shapes on top of the tin, and a pendant stating "celebrating 50 years"

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 11d

Tories to continue their approach of claiming that everything would just be fine if we could just leave one more thing...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

UK will leave ECHR if Tories win election, Badenoch says

The European Convention on Human Rights has become a focal point in debates around changing immigration policy.

www.bbc.co.uk

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