Mark Goodrich
@markgoodrich.bsky.social
Was a lawyer, now a primary teacher. Interested in politics, chess, citizenship and education especially reading and maths. Has lived in 🇯🇵🇰🇷and now in 🇱🇦. https://open.substack.com/pub/markgoodrich
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Sorry #Edusky - I got distracted by the "where is the Edu-chat discourse and forgot to post my #Saturday3 until now. It has a bit of a philosophy theme this week which is one of my other passions!
Sorry #Edusky - I got distracted by the "where is the Edu-chat discourse and forgot to post my #Saturday3 until now. It has a bit of a philosophy theme this week which is one of my other passions!
November 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Sorry #Edusky - I got distracted by the "where is the Edu-chat discourse and forgot to post my #Saturday3 until now. It has a bit of a philosophy theme this week which is one of my other passions!
Hey #Edusky - please come and interact with @didau.bsky.social!
Bluesky is - sadly - an echoing void. Almost no one interacts on here, at least, not with me
November 29, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Hey #Edusky - please come and interact with @didau.bsky.social!
It has taken me to the weekend to articulate my thoughts properly but it's crazy that a policy which should be entirely uncontroversial is the least popular one in the budget. I am talking about reducing a Cash ISA to £12,000. I can only think there is some basic financial literacy missing here.
% who say each 2025 Budget policy was the 'right thing to do' (1/3)
Increase gambling taxes: 82%
Freeze rail fares: 82%
Reducing energy bills by £150 a year by reducing green levies: 75%
Increasing minimum wage: 71%
Mansion tax: 67%
Decreasing biz rates for retail/hospitality/leisure: 64%
Increase gambling taxes: 82%
Freeze rail fares: 82%
Reducing energy bills by £150 a year by reducing green levies: 75%
Increasing minimum wage: 71%
Mansion tax: 67%
Decreasing biz rates for retail/hospitality/leisure: 64%
November 29, 2025 at 8:39 AM
It has taken me to the weekend to articulate my thoughts properly but it's crazy that a policy which should be entirely uncontroversial is the least popular one in the budget. I am talking about reducing a Cash ISA to £12,000. I can only think there is some basic financial literacy missing here.
Lots of interesting discussion but the highlight was this zinger dropped by @amymayforrester.bsky.social :
“Your behaviour policy has to work to support your most inexperienced member of staff. And your most experienced staff have to support by following it.”
“Your behaviour policy has to work to support your most inexperienced member of staff. And your most experienced staff have to support by following it.”
NEW EPISODE - Are we Educating Yorkshire?
@amymayforrester.bsky.social and I spend a bit of time talking about Channel 4's program Educating Yorkshire. We try really hard to be sensitive and respectful when talking about it, as it's really tricky to do in public!
open.spotify.com/episode/5UDD...
@amymayforrester.bsky.social and I spend a bit of time talking about Channel 4's program Educating Yorkshire. We try really hard to be sensitive and respectful when talking about it, as it's really tricky to do in public!
open.spotify.com/episode/5UDD...
Are we educating Yorkshire?
open.spotify.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Lots of interesting discussion but the highlight was this zinger dropped by @amymayforrester.bsky.social :
“Your behaviour policy has to work to support your most inexperienced member of staff. And your most experienced staff have to support by following it.”
“Your behaviour policy has to work to support your most inexperienced member of staff. And your most experienced staff have to support by following it.”
Still looking like a Hollywood movie in a couple of years’ time…
November 28, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Still looking like a Hollywood movie in a couple of years’ time…
Is it wrong that I make deliberately absurd sentences in my Lao lessons?
November 28, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Is it wrong that I make deliberately absurd sentences in my Lao lessons?
Reposted by Mark Goodrich
Black Friday in Yorkshire
November 28, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Black Friday in Yorkshire
Weird day when I find myself in wholehearted agreement with Mark Wallace. It was a crazy metric when it was introduced (and lots of people said so). It’s still a crazy metric now even though widely used.
Net migration is a dreadful measure.
Voter: "Hey, I'm concerned about the level of immigration."
UK state: "Ok, I hear your concerns. Let's sort that out. How about if loads of young British people left the country? Would that make it better?"
Voter: "No?"
Voter: "Hey, I'm concerned about the level of immigration."
UK state: "Ok, I hear your concerns. Let's sort that out. How about if loads of young British people left the country? Would that make it better?"
Voter: "No?"
November 27, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Weird day when I find myself in wholehearted agreement with Mark Wallace. It was a crazy metric when it was introduced (and lots of people said so). It’s still a crazy metric now even though widely used.
I think we have all forgotten how crazy reducing net migration is as a policy aim. Literally, we want to make our country so unpleasant that people stop wanting to come and more people want to leave. (Everyone said it at first and now it’s just…accepted).
Yeah, and I’m sorry but people who care about *net* migration are quite rare. People care about *immigration* (which is also falling).
November 27, 2025 at 12:59 PM
I think we have all forgotten how crazy reducing net migration is as a policy aim. Literally, we want to make our country so unpleasant that people stop wanting to come and more people want to leave. (Everyone said it at first and now it’s just…accepted).
Interrobang is a fantastic word and bit of punctuation. However, as a #chess player, I find it mildly frustrating that it refers to both ?! and !?. To me, they have different meanings but I am the only one who thinks like this?
November 27, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Interrobang is a fantastic word and bit of punctuation. However, as a #chess player, I find it mildly frustrating that it refers to both ?! and !?. To me, they have different meanings but I am the only one who thinks like this?
This might be slightly posting into the void but are there any details on how the EV mileage tax will actually work?
November 26, 2025 at 3:14 PM
This might be slightly posting into the void but are there any details on how the EV mileage tax will actually work?
This might be slightly posting into the void but are there any details on how the EV mileage tax will actually work?
November 26, 2025 at 3:13 PM
This might be slightly posting into the void but are there any details on how the EV mileage tax will actually work?
This is interesting even if rather unsurprising.
Using PISA data from 73 countries, researchers estimated the extent to which growth mindset mediates the association of SES on achievement, and find results consistent w/ the picture of the last 10 years. It's a real effect. It's small. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 26, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This is interesting even if rather unsurprising.
In one sense, this is good (and was almost inevitable) but on the other hand, 😱 as DfE will need to find the money from somewhere.
THREAD: SEND costs to hit central government budgets
The cost of SEND support will shift entirely onto central government from 2028, and the OBR warns the DfE has no plan for how to pay for it, according to the OBR's Economic and fiscal outlook, published in error.
The cost of SEND support will shift entirely onto central government from 2028, and the OBR warns the DfE has no plan for how to pay for it, according to the OBR's Economic and fiscal outlook, published in error.
November 26, 2025 at 1:19 PM
In one sense, this is good (and was almost inevitable) but on the other hand, 😱 as DfE will need to find the money from somewhere.
Reposted by Mark Goodrich
Anyone using Sounds Write phonics & would be willing to have us over to see it in action?🙏
November 26, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Anyone using Sounds Write phonics & would be willing to have us over to see it in action?🙏
OK - now I am curious. Have many schools banned the 6-7 hand movements? (You really can’t call it a dance). I feel this needs to be a Teacher Tapp question @heymrshallahan.bsky.social!
Those who know, know. I wouldn't have been able to resist it either. I can't hear 6-7 without hearing it on repeat alongside all other similarly 'blessed' parents:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Starmer apologises for leading pupils in 6-7 dance
The prime minister performed a version of the viral dance with primary school children, before being told it was not allowed.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:23 PM
OK - now I am curious. Have many schools banned the 6-7 hand movements? (You really can’t call it a dance). I feel this needs to be a Teacher Tapp question @heymrshallahan.bsky.social!
I got FB for the first time when I moved to Laos. You need it here because it has basically all the restaurant info so it has always been 98% AI slop for me. Must be upsetting for those who used to use to keep in touch with people.
My Facebook feed no longer has anything from people I know. Instead it's 99% AI slop videos of "trains floating on canal boats having accidents in which someone falls into the water". It's horrible, mainly because I can't stop watching them on repeat and the algorithm knows the darkness of my soul.
November 25, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I got FB for the first time when I moved to Laos. You need it here because it has basically all the restaurant info so it has always been 98% AI slop for me. Must be upsetting for those who used to use to keep in touch with people.
This is a tremendous article.
November 25, 2025 at 6:35 AM
This is a tremendous article.
OK - smashed it with over a month to go. What do I challenge myself to next year #BookSky ? @thestorygraph.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:31 PM
OK - smashed it with over a month to go. What do I challenge myself to next year #BookSky ? @thestorygraph.com
This is a real cautionary tale for those with paid subscriptions on Substack who might ever want to move... However, it did also make me aware that there is an option in settings on PC (haven’t found it app) to only receive subscriptions in the app. Might be worth it if you are getting too many!
I'm not going back to Substack. I will continue to post my newsletters from Ghost. But I did have to get back in there, just to post this and let people who thought I'd vanished know about this utter nightmare: substack.com/home/post/p-...
An Explanation (Which I Would Be Very Grateful If You Took The Time To Read)
What follows is a minor modern horror story.
substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:01 AM
This is a real cautionary tale for those with paid subscriptions on Substack who might ever want to move... However, it did also make me aware that there is an option in settings on PC (haven’t found it app) to only receive subscriptions in the app. Might be worth it if you are getting too many!
As someone with an interest in philosophy *and* school improvement, it felt like this blog was written for me! There’s lots to think about about even if philosophy is not your bag. open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
Autonomy, authority and anarchy: creating a better school culture
Most schools live with a quiet tension between what’s written in policy and what actually happens in lessons. Getting to grips with this tension is at the heart of creating an improved school culture.
open.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
As someone with an interest in philosophy *and* school improvement, it felt like this blog was written for me! There’s lots to think about about even if philosophy is not your bag. open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
If you like nerdy stats about teacher recruitment etc, you have to follow Jack.
First 2025/26 cycle ITT data out today. Too early to tell much and it's quite contradictory!
- Applications up, but offers and acceptances flat or down
- Acceptances especially down for secondary and in bursary-cut subjects
Will be interesting to see if extra apps translate into offers later on
- Applications up, but offers and acceptances flat or down
- Acceptances especially down for secondary and in bursary-cut subjects
Will be interesting to see if extra apps translate into offers later on
November 24, 2025 at 10:18 AM
If you like nerdy stats about teacher recruitment etc, you have to follow Jack.
You may need to #TeachMaths to find this interesting but I have discovered that the Bluesky follower count is not based on rounding.
November 24, 2025 at 9:26 AM
You may need to #TeachMaths to find this interesting but I have discovered that the Bluesky follower count is not based on rounding.
Great story, this! www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...
Aonishiki: Ukraine sumo prodigy becomes champion in Japan
Aonishiki wins the November sumo tournament in Japan and becomes the first person from Ukraine to claim an elite-level sumo championship.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Great story, this! www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...
I am missing #SundayMorningBookChat from @slatterymr.bsky.social but I also have a question for the #KidLit community arising from the last book I read. It seems hard to write a really strong children’s book told fully in first person (from a single character). Hit me up with any stellar examples!
November 23, 2025 at 8:10 AM
I am missing #SundayMorningBookChat from @slatterymr.bsky.social but I also have a question for the #KidLit community arising from the last book I read. It seems hard to write a really strong children’s book told fully in first person (from a single character). Hit me up with any stellar examples!