Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Athene Donald

Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 1d

New analysis by NFER estimates cuts the DfE is making to teacher training incentives could lead to 2,400 fewer trainees next year

schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-swings-a...

Teacher training bursaries cut after recruitment pick-up

Major cuts have been made to teacher training incentives - including for shortage subjects such as maths and fore

schoolsweek.co.uk

1

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 1d

And V levels? Strange to introduce idea of new qualification while waiting for CAR to report and SE to come up with its vision for joining things together across this space

1

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 1d

This need to join skills with regional issues was something @andywestwood.bsky.social Joe Peck and I wrote about previously in Prioritising Skills for Regional and National Growth niesr.ac.uk/publications...

1

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting blog on why leaving higher education to the market doesn't always align with Government goals, currently particularly true around the Industrial Strategy. What is the case for Cumbria is true more widely www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/10/07/j...

Joining The Dots: Skills, regeneration, funding systems and Barrow-in-Furness. - HEPI

This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Professor Julie Mennell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cumbria, and Martin Williams, Chair of the University of Cumbria. Barrow-in-Furness, now in the cou...

www.hepi.ac.uk

1 1 2

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 1d

Tonight saw launch of @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk of Public Policy. Churchill College alum and donor Peter Bennett talked about his vision for it. As @bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk it’s done great work and I look forward to seeing more exciting research forthcoming in this expanded School

2

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 2d

How do you cope with being the only woman in the room? What is your superpower #womeninstem? Reflections on last week's WISE conference occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald...

Being WISE | Athene Donald's Blog

occamstypewriter.org

4 9

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 3d

Reflections on this week's WISE2025 conference - the problem of being the only woman in the room and more #womeninstem occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald...

Being WISE | Athene Donald's Blog

occamstypewriter.org

2 6

Reposted by Athene Donald

Felicity Hannah @felicityhannah.bsky.social · 5d

This article manages to name her husband before it names… her.

Article reads:
Woman named as Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first

The 63-year-old archbishop-designate is married to Eamonn Mullally, with whom she has two children. Originally from Woking in Surrey, she was the UK's chief nursing officer from 1999 to 2004.

600 3.4K 13K

Reposted by Athene Donald

Jay 🦋 @jay.bsky.team · 6d

“It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there are so many of us.”
― Jane Goodall

💙 RIP to a real one. My childhood hero

Jane Goodall with monarch butterfly scarf

480 6.9K 33K

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 6d

I reflect on the many contributions Sir Richard Friend has made both to Physics and to individual researchers after the symposium in his honour last week occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald...

Honouring Sir Richard Friend | Athene Donald's Blog

occamstypewriter.org

2

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 7d

Thoughts on a symposium in honour of Richard Friend, a great scientist and entrepreneur, but also very human: Honouring Sir Richard Friend occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald...

Honouring Sir Richard Friend | Athene Donald's Blog

occamstypewriter.org

2

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 8d

Excited to be giving keynote talk at WISE conference in London. Amazing views from IET venue

6

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 12d

Pleased to be attending symposium honouring Richard Friend. Amazing to think we first met as undergraduates 54 years ago. Also occasional scientific collaborator.

3

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 13d

Committee described here occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald... though not this particular situation. Have you read my book? Or www.productivity.ac.uk/news/why-wom... which also discusses issues in schools

Shuffling Forward in Education | Athene Donald's Blog

occamstypewriter.org

1

Reposted by Athene Donald

The Royal Society @royalsociety.org · 13d

Our Places of Science scheme is now open for applications. If you're a small museum looking to tell stories of science and scientists relevant to your local community, you could get up to £3,500 to support your project. For more info royalsociety.org/grants/place...

Places of science - apply by 12 November 2025

1 5

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 14d

It's years since a committee I was on pointed out to Nick Gibb the science national curriculum barely mentioned women. It doesn't look as if the current wider KS3 curriculum has remembered women played their part in history www.theguardian.com/education/20...

School history lessons minimise the role of women, report finds

Campaigners say key stage 3 curriculum plays to misogny and teaches a ‘false version of the past’

www.theguardian.com

1 2 7

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 16d

Interesting rumours here about visa costs. UK's are completely out of line with other countries (and add in health charges), impacting on possibility of many ECRs coming to the UK eg to do a postdoc www.ft.com/content/3ba2...

UK explores plan to drop visa fees for top global talent

PM’s team wants to make it easier to attract people from top universities as US moves in opposite direction

www.ft.com

2 5

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 16d

One has to hope Curriculum and Assessment Review has something useful to say about this!

1

Reposted by Athene Donald

Richard Jones @richardaljones.bsky.social · 16d

Some worrying issues in science teaching - continuing shortages of subject specialists (esp for physics), and lower than average retention rates, all adding up to blockages in the STEM talent pipeline

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 17d

We need to sort out our science teaching in schools if we're to produce the next generation of STEM qualified workers and researchers for our economy. What's going wrong for teachers? occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald...

Science Education, Disadvantage and Teacher Burn-out | Athene Donald's Blog

occamstypewriter.org

3 7 20

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 17d

We need to sort out our science teaching in schools if we're to produce the next generation of STEM qualified workers and researchers for our economy. What's going wrong for teachers? occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald...

Science Education, Disadvantage and Teacher Burn-out | Athene Donald's Blog

occamstypewriter.org

4

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 18d

Tough life being a secondary school science teacher. I consider recent reports from @instituteofphysics.bsky.social and @rsc.org highlighting what's wrong and what could (fairly easily) be bette occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald...

Science Education, Disadvantage and Teacher Burn-out | Athene Donald's Blog

occamstypewriter.org

2 2

Reposted by Athene Donald

The Royal Society @royalsociety.org · 22d

As we celebrate 80 years since the first women were elected as Fellows of the Royal Society, Ruby Seger-Bernard, Schools Engagement Officer, and Isabelle Moss, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, reflect on the importance of inspiring girls and young women in science:

80 years of women Fellows: inspiring the next generation of women in STEM | Royal Society

Ruby Seger-Bernard, Schools Engagement Officer, and Isabelle Moss, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, reflect on the importance of inspiring girls and young women in science.

royalsociety.org

6 16

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 22d

@cescapeacock.bsky.social and I have been paired before in a 2023 edition of Free Thinking discussing Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, the first woman to visit the young Royal Society in 1667 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - Free Thinking, Margaret Cavendish

Nandini Das and guests discuss the Duchess of Newcastle - philosopher, poet and scientist.

www.bbc.co.uk

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · 22d

Looking forward to participating in this conversation about the role of women in science and philosophy, past and present, on October 27th with @cescapeacock.bsky.social and @jennmpark.bsky.social #womeninSTEM www.thephilosopher1923.org/events/on-th...

On the Marginalisation of Women in Philosophy and Science

www.thephilosopher1923.org

1 2 5

Reposted by Athene Donald

Kate Storey @profkatestorey.bsky.social · 28d

Time to read this !

Athene Donald @athenedonald.bsky.social · Jul 24

Paperback publication day! Have a good read. Things changing far too slowly for #womeninSTEM

1 3