Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Jun 16

Alternative education in the UK is under attack. Home educators are under suspicion. Small schools are shut down by VAT on fees. Part time learning groups set up by parents are treated as illegal schools. Our kids need alternative ways to learn. School isn’t always the right thing. Who is listening?

2 5 15

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

Anni wasn’t happy at school. She was crying in the evenings and saying she had tummy aches in the morning.
Her dad went into school for a meeting. 1/

1 13 16

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

Is your teenager coming out of school and not sure what to do? Here's the advice of a home educated 17-year-old.

"It can be hard if you've just come out of school to know what you're interested in, because you might think “All school stuff is boring. I'm not interested in any of that”. /1

1 2 8

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Dec 2

When I talk about the effect on children of behavioural practices which are used in some schools, I’m often told that these are trivial. Here's why I disagree.
open.substack.com/pub/naomicfi...

It's Not Trivial To Them

Why the things that we say and do to children matter

open.substack.com

9 25

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 24

This is a raw, hard-hitting video about the reality for many children and parents.

It shows that the ‘SEND crisis’ isn’t just about children. It’s about families whose lives are completely overturned by the lack of understanding & provision for their children.

www.theguardian.com/education/vi...

How children with special educational needs are being failed in England – video

From anxious children unable to cope with school to those with more complex, profound disabilities, support for Send children in England is broken. The Guardian meets parents and children to get a sen...

www.theguardian.com

1 14 20

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Teresa M @teresasm.bsky.social · Jun 5

I don't know if it could help but @drnaomifisher.bsky.social has a few courses around gelping teenagers, particularly around accepting a different path that isn't school and to heal from burnout.

1 4

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Nick Covington @covingtonedu.bsky.social · Jun 5

@drnaomifisher.bsky.social is characteristically insightful:

"If you harshly control young people's behavior & make them focus on nothing except exam results, they're probably going to get better exam results. The question for me is: is that worth it?"

drjamesmannion.substack.com/p/commuter-m...

COMMUTER MATERIAL: Naomi Fisher and Warwick Mansell on the Schools Bill: Academies, homeschooling - and school shaming... (LONG-FORM VIDEO & AUDIO)

Essential ear candy for educators, parents and carers

drjamesmannion.substack.com

1 2 6

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Crown House Publishing @crownhousepub.bsky.social · Jun 8

New episode of the Rethinking Education podcast is out now!

Hosts @rethinkingjames.bsky.social & @realdavidc.bsky.social speak with @warwickmansell.bsky.social‬ & @drnaomifisher.bsky.social‬ about the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill currently making its way through parliament:

Rethinking Education Podcast - Crown House Publishing

Crown House Publishing is an award-winning independent publisher of books specialising in education, teaching, business, coaching, therapy, NLP, hypnosis, self-help and personal development.

buff.ly

5 5

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Teresa M @teresasm.bsky.social · Jun 12

I've read some of what @drnaomifisher.bsky.social says about motivation and between that and what I see with my son in school (and in the past with me): you're not going to enjoy something that you're *made* to do, you have to be scored on and is made into a chore.

BookTrust @booktrust.org.uk · Jun 11

This new research from @literacy-trust.bsky.social shows the ongoing decline in children's reading enjoyment, mirroring our recent research briefing (bit.ly/43FL5SP). (1/3)

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Children’s reading enjoyment falls to lowest recorded level in UK

Annual survey of young people’s reading habits which began two decades ago shows its lowest-ever result, most pronounced among boys aged 11 to 16

www.theguardian.com

1 1 5

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 24

My autism courses for parents are HALF PRICE just until Sunday. Pre-recorded, short and packed full of useful information. Please share the code EASTER with any parents who might want to know.

courses.naomifisher.co.uk

Dr. Naomi Fisher's Courses

Sale on Dr Naomi Fisher's autism courses on anxiety, transitions, screens and anger.

courses.naomifisher.co.uk

7 3

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 24

Good point!

1

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Empower:ED Scotland @empoweredscotland.bsky.social · Apr 24

Please give this a watch. The issues are similar in Scotland sadly.

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 24

This is a raw, hard-hitting video about the reality for many children and parents.

It shows that the ‘SEND crisis’ isn’t just about children. It’s about families whose lives are completely overturned by the lack of understanding & provision for their children.

www.theguardian.com/education/vi...

How children with special educational needs are being failed in England – video

From anxious children unable to cope with school to those with more complex, profound disabilities, support for Send children in England is broken. The Guardian meets parents and children to get a sen...

www.theguardian.com

6 5

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 24

My autism courses for parents are HALF PRICE just until Sunday. Pre-recorded, short and packed full of useful information. Please share the code EASTER with any parents who might want to know.

courses.naomifisher.co.uk

Dr. Naomi Fisher's Courses

Sale on Dr Naomi Fisher's autism courses on anxiety, transitions, screens and anger.

courses.naomifisher.co.uk

7 3

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

We need to help them out.

Making home less fun improves nothing.
It needs to stop. 9/

1 24

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 24

This is a raw, hard-hitting video about the reality for many children and parents.

It shows that the ‘SEND crisis’ isn’t just about children. It’s about families whose lives are completely overturned by the lack of understanding & provision for their children.

www.theguardian.com/education/vi...

How children with special educational needs are being failed in England – video

From anxious children unable to cope with school to those with more complex, profound disabilities, support for Send children in England is broken. The Guardian meets parents and children to get a sen...

www.theguardian.com

1 14 20

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

Our new book is OUT NOW. It's an illustrated guide for professionals and it covers how to make schools fit for children, what happens when school goes wrong&working with children outside the school system.Informed by research, professional expertise and lived experience. @elizafricker.bsky.social.

2 11 32

Reposted by Dr Naomi Fisher

Max Purpose Psychology @maxpurpose.bsky.social · Apr 23

Just ordered this book, looking forward to reading it. @drnaomifisher.bsky.social @elizafricker.bsky.social #edpsychs

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

Our new book is OUT NOW. It's an illustrated guide for professionals and it covers how to make schools fit for children, what happens when school goes wrong&working with children outside the school system.Informed by research, professional expertise and lived experience. @elizafricker.bsky.social.

3 9

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

We need to help them out.

Making home less fun improves nothing.
It needs to stop. 9/

1 24

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

This is a high risk intervention. It risks pushing children into misery and burnout. Instead of helping, we’re making the child’s life worse.
This can’t be the solution. If children are unhappy at school, we need to ask why. 8/

2 13

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

I was surprised the first time I heard a story like Anni’s. Now I’ve heard similar stories too many times. But one thing that I do know is that parents are still being told to make their children less happy at home, so that school seems like less of a contrast. 7/

1 1 8

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

Her dad was horrified. Hang on a minute, he said.
She’s not happy at school and your suggestion is that the way to improve this is to make her less happy at home?
How will that improve things at school?
They didn’t have an answer. 6/

1 8

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

The solution? Make home less fun. Give her fewer choices, and less attention. They said that if she stayed home from school, then her parents should interact with her as little as possible. Take away her toys and put her in the front room alone.
That way school would seem better in comparison. 5/

1 3

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

Home was just too much fun and Anni was used to life being too pleasant. She was used to being able to make her own decisions and expected adults to listen to what she had to say. 4/

2 4

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

He was surprised, because it turned out that the school didn’t think the problem was anything to do with Anni’s time there. The issue, as they saw it, was that Anni’s parents were too nice to her at home. 3/

1 3

Dr Naomi Fisher @drnaomifisher.bsky.social · Apr 23

He’d expected a conversation about what was happening during the school day and whether there were any changes which could be made. 2/

1 1