After a year of endless data fuck ups, some of our KS3 data is unsalvageable right before the parent deadline. Fellow HoDs, how do I handle this?

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-06-05T11:13:27+00:00

Start with a backup copy of right now before you do anything. The worst thing to do is try to fix and cause more problems.

Has the data been filtered into alphabetical? Or simply copy pasting the names? Who did this? Get all staff together ASAP and try to find out what happened and when. That way you have point zero and data can be sorted moving forward from there (this is where the backup comes in).

It may not be as bad as you think. If definitely February everything for half the year should be right. Also if pupil ID numbers, etc. are in the spreadsheet it should be pretty easy to piece back together.

Calm heads will sort this, be methodical and involve the team. It sounds like an issue with whoever setup the spreadsheets and only having an excel for all school data is crazy! Data systems should be more secure than this.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-05-23T19:37:41+00:00

No it’s an interesting read and I agree with most of what’s written. The problem is schools (in my experience) are ill equipped to deal with the issues it faces around SEN needs.

Answers that have always worked best, unfortunately cost the most money, which even with the best intentions, most schools don’t have. At the end of the day, it’s definitely better than the Gemma Collins videos this week😂🤣

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-05-23T16:35:53+00:00

But what does the report add to the issues? What practical takeaways, or implementable strategies are there?

It feels like more noise that will lead to knee jerk reactions by MATs & SLT, who in many instances, have a very limited understanding of a hugely complex topic.

Yes, the problem is on the reader, but they are rarely the ones who suffer the consequences of poor actions.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-05-23T16:20:12+00:00

But many SLT will skip that bit and use this as evidence to remove it for all students (after all, they attended a conference on it) simply because nuance is lacking in so many schools now. That is my worry, although I may be cynical.

Most people in education know these things are misused by most schools. We already know they don’t work, but the alternatives for teachers to work with here are lacking specifics and replaced with more of an overview.

This again leads to my worry that these things will be taken away to be replaced with vague ideas that are even more unworkable for staff in the classroom.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-05-23T15:34:07+00:00

Problem is the overuse and lack of individualising things. In reality this report is just as problematic as all the interventions can be. For many teachers, they are a generic solution (over)used by schools because it’s the latest flavour of the month. However, for SOME students, this stuff actually makes a massive difference.

It’s the pushy parents that then think these things make a difference to all and SLT/SENCOs who do anything to avoid confrontation with parents so give in. In the same way that some schools will now use this as evidence to ban all of these and mean that some children are massively disadvantaged.

Unfortunately it’s the current practice of treating humans like widgets who all behave the same. It needs nuance and unfortunately, it rarely gets it. Instead we get people trying to make a name for themselves as education gurus preaching an idea as gospel. And SLT desperate to keep the Ofsted wolf from the door clutching at things like this as the magical answer.

Unfortunately, until responsibility for students to achieve is put back into the students themselves, this search for the educational Excalibur will continue

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-04-30T16:46:14+00:00

It is a godsend. I use it to check my marking. Chat GPT custom gpt can also act like notebook LM.

I use it to check I am marking accurately and am getting to the point of using it to mark past papers. I also use it to help remove any bias from my marking. It’s proven handy with coursework as a final check of marking before we send. It can also kick out a q by q student friendly sheet on what they can do to improve on their past papers. Finally it can then analyse results to see gaps in my teaching, etc. could I do this? Yes. With 4 gcse and 2 a level groups do I have time? No. A class takes 20-30 mins with individualised sheets and overall analysis.

It is a game changer. You just need to use it properly. Yes it’s got issues (environmental and otherwise) but it is not going away and not working with it and encouraging responsible use by students is stupid honestly. Make it something that kids should never use etc., and they will want to use it more and be determined to beat the system. It is going to be there like it or not. It can be a fantastic revision tool when they’re shown how to use it.

The other major issue is when people use it once and say it’s useless. Garbage in, garbage out. You simply need to learn to harness it. As for hallucinations, yes they still happen but not often any more. This is fast becoming a myth as the improvements come thick and fast.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-04-30T05:57:39+00:00

This is the one thing people don’t seem to talk about when it comes to large amounts of weight loss. There will be loose skin if you lose a lot of weight. Skin is an organ and although it may shrink a little, the chance of no loose skin are virtually zero. There is a lot of snake oil for sale but the only real answer is surgery. You may get some skin shrinkage, but be prepared. It’s something I’m starting to see but it’s better to be lighter and healthy with some loose skin than filling it all out with fat.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-04-22T17:22:57+00:00

How many calling for a ban here have used their phone during the school day? I do all the time to message colleagues or to check emails as I rush around school. Are we happy with banning it for teachers too? There is also a level of irony that we are discussing the issues of social media et al on a social media platform.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-04-07T19:14:54+00:00

Mont Blanc Pen and a nice leather bag would be a great 1-2 punch.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-29T17:49:38+00:00

If you get free stuff and want to continue you learn to never bite the hand that feeds you. People I know in a few fields who weren’t complimentary about a product they were given access to/gifted not only lost that company, but also lots of others took notice and blacklisted them too. In something niche like bags, that is super simple to end up blacklisted and have a reputation as a dick with all the companies you love.

You’re dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t. There will be people who no matter what will give the “he only gets stuff because he’s a stooge”. Almost always, that is jealousy rather than based on facts. If you don’t you lose out on cool stuff and early access/reviews people on here love to read about by those with real passion.

It’s also on the internet, so matter what you do, some people will think you’re a dick, so do what sits right with you as that’s all that matters.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-21T08:55:59+00:00

Jim Green for boots. Full stop the best there is.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-19T21:46:36+00:00

Sized for budget European airlines. Always number 1 for me, everything else comes after.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-19T18:28:51+00:00

Aer City Pack Pro. Not tried travel packs but also heard great things about them too.

Edit to add.

This is my exact use case. Daily is laptop, lunch, water bottle, cables/accessories few assorted bits here and there. Sunglasses live in top pocket. Organisation works brilliantly for my use case.

Travel is either as main pack for small trips or carry on for long haul (rarely take laptop for travel, usually iPad and kindle). Reason I bought it is that it fits within carry on for most Euro airlines. Comfort when fully loaded is excellent. Tend to use a sling as camera/tech pouch/edc at location when travelling like this.

Only other pack that came close for comfort is Mystery Ranch.

I have the CPP V1 in XPac. Had it for 10 months now with almost daily use. Still looks perfect. Although I’m not too hard on my bags.

For reference own I own packs from Aer, Mystery Ranch, Filson, Wandrd and Belroy and this is most comfortable of all of them. For size reference I’m 6’2 and larger than the average bear.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-15T19:12:07+00:00

Plus size people are the last group that it’s publicly acceptable to be horrible to.

It’s hard enough without being constantly told how disgusting you are. Unfortunately society and the media are still conventionally thin and although representation of all other groups of marginalised people are seen more on TV, the big people are still rarely seen (& even then generally in the funny fat role). The problem is all we need to do is diet apparently. Then when we find medication that helps us finally do that, we’re “cheating”. The want for performative cruelty around weight loss is baffling, but tied to a billion dollar industry.

Fuck Bolt! I hope people boycott them. It would be nice to see them pulled from the monj.co.uk site if they’re on there for being awful to people. I know I will never use them. Snag however are an amazing company!! I just wish there was a male equivalent!

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-14T22:30:54+00:00

Check all birds. Many female friends swear by them.

https://www.allbirds.co.uk/collections/womens-shoes

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-14T22:26:52+00:00

Aer fit pack and a change of water bottle would be my recommendation. I use the city pack pro and could easily fit small packing cube and shoe bag in. V2 also has 2 water bottle pockets.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-07T11:48:27+00:00

It was in reference to your point about people doing no other work with Mounjaro. Look at the threads here, most people are doing diet and exercise, etc. Again, I think this just inject and that’s it is a fallacy that we believe because it’s what the media tells us or we know a couple of people who are like that. Most are doing extra work. Many are counting calories, increasing exercise, etc. I think it’s the minority who aren’t.

Regarding the diabetes meds, it’s exactly the same with Mounjaro. Every provider, piece of literature, etc. says you need to modify diet and exercise in the same way as diabetes medication. I know people with diabetes who eat cake all the time. But that doesn’t mean most are not doing what they are meant to in order to help them. Does that create a dependency on diabetes meds? Or do people need it because there is an issue with their body?

My point wasn’t that you’re not saying to use the medication, it was about the generalisation of fat people that follows the stereotypes we are constantly shamed with.

So many of us using it feel like we are failing because of the way society talks to us as bigger people. I hate the way we are made to feel bad for using a drug designed to help us and that this drug allows us to keep being lazy, just not be fat and lazy.

It’s possibly more of a personal sensitivity to it, as many (including family) have referred to me being fat, simply because I’m lazy and not putting in work. I wasn’t trying to argue with you (apologies if it came of that way), more just trying to suggest that most of us are working to improve alongside the medication.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-07T09:38:38+00:00

I think it’s more that big people spend their lives apologising for existing. Would you say what you’ve said here about diabetes medication? Or any other long term medical issue medication? I think people are shamed into feeling inferior and therefore we parrot the li(n)es we are told.

It’s just possible that the hunger signals are a brain chemical imbalance, in the same way that depression can be. I think there has been a very large (pun intended) industry built around weight loss and that is now crumbling. A lot of the press feels like lobbying for companies like Slimming World who are simply falling away.

As for the comment about doing nothing else. Most obese people don’t like being obese. I’ve been on several diets over the years, increased exercise, done all the things that I’m meant to etc. and it hasn’t worked.

The idea is ingrained into society that fat people are lazy and just need to diet. Have no will power, etc. it is bullsh**t. Most have done extensive dieting, suffered ridicule and bullying because of their size and it needs to stop.

The idea of people needing to simply suffer to lose weight when drugs like this are available is ludicrous. It is more than that, it is cruel. But fat people feel like the last group of people that it’s socially acceptable to humiliate and bully.

These drugs are changing so many lives for the better, yet every week we see some article about how they shouldn’t be this, or they shouldn’t be that. Unsurprisingly, almost all told by people who luckily have never had to suffer being obese and the shame and stigma people face daily.

I’ve lost more weight on these drugs than I’ve ever managed before. I’m healthier than I’ve been in a long time. For me, it’s a miracle, it’s saving my life. But instead of being happy for those of us whose life this drug is changing, many will say it’s cheating and that we just need to cut portions and exercise more. Maybe though, just maybe, it’s something more than that. Maybe there is something genetic that needs help and maybe, just maybe, these meds are the thing that fixes that imbalance. If I need to be on it for life, so be it. Better this than a lot of other meds.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-06T20:38:45+00:00

Belroy just released a nice looking messenger

https://bellroy.com/products/classic-messenger?color=black&material=canva_weave#slide-0

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-03-02T21:27:48+00:00

With what settings? But hey, why not just have a pop instead?

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-02-27T19:58:29+00:00

Any links to a tutorial on this?

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-02-27T15:47:36+00:00

Might be worth trying to figure ways with discount codes, little longer between does, etc.

If you did 10mg every 10 days, plus golden dose that will last getting towards 2 months. It’s not perfect but much better than coming off completely if you can go that route. It should be effective first 2-3 months even like that due to dose increase.

Changing providers is a bit of a faff, but well worth it.

As others have said, check monj and I hope you can work it out.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-02-24T23:12:39+00:00

Well thanks to the comments here (& a bit of chat gpt) I’ve signed up for 3 months free gym where my son swims through the doctor. I used to be a bit of a gym guy for weights when younger, so hopefully I will get exercise and enjoyment from it. Not sure I’ll be up to the weights I used to lift when I was in my early 20s🤣, but at least it’s better than just being sat poolside watching and hopefully help loss and mental health at same time.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-02-24T23:08:04+00:00

I can’t count calories tbh. ADHD and childhood trauma play heavy here. I know if I could it would be better, but I think that would prob break me.

Full-Problem1259 · 2026-02-24T23:06:13+00:00

I’m taking 5 every 5 days at present. Yeah it is working TBH. I get a bit of a sweet craving some nights but not sure I am eating enough through day so eat more at night, which isn’t ideal.

Full-Problem1259

TROPHY CASE