Ditto

Coo - that was close!

There's almost too much free training out there! There a a good number of online platforms, but start with https://www.coursera.org/search?query=excel&. I'd suggest getting your head around building pivot tables as soon as possible and get to grips with filters in depth. Build your knowledge on formulas. If you find you are doing the same task repeatedly, look at recording and fine-tuning macros - but that is more advanced. Ultimately, it's real world challenges that it is best to learn with. And of course, post when you need advice on Edugeek - there are a few Excel experts here!

My favourite was last in that list - ""I can't even be bothered to be apathetic these days" - Will Duggan.

I assumed it won't need refilling because you can't empty it - although the 'push the bottle up' does indeed counter that

I don't think switching is as big a faff as it was years ago, but I still struggle to be motivated to do so.

Not especially amusing, but posted on Edugeek today is a Data Management job with the following oops!

My charity employer does use MS Teans voice and I presume it meets the needs of the company. Cost wise, I suspect it is not the best value that can be got, and I agree with @Rob_D 's assessment as to 'why?' but I would also add 'lack of skills and knowledge'. From a purely financial perspective, FreePBX or other would be great, but no-one within the organisation has the skills or knowledge to get that solution implemented. I guess we could ask our newly appointed IT provider to look in to moving that way, but I have my doubts that they would be overly enthusiastic about the idea.

I think @Seb1780 has got it well covered. Have you had any training on SISRA? I would expect SISRA would be able to take you some of the more common analytic options. What has your school done in the past? One of the challenges can be getting a clear definition of requirements from SLT etc., but really they should have some idea. Whilst exploratory can be interesting and bring light on factors that were previously not known, from a standing start it is much better to have clear goals to aim for.

Just saw this and yes, not just ProSolution, but same company that are behind Progresso (now Cloud School). It's a good wake up call that even if you have your systems with a large cloud based provider, you are not entirely immune from attack. A key sentence in the article is 'An NHS England spokesperson said: "While Advanced has confirmed that the incident impacting their software is ransomware, the NHS has tried and tested contingency plans in place including robust defences to protect our own networks, as we work with the National Cyber Security Centre to fully understand the impact."'. How many of us have 'tried and tested' contingency plans, particularly if you have recently switched from SIMS to a cloud based offering? And I am not that I am suggesting local SIMS is better!

True and the point is made early in the twitter feed but Joshua has outlined his response there where had had considered including that option but wanted to focus more on why you picked the one you did, rather than why you left the previous. If none apply, he has invited that you can reply on twitter.

This could go in multiple threads, but this one is most active recently. For those that have switched MIS in the last 2 years, perhaps you can help @bringmoredata and reply to his twitter survey at

It's out - latest MIS market update. https://bringmoredata.blogspot.com/2022/07/mis-market-moves-summer-2022-sims-lose.html

The hands on experience expectations makes life much more challenging and does make it harder for those trying to start iut. The nearest experience I have found is doing Coursera courses. See https://www.coursera.org/search?query=Google cloud&

Interesting insight. I'll comment on Advanced Learning Cloud School - for Pupil report writer it says TBD, but I'd say it's included and fairly sophisticated, albeit the limitation can come down to how good on-site SSRS skills are. Messaging also TBD and we had SMS integrated. I thought they were previously in one of the DfE approved frameworks, but perhaps have dropped off. On this information, they look like serious contenders to Arbor and Bromcom, but their market share has been in decline for quite a while, only really holding on to a number of secondary schools (2.8% in 2021).

Looking at the ABV, no wonder your sideways

but oddly, one within a few hundred metres is reading 35 - seems a big variation?

Yikes, our village observatory is showing 40C. Someone asked me if I wanted to play tennis at 1:30pm - I declined!

I've decided to wait until out-of-season when prices are much lower to buy a timer based solution. In the meantime, a neighbours son is signed up - only fair, as my lad had looked after there rabbit when they were away and they both earn a few quid along the way!

That's an interesting thought and hands-up, the cynic of me is to blame, not something I considered. If I get time time and the inclination, maybe I'll check. Overall it's a very good school and has a new head that is starting to show some positive impact, but previously it had a reputation beyond 'very good' and I set personal demanding standards and expect the same of schools - perhaps a little too much so!

I wonder how many PC's and servers bite the dust due to over-heating?

My kids Surrey school has announced closed all day Monday and Tuesday and will 'attempt' to run online learning. Parents broadly not happy and no doubt all those home PC's and laptops generating more heat! Wednesday is last day of term so open for half a day! Also, starting September, both kids told to start 2 days late as they are focussing on other years groups. I can't see how they are meeting statutory education days/hours?

Still going up - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62176865 With next weeks temperatures, keep cool and stay safe everyone. NHS services as always battle on, so thanks to all their staff all who will continue to work through the very challenging times.

An interesting read. On page 50 it states: "Workforce – trains, recruits, develops, deploys and retains great teachers and leadersthroughout their careers, proactively engaging in Initial Teacher Training and the EarlyCareer Framework, supporting staff development by using National ProfessionalQualifications and other evidence-based professional development and providing themwith opportunities to progress. Deploys the best staff in the schools where they areneeded most and prioritises staff wellbeing." That's great and absolutely commendable for teacher, but approximately half of school employees are not teachers and I think that is so often forgotten and is one of the reasons the 'devalued IT jobs' thread is so active. I believe it's equally true for other support roles, especially for teaching assistants. How about • £30,000 starting salaries to attract and retain the very best... - (see page 8 of the report) for IT technicians and other support roles?!

GCSE examinations are standards based and whilst *some* grade boundaries are extrapolated or interpolated, it isn't true that grading is determined by ensuring the same percentage of pupils get certain grades (known as norm-referencing). In practice, with a large entry subjects, the numbers come out similar regardless of approach as statistically with that large a number of pupils, it's extremely unlikely to see a cohort performing much better than the year before. With smaller entry subjects, you are more likely to see variation from year to year. So, whilst the idea of schools achieving 'above average' grades sounds odd, seeing an increase with standards based assessment, it is a realistic goal against the current average compared to future averages. I spent just shy of 15 years in the examinations sector and lived through the period where 'grade inflation' was the talk of the press and it became hotly debated. Was there politically influence? Maybe, but a) we can't talk politics, but b) the statisticians, researchers and subject officers I worked with were passionately committed to the concept of standards based assessment. So, we are left with the question of why ever increasing numbers of pupils achieved higher grades? Perhaps worthy of a thread of it's own, but my view is that, no, kids were not becoming ever more intelligent, but the teaching did get better, focus on the curriculum became clearly, support from the exam boards improved - in essence, the pupils were better trained in exam technique and focussing on content likely to come up in the assessments. There was another influence as a result of modular exams, but that's largely gone now. In terms of education of subject expertise, I doubt has changed much, possibly reduced as result of such intense focus on performance tables. All of the above is also true of A-levels. I also had a couple of years in vocational examinations and you might find a different situation there.

Not fully a gardening for wildlife, but close.... With holidays looming, I may have to rely on neighbours to keep my tomato bags, hanging baskets and a few planters watered whilst away. However, has anyone had success with an inexpensive irrigation solutions?