Rob Hardcastle

It feels like a 'when' not 'if' the stock market correction happens. How deep it will be and the damage this does is not yet clear but it could be very ugly indeed. Couple this with some huge flows to bond markets and this now feels priced in. www.economist.com/business/202...

We were informed of this reduction to employer contributions months ago and had already factored it into 26-27 budgets plus no funds have ever been provided for rise in contribution rates over the years. Feels disingenuous. BBC News - Schools in England get extra £500m. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A great article which really unpicks how trade deals can unravel. The vital part here is timing. With US mid-terms up in November, expect the negotiations to resume fairly soon. A political choice rather than an economic one.

Legend. RIP. AC Milan and Italy great Baresi dies aged 66 - www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

Just watching Rafa on Netflix which is recommended. One quote caught my eye which I think is largely correct, 'Talent is built in a calm and purposeful environment but character is usually forged in a storm.' Shows you need or at least will probably experience both and they can both serve you well.

The next attempt at meaningful devloution from AndyBurnham, No.10 North. As has happened before, think Northern Powerhouse and the Department for Levelling Up, the one very powerful body which will strangle it to death will intervene again to ensure it fails, The Treasury.

Remember if your setting achieves between 55 and 59% in the combined expected+ in SSTs this year, you can officially say to the inspection team you achieved nearly three fifth at expected or better, which as we know is broadly in line with average. Don't let the lead say it isn't!

Every summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed. slate.com/technology/2...

Here with my good friend Eddie McGeown watching BRADFORD VS Peterborough

Really great piece from Dr Kate Chhatwal, CEO of Challenge Partners, about what DfE Minsters should be considering now as they lay the foundations of Trust inspections. schoolsweek.co.uk/our-trust-pe...

This, this and this again! BBC News - As we return to a pre-WW2 order, the middle powers face a challenge - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This has many sensible points, however it does wreak a bit of central bankers pseudo threatening elected politicians. Democracy is more important. A private memo from central banks to governments www.economist.com/leaders/2026... From The Economist

Grandparents with money to spare while children struggle to pay their bills is a failure of resource allocation, argues columnist Jonathan Guthrie. Read the story on FTEdit 👉 on.ft.com/490F2dX Then take today's FTEdit poll 🗳️ on.ft.com/4oLBQHM

Of all of the hulabaloo in the media today about resignations and who said or meant what, this is by far and away the most important story today. BBC News - US and UK agree zero tariffs deal on pharmaceuticals - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I wonder if the ill fated revised pension scheme United Learning proposed might be revisited again if this is where we end up? inews.co.uk/news/politic...

This is a worry if the constitution in the US is changed to again allow a person to be more than a two term President. However, if this happens might Obama run against him? BBC News - Trump does not rule out seeking third term - but says he will not use VP loophole www.bbc.com/news/article...

I agree with most of this, but the role is quite specific and it would be odd if it was given to a DH or AH and IMO it's too much for those in a governance role. So it falls to the HT, which I suspect it will, on most occasions, or someone in a MAT leadership team? schoolsweek.co.uk/how-to-make-...

A challenging read. If we are to fulfil the transition to an AI powerhouse set out this week so clearly by the UK PM and US President then we need to focus on this. Our secondary has some of the best rates of success in maths with its disadvantaged pupils. ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2025/09/why-...

Bit of a visionary this fella! www.facebook.com/share/v/1ChD...

One of the more sensible articles I've read about achievable tax reform by Dan Neidle. www.ft.com/content/59f1...

WE ALL MUST BE WITH UKRAINE RIGHT NOW. MORE SO THAN EVER BEFORE. LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN AND NEVER FORGET WHAT THOUSANDS, MAYBE MILLIONS, OF THEIR PEOPLE CONTINUE TO ENDURE. THIS IS WAR IN EUROPE AND WE COULD BE NEXT! BBC News - Russian army inches closer www.bbc.com/news/article...

Let's make no bones about it, living in Russia or China (with its We Chat app) is a surveillance nightmare when it comes to the personal freedoms we enjoy. Let's be open about why autocracy and dictators are such a threat to the way we live. BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

So true. My water billed doubled overnight and most of it was not increased use but hidden and huge additional cost increases. Their representative on the phone didn't want to linger on these when I phoned them asking them to be reasonable.

If we are going to make this ONE planet a safer, more collegiate and sustainable place for our grandchildren to live in, then this sort of language in newspapers and the media helps no one.

Good!! BBC News - Porn site traffic plummets as UK age verification rules enforced - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Nothing against the MAT leaders in this group. I know some professionally, and they are strong leaders, but I'm afraid the government rarely pulls from leaders of SATs or small MATs for advice. We do the same job with the same knowledge, expertise and experience. schoolsweek.co.uk/20-academy-c...

Just watched the Scissor Sisters set at Glastonbury on iPlayer. It was just so good and the joy on everyone's faces was so clear. Go watch it.

schoolimprovementhub.org/case-studies/ It was great being involved in the case study for Hatton Academies Trust. Thanks for the support from CST in putting it together.

Thanks for the reminder @janemunday.bsky.social. Every summer, I repost this article DROWNING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE DROWNING. To date, I know of FOUR kids who were saved after someone who'd clicked on the link learnt how to spot actual drowning. Take time to read and pass on. slate.com/technology/2...

Where's the social pressure on parents to sort toilet training before a child starts in nursery?A colleague who works in a nursery tells me she still has 12 who aren't toilet trained yet.In 2016 she said they had only 6 not toilet trained at the start of that year let alone the end!What's going on??

4 key themes from this excellent piece. Embrace Practice at the Edge of Mastery: the "85% rule" Build Procedural Fluency Use AI as Amplifier, Not Replacement Teach Metacognitive Awareness.

Really pleased to be attending the third commission meeting today in Leeds. The Research Commission is an opportunity to work with sector colleagues to understand how engagement measures are a lead indicator for attendance, motivation and enjoyment at school. www.impactedgroup.uk/resources/re...

Love this idea!

Reading Die with Zero by Bill Perkins right now. A fascinating take on planning for now and for your future. Mind changing.

There needs to be more transparency and clarity on how RISE advisers and RD will identify support to offer stuck schools. What was said today remains opaque.The list of factors considered is so long. A clear transparent framework is required for these key decisions. schoolsweek.co.uk/stuck-school...

Defrauded to death - thieves steal £260,000 from pensioner and @firstdirect part of @HSBC_UK refused to reimburse him bit.ly/4minE9t allowing thousands of pounds paid daily to them from his account saying “there were things [Colin] should have done to protect [himself]”