iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I also question the logic of needing to 'go outside government' when you have just 'got into' government, but this is another question for another time.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

It also isn't how the FOI Act works. There is the Section 35 exemption for "developing government policy". It basically is an exemption for officials to include "what's the most radical thing we could do here?" option in advice to ministers. So you don't need to 'go outside' government to do this.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

"Ho ho, Minister, by playing "Can we redeploy Civil Servants" you have activated my Trap Card! Don't you see? An HEO in the DfE doesn't know how to use a needle! This is an insurmountable obstacle that cannot be overcome by anything so rudimentary as this 'training' you speak of. I am very clever."

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

It does smack of "Nice idea. But I have already portrayed myself as the Civil Servant concerned with the practicalities of delivery and you as the bumbling Minister out of touch with reality."

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

On the CRB check (which has been known as the DBS since *checks notes* 2012! Who is the out of touch one?) surely the Civil Service security checks - even the basic ones - might have done a job?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Where I used to live the bus left the village at 12:00 every day, and arrived at the town at 12:30. The driver then went on his break, and did the return leg at 13:00. Leaving you precisely 30 minutes to get to the shops/doctors and back. No amount of free transport would make me use that bus.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

If you make it as attractive as possible to get people onto the bus (local routes, frequent service, good connectivity, AND free), they are more likely move away from other forms of transport. Because cars take up space (both on the road and parking) which is finite in urban environments.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

True, but there'll be some who can't afford it, and it's expensive to means test bus passes to ensure a retired banker doesn't get a free bus pass. The price of one Head Of Means Testing - Granny Division covers many £220pa. It's also about modal shifts, right?...

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

And if the the admin cost of means testing > £220, then it would make more sense. But then again, me coming at this from a social policy angle rather than a purely economic perspective is why you're published in The Economist and I'm waffling about on BlueSky!

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I suppose I'm coming at this from a social policy angle and thinking if your aim is 'it's good to get older people out and about', coupled with 'it becomes increasingly dangerous for people to drive as they get older' then maybe that's worth £220pa...

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I for one would welcome receiving my state-mandated 'Keep calm and carry on' poster and a copy of Raymond Briggs' 'When The Wind Blows'.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

An interesting perspective, but surely it's not 'either/or' but a case of 'lots of little things adding up'. If your aim is 'less car, more bus' because space is finite in urban environment, you price road use for cars (eg London) and have free travel for young and old and job seekers (eg London).

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

A fair point. And what do you think getting away with shoplifting does to the shoplifter? Breed a sense of impunity? Be a precursor to more serious crime? And yes - the reasons behind the behaviour are often the most important, completely agree. Shoplifting as a symptom, rather than the root.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

This is a genuine question (What do you think is a good system?) admittedly with some twee snark thrown in!

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

So what's a 'good' system look like? State-subsidised insurance premiums for shops? Make security guards into Judge Dredd? Or an acceptance that the 'loss' from shoplifting to the likes of (chosen at random) Tesco is a fraction of a percentage of a rounding error of their £73Bn revenue?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I was always disappointed the sequels weren't called: Now Two See Me Now You Three Me

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Sorry if I'm being obtuse - but your graph doesn't seem to show food prices *falling*. It shows the predicted *increase being smaller* (BoE predicting 5% to a c.2.5% actual increase, from my reading). The area underneath the line should be the focus, surely?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Completely. I'm just a sucker for the nuance! The juxtaposition of "are they wee babies or responsible adults?" is stark. At 16, you can vote*/sign up for the army**/have a 50cc moped/and have been tried as an adult for 5 years. *Soon ** I think I'm right on that

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

While we are an outlier, it is a bit more complicated. It is down to the judge (and maybe some others I can't 100% recall) whether they do try a 10 year old as an adult. It's on the facts of the specific case. Just because a 10 year old *can* be tried as an adult, doesn't mean they *are*.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

I couldn't see (from an admittedly quick look, so apologies if I missed you covering this in the report) whether there was any analysis of who is creating the misinformation, and for what purpose?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Super important report, Jamie and very timely. We recently found similarly worrying responses from young people about how they stay safe (or don't) online and how confident they feel with spotting misinformation (perhaps also over-confident responses). Full report: www.aqa.org.uk/files/a28616...

Graphic showing responses to survey questions.
34% of 11-18 year-olds reported sharing their personal information with people they don’t know online.
Only 66% of young people felt 'confident spotting disinformation', compared to 81% of Teachers and 80% of Parents.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Risk: Enough money to take some risks and have some pyrotechnics and stunts, but not so much money on the line that The Suits get spooked. Tech: Move to digital means execs can see THAT DAY's filming and can intervene quickly and can 'design by committee'. So fewer bonkers films get decent releases.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

There's been a hollowing out of the middle of films - the former 'mid-budget' films of c.£50M (that A24 have started making again) - so now movies are either tiny budget indie or mega Marvel movies. So weird stuff is being made, but without wide releases. Also two points on Risk and Tech...

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

An interesting correlation, but it's complicated. The data later on shows relationship rates declining since 1995. Admittedly I was literally 4 and more interested in Sesame Street, but I don't remember 1995 being awash with phones. So something else at play? bsky.app/profile/heta...

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Sorry, I'm not 100% clear. Do you mean that 'Under Labour the NHS improves, so people will care less about it because it's basically working' or 'As Labour is in power, people care less about the NHS because they assume it's basically working (regardless of improvements)'? Or something else? Cheers!

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

On second look, maybe I'm reading a bit too much into the '+' sign as opposed to the 'and' in 'Climate Change and the Environment.' In any case - July 2024 seems the pivot point. I can't remember last week, let alone 2 years ago, so any insights re. why the decline in concern for the NHS.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

That's a tricky tracker as it combines "Immigration" and "Channel Crossings" into one variable, but it doesn't do the same for others. Appreciate there may be overlap, but still... HOWEVER, really interesting that 'NHS' lost 2nd in July 2024 and has remained there. Any thoughts as to why the switch?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Fundamental issue with that show was they had an idea of 'what if the oceans threw our rubbish back?' and then had to retrofit. And who amongst us cannot say that in such a situation we also wouldn't end up with "the guy from Silent Witness doing a South African accent suicide bombs some fish"?!

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I remember from way back that the requirement to have meat/fish option made it impossible for some religious groups to operate in a compliant manner. School had to choose to operate in line with faith (vegetarian) OR in line with law (meat). Is a change in this in the proposals?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Oh! I completely got the wrong end of the stick! That makes total sense and am with you. Thanks for responding so clearly and constructively.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

For simpletons like me, sounds like differentiation (or ‘Mr Steedman’s chilli challenge’ of Mild, Medium and Spicy maths questions). Granted me SEND specific practice was rudimentary. I’m not clear what your solution is: is it a specialist provision model? Or whole class with minimal adaptations?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

This was a similar thought to what I had (thought it was a really good blog, very thought provoking and am trying to be really clear on what these terms mean). Surely ‘effective teaching for the whole class’ involves at least some level of ‘adapting to individuals’. Doesn’t sound like a fudge to me?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Also thought the greater diversity in news sources was really interesting. BBC dominates, but more responses for Facebook/Insta/Friends+Family/Al Jazeera among Muslim respondents. Wonder if this is related to relative ages of populations - any thoughts on this element?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

The thing that jumped out to me was the large Neither+Don't Know when asked about Russia and China (esp China, where c.50% of both groups were in the Neither+Don'tknow group). The +2 Net Favourable is also within the 3% margin for error, so think the only conclusion is 'it's complicated'.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

At AoC’sParliamentary reception by @aoc-info.bsky.social Great to hear from @helenhayes.bsky.social about ‘Recognising the work of students and colleges in transforming lives up and down the country’ and ‘supporting excellence wherever it is.’ Couldn’t agree more!

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Reposted by Adam Steedman Thake

AQA @aqaeducation.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

📢 Digital exams are more secure, better for the environment and good for students with special needs - but we need to go bigger to build evidence about what works. Read our response to the Ofqual consultation. www.aqa.org.uk/news/safer-g...

An invigilator and three students sitting digital exams in an exam hall.

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Reposted by Adam Steedman Thake

AQA @aqaeducation.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

It was our first Student Advisory Group meeting of 2026 yesterday, and we welcomed new members, a new Student Chair, a new Trustee Chair, and a new Executive Sponsor. On the agenda were digital exams, Citizenship, and the new National Youth Strategy with special guests UK Youth and Girlguiding.

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Reposted by Adam Steedman Thake

Sam Sims @drsamsims.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

New research from Michigan State shows a) school climate has a pretty strong relationship with pupil absenteeism b) this seems to have got stronger since pandemic c) student sense of 'connectedness' may be particularly important aspect of school climate journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Coverage in @theobserveruk.bsky.social of @aqaeducation.bsky.social's plans to move to digital exams for GCSEs and A-level. They have the potential to be fairer to students, assess a wider range of skills and knowledge, and are greener for the environment. #education #digital #exams

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Thanks for the invite! Looking forward to talking more soon.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Super event at the SMF, exploring the huge topic of ‘fixing SEND’ Thought provoking discussion and strong focus on realistic possibilities. @smfthinktank.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social @danfrancis02.bsky.social @charleyo.bsky.social @anyasizer.bsky.social @danihpayne.bsky.social

Panel discussion at the Social Market foundation event titled “Fixing SEND:What is possible?”
Chair Rebecca Montacute, SMF
Panel: Dani Payne SMF, Charlotte O’Reagan Sutton Trust, Cllr Anya Sizer Hackney Council, and Daniel Francis MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

That's a fair assessment. It is pretty techy policy wonk stuff (which, as a techy policy wonk, I live and breathe for!). But it is also the bread and butter, day-to-day, BAU governance of a struggling system. (OK, perhaps techy policy wonk again) But a first step of 'gripping the nettle', perhaps?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

With all the oxygen taken up by *gestures vaguely at everything else going on*, it was a helluva day to bury good news. A shame it hasn’t cut through.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

While I fully agree that performance management (at all levels) is a problem in the Civil Service (and in other industries!), I don’t think the Darren Jones solution (Ministerial KPIs for SCS) is going to work. What makes a Minister an inherently good manager? Should Ministers’ even be ‘managers’?

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

It's an interesting piece, but the journalists' questions of "What makes THIS speech about Civil Service Reform different from the last umpteen?" really get to the heart of the matter. 9/10

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Move fast and fix things: Modernising Whitehall to deliver for Britain | Institute for Government

Keynote speech from Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Darren Jones MP.

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

I know Jones is talking about a reimagined British State with departments working differently. But I don’t believe they will do away with The Great Offices Of State (politicians want to be Home Sec/Lord Chancellor etc). So there will always be a Home Office and MoJ in some form. 8/10

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Similarly, if one SCS in the Home Office has a KPI set by the Home Secretary, and another SCS in the Ministry of Justice has a different (perhaps mutually exclusive) KPI set by the Lord Chancellor, will two SCS get the sack for what is a misalignment between departments? 7/10

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

If their job is on the line for a Ministerial bugbear, will they provide robust challenge which is the hallmark of good policy and interventions? If a SCS is on the hook for - oh I dunno, let's make something up - let's say “annexing Greenland.” Is that fair? 6/10

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Adam Steedman Thake @thakeman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

For a speech that focused on ‘delivery’, it also worries me how this would work (or “be delivered”). It is all well and good having a target set by a realistic Minister, grounded in reality. But it isn’t hard to imagine a different set of ministers in charge, with wilder ideas. 5/10

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