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catfordmum.bsky.social

@catfordmum.bsky.social
53 followers 85 following 164 posts
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @sidneysussex.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk Sidney Sussex sounds like a 1940s film star, but she is in fact Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex, who left money to found the college If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost – it helps to spread the word!
An old monochrome picture postcard showing the New Court at Sidney Sussex College, a Victorian building with a cloistered walkway at the ground level
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catfordmum.bsky.social @catfordmum.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is the crux; there is high concern about who will be removed from an academic path, who will determine this and what will be their motivations. It’s often framed as moving to something less….
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catfordmum.bsky.social @catfordmum.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
toys.jamesomalley.co.uk/mpchain/ i need to do something more productive!
toys.jamesomalley.co.uk
MP Chain — How many MPs can you recognise?
Pick the named MP from two portraits. One wrong answer ends your chain.
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catfordmum.bsky.social @catfordmum.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
toys.jamesomalley.co.uk/mpchain/ flippin addictive
toys.jamesomalley.co.uk
MP Chain — How many MPs can you recognise?
Pick the named MP from two portraits. One wrong answer ends your chain.
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Reposted by @catfordmum.bsky.social
Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 24/09/2026
So, Vocational GCSEs, eh? If you think that something about this announcement feels eerily familiar, you're in good company. Time for a quick history lesson.... My new post on LinkedIn: lnkd.in/p/eJVMzP-S
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Wonkhe @wonkhe.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This week on Wonkhe: This week on the podcast we examine the government’s response to criticism of the student loan system.
buff.ly
Podcast: Loans, Free speech
This week on the podcast we examine the government’s response to criticism of the student loan system. With ministers still describing the system as unfair and in need of reform, what might meaningful...
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Wonkhe @wonkhe.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
NEW on Wonkhe: Someone has to make housing a condition of recruiting students buff.ly/FSTD1yS
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
They'll be a lot of chatter about England's PISA results this morning, but we need to talk just as much about Wales. They rejected phonics and knowledge-rich curricula in favour of 'areas of learning', 'skills suites' and barely any testing. Wales is now 40 points below England in every domain.
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of Cardiff University, as seen from Cathays Park - its part of the grand Edwardian Imperial quarter in Cardiff, with the museum, city hall, court and war memorials If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
An old colour picture postcard of a grand ornate college building seen from a park with statue, lawns and flower beds
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Mike Ratcliffe @mike-rat.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Your reminder that the fullest account of universities as charities (and what happens when they are sold) is by Mary Synge. Although the OfS is the main regulator in an acquisition, the public benefit test should still involve the Charity Commission. universitycharity.co.uk
Photo of the cover of ‘The University Charity’
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Daisy Christodoulou @daisychristo.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Latest from me - what should we do about the forgotten third? substack.nomoremarking.com/p/what-shoul...
substack.nomoremarking.com
What should we do about the “forgotten third”?
The importance of foundational skills
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catfordmum.bsky.social @catfordmum.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Well worth a read.
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Higher Education Policy Institute @hepi-news.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New Post: Follow the demand or preserve the breadth? Universities face an A-level dilemma www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/08/19/f...
hepi.ac.uk
Follow the demand or preserve the breadth? Universities face an A-level dilemma - HEPI
This blog was kindly authored by Professor Alan Smithers, Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham A-levels have served universities well over the years. At first,…
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @dundee.ac.uk I've got some lovely colourful cards of this troubled university so its going to be a bit of a Dundee week If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
An old colour picture postcard showing a pretty flower bed, yellows and reds, in front of a motley mixture of university buildings. Printed at the foot of the card is DUNDEE UNIVERSITY
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Richard Douglas @maitrereynard.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Just coming back from a fleeting visit to the Edinburgh fringe, feeling quite uplifted. It’s not just that the shows we’ve seen have been funny and entertaining…
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @collingwooddurham.bsky.social, @durham.ac.uk I wrote about Collingwood for @wonkhe.bsky.social back in 2024: wonkhe.com/blogs/higher... If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
An old colour picture postcard showing 1970s brick college buildings on a hillside. There are also trees and grass, the sky is cloudy white
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Daisy Christodoulou @daisychristo.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
We learnt this week that functionally illiterate American workers earn as much as the average Brit. There is not much schools can do about this. We need other parts of govt to take responsibility. substack.nomoremarking.com/p/schools-ar...
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of St Mary's College, @durham.ac.uk If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
An old colour picture postcard showing brick neo-Georgian college buildings set in parkland. Printed non the card in white is St Mary's College, Durham University, with the Univesity's crest
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catfordmum.bsky.social @catfordmum.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Unbelievable stuff, students don’t have enough information to make choices that they may pay for over most of their working lives.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Germany, Switzerland etc... not only have a different balance of manufacturing vs services but also a corporate model in which companies support vocational ed at scale. We have neither. Schools/colleges aren't the problem.
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Higher Education Policy Institute @hepi-news.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
New Post: The franchise cliff edge www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/07/27/t...
hepi.ac.uk
The franchise cliff edge - HEPI
What happens when higher education franchise models meet tighter regulation? This analysis examines the risks for students and providers.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 22/07/2026
Welcome back Jacqui Smith to the world of HE, FE and apprenticeships! Continuity at a time of significant change is appreciated, but the challenges facing the Government across the post-16 landscape are still as sizeable as they are urgent. My new post on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/tdrich...
linkedin.com
Welcome back Jacqui Smith to the world of HE, FE and apprenticeships! Having continuity in ministerial roles at a time of significant change in British politics is certainly appreciated. That said,…...
Welcome back Jacqui Smith to the world of HE, FE and apprenticeships! Having continuity in ministerial roles at a time of significant change in British politics is certainly appreciated. That said, ...
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catfordmum.bsky.social @catfordmum.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Good piece, this
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Reposted by @catfordmum.bsky.social
Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @goldsmithsuol.bsky.social Goldsmiths is going through hard times at the moment: solidarity to all who are there @goldsmithsucu.bsky.social If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
An old colour picture postcard showing a brick college building set in a field with Virginia creeper growing on the wall
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catfordmum.bsky.social @catfordmum.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Very interesting read
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 18/06/2026
In my latest podcast, @jonnyuttley.bsky.social explained why a state school having a good 'reputation' for supporting children with SEND can sometimes be a cause for concern. Listen to the full episode here: insideyoured.com
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
"My bulbs are coming on" @unibirmingham.bsky.social #HigherEducationPostcard
An old monochrome picture postcard showing an aerial photograph of 1950s halls of residence set in parkland
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catfordmum.bsky.social @catfordmum.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
@larasprite.bsky.social i think the gender split in makerfield is interesting even if Stephen Swinford didn’t seem to!
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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Extraordinary testimony to the Millburn Report about sleeping habits
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Interesting that the idea of another EU referendum is regularly discussed on broascast media as something that would cause division and thus a bad idea. But plans to deport literally millions of people are discussed as administrative questions.
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @kent.ac.uk Founded in 1965, in 2025 the creation of the London and South East University Group - comprising Kent and Greenwich - was announced If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
An old colour picture postcard showing a 1960s university campus, with concrete and glass college buildings, some still under construction, set in green fields
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of what used to be @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social - the card dates from before 1953 when it became Queen Elizabeth College, re-merging with KCL in 1985 If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
An old monochrome picture postcard showing 1930s college buildings set against parkland with a large tree. Printed at the bottom of the card is King's College for Women, Campden Hill, Exterior front
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Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Facepalm www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... (primacy and recency effect - get the start or the end wrong and it spoils the whole thing)
bbc.co.uk
Sunderland university graduation ceremony waiting lists 'disappointing'
Two ceremonies have been affected as Sunderland students face uncertainty over their graduation day.
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Ros Taylor @rostaylor.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Good news. But at Sussex University last weekend they told us they had closed so many language courses that links with EU institutions have dwindled and Erasmus returning won’t change that.
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Richard Douglas @maitrereynard.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
I’ve been waiting for him to announce this - if he can’t get the Iranians to stop tolling ships upstream, he’ll join in and toll them again downstream. And try to find a way for most of the proceeds to find their way into his pocket.
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Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
NEW on Wonkhe: DfE’s desperation on equality impact-assessing student finance reaches a new low buff.ly/w8gxfGv
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FFT Education Datalab @fftedudatalab.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
NEW: 10 key findings about the outcomes of initially high-achieving children from disadvantaged backgrounds - with John Jerrim and Maria Palma Carvajal This post brings together some of the “greatest hits” from across this research project. ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2026/04/10-k...
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
10 key findings about the outcomes of initially high-achieving children from disadvantaged backgrounds - FFT Education Datalab
This post brings together some of the “greatest hits” from across the project, highlighting a selection of the findings that stood out most over the course of the research.
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Ben Newmark @bennewmark.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
New from me Things Can Get Worse. Why I'm so worried about the SEND reform direction of travel. bennewmark.wordpress.com/2026/03/26/t...
Screenshot of text from the linked blog post.
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Terrific piece by @bennewmark.bsky.social on SEND and inclusion in England
bennewmark.wordpress.com
Things can get worse.
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield once said, “there is no problem so bad that you can’t make it worse.” We would do well to listen to this wisdom right now. While everyone agrees schools need to be…
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Stuart Lock @stulock.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Very intelligent from @bennewmark.bsky.social on the proposed SEND reforms. Would be great if the government are listening: bennewmark.wordpress.com/2026/03/26/t...
bennewmark.wordpress.com
Things can get worse.
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield once said, “there is no problem so bad that you can’t make it worse.” We would do well to listen to this wisdom right now. While everyone agrees schools need to be…
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Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
I'm afraid there'll be much, much more of this going forward. Prospective students and parents should check very carefully before applying to university courses that may not exist by the next autumn, and may be closed even while they're on them. www.itv.com/news/central...
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Richard Douglas @maitrereynard.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Really enjoyed doing this talk and interview with Chris Baker of the @williamtemplefdn.bsky.social. Delighted it's out now as a podcast. We discuss the necessity for a social turn towards a metaphysical or spiritual understanding of reality, in order to find meaning within a world of limits.
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Rebecca Montacute @beckymontacute.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
There's a major social and economic crisis coming down the line for Gen X - and policymakers need to get ahead of it now. New report from @gideonsalutin.bsky.social and Niamh O Regan on the upcoming 'pension shock' crisis ⬇️
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Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
NEW on Wonkhe: Rachel Reeves on student loans isn’t even arguing with herself yet wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...
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Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 10/03/2026
This is magnificently contemptuous www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
lrb.co.uk
Andrew O’Hagan · Stay Classy: Mummy’s Favourite
The late queen can be held responsible for much, but nobody could accuse her of seeming to enjoy her role. For the...
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Miranda Green @greenmirandahere.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Vernon Bogdanor for the Weekend FT on why FPTP can't cope with our new multi-party politics - a good read with a nice @robfordmancs.bsky.social quote in there too www.ft.com/content/38d8...
ft.com
It’s time to end Britain’s first-past-the-post election lottery
The Gorton and Denton by-election confirmed just how capricious our electoral system has become
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Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
NEW on Wonkhe: Another specialist provider collapses wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of Crewe and Alsager College, once an HEI in its own right; then merged with @manmetuni.bsky.social I don't think either of these campuses are still in use by MMU If you like this image, please repost it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
An old colur picture postcard showing two pictures: on the top modern blocks providing student housing; the lower picture shows a Victorian brick built college building
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Stuart Lock @stulock.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
This is my GP surgery. Things don’t seem better at all.
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Richard Douglas @maitrereynard.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
I'm not a fan of PR, but that ship has sailed. Read a great essay in Political Quarterly about this a while back. Having introduced it outside Westminster (European Parliament, Devolved Governments), we have allowed a multiparty system to develop anyway. The Westminster system has now got to adapt.
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