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Jonathan Simons
Jonathan Simons

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3 days ago

Sunday thoughts: The $500m Simons family — what can we learn from the culture of mega philanthropy in US higher education?

Never have I been so disappointed to scour the American branch of my family tree and discover it doesn’t flower that way. Jim Simons — sadly — I mean really sadly — no relation, has just announced the largest ever unrestricted gift to a US university in history: $500m to…

7 min read

Sunday thoughts: The $500m Simons family — what can we learn from the culture of mega philanthropy…
Sunday thoughts: The $500m Simons family — what can we learn from the culture of mega philanthropy…

7 min read


May 27

Sunday thoughts: Is the MBacc revolutionary, or just a shiny political gimmick?

Andy Burnham has been making waves in the last couple of weeks with the announcement of his MBacc: the creation of “two equal routes — one academic and one technical — to give a clear path to all young people in Greater Manchester, whatever their interests, ambitions and passions”, according…

8 min read

Sunday thoughts: Is the MBacc revolutionary, or a shiny political gimmick?
Sunday thoughts: Is the MBacc revolutionary, or a shiny political gimmick?

8 min read


May 8

Sunday (Monday) thoughts: Is this the way forward for Labour on student tuition fees?

Last week, seemingly almost as a surprise to them, Labour confirmed one of the worst kept secrets in higher education policy when they formally announced they weren’t going to scrap tuition fees after all if they get into power. …

University

8 min read

Sunday (Monday) thoughts: Is this the way forward for Labour on student tuition fees?
Sunday (Monday) thoughts: Is this the way forward for Labour on student tuition fees?
University

8 min read


Apr 30

Sunday thoughts: Do we need more political partisanship to tackle school absence?

On Friday, I tweeted a stat I’d heard – that there was a huge spike in absence rates in schools that day. Parents had worked out that between the strike day on Thu, one unauthorised absence on Friday, a 3 day weekend, and then another strike day on Tue, that…

5 min read

Sunday thoughts: Do we need more political partisanship to tackle school absence?
Sunday thoughts: Do we need more political partisanship to tackle school absence?

5 min read


Apr 16

Sunday thoughts: Could apprenticeships be Labour’s big education offer?

I was facilitating a focus group the other week, when I heard what Labour’s big education idea for the next manifesto could be. It was a group of pretty much EveryBritain — swing voters, in a swing seat, with a mixed age and gender and socio economic group. * And…

Apprenticeship

6 min read

Sunday thoughts: Could apprenticeships be Labour’s big education offer?
Sunday thoughts: Could apprenticeships be Labour’s big education offer?
Apprenticeship

6 min read


Mar 26

Sunday thoughts: Is it time to take a look at Ofsted reform?

I turn this week, slightly reluctantly, to Ofsted. Not really to talk about Ruth Perry. It’s an utterly tragic case and I can’t imagine I have anything useful to say about it beyond the sheer human heartbreak for all involved. There’s a reason that they say hard cases make bad…

Schools

7 min read

Sunday thoughts: Is it time to take a look at Ofsted reform?
Sunday thoughts: Is it time to take a look at Ofsted reform?
Schools

7 min read


Mar 12

Sunday thoughts: Will Labour’s plan to replace Ofsted with a School Report Card work?

Bridget Phillipson’s speech to ASCL conference this weekend was interesting for a number of reasons. It’s a shame we couldn’t contrast it with Gillian Keegan’s, but as she said in her apology, that college visit to Darlington just couldn’t wait. Or maybe she was locked in pay negotiations. I can’t…

Education

8 min read

Sunday thoughts: Will Labour’s plan to replace Ofsted with a School Report Card work?
Sunday thoughts: Will Labour’s plan to replace Ofsted with a School Report Card work?
Education

8 min read


Mar 5

Sunday thoughts: Should more secondary schools run admissions like Free Schools?

This week, slightly unnoticed, a lengthy but important report on school admissions landed from Simon Burgess and colleagues from Bristol. It’s a fascinating report, because it creates for the first time since mass academisation a dataset of how all 3,000 odd secondary schools in England run school admissions. (It’s also…

Schools

6 min read

Sunday thoughts: Should more secondary schools run admissions like Free Schools?
Sunday thoughts: Should more secondary schools run admissions like Free Schools?
Schools

6 min read


Feb 19

Sunday thoughts: What should DSIT and Michelle Donelan *not* do?

John Gill’s editorial in this fortnight’s Times Higher sets out the challenges for the new Secretary of State for DSIT (apparently known in Whitehall shorthand as ‘Technology Secretary’, ugh). As opposed to the normal “these are some things you can do”, he’s terribly meanly gone for “things you should not…

Science

4 min read

Sunday thoughts: What should DSIT and Michelle Donelan *not* do?
Sunday thoughts: What should DSIT and Michelle Donelan *not* do?
Science

4 min read


Feb 12

Sunday thoughts: Are we seeing a ‘technocratic’ family policy emerging? (and if so, good)

This week, the Prime Minister visited one of the new Family Hubs set up around the country and announced an expansion of them to more LAs. Although it was covered by the media, it hasn’t featured in any of the round ups of the PMs Big Political Week, which focused…

Children

5 min read

Sunday thoughts: Are we seeing a ‘technocratic’ family policy emerging? (and if so, good)
Sunday thoughts: Are we seeing a ‘technocratic’ family policy emerging? (and if so, good)
Children

5 min read

Jonathan Simons

Jonathan Simons

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