FlyTheNest

RogerOThornhill wrote:Oh dear, the New Schools network effectively just got a rap over the knuckles for their constant trumpeting of "Free Schools get rated Outstanding twice as much as other schools".

Who by?

Why, the DfE...

Free schools: Ofsted inspection grades

It should be noted that Ofsted operates a policy of proportionate inspection, with inspection carried out where it is likely to have most impact. For example, a school judged outstanding at its last inspection is exempt from further inspection unless risk assessment indicates a serious risk of decline. Therefore, within any one year, the sample of schools inspected by Ofsted is not representative of all schools: outstanding and good schools are under-represented, whilst those requiring improvement or inadequate are over-represented. The findings cannot be interpreted as a balanced view of the quality of education nationally. In addition, the sample selected for inspection varies over time, so it is difficult to make meaningful comparisons between the inspections conducted during different periods of time.

Finally, only a minority of open free schools has been inspected to date. At the time of the press statement, 36% of all open free schools had been inspected. Added to this, only free schools which opened in 2011 and 2012 have been subject to inspection so far. Caution should therefore be taken when drawing conclusions about the performance of all open free schools and when comparing free schools to other schools. However Ofsted inspection grades provide a valuable source of information, in the absence of attainment data, to begin to judge the performance of free schools.

I want Labour to commit to withdrawing the NSN's funding and telling them that they're not needed. Parasites feeding off Tory policy and pretending to be a charity.

letsskiptotheleft wrote:

ohsocynical wrote:Interesting Tweet.

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 6m
Burnham leadership speculation part38: "It's a running joke in shadow cabinet how many union branch meetings he goes to" says Labour source

You can imagine the headlines in the event of a Burnham led Labour Party ''Burnham, too northern to win in the south?'' the press are long beyond pathetic.

pk1 wrote:I've no idea what comments were made nor by whom but whatever they were, I hope the air has been cleared & we can get back to being the alternative to the Graun as was the original intention of setting up this haven.

The debate yesterday just highlighted for me how Labour have a coalition of sorts within the party. Some want it to swing ever more to the left, some want it to go more to the right & if the polls are to be believed, many are happy with where they currently are. It's a broad church & it must appeal to the many not the few.

Personally I'm a middle of the road kinda gal & I know my stance must frustrate those wishing the party would head one way or the other.


@Ephe - Diabolical news about that jobcentre.
I'm not sure the bit about disabled folks being moved from the front row for the MP's is correct. Most of them were sitting a few rows back & mainly on the ends of the rows I think ?

@yahyah - I watched 'Free Speech' on BBC 3 last night & Leanne Woods was a guest. I know you have a very high opinion of her

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... -episode-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The topic was benefit rates & the discrimination of rates between age groups. A young lad asked her why she didn't do anything about it seeing as her party were in a coalition in the Welsh AM. She replied that PC weren't in power, that was Labour. What she didn't point out was that the Welsh Assembly didn't set benefit rates, Westminster do so it's down to the ConDems. Her omission of the facts was I'm sure, entirely innocent....

@RobertSnozers - iPad Air ? Lucky you, I'd like one of those to replace my iPad 2 but it won't be happening for a good while yet !

@all - if what we hear about the SNP membership figures is true & they retain the fervent support had for the referendum & as a result, overtake the LDs, could we be in a situation where there might be a Lab/SNP coalition in 2015 ? Ha, that would scare the bejaysus out of the right !!

JackPranker wrote:

ohsocynical wrote:

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Its an "alternative" look at the GE apparently - ho hum. Though it will still struggle to be worse than the Beeb's execrable coverage last time

Evidently they grabbed a large amount of younger voters last time.

I'm on a mental age of around 45. Do you think that's too old?

Quick test: Do you know, without resorting to Google, who Jack Whitehall is? If no, stick with the BBC.

yahyah wrote:

pk1 wrote:I've no idea what comments were made nor by whom but whatever they were, I hope the air has been cleared & we can get back to being the alternative to the Graun as was the original intention of setting up this haven.

The debate yesterday just highlighted for me how Labour have a coalition of sorts within the party. Some want it to swing ever more to the left, some want it to go more to the right & if the polls are to be believed, many are happy with where they currently are. It's a broad church & it must appeal to the many not the few.

Personally I'm a middle of the road kinda gal & I know my stance must frustrate those wishing the party would head one way or the other.


@Ephe - Diabolical news about that jobcentre.
I'm not sure the bit about disabled folks being moved from the front row for the MP's is correct. Most of them were sitting a few rows back & mainly on the ends of the rows I think ?

@yahyah - I watched 'Free Speech' on BBC 3 last night & Leanne Woods was a guest. I know you have a very high opinion of her

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... -episode-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The topic was benefit rates & the discrimination of rates between age groups. A young lad asked her why she didn't do anything about it seeing as her party were in a coalition in the Welsh AM. She replied that PC weren't in power, that was Labour. What she didn't point out was that the Welsh Assembly didn't set benefit rates, Westminster do so it's down to the ConDems. Her omission of the facts was I'm sure, entirely innocent....

@RobertSnozers - iPad Air ? Lucky you, I'd like one of those to replace my iPad 2 but it won't be happening for a good while yet !

@all - if what we hear about the SNP membership figures is true & they retain the fervent support had for the referendum & as a result, overtake the LDs, could we be in a situation where there might be a Lab/SNP coalition in 2015 ? Ha, that would scare the bejaysus out of the right !!

I foolishly had high expectations about Leanne Wood and Plaid after my disillusionment with Labour [after a lifetime voting for them] by 2010, and after having flirted with the idea of voting Lib Dem.

But have watched her since her leadership and I have been very disappointed.
I want a political leader who is a lot more intelligent than me [not as if that would be difficult ] and Wood certainly doesn't manage that.
From what I have seen of her, suspect she knew very well what she was doing.
Wood hoped to take a leaf out of Salmond's playbook, to steal Labour votes.
So far she is not managing that, and likely alienating the more small c conservative Plaid rural voters.

letsskiptotheleft wrote:

yahyah wrote:

pk1 wrote:I've no idea what comments were made nor by whom but whatever they were, I hope the air has been cleared & we can get back to being the alternative to the Graun as was the original intention of setting up this haven.

The debate yesterday just highlighted for me how Labour have a coalition of sorts within the party. Some want it to swing ever more to the left, some want it to go more to the right & if the polls are to be believed, many are happy with where they currently are. It's a broad church & it must appeal to the many not the few.

Personally I'm a middle of the road kinda gal & I know my stance must frustrate those wishing the party would head one way or the other.


@Ephe - Diabolical news about that jobcentre.
I'm not sure the bit about disabled folks being moved from the front row for the MP's is correct. Most of them were sitting a few rows back & mainly on the ends of the rows I think ?

@yahyah - I watched 'Free Speech' on BBC 3 last night & Leanne Woods was a guest. I know you have a very high opinion of her

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... -episode-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The topic was benefit rates & the discrimination of rates between age groups. A young lad asked her why she didn't do anything about it seeing as her party were in a coalition in the Welsh AM. She replied that PC weren't in power, that was Labour. What she didn't point out was that the Welsh Assembly didn't set benefit rates, Westminster do so it's down to the ConDems. Her omission of the facts was I'm sure, entirely innocent....

@RobertSnozers - iPad Air ? Lucky you, I'd like one of those to replace my iPad 2 but it won't be happening for a good while yet !

@all - if what we hear about the SNP membership figures is true & they retain the fervent support had for the referendum & as a result, overtake the LDs, could we be in a situation where there might be a Lab/SNP coalition in 2015 ? Ha, that would scare the bejaysus out of the right !!

I foolishly had high expectations about Leanne Wood and Plaid after my disillusionment with Labour [after a lifetime voting for them] by 2010, and after having flirted with the idea of voting Lib Dem.

But have watched her since her leadership and I have been very disappointed.
I want a political leader who is a lot more intelligent than me [not as if that would be difficult ] and Wood certainly doesn't manage that.
From what I have seen of her, suspect she knew very well what she was doing.
Wood hoped to take a leaf out of Salmond's playbook, to steal Labour votes.
So far she is not managing that, and likely alienating the more small c conservative Plaid rural voters.

Can't speak for the rural Plaid voters, certainly not the small c Plaid voters, more semi rural around here, but most Plaid members are distinctly underwhelmed by her, and yes, she does come across as being pig shit thick.

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Evidence, if needed, of how dense Woods is, there was talk of her challenging Bryant in The Rhondda, I suspect Bryant would relish the chance, not that it will happen.


[youtube]NcuLUyadN4M[/youtube]

AnatolyKasparov wrote:

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Evidence, if needed, of how dense Woods is, there was talk of her challenging Bryant in The Rhondda, I suspect Bryant would relish the chance, not that it will happen.


[youtube]NcuLUyadN4M[/youtube]

Graun hacks such as Harris still talk her up as a major threat to Labour, though

ohsocynical wrote:Harry Leslie Smith's speech about illness during the twenties reminded me of my mum.
When she was 64 she had a massive heart attack...The doctors asked her if she'd ever been diagnosed with rheumatic fever as a child because her heart showed signs of it.
She told them she was eighteen the very first time she saw a doctor.

And the neighbourhood always knew when someone was dying of TB, because straw would be spread on the path and road in front of the house to muffle the noise of passing horses and carts. I don't think the dying even got that consideration in the cities.
TB was spread by overcrowding.

She remembered being sent for the doctor because her mother was haemorrhaging. Both the local doctors after asking where she lived refused to attend, afraid they wouldn't get their fee.
As a last resort mum knocked on the door of the local untrained midwife and she saved my gran's life.

Hard to imagine that could happen today. But it could. Very easily.

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:

ohsocynical wrote:Harry Leslie Smith's speech about illness during the twenties reminded me of my mum.
When she was 64 she had a massive heart attack...The doctors asked her if she'd ever been diagnosed with rheumatic fever as a child because her heart showed signs of it.
She told them she was eighteen the very first time she saw a doctor.

And the neighbourhood always knew when someone was dying of TB, because straw would be spread on the path and road in front of the house to muffle the noise of passing horses and carts. I don't think the dying even got that consideration in the cities.
TB was spread by overcrowding.

She remembered being sent for the doctor because her mother was haemorrhaging. Both the local doctors after asking where she lived refused to attend, afraid they wouldn't get their fee.
As a last resort mum knocked on the door of the local untrained midwife and she saved my gran's life.

Hard to imagine that could happen today. But it could. Very easily.

Very easily. TB was still fairly widespread after the NHS came into being, but at least people were treated with no fear or favour; both my parents had it, my mother while pregnant with me - side benefit is I have natural immunity to it. I'd hate to go back even to those days, let alone revert to the situation when Harry was a lad.

On another issue. On Twitter I've bent The Sparrow's ear about the frustrations with the rampant trollery (with backup from Ephe and others) and he is concerned enough at the prospect of losing people that he's going to talk to the mods about what is going on. Obviously the past couple of days has been exceptionally bad, but if we can get some basic restraint in place it might become usable again. As it stands at the moment I can't be ars.... bothered with it.

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has criticised Andy Burnham for not apologising for the Mid-Staffs hospital scandal in his conference speech. Hunt said:

Once again at Labour conference the most important part of a speech was forgotten - Andy Burnham failed to apologise for, or even mention, the tragic events at Mid Staffs. We will only improve the NHS if we are honest about terrible problems which happened because of a target culture Labour have never taken responsibility for.

pk1 wrote:

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has criticised Andy Burnham for not apologising for the Mid-Staffs hospital scandal in his conference speech. Hunt said:

Once again at Labour conference the most important part of a speech was forgotten - Andy Burnham failed to apologise for, or even mention, the tragic events at Mid Staffs. We will only improve the NHS if we are honest about terrible problems which happened because of a target culture Labour have never taken responsibility for.

Why in all that's holy, does Sparrow trot out this garbage from Hunt ?

pk1 wrote:

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has criticised Andy Burnham for not apologising for the Mid-Staffs hospital scandal in his conference speech. Hunt said:

Once again at Labour conference the most important part of a speech was forgotten - Andy Burnham failed to apologise for, or even mention, the tragic events at Mid Staffs. We will only improve the NHS if we are honest about terrible problems which happened because of a target culture Labour have never taken responsibility for.

Why in all that's holy, does Sparrow trot out this garbage from Hunt ?

RogerOThornhill wrote:

pk1 wrote:

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has criticised Andy Burnham for not apologising for the Mid-Staffs hospital scandal in his conference speech. Hunt said:

Once again at Labour conference the most important part of a speech was forgotten - Andy Burnham failed to apologise for, or even mention, the tragic events at Mid Staffs. We will only improve the NHS if we are honest about terrible problems which happened because of a target culture Labour have never taken responsibility for.

Why in all that's holy, does Sparrow trot out this garbage from Hunt ?

I was just going to post that.

Hunt's the equivalent of a BTL troll.

Burnham wasn't even in charge when those events took place.

Burnham wasn't even in charge when those events took place.

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Apparently after meeting Rouhani, Cameron was overheard saying ''a little piece of history made'' I need to find a soft padded wall to bang my head against.

letsskiptotheleft wrote:

ohsocynical wrote:Interesting Tweet.

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 6m
Burnham leadership speculation part38: "It's a running joke in shadow cabinet how many union branch meetings he goes to" says Labour source

You can imagine the headlines in the event of a Burnham led Labour Party ''Burnham, too northern to win in the south?'' the press are long beyond pathetic.

Michael Foot ''too scruffy''
Neil Kinnock ''too Welsh''
Gordon Brown ''dour one eyed Scot''
Ed Miliband ''plainly weird''
Tony Blair ''mmn, we can do something with him''

Too depressing and predictable for words.

pk1 wrote:

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Apparently after meeting Rouhani, Cameron was overheard saying ''a little piece of history made'' I need to find a soft padded wall to bang my head against.

Who is that funny looking fella that last year suggested making overtures to Rouhani, seeing as he isn't the corrupt Ahmadinejad ? Funny, geeky looking bloke with a penchant for bacon sarnies & cheese......

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... n-MPs.html

Ed-Milibands-leadership-openly-questioned-by-his-own-MPs

Checked this in the Torygraph. Turns out the MPs openly questioning Ed were Simon Danczuk and another [unnamed] Labour MP.

Big deal

His [Burnhams] own speech received two standing ovations, in contrast to a more muted reception for Mr Miliband.

Another Labour MP said: "He destroyed his family by standing against his brother. He must be staring at the future and thinking God, supposing I don't win.

ErnstRemarx wrote:A good read - though I've not strayed BTL yet (I just know what it'll be like there...):

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... separatist" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 17 mins
UKIP Heywood candidate, John Bickley says he was brought up there. Funny that. He made same claim about Wythenshawe when he fought there.

rebeccariots2 wrote:

ErnstRemarx wrote:A good read - though I've not strayed BTL yet (I just know what it'll be like there...):

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... separatist" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a good read. It doesn't say much for Cameron's ability to learn and develop while at Oxford though. He could obviously do with considerably more tuition on constitutional matters. What class of degree did he achieve?

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:

rebeccariots2 wrote:

ErnstRemarx wrote:A good read - though I've not strayed BTL yet (I just know what it'll be like there...):

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... separatist" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a good read. It doesn't say much for Cameron's ability to learn and develop while at Oxford though. He could obviously do with considerably more tuition on constitutional matters. What class of degree did he achieve?

Astonishingly he achieved a First. One of the things that grinds his gears though is that somebody on the bench opposite graduated ahead of him, then went to Harvard on a prestigious Kennedy Scholarship; can't remember his name though, stocky bloke, aggressive footballer, marathon runner, married to that scary woman (also a Kennedy Scholar) who scares the pants off Theresa May .....Ned something?

rebeccariots2 wrote:

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:

rebeccariots2 wrote: It is a good read. It doesn't say much for Cameron's ability to learn and develop while at Oxford though. He could obviously do with considerably more tuition on constitutional matters. What class of degree did he achieve?

Astonishingly he achieved a First. One of the things that grinds his gears though is that somebody on the bench opposite graduated ahead of him, then went to Harvard on a prestigious Kennedy Scholarship; can't remember his name though, stocky bloke, aggressive footballer, marathon runner, married to that scary woman (also a Kennedy Scholar) who scares the pants off Theresa May .....Ned something?

Thank you. That's most illuminating. A First you say ...? I don't believe you ... I don't believe the man can even tie his own shoelaces.

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:

rebeccariots2 wrote:

ErnstRemarx wrote:A good read - though I've not strayed BTL yet (I just know what it'll be like there...):

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... separatist" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a good read. It doesn't say much for Cameron's ability to learn and develop while at Oxford though. He could obviously do with considerably more tuition on constitutional matters. What class of degree did he achieve?

Astonishingly he achieved a First. One of the things that grinds his gears though is that somebody on the bench opposite graduated ahead of him, then went to Harvard on a prestigious Kennedy Scholarship; can't remember his name though, stocky bloke, aggressive footballer, marathon runner, married to that scary woman (also a Kennedy Scholar) who scares the pants off Theresa May .....Ned something?

Temulkar wrote:

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:

rebeccariots2 wrote: It is a good read. It doesn't say much for Cameron's ability to learn and develop while at Oxford though. He could obviously do with considerably more tuition on constitutional matters. What class of degree did he achieve?

Astonishingly he achieved a First. One of the things that grinds his gears though is that somebody on the bench opposite graduated ahead of him, then went to Harvard on a prestigious Kennedy Scholarship; can't remember his name though, stocky bloke, aggressive footballer, marathon runner, married to that scary woman (also a Kennedy Scholar) who scares the pants off Theresa May .....Ned something?

Cameron got a first in PPE. I think I am with Boris on that; it would be impressive in a proper discipline.

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Oh, and if rebeccariots2 insists she is channelling Joyce Grenfell, then it is the perfect excuse to post this......

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think of this sketch every time I hear Osborne say something (even more than usually) stupid!

letsskiptotheleft wrote:

rebeccariots2 wrote:

TheGrimSqueaker wrote: Astonishingly he achieved a First. One of the things that grinds his gears though is that somebody on the bench opposite graduated ahead of him, then went to Harvard on a prestigious Kennedy Scholarship; can't remember his name though, stocky bloke, aggressive footballer, marathon runner, married to that scary woman (also a Kennedy Scholar) who scares the pants off Theresa May .....Ned something?

Thank you. That's most illuminating. A First you say ...? I don't believe you ... I don't believe the man can even tie his own shoelaces.

Cameron is a piss-poor example of a so called first class education.