Monthly Archives: August 2020

What I Did In My Summer Holidays

The Gee Family had planned to spend the past week in Wales, but we postponed our trip until next year after a well-placed tzores sauce source told us that there’d be sheep at the border with guns. Instead we vacationed … Continue reading

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Investing in Education and the Levelling Up Agenda

Early years provision has suffered during austerity, and is continuing to see cutbacks, as Polly Toynbee pointed out last week. Yet children who fall behind at the outset of their education will find it very difficult to catch up later. … Continue reading

Posted in Augar Review, education, Further Education, social mobility | Comments Off on Investing in Education and the Levelling Up Agenda

In which Frank leaves the building

Martin onstage at “Trop-a-Delic” Last night I lost a friend. I couldn’t think of a more graceful way to start this post, as I am still a little bit in shock. But last night, I lost a friend.

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In our elements

I have been coming to the Lake District on and off for much of my life. It is my favourite corner of England. I first came in 1981 when I was seventeen, as one of half a dozen venture scouts … Continue reading

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Pandemic Staycationing

As far as I’m concerned, this is not a year for travelling for a holiday. Indeed, given some of the recent events, there hasn’t even been time to take any sort of extended break. However, we have been taking days … Continue reading

Posted in Cambridge life, dreams, jackdaws, novels, ornithology | Comments Off on Pandemic Staycationing

Pandemic Staycationing

As far as I’m concerned, this is not a year for travelling for a holiday. Indeed, given some of the recent events, there hasn’t even been time to take any sort of extended break. However, we have been taking days … Continue reading

Posted in Cambridge life, dreams, jackdaws, novels, ornithology | Comments Off on Pandemic Staycationing

Pandemic Staycationing

As far as I’m concerned, this is not a year for travelling for a holiday. Indeed, given some of the recent events, there hasn’t even been time to take any sort of extended break. However, we have been taking days … Continue reading

Posted in Cambridge life, dreams, jackdaws, novels, ornithology | Comments Off on Pandemic Staycationing

In which business is not quite as usual: the post-first-wave lab resumes

Suspended animation: the lab awaits the return of its researchersBusiness as usual is the sort of mentality that’s probably only certain in retrospect. At the moment, the jury is still very much out. My lab reopened its doors a few … Continue reading

Posted in academia, careers, Domestic bliss, Epidemics, Gardening, Joshua, staring into the abyss, The profession of science, work-life balance | Comments Off on In which business is not quite as usual: the post-first-wave lab resumes

Reflections on a Mad Week in Higher Education

Readers from the UK can hardly fail to have noticed the confusion across the HE sector caused by last week’s A level ‘results’.  I recall how many people had been voicing fears during the past months that the disadvantaged would … Continue reading

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We Don’t Need No Edyucayshun

My two penn’orth on the exam-results debacle – What needs to happen is a complete rethink in how pupils are assessed, and before that, a thorough overhaul of education. It’s far too academic, too early. On the whole, education is … Continue reading

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