Hello,

As a student who has relied — and continues to rely — on assistive technology funded through DSA (Disabled Students’ Allowance) to complete academic work, I am deeply saddened to hear about proposals to limit support to “exceptional circumstances” only for future students.

Without access to assistive technology through DSA, university would be far more difficult for me and for so many others. These tools are not luxuries — they are essential in helping disabled students access education, work independently, and achieve their full potential.

Restricting DSA support risks creating even greater barriers for students who already face challenges in higher education. Accessibility and inclusion should be strengthened, not reduced. Every student deserves an equal opportunity to succeed.

#DSA #DisabledStudentsAllowance #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #DisabledStudents #HigherEducation #Inclusion

this is the description I use on the website

As a town councillor, for Downham Market my hopes are to represent the younger people in our community. I also aim to demonstrate that having autism does not limit one's ability to contribute to public service. I was told at a young age that I would never speak publicly. By becoming a councillor, I have already proven that prediction wrong. I look forward to learning more about our town and serving its residents.

I only became a councillor at 19.

Steven David Campbell Robb

please also comment your own experiences of getting in touch with elected officials with autism

Hoping to send my children to top grammar schools in Kingston/Sutton areas - and wanted to fact check some things / receive input and advice from those who have first hand experience.

Schools we’re thinking about / hoping for are:
- For our son: Tiffin Boys, Sutton Grammar and Wilson’s School
- For our daughter: Tiffin Girls, Henrietta Barnett and Nonsuch

I’ve known from reputation these schools are very competitive and require the classic 11+ / entrance exams tuition and preparation.

But I hadn’t fully realised that:
a) the chances of getting is about ~5% (~150 spots per year vs ~3,000 applicants - owing to large catchment area). This compares to Kent private schools of ~15-20% (~150 spots per less than 1,000 applicants)
b) most spots go to those in the inner priority proximity of 10km or less.
This is what AI tells me anyway!

Grateful if there are parents out here whose children went through / currently undergoing application for these same schools and can share insight.

- Have you come across the same statistics?
- If currently doing this, what preparations are your children undergoing?
- If succeeded, what do you think were key factors?
- If unsuccessful - same question
- Did you have back up plans?
- What matters more - exam scores or proximity to school?

Please only comment if you have relevant experience for these schools or similar within the country. Not after general high level parenting advice / “don’t pressure your kids” / “grammar schools should be abolished” type comments. I respect your views but after some practical, tangible, first hand opinions here.

Thank you!

Like teachers who yell at you for wearing coats indoors when they are wearing coats indoors themselves.

Coming straight to the point, I'm holding two conditional offers for Fall 2026 and I’m pretty confused about which one to choose:

MSc Medical Affairs at King's College London

MSc Clinical Pharmacology at University of Glasgow

A bit of context: I received no scholarship from King’s, while Glasgow offered me a £5,000 scholarship. Tuition and overall costs are obviously an important factor for me.

Background: I’m an MBBS graduate from India with clinical experience and some pharmacovigilance exposure. My long-term goal is to build a career in the UK with good employability and sponsorship prospects, potentially in pharma/medical affairs-related roles.

Right now I’m leaning toward Glasgow because the tuition is lower, I got a scholarship, and I feel the course modules match my interests better. But King’s also has the “brand value” and direct Medical Affairs angle, which makes me second-guess myself.

Would appreciate honest opinions from people in pharma/UK academia or anyone who has done either course. Which would you pick and why?

I am making a school project about the educational system and its flaws. I’m looking for personal opinions on what people think are the biggest problems with schools, the school system, and the way we approach learning. What do you think the main flaws are, and how can they affect a person?
I’m not referring to student-related issues such as smoking, vaping, or bullying.
(Mostly Europe if possible)

Have an offer from Durham University, planning to accept it, as I have 12,000 scholarship...need some tips??is it a good university for MSc Business Analytics??will it be worth it??I am an international student

I am confused between University of Durham and Bath for MSc Business Analytics, being an international student. I have almost equal scholarship in both, so which one should i go with. considering opportunities in city also, networking, reputation, employability, as I won't be settling down in UK, will be back after studying and working for 1-2 years????

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I just sent this off to the union. I know I’m not the only one feeling this way, but seeing another brilliant colleague walk away from teaching altogether this year has been the final straw.

Dear INTO,

I am writing to you not just as a member, but as a teacher who is witnessing the systematic collapse of our profession. We are well beyond the point of "struggling"—we are breaking.

This year, I’ve had to watch a valued colleague make the devastating decision to leave the profession entirely. This wasn't a choice made lightly; it was a forced exit caused by an unsustainable workload and a total lack of meaningful support. The toll on his mental health became too much to bear, and frankly, many more of us are right behind him.

How many more good teachers do we have to lose before the union takes a stand that actually matches the severity of this crisis?

I urge the INTO to stop the incrementalism and take a stronger, more decisive position. We cannot continue to watch our peers burn out and disappear while the erosion of our working conditions is met with anything less than total urgency.

Yours sincerely,

A deeply frustrated teacher

For those of you in the same boat—are you seeing this in your staffrooms too? It feels like we’re shouting into a void while the workload just keeps piling up. When is enough actually going to be enough?

when I was at primary school we learned such little amount of science, especially anything practical, It was basically like 70-80% theory 20% experiments , but the experiments were really boring and basic, I remember how shocked I was when we did a malt vinegar experiment in year 6, as it was so much more advanced than anything I did prior, is it not in the curriculum for primary school as much as other subjects like Maths and English? I understand that some things and experiments in science are far too risky for children to do, so that might have something. To do with it, sorry for the long post and poor grammar and punctuation,

Im in sixth form ( year 12) my daily commute is 60-70 miles ( about 1hr 20 mins - 1hr 50 mins ) a day i do this twice so all of that doubled is my commute considered too long this is the only school near me which fits the a levels i want to do my mum says its fine but some other people think its too long just looking for second opinions ( i leave at about 6:30 am and get home about 5:30-6:10 pm)

Just wondering, as I’ve seen that key stage 5 is college and sixth form,