Daniel Bundred 🦡
@danielbundred.bsky.social
Head of English; overuse of nautical metaphors; very sporadic blogger. Views are not necessarily those of my employer, unless focus testing reveals them to be very uncontroversial.
My favourite aspect of the new Ofsted toolkit for inspection is the way that for every judgement the level descriptor for 'exceptional' has word 'exceptional' in the first bullet point, 'transformational' in the second, and assorted synonyms for the next two or three points.
December 22, 2025 at 10:02 PM
My favourite aspect of the new Ofsted toolkit for inspection is the way that for every judgement the level descriptor for 'exceptional' has word 'exceptional' in the first bullet point, 'transformational' in the second, and assorted synonyms for the next two or three points.
Reposted by Daniel Bundred 🦡
The fact is no presenter has ever had to leave the BBC for expressing conservative views, or even explicitly endorsing a right-wing party.
Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar
Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar
Robin Ince reveals to last night’s audience at a recording of Infinite Monkey Cage that the BBC has forced him to resign over his support of trans people
December 13, 2025 at 4:36 PM
The fact is no presenter has ever had to leave the BBC for expressing conservative views, or even explicitly endorsing a right-wing party.
Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar
Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar
Clearer and fairer Ofsted inspections, also harsher and a bit arbitrary.
December 10, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Clearer and fairer Ofsted inspections, also harsher and a bit arbitrary.
This doesn't seem to me a very good argument against retrieval practice. That children can memorise things that aren't true isn't an argument against having them memorise things that are true. The fact that untrue and true things exist doesn't invalidate truth.
December 7, 2025 at 9:53 AM
This doesn't seem to me a very good argument against retrieval practice. That children can memorise things that aren't true isn't an argument against having them memorise things that are true. The fact that untrue and true things exist doesn't invalidate truth.
Surely this law is a gratuitous overreach into the charters of voluntary membership associations, and one which restricts freedom of association?
December 3, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Surely this law is a gratuitous overreach into the charters of voluntary membership associations, and one which restricts freedom of association?
You're Cambridge, you've been around for over 800 years. What is the actual point of you?
This is the most alarming story I’ve read today. Giving up the fight before it’s started
November 30, 2025 at 12:27 PM
You're Cambridge, you've been around for over 800 years. What is the actual point of you?
I've used an MIS with AI. A student lost their timetable and asked me to print a new one. I put the request to the MIS. It generated a timetable of 25 lessons in which 11 of the lessons were correct; 14 slots were inaccurate, mostly correct classes at the wrong time; two classrooms didn't exist.
School leaders are still facing problems with the government’s AI-generated attendance reports, despite them being re-issued after errors – as a government leader cautions 'no model is perfect'
schoolsweek.co.uk/leaders-stil...
schoolsweek.co.uk/leaders-stil...
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 30, 2025 at 5:21 AM
I've used an MIS with AI. A student lost their timetable and asked me to print a new one. I put the request to the MIS. It generated a timetable of 25 lessons in which 11 of the lessons were correct; 14 slots were inaccurate, mostly correct classes at the wrong time; two classrooms didn't exist.
A brilliant post.
Disciplinary literacy isn't a literacy specific to a discipline; it is universal literacy as manifested in a discipline.
Etymology and morphology taught across disciplines provides a linguistic schema which aids access to all subjects. Prefixes and suffixes are cross-curricular.
Disciplinary literacy isn't a literacy specific to a discipline; it is universal literacy as manifested in a discipline.
Etymology and morphology taught across disciplines provides a linguistic schema which aids access to all subjects. Prefixes and suffixes are cross-curricular.
New Blog Post 📝
Etymology in science usually stops at just photosynthesis, but I use it almost every single lesson.
Here are a few stories of some of my lessons and the impact teaching etymology has made on pupil understanding and literacy.
inquestion.co.uk/2025/11/28/e...
Etymology in science usually stops at just photosynthesis, but I use it almost every single lesson.
Here are a few stories of some of my lessons and the impact teaching etymology has made on pupil understanding and literacy.
inquestion.co.uk/2025/11/28/e...
Chlorine is Green, Zoos Have Life and Kings are Killed: Using Etymology in Science
It started with a happy accident. I had finished a lesson with my Year 8s and, surprisingly, we had powered through the material with 15 minutes to spare. My plan for the next lesson was to introdu…
inquestion.co.uk
November 30, 2025 at 2:46 AM
A brilliant post.
Disciplinary literacy isn't a literacy specific to a discipline; it is universal literacy as manifested in a discipline.
Etymology and morphology taught across disciplines provides a linguistic schema which aids access to all subjects. Prefixes and suffixes are cross-curricular.
Disciplinary literacy isn't a literacy specific to a discipline; it is universal literacy as manifested in a discipline.
Etymology and morphology taught across disciplines provides a linguistic schema which aids access to all subjects. Prefixes and suffixes are cross-curricular.
It remains astonishing that after years of a Mayoral commitment to a nighttime economy in Soho, it is simply impossible to walk in off the street and get a pint after 11.30pm in a pub on a Saturday.
November 30, 2025 at 1:44 AM
It remains astonishing that after years of a Mayoral commitment to a nighttime economy in Soho, it is simply impossible to walk in off the street and get a pint after 11.30pm in a pub on a Saturday.
Interested in how many schools have adopted a voluntary measure by which Year 11s give up their games consoles in the run up to the exams to be returned after the conclusion of GCSEs. What was the take-up like, what was the impact?
November 27, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Interested in how many schools have adopted a voluntary measure by which Year 11s give up their games consoles in the run up to the exams to be returned after the conclusion of GCSEs. What was the take-up like, what was the impact?
It's fascinating to see how mistakes, corrected swiftly, end up permeating the discourse.
Child poverty in England is unacceptably high for a developed and wealthy nation but it's a third higher than Norway (8.8%) not ten times higher. It's 12.7% not 32.1%.
factcheckni.org/articles/are...
Child poverty in England is unacceptably high for a developed and wealthy nation but it's a third higher than Norway (8.8%) not ten times higher. It's 12.7% not 32.1%.
factcheckni.org/articles/are...
November 23, 2025 at 8:02 AM
It's fascinating to see how mistakes, corrected swiftly, end up permeating the discourse.
Child poverty in England is unacceptably high for a developed and wealthy nation but it's a third higher than Norway (8.8%) not ten times higher. It's 12.7% not 32.1%.
factcheckni.org/articles/are...
Child poverty in England is unacceptably high for a developed and wealthy nation but it's a third higher than Norway (8.8%) not ten times higher. It's 12.7% not 32.1%.
factcheckni.org/articles/are...
Reposted by Daniel Bundred 🦡
"Sir Keir told the BBC: 'Every minute that is spent talking about anything other than cost-of-living is a wasted minute in my book.'"
OK, so why does his government keep banging on about immigration?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
OK, so why does his government keep banging on about immigration?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Judge me at next election, Keir Starmer tells doubters
The PM tells the BBC he has made
www.bbc.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
"Sir Keir told the BBC: 'Every minute that is spent talking about anything other than cost-of-living is a wasted minute in my book.'"
OK, so why does his government keep banging on about immigration?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
OK, so why does his government keep banging on about immigration?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Extending Indefinite Leave to Remain from five years to ten years was to be subject to public consultation.
This is, as far as I can tell, the public consultation. It does not ask whether we should extend ILR from five years to ten years.
This is, as far as I can tell, the public consultation. It does not ask whether we should extend ILR from five years to ten years.
If, like me, this utter betrayal by Labour is making your blood boil, can I ask you let them know your feelings here www.gov.uk/government/c...
Earned settlement
The government is consulting on how the current settlement system should be reformed and how those reforms should be implemented.
www.gov.uk
November 21, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Extending Indefinite Leave to Remain from five years to ten years was to be subject to public consultation.
This is, as far as I can tell, the public consultation. It does not ask whether we should extend ILR from five years to ten years.
This is, as far as I can tell, the public consultation. It does not ask whether we should extend ILR from five years to ten years.
A university...
This week, I withdrew from a speaking engagement at a public university because they sent me a list of prohibited “words & concepts.” I will not humor this censorship. It does a disservice to the stories I’m discussing & the audience, who deserve unfettered access to information & conversation.
November 20, 2025 at 11:23 PM
A university...
I always appreciate how reliable America is in making the case for England's education system.
UC San Diego is discovering shocking grade inflation at many Cali high schools, to the point that a large minority of kids with a 4.0 average in math are at 6th grade or below in mathematical ability.
In response, they’re resorting to semi-blacklisting schools with especially bad grade inflation.
In response, they’re resorting to semi-blacklisting schools with especially bad grade inflation.
senate.ucsd.edu
November 19, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I always appreciate how reliable America is in making the case for England's education system.
If we're going to adopt the CAR EBacc deletion in the 2027 exam year, it provides a very significant problem for measuring school improvement using a value add metric. It is reasonable for stakeholders to want to see how schools did between 2024 and 2027, breaking Progress 8 makes that impossible.
November 19, 2025 at 12:32 AM
If we're going to adopt the CAR EBacc deletion in the 2027 exam year, it provides a very significant problem for measuring school improvement using a value add metric. It is reasonable for stakeholders to want to see how schools did between 2024 and 2027, breaking Progress 8 makes that impossible.
Reposted by Daniel Bundred 🦡
It's hard to find words to capture quite how revolting, steeped in bigotry, irresponsible, morally unmoored, Labour has become. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Anglican bishop shaken ‘to the core’ by home secretary’s asylum seeker comments
Bishop of Edmonton says people coming to UK are being ‘scapegoated’ for years of policy failures
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:38 PM
It's hard to find words to capture quite how revolting, steeped in bigotry, irresponsible, morally unmoored, Labour has become. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Daniel Bundred 🦡
A fill-in the gaps slide deck for Macbeth www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/quotati... 👑
November 16, 2025 at 3:55 PM
A fill-in the gaps slide deck for Macbeth www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/quotati... 👑
It's a fair point...
November 5, 2025 at 11:33 AM
It's a fair point...
Reposted by Daniel Bundred 🦡
Aside from the pointlessness of showing kids a fictional drama rather than actually doing some legislating, I find it fascinating that officials thought that the barrier to showing a 4hr Netflix drama in school was the subscription, and not a spare 4 hours to show it. www.lbc.co.uk/news/uk/adol...
Netflix's powerful incel drama Adolescence to be shown in schools
Netflix's hit show Adolescence is to be shown in secondary schools, the government has confirmed.
www.lbc.co.uk
April 2, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Aside from the pointlessness of showing kids a fictional drama rather than actually doing some legislating, I find it fascinating that officials thought that the barrier to showing a 4hr Netflix drama in school was the subscription, and not a spare 4 hours to show it. www.lbc.co.uk/news/uk/adol...
The list of people who think that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not come to Birmingham now includes West Midlands Police, the majority of UK voters, Tel Aviv police, the Jewish community in Birmingham, and, in a new twist, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Great work!
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Great work!
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv to decline tickets to Europa League match in UK
Tel Aviv football team says it is working to 'stamp out racism' among its fan base.
www.aljazeera.com
October 21, 2025 at 10:51 PM
The list of people who think that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not come to Birmingham now includes West Midlands Police, the majority of UK voters, Tel Aviv police, the Jewish community in Birmingham, and, in a new twist, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Great work!
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Great work!
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Reposted by Daniel Bundred 🦡
I still have no idea what Number 10 was thinking intervening over policing. If they ‘win’ the standoff, Keir Starmer personally owns any incident that happens around the match. And he’s broken the precedent of interfering in operational matters, and so will be asked to do so relentlessly.
October 18, 2025 at 10:25 AM
I still have no idea what Number 10 was thinking intervening over policing. If they ‘win’ the standoff, Keir Starmer personally owns any incident that happens around the match. And he’s broken the precedent of interfering in operational matters, and so will be asked to do so relentlessly.
I'm not alone in having real concerns about the literacy standards of our student population in English schools. However two things worth considering for the secretary of state for education: 1) our literacy standards are amongst the highest in the world 2) that gain is post abolition of KS3 exams.
October 18, 2025 at 2:46 AM
I'm not alone in having real concerns about the literacy standards of our student population in English schools. However two things worth considering for the secretary of state for education: 1) our literacy standards are amongst the highest in the world 2) that gain is post abolition of KS3 exams.
By 2028, statistically all holders of A-level English Language will be migrants.
October 14, 2025 at 10:08 PM
By 2028, statistically all holders of A-level English Language will be migrants.
In this thread Ben provides a reminder that when we're engaging with a public installation our form of engagement is not the only form of engagement, and the piece is not solely there for us to engage in. While there are obvious exceptions, by and large art for everyone means including everyone.
1. A thread about the very serious young woman who told me off for allowing my learning disabled eight year old daughter to dance in front of the big screens at a modern art installation.
October 8, 2025 at 11:00 PM
In this thread Ben provides a reminder that when we're engaging with a public installation our form of engagement is not the only form of engagement, and the piece is not solely there for us to engage in. While there are obvious exceptions, by and large art for everyone means including everyone.