Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 5h

She's getting too big for her boots now.

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 14h

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is one of the worst kids books I've ever read.

It's a Live Love Laugh sign in book form.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 22h

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

1 1 8

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 1d

"Look at this skank in his baggy T-Shirt. Disgusting."

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 1d

I love it how in 90% of men's clothing ads on social media, I dress like the men in the Before photos.

1 1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 1d

Preston from Educating Yorkshire.

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 24d

Lovely, a bit weird and could talk your ear off.

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 1d

Pikuniku is another great game for youngish kids. I've had to help my eldest with the robot dance battles and a couple of the boss battles but she's been fine with the rest. There are some great logic puzzles within it.

2

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

The 'one teacher and 30 children' model just does not work for children with PDA and they're not the only ones who suffer as a result of it.

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

The negative impact of children with PDA is way more damaging than any other SEN I've experienced.

They absolutely have a right to an education but it simply cannot be in a mainstream school unless there is significant funding and specialist provision that comes with it

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

"The Other 29" is a stupid phrase (because it is highly unlikely you will one have one high-needs child in a class) but we do need to take into consideration the impact that children with PDA have on the safety, wellbeing and learning of their peers.

1 1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

The situation is insane. Teachers and leaders can't just go along with it.

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

The behaviour linked to PDA often breaks social and behavioural norms, and you cannot have a safe classroom AND a classroom where children do not follow the instructions of the teacher.

You also cannot have a place where children feel safe and get their right to learn.

1 1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

Specialist provision is necessary for children with PDA for their own good, the good of school staff, the good of classmates and for safety.

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

Every blog or official bit of guidance I have read about supporting children with PDA in a mainstream classroom essentially boils down to "Let them do what they want, on their own terms, all of the time" just in management-speak and eduwaffle.

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

Children with PDA experience anxiety so severe that even ordinary requests can feel like threats. Expecting them to cope in a class of 30 where dozens, perhaps 100s of simple instructions are delivered daily, is ridiculous, cruel even.

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

Children with diagnosed PDA have needs are simply too complex. A special school setting is the only environment capable of meeting those needs consistently and safely.

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

I'm not saying that all children WILL follow every instruction, every time. I'm saying that it should be expected. It should be a norm. When it doesn't happen, it should be seen as a strange thing.

You cannot run a school with a 1:30 or 1:15 staff to pupil ratio without this norm and expectation.

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

All schools, even the most inclusive, should have an expectation that children will follow simple instructions at the first time of asking. Any other approach is detrimental in many ways.

1 1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 2d

I really don't understand how the decision makers within education can believe that placing children with PDA in a mainstream school is the right thing to do.

1 1

Reposted by Oliver Mills

Geoff Norcott @geoffnorcott.bsky.social · 3d

This world increasingly makes less sense to me.

5 2 19

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 3d

I don't think so. Not exactly anyway.

SATs scores impact Progress 8 data. If schools want to get a good (>+0.5) score they need children who got Expected at SATs to get strong GCSE results.

In fact, some schools direct attention into MA pupils more than HA because they move Progress 8 the most.

2

Reposted by Oliver Mills

Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 3d

A National Education Union stunt where primary school pupils handed out leaflets at the Labour Party conference drew criticism last week – but what does the law say?

Schools Week investigates…

Kids’ school dinner protest leaves a bad taste

NEU stunt involving primary pupils handing out leaflets on free school meals draws criticism

schoolsweek.co.uk

2 2

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 3d

#2 should have been in mine.

1

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 3d

Praise You - Fatboy Slim
Heaven - The Blaze
Ain't Nobody - Bakermat
I Say A Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
Like a Prayer - Madonna

#FridayFive

1 1 10

Reposted by Oliver Mills

Carl Hendrick @carlhendrick.substack.com · 3d

Systematic review on Maths anxiety show what most teachers already know: being better at a thing makes you less anxious about the thing.
Forget about breathing exercises or mindfulness; confidence follows accuracy, not the other way round.
psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

2 10

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 5d

Done it again 💡🤓

Oliver Mills @olivermills.bsky.social · 12d

Nothing too American, good red herrings and I got the purple one first which always makes me feel like a clever boy.