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Today's newsletter, which I primarily wrote because Harvey, who filled in for Georgina while she was on holiday, made a really cool chart, is on Labour's child poverty pledge and what it tells us more broadly about the government's approach:

submitted 12 days ago • 3 comments

When I was in charge at NGA, I enjoyed the magazine arriving. Now it's nothing to do with me, it's still fab to see a great new edition #GoverningMatters

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

Schools to get extra £4.5 bn a year in spending review for teacher pay and SEND reform taking per pupil funding to highest level - my story for @theobserveruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

submitted 14 days ago • 7 comments

It's #VolunteersWeek2025 A good reason to thank citizens giving their time to their communities. I chair a local charity with a fabulous band of volunteers 100% crucial to Action21: www.action21.co.uk/volunteers And of course I can't forget 200,000 people who volunteer to govern schools in England

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

A huge thank you to all volunteers involved in school and trust governance. I am so grateful for their dedication and hard work. This #VolunteersWeek make a difference to children’s lives by becoming a governor or trustee. Contact your local school or trust to find out more 🫶

submitted 19 days ago • 1 comment

We were pleased to be involved as a Pathfinder School in this project. #UKEdGovs How often do we talk about our values, and do we ensure test they are more than words on the website?

submitted 28 days ago • 0 comments

Great blog by Bradley Fage v much in the spirit of this week's #VolunteersWeek celebrating the win/win of giving your time & skills, & promoting Young Governors Network, always been owned & led by school governors & trustees under the age of 40. Board diversity matters www.nga.org.uk/news-views/d...

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

Birmingham Art Gallery: tremendous exhibition, but tomorrow is the last day. Lucky to have caught it today

submitted 21 days ago • 0 comments

📝 Ministers have been urged to show more 'urgency' on tackling child poverty amid fears schools will be expected to further 'plug the gap', following reports the government's flagship strategy is delayed Full story 🔽

submitted 23 days ago • 0 comments

The wonderful wise Elif Shafak. I was lucky enough to have been in the audience #HayFestival Loved her latest novel There are rivers in the sky #BookSky

submitted 24 days ago • 1 comment

Congratulations Elif Shafak, recipient of the Hay Festival 2025 Medal for Prose.

submitted 26 days ago • 0 comments

Me on child poverty (and super cool to be asked to do this by Gordon Brown, for whom I once wrote HMT papers about child poverty).

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

Great read from @johnharris1969.bsky.social on how the climate crisis is right at the heart of the current political moment and the unnervingly steady march of populism. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

submitted 41 days ago • 2 comments

www.theguardian.com/environment/... We've experienced this at Action21: as well as lots of great donations, also more unsellable items being dumped on the charity to save people dealing with rubbish #TakeItBack

submitted 52 days ago • 0 comments

In today’s paper: my column is on the campaign against exclusions and what I think it gets right (but more importantly, what I think it gets wrong):

submitted 60 days ago • 18 comments

Activate climate’s ‘silent majority’ to supercharge action, experts say - Making climate-concerned people aware that their views are by far in the majority could unlock the climate action so urgently needed #The89Percent #climatecrisis Story by me www.theguardian.com/environment/...

submitted 60 days ago • 3 comments

New episode from @EmpirePodUK 🍵 🫖 THE PRICE OF A CUP OF TEA 🫖🍵 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/v...

submitted 61 days ago • 4 comments

www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/a... We go to practically everything at RSC but not this, not even for Simon Russell Beale. My son was in Titus A as a teenager: not an appropriate play for teenagers or maybe even the rest of us. Too grotesque. I'm perhaps a little feeble @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social

submitted 71 days ago • 0 comments

🚨 Outrage as 20 police officers break into Westminster Quaker Meeting House and arrest six. 🚨 This shocking violation of a place of worship is a direct result of crackdowns on protest and dissent - freedom of speech, assembly and democracy are at risk.🕊️ 👉 www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

submitted 85 days ago • 137 comments

Wonderful preformances by #BlackBallet at Birmingham Rep. Not sure where they're off to next but thoroughly recommend for an amazing evening www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/bal...

submitted 84 days ago • 0 comments

Miliband's solar power plan for schools and hospitals seems great. Much more of this, please...

submitted 92 days ago • 19 comments

Brilliant news! At last, confirmation that the Govt will go ahead with the #NaturalHistoryGCSE 🎉 We have to get to know our fellow travellers on this planet again. Young people who know & love nature are far more likely to protect & restore it - as well as enjoying better physical & mental health

submitted 92 days ago • 58 comments

Just listened to @hoylerosemary.bsky.social talk to Sarah Chung about her PhD on governor training. There's a real gap there as NGA couldn't research it given huge conflict of interest: well done @belmasoffice.bsky.social for giving the platform to PhD researchers www.belmas.org.uk/news/listen-...

submitted 92 days ago • 1 comment

Thanks Jill for sharing. I'm really keen for the idea of a web of accountability to gain ground. HMCI's words at @ascl-uk.bsky.social's conference suggest he doesn't understand that intelligent accountability isn't low accountability. Ofsted just mustn't continue to dominate

submitted 96 days ago • 0 comments

Great edition of Spring Governing Matters from @ngauk.bsky.social Good to see the board's role in climate action continuing to get profile

submitted 107 days ago • 0 comments

Full of key info, the new SEND toolkit for governors and trustees is free to access for a limited time Great to work with NGA on this important advice: https://buff.ly/4hoIeSy @ngauk.bsky.social #VisibleGovernance #Inclusion

submitted 115 days ago • 1 comment

“UK urged to act now on net zero – and skip two kebabs’ worth of meat a week” Good to see the CCC’s 7th carbon budget report tackling dietary shift - I’ll be keen to see the details later. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

submitted 115 days ago • 9 comments

The UK’s Seventh Carbon Budget level should be set at 535 MtCO2e, an 87% reduction against 1990 levels. This country has a prosperous and secure future ahead. The fossil fuel age is over – it’s time to electrify the United Kingdom. www.theccc.org.uk/2025/02/26/e...

submitted 115 days ago • 7 comments

this began as an exercise to find a 2016 article in #GoverningMatters: I'm so easily distracted! But here's 14 years of the magazine under my watch: Sam Henson took over 'A word from the editor' in 2021 @ngauk.bsky.social It's a great recent history of governing schools & trusts in England

submitted 116 days ago • 1 comment

Ruby Silvious, artist known for using the tea bag as a canvas for her artworks #WomensArt

submitted 118 days ago • 0 comments

#Skybook #BookChallenge Seeing book recommendations here has made me wonder if I will have read a book each month in 2025 that's worth recommending Here's my best January read: Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

submitted 118 days ago • 0 comments

Good to hear a shout out to parish councillors, school governors & other community volunteers from the panel on #bbcaq @anitaanand.bsky.social

submitted 119 days ago • 0 comments