Primary school teachers to strike

A primary school teacher has been urged to leave his house "straight away" after he found a terrifying rag doll with a note claiming the house’s previous owners were murdered . Jonathan Lewis had been carrying out some DIY when he knocked through a wall to investigate a loose wire – only to instead stumble upon a chilling kid’s toy. The terrifying Victorian-style doll was sitting in a small wooden chair and had eerie yellow wool plaits. Although the 32-year-old was stunned to find the doll, the folded piece of paper on its lap with a blood-curdling message left him even more freaked out. It read: “Dear reader, thank you for freeing me! My name is Emily. “My original owners lived in this house in 1961. I didn’t like them, so they had to go. “All they did was sing and be merry. It was sickening. Stabbing was my choice of death for them so I hope you have knives. Hope you sleep well.” Jonathan had only just moved into the house in Walton, Liverpool – but his pals … [Read more...] about Teacher told to ‘leave house’ immediately after finding chilling doll with murder note

A very few times in my life I have seen things so brave and unlikely that I have immediately feared that they would be destroyed and suppressed. The first was in November 1980 when I saw Polish shipyard workers, armed with nothing more than Christian faith and patriotism, challenging the entire homicidal might of the Soviet Empire, in the city of Gdansk. I described it as like seeing a fire burning under water, impossible, thrilling, like a waking dream, and probably doomed. I had exactly the same feeling when I visited the astonishing Michaela School in Wembley, North London . I was so frightened for this courageous, noble experiment that for a long time I preferred not to write about it. My endorsement of any cause is pretty certain to do it harm. For the Strictest Headmistress, Katharine Birbalsingh, is trying, almost alone, to revive the idea that children from ordinary homes, where the parents have no money or power, should be taught real knowledge in disciplined … [Read more...] about PETER HITCHENS: ‘Progressives’ who’d rather wreck the Tiger Head’s school than admit they’re wrong

By Hazel Shearing Published 1 hour ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Head teachers are warning of disruption in this summer's school exams amid a shortage of invigilators, fuelled by fears of catching Covid. The Association of School and College Leaders says staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are being diverted from normal work to oversee the exams. Some parents, too, are being asked to help, according to some school staff. The Department for Education doesn't expect major problems as schools should have made "robust contingency plans". More students than ever are sitting in-person A-levels and GCSEs for the first time this week, after the last two years of traditional assessments were cancelled because of the pandemic. But fewer invigilators are returning to oversee them because they are worried about Covid or have moved on to other work, unions … [Read more...] about GCSE and A-level exam invigilator shortages mean parents and teachers are stepping in

By Bethan Lewis Published 4 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Fines for parents of children who miss school should be used with caution, the children's commissioner has said. Rocio Cifuentes said it had been a difficult time due to Covid and some children would need support going back. Education Minister Jeremy Miles said fixed penalty notices could be issued in "the most extreme cases" after they were discouraged when the pandemic hit. It comes as part of a "step up" in messaging about the importance of going to school amid concern over absences. Truancy fines for parents to return in Wales Longer school day: Wales pupils learn new skills One head teacher said children needed to be in school to "achieve, do well and be supported". At Mary Immaculate High School in Cardiff, the attendance at the moment is about 90% - in line with the … [Read more...] about Schools: Caution urged on fines for children’s absences

A photographer and urban explorer has shared stunning footage and images of an abandoned hotel that is slowly being reclaimed by nature. The adventurer, who shares his work on Instagram and his Lost Ireland TikTok channel , filmed a long corridor with a patchy carpet and peeling paint before stepping into one of the old guest rooms that now resembles a greenhouse. In the double bedroom, moss is growing with zeal in the carpet and ferns are sprouting up from the floor and even the ceiling. The bed is covered in lush greenery and some smaller plants appear to have taken root inside the mattress. In another guest room, a twin with water coming in through the ceiling, the decay is even more extreme and a variety of plantlife is climbing up to waist height as it turns into a forest. The walls are covered with mildew and what might be lichen and several species of fern are fighting for space between the floor and ceiling. Since it was uploaded on Thursday, May 27, it has … [Read more...] about Inside abandoned hotel filmed by urban explorer as nature reclaims rooms

Ms Abu Akleh was shot in the head while reporting in the West Bank city of Jenin (Image: Getty) Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Ms Abu Akleh, 51, was shot in the head while reporting in theWest Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday morning, despite wearing a blue helmet and flak jacket marked "Press". The Israeli military said an initial investigation showed a heavy firefight was under way about 150 yards from where she was killed. Related articles UK edges closer to full-blown Russia war as expert issues warning Warning after child 'abduction' attempts at nearby primary schools But the journalists with Ms Abu Akleh said there was no fighting … [Read more...] about Thousands march in London after journalist Shireen Abu Akleh shot dead in West Bank

TV spooks…Keri and Matthew (Image: Craig Blankenhorn) Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info MI6 is establishing new urban safe-houses complete with fake married couples. Traditionally, defectors spirited away from hostile climes to the UK have found themselves in remote rural idylls or salubrious homes surrounded by manicured lawns - as depicted in the 1987 Bond The Living Daylights when Stonor Park in Oxfordshire was used to debrief defecting Soviet spy Georgi Koskov. Related articles UK edges closer to full-blown Russia war as expert issues warning Warning after child 'abduction' attempts at nearby primary schools But an increasing threat … [Read more...] about Spies living next door! MI6 set up urban safe houses with fake married couples

The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 is underway. This year, the UK's hopes ride on the shoulders of Viking lookalike and TikTok hair metal star Sam Ryder, with his song Space Man . According to our music critic James Hall, Ryder's song is the strongest British entry in years. If a UK win seems unlikely – Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra is, understandably, the bookies' favourite – Ryder should at least escape the feared "nul points" given to last year's entry, James Newman. Or will he? To find out, tune in to BBC One for the Grand Final at 8pm on Saturday May 14. The UK's Eurovision track record has always been contentious. Dodgy double-acts and spurious voting tactics have seen us finish anywhere from first place (last clinched in 1998) to dead last (most recently in 2021). Here, we look back at all 63 past entries to see how they hold up, from the ridiculous to the sublime. 63. Jemini, Cry Baby, 2003 Now notorious for its "nul points" last-place result, every part of this … [Read more...] about UK’s Eurovision history: Every UK entry ranked, from worst to best

A major rift has emerged in the flu vaccination strategy being adopted by England and other Home Nations. While the Government has said England will ditch the Covid measures which saw the annual flu vaccine given free to adults aged 50-64 and secondary school children aged 11 to 15, Scotland and Wales have broken ranks and declared they will continue to offer a free jab to these groups. Prior to the Covid pandemic, flu vaccination was offered throughout the UK annually to over-65s, primary school children and at-risk groups such as pregnant women and diabetics. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland extended the programme in winter 2020 to include millions of adults aged 50-64, as well as teenagers, to limit the number of people hospitalised with flu when wards were being over-run with Covid patients. The return to the pre-pandemic vaccination programme in England comes at a time when experts fear the UK is heading for the worst flu season since the start of the Covid … [Read more...] about As England dumps free NHS flu jabs for the over-50s, Scotland carries on… so which is right, asks ETHAN ENNALS

(CBS News) Many of us end up throwing out food we think is past its prime - a habit that provides Food For Thought according to Tracy Smith: There are no hard-and-fast rules for food expiration dating. Most people don't want to take chances, so once food hits the printed expiration date, they simply toss it out. But tossing it out has become a problem in itself. It's been estimated that up to 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. goes right in the trash. "I can be as picky as everybody else," says Janet Kalish, and she can afford to be. She's no vagrant - Kalish is a New York City high school teacher who got fed up with seeing supermarkets toss out good food. So for the past eight years she's been doing her shopping on the streets. She told Smith, "I would say about 90 percent of what I eat is 'rescued food'" - food that comes from the garbage. And she doesn't need to look very hard. She showed Smith a "pretty close to a perfect eggplant," and loaves of bread still … [Read more...] about Rescuing wasted food to fight hunger