Winchester College head criticises ‘patronising' Phillipson
The head of Winchester College has criticised Bridget Phillipson over Thank a Teacher Day.
Elizabeth Stone took aim at the Education Secretary's policies, saying the amount of red tape in education was 'so excessive'.
On Wednesday, Ms Phillipson released a video paying tribute to the profession by giving a 'massive thank you' to teachers across Britain.
In it, she spoke to a number of primary school children, asking them who their favourite teacher was.
The video finished with her saying how she 'knows the difference that brilliant teachers make' and how the Government's recruitment drive would 'set up all of our children to achieve and thrive'.
"What difference do you think teachers make?"
This #ThankATeacherDay Education Secretary @bphillipsonMP asked pupils at Lordship Farm Primary School about their brilliant teachers.
We're getting more teachers in classrooms, supporting children, through our Plan for Change. pic.twitter.com/5wmN9BXgGk
— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) June 18, 2025
The day of recognition was also announced in an email alongside a video montage featuring a host of famous faces – including the likes of Dame Helen Mirren, Alan Titchmarsh, Michael Morpurgo and Ms Phillipson herself – who all thanked an old teacher.
In her accompanying email, Ms Phillipson wrote: 'Think about the young lives you're helping to shape. Think about the brighter futures you're helping to build.
'And know that you have the thanks of the entire country – today, and every day.'
However, its release was criticised by Ms Stone, the head of the independent boarding school in Hampshire.
She labelled it 'marketing' from a 'political leader whose work is not exactly making the lives of thousands of pupils and teachers easier'.
The Australian teacher claimed that serious professionals would be 'unmoved' by the DfE's message of appreciation.
Posting on social media, she said: 'I get it. Not a lot of money to spend on education, so perhaps it's worth attempting to raise morale by emailing a video.
'Even if some find it patronising, there's no real harm done.'
She continued: 'But here's another idea that requires little [to] no government spending and could really make a difference to teachers: slash the layers of over-regulation and the culture of excessive compliance and risk-aversion in schools.'
Ms Stone said teachers would love to be paid more, but would like 'workload relief' just as much, and in some cases more.
'The regulatory/compliance regime in education is now so excessive that it acts, in my opinion, to the detriment of the profession and of the children we serve,' she added.
'Without spending a penny on buildings or salaries, this government could bring about massive improvement for the profession.'
The Government is embroiled in a High Court battle over its VAT policy after parent groups argued the tax raid is discriminatory.
Earlier this year, the Independent Schools Council accused ministers of having 'underestimated' the impact of its controversial VAT tax policy, which the Government hopes will raise £1.8 billion a year by the end of the decade.
High Court documents obtained by The Telegraph previously revealed that Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, was warned Labour's levy on fees could cause an additional 100 private schools to shut over the next three years – something the Government had never admitted in public.
Ministers toyed with a later start date for the tax but ultimately decided to go with the course of action labelled by civil servants as 'the most disruptive' to 'maximise revenue'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
23 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Pope Leo flags AI's impact on children's intellectual and spiritual development
Pope Leo XIV has warned that artificial intelligence could negatively impact the intellectual, neurological and spiritual development of young people as he pressed one of the priorities of his young pontificate. History's first American pope sent a message to a conference of AI and ethics, part of which was taking place in the Vatican in a sign of the Holy See's concern for the new technologies and what they mean for humanity. Advertisement In the message, Leo said any further development of AI must be evaluated according to the 'superior ethical criterion' of the need to safeguard the dignity of each human being, while respecting the diversity of the world's population. He warned specifically that new generations are most at risk, given they have never had such quick access to information. 'All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people and the possible consequences of the use of AI on their intellectual and neurological development,' he said in the message. 'Society's wellbeing depends upon their being given the ability to develop their God-given gifts and capabilities' and not allow them to confuse mere access to data with intelligence. Advertisement 'In the end, authentic wisdom has more to do with recognising the true meaning of life, than with the availability of data,' he said. Leo, who was elected in May after the death of Pope Francis, has identified AI as one of the most critical matters facing humanity, saying it poses challenges to defending human dignity, justice and labour. He has explained his concern for AI by invoking his namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That Leo was pope during the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and made the plight of workers, and the need to guarantee their rights and dignity, a key priority. Towards the end of his pontificate, Francis became increasingly vocal about the threats to humanity posed by AI and called for an international treaty to regulate it. Advertisement Francis said politicians must take the lead in making sure AI remains human-centric, so that decisions about when to use weapons or even less-lethal tools always remain made by humans and not machines.
BreakingNews.ie
23 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Security review launched in UK after Pro-Palestinian activists break into RAF base
A security review has been launched across Britain's defence estate after pro-Palestinian activists broke into an RAF base and sprayed two UK military planes with red paint. Footage posted online by Palestine Action on Friday morning shows two people inside RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Advertisement The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful. Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 20, 2025 The UK's Ministry of Defence condemned the vandalism, while Britain's prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was 'disgraceful'. Downing Street said security is being reviewed across the UK's defence estate and that the Britsih government is working closely with police. A No 10 spokesman said: 'A full security review is under way at Brize Norton. Advertisement 'We are reviewing security across the whole defence estate. 'We treat all breaches of security very seriously, and where there is suspected criminal activity, we will take the necessary steps to investigate and prosecute in line with longstanding principle.' He said the incident had not disrupted any planned aircraft movements or operations. Pro-Palestinian activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire (Palestine Action/PA) A spokesman for the campaign group said: 'Despite publicly condemning the Israeli Government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets. Advertisement 'Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. 'By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people.' RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Footage showed one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker (Palestine Action/PA) A UK Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets. We are working closely with the police who are investigating. Advertisement 'Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain. 'They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all. 'It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.' Sir Keir said in a post on X: 'The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful. Advertisement 'Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. 'It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.' A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: 'We have received a report of people gaining access to RAF Brize Norton and causing criminal damage. 'An investigation has been launched and we are working with the Ministry of Defence Police and partners at RAF Brize Norton. 'Inquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible.'
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
After the Brize Norton attack, Britain should be placed on a war footing
Many were astonished recently at Russia's inability to defend its military aircraft when Ukraine carried out drone strikes against them deep inside Russian territory. Well now the inadequacy of our own air base security has been exposed, although thankfully in a far less serious way. For now. RAF Brize Norton was attacked not by external forces but the enemy within. This was not a protest; it was a deliberate act of sabotage against military assets used to defend our country. What is shocking is that these saboteurs were able to access a highly defended base, put two air to air refuelling tankers out of action, and leave without being detected. That should not have happened at any time. But right now military bases should have been on a substantially heightened state of alert. Whether or not we are providing any assistance to Israel in its defensive operations against Iran, Tehran certainly believes we are. They see us as a key ally of Israel and also attribute to Britain a disproportionate level of influence over US actions. We are therefore a high priority target for Iranian terrorism. Don't forget only weeks ago seven Iranians were arrested here on allegations of preparing terrorist attacks and other security offences. And in 2015 our security service disrupted an Iranian-backed bomb plot on the outskirts of London. The threat from Tehran has significantly increased since the latest arrests, with Iran under attack and the ayatollahs desperate to find effective ways of hitting back at Israel and its allies. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has long positioned sleeper cells in European countries including the UK for precisely the situation they find themselves in now. This was a known specific threat back in the early 2000s, when I was working for the UK Joint Intelligence Committee. We don't know exactly their capabilities but it would be irresponsible not to assume that terrorist attacks in Britain could be initiated from Tehran at any time. The fact that the British Government has repeatedly refused to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation suggests a dangerous degree of complacency. That should have happened a long time ago and certainly should happen now. Beyond the very real and immediate threat from Iran there is Russia. Putin has identified Britain as its number one enemy in Europe. We have led the way in supporting Ukraine both economically and militarily. British intelligence and surveillance have been a critical element of Kyiv's operations against Russia. Donated British tanks and other armoured vehicles are in Ukraine now and our long range missiles have been used to attack Russian forces both inside Ukraine and on Russian sovereign territory. Furthermore, like Iran, Putin has previously ordered terrorist strikes on UK soil, including a nerve agent attack in Salisbury in 2018. Since then suspected Russian sabotage has been suspected here and cyber attacks carried out against government and private sector targets. Security, even of military bases, can never be 100 per cent; but this penetration of RAF Brize Norton by the Palestine Action activists, brazen enough to cross the airfield on electric scooters, shows the most serious shortcomings. What if they had been armed not with paint but explosives? Those planes could have been destroyed, not temporarily disabled, and airmen could have been killed. What we have seen amounts to an open invitation to even more serious saboteurs and terrorists to attack. The threat is going to get worse, not only from Iran and Russia, but also from people here who hate our country and want to cause us harm. The thousands of illegal immigrants pouring in on small boats, with no way to screen, document or control them, adds yet another dimension. All of Britain's military bases, as well as other critical targets, should immediately be placed on a war footing, where they should have been at least since we started supporting Ukraine and even more so since Iran came under attack.
