James Yates

Assistant Principal/behaviour/DSL/NPQSL/Love Sport and Films. All views are my own.

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

@plymouthcc is there any chance of replying to my wife about replacing our brown bin. It's been 2 months now and no reply and yet you say no need to contact you again as you'll reply in 10 working days. We're on 40 days.

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

@plymouthcc is there any chance you might reply to an issue my wife logged with you on 13/04/26. The automated reply suggests we don't need to contact you again as you will contact us but we clearly do as we've heard nothing. Council tax going up but quality going down it seems.

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

@Osty1988 👀👀

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

Awful customer service from @IKEAUK. They offered me £5 for all the hassle. I paid £40 for express delivery and got slower than standard and wrong missing parts ordered.

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

Despite being asked to email by @IKEAUK I've not had a reply for 4 days regarding my complaint. Sofa was delivered missing covers, then wrong cover was ordered by them and it didn't end up arriving until 4 days after the express delivery date. I love @IKEAUK but feel letdown 🥲

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

Here's just one video of many I took to evidence the disruption during a screening of Minecraft movie @vuecinemas in Plymouth. Absolutely ruined it for my 6 year old and his 2 cousins. Despite several complaints from myself and other parents staff did nothing.

[Adam Boxer @adamboxer1]

Boys are almost 1.5x more likely to be recorded as having a special educational need as girls

Either:

Boys genuinely are more likely to have a special educational need

OR

The way we identify these needs is broken

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

Love this!

[Adam Boxer @adamboxer1]

YES TOILET DISCOURSE IS BACK which means I get to wheel out my fave graph

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

Anyone out there have any good SEMH independent reregulation activities? Asking for a friend!

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

Hold the line with high expectations! My rallying cry for the last week and the next and the next and the next!
@tombennett71

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

So true !

[Adam Boxer @adamboxer1]

Fidget spinners are so helpful for students' concentration and focus that as soon as they weren't cool anymore they stopped working

[Adam Boxer @adamboxer1]

Fidget spinners are so helpful for students' concentration and focus that as soon as they weren't cool anymore they stopped working

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

@SLTC2A I’ll make sure I take a listen.

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

@AdamHighcliffe I don’t know any schools that use “high control” as a term. High expectations yes as we want our students leaving school with high expectations of themselves and others this includes SEND students.

Clear routines and consistency have been proven to support SEND students most.

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

Well said!

[Tom Bennett OBE @tombennett71]

There are no schools in the UK that follow a ‘no excuses’ model. This entire argument is based on tilting at a windmill that doesn’t exist. There are lots of schools with high standards, high expectations etc. This is not the same thing, and pretending they are is an enormous disservice to the schools that work incredibly hard to keep often chaotic environments safe for children, and demonstrates a lack of familiarity with the landscape of schools.

Schools where chaotic behaviour is normal are *incredibly* bad environments for student safety, liberty, rights, mental health, wellbeing….and learning. In order to properly criticise a school it is necessary to spend time in the school. This is why Ofsted don’t write their evaluations based on what they read about a school on social media, plus a few angry letters from parents.

I’ve been to all the schools described here. They’re strict, but very happy environments where children tell me they enjoy it, and they’re free from the instability of bullying, disruption etc. They also tell me how bad it used to be, how unsafe, etc. These schools are working miracles. They’re doing exactly what we hope they would for kids, especially disadvantaged children or children with SEN: they’re giving them a great education is a safe environment.

And still, arguments are made against them, often ideological or theoretical in basis. I invite critics of these brilliant schools to set up their own schools, and demonstrate what they would do instead. Until then, I applaud these brilliant leaders, teachers and staff for the good that they do, because they actually make a difference in the lives of children in the real world.

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

This made my day! Although the football injury comment was harsh, but accurate.

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

After the longest short week ever! Finally relaxing with the boy watching a film!

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

@martin_piper Interesting and it is really useful for students and not just those wanting to Jon that sector.

Coursework heavy though!

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

Nice of my 2 year old to serve me a cup of tea with chicken in whilst I was marking

[James Yates @JYatesAP]

@martin_piper Yeah mainly Health and Social Care this year! Few hours of science. 👍🏻