Pinned Tweet
My kiddo stopped talking as a result of the trauma he suffered. He communicated by barking. For months I didn't understand why. Until a stranger asked him.
He barked because everyone likes dogs, so he thought if he acted like a dog...the staff would like him.
#RemoveTheRoom
He barked because everyone likes dogs, so he thought if he acted like a dog...the staff would like him.
#RemoveTheRoom
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Shaunagh #RemoveTheRoom retweeted
How are you gonna take away the financial aid that is there to help disabled young people become independent and act like thatโs gonna help them become employed? Thereโs literally no logic
Just state mandated bullying of disabled people
Just state mandated bullying of disabled people
๐จ NEW: The Government is set to ban 16-24 year olds from claiming PIP and the health element of Universal Credit after a review into unemployment
They will instead receive a new "youth allowance" paid at the standard rate of Universal Credit
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RT @BelfastLive: Former Athletics NI president admits sexual offence against teenage girl belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-nโฆ
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Please respond and reject these proposals
โฒ๏ธONE WEEK LEFT | The public consultation on legislative proposals to support mobile-phone free schools will close next Thursday 19 November.
Feedback will help shape future decisions on mobile phone use in schools. The proposals are informed by the independent @KingsCollegeLon evaluation and wider research, which indicate that restricting access to mobile phones during the school day can help create calmer, safer and more focused learning environments.
๐Find out more and have your say: education-ni.gov.uk/news/givan-lauโฆ
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Shaunagh #RemoveTheRoom retweeted
๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ยฃ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐๐จ
The name of a DUP politician with links to a football club that Education Minister Paul Givan had attempted to award ยฃ30,000 to can be revealed.
A company an sponsored Richill AFC.
His company's phone number also appeared on posts Richill AFC shared around player recruitment.
The councillor, DUP and education department have all been asked about this connection and chose not to respond.
Sinn Fรฉin MLA Pat Sheehan said: โThe revelation that a DUP councillor has sponsorship ties with Richhill AFC raises further serious questions about Paul Givanโs attempts to direct ยฃ30,000 of education funding to a football club.
After months of pressure, the Department of Education has now ruled out providing the funding to Richhill AFC.
(Full story online).
๐ป๐ฐ๐ด๐ฌ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ which is a silly, nonsensical claim.
The story is that the intent was there to provide this money before it was exposed.
This is a win for democracy. Thank you to the MLAs who took it seriously and applied the necessary pressure in the education committee after the story was published. It shows the importance of effective scrutiny. This particular committee has had to be alive to many issues in the past couple of years, including a boycott most recently. Thanks also to FoI expert Martin Rosenbaum who commented for stories and treated it with the gravity it merited.
1. In November 2025 Richill AFC reaches out to the Department of Education asking if it can cover a ยฃ30,000 shortfall for a synthetic pitch. A pitch it had already received ยฃ500,000 for from the British Government on the understanding it would be delivered.
2. Minister Givan meets the club chairman โ along with a DUP MLA โ in March to discuss the possibility of funding.
3. On April 1, just weeks later, a letter is from the education department โ with the approval of the Minister โ requesting that ยฃ30,000 be allocated to Richill with a question asked if it should go directly to the team or via a local school. Bear in mind the Minister had been advised by an official that schools rarely use the pitch and it would require 'a detailed business case'.
4. Months later, after silence from the Department, Richill AFC and a one-line response from the Education Authority (EA), EA Chief Richard Pengelly says the April 1 email was never received because of a ... typo in the email address.
5. Despite that typo I had other evidence of the department asking EA for a phone call on May 29. No notes were taken from that call. Indeed, I discovered that all meetings and calls after that date were not recorded. Was that intentional? Does that require further investigation or sanction?
6. So with this evidence and pressure being applied at committee level, Mr Pengelly writes to Pat Sheehan MLA in October. He finally admits the EA was approached by the department to allocate this funding โ 'more recently'. So even after all of the controversy he still makes clear this is a live issue in October.
Moreover, he says โany agreed payment would be based on usageโ.
Further pressure has been applied about a direct DUP link to the club, so it took from my first contact with the department asking questions on July 28 to November 12 for it to rule out 'direct or indirect' funding.
If that is to be believed, ยฃ30,000 of public money has been saved.
The name of a DUP politician with links to a football club that Education Minister Paul Givan had attempted to award ยฃ30,000 to can be revealed.
A company an sponsored Richill AFC.
His company's phone number also appeared on posts Richill AFC shared around player recruitment.
The councillor, DUP and education department have all been asked about this connection and chose not to respond.
Sinn Fรฉin MLA Pat Sheehan said: โThe revelation that a DUP councillor has sponsorship ties with Richhill AFC raises further serious questions about Paul Givanโs attempts to direct ยฃ30,000 of education funding to a football club.
After months of pressure, the Department of Education has now ruled out providing the funding to Richhill AFC.
(Full story online).
๐ป๐ฐ๐ด๐ฌ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ which is a silly, nonsensical claim.
The story is that the intent was there to provide this money before it was exposed.
This is a win for democracy. Thank you to the MLAs who took it seriously and applied the necessary pressure in the education committee after the story was published. It shows the importance of effective scrutiny. This particular committee has had to be alive to many issues in the past couple of years, including a boycott most recently. Thanks also to FoI expert Martin Rosenbaum who commented for stories and treated it with the gravity it merited.
1. In November 2025 Richill AFC reaches out to the Department of Education asking if it can cover a ยฃ30,000 shortfall for a synthetic pitch. A pitch it had already received ยฃ500,000 for from the British Government on the understanding it would be delivered.
2. Minister Givan meets the club chairman โ along with a DUP MLA โ in March to discuss the possibility of funding.
3. On April 1, just weeks later, a letter is from the education department โ with the approval of the Minister โ requesting that ยฃ30,000 be allocated to Richill with a question asked if it should go directly to the team or via a local school. Bear in mind the Minister had been advised by an official that schools rarely use the pitch and it would require 'a detailed business case'.
4. Months later, after silence from the Department, Richill AFC and a one-line response from the Education Authority (EA), EA Chief Richard Pengelly says the April 1 email was never received because of a ... typo in the email address.
5. Despite that typo I had other evidence of the department asking EA for a phone call on May 29. No notes were taken from that call. Indeed, I discovered that all meetings and calls after that date were not recorded. Was that intentional? Does that require further investigation or sanction?
6. So with this evidence and pressure being applied at committee level, Mr Pengelly writes to Pat Sheehan MLA in October. He finally admits the EA was approached by the department to allocate this funding โ 'more recently'. So even after all of the controversy he still makes clear this is a live issue in October.
Moreover, he says โany agreed payment would be based on usageโ.
Further pressure has been applied about a direct DUP link to the club, so it took from my first contact with the department asking questions on July 28 to November 12 for it to rule out 'direct or indirect' funding.
If that is to be believed, ยฃ30,000 of public money has been saved.
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Shaunagh #RemoveTheRoom retweeted
@Ed_Authority given you asked students to wear additional items to keep warm, how do parents go about obtaining refunds for the additional branded items schools are insisting children wear to keep warm in their cold classrooms as a result of their rigid uniform policies?
@Education_NI @paulgivan @Ed_Authority who do parents send the bill too for the additional items of branded clothing that parents are being instructed to purchase if they want their children to have an extra layer on to keep warm whilst they are in school?
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Shaunagh #RemoveTheRoom retweeted
And @Education_NI weโd really like to see *evidence* of โthe behaviour of successโ that Bennett has allegedly influenced ๐คจ
I wrote a thread on this a while back. Pretty dismal findings overall๐ ๐
x.com/3dancingfeet/sโฆ
I wrote a thread on this a while back. Pretty dismal findings overall๐ ๐
x.com/3dancingfeet/sโฆ
โฒ๏ธONE WEEK TO GO | The Behaviour of Success Conference 2026
Next Wednesday 18 November, we will welcome over 600 school leaders to explore what works in creating positive, purposeful learning environments where every child and young person can thrive.
Delegates will hear from iour and school culture, including Tom Bennett OBE, discover effective practice from Northern Ireland and beyond, and take away practical strategies back to their school.
#BehaviourOfSuccess
@tombennett71 @ProfDanielMuijs @StuartLock @BruceNextLevel
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This is exactly why parents need to be aware of "reasonable force" policies and what restrictive interventions the school may deploy if they suspect a child has a phone with them at school.
Putting to one side whether or not phones in schools should be banned for a moment.
You have 500 kids. How are you going to enforce no phones on person or in bags?
Are you going to search them? Publicly? Privately? With a chaperone? Body search? Turn out your pockets?
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You do not require a diagnosis to obtain PIP or DLA, you just have to provide (alot of) evidence that you require additional support on a daily basis.
Having an ADHD diagnosis shouldn't so easily lead to cash handouts from the state.
From my experience, targeted therapeutic community support is the best way support people with ADHD in their daily lives. That's why the welfare system needs overhauling.
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๐
This short film is compelling and utterly harrowing.
I would urge school leaders and system leaders to watch.
With 12 years of headship experience, I thought I understood attendance well.
But then this happened to us.
Unauthorised Abs... youtu.be/dn8C7WuGv8g?siโฆ via @YouTube
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No money to feed kids but of course there is money for a behaviour tsar and this conference ๐
โฒ๏ธONE WEEK TO GO | The Behaviour of Success Conference 2026
Next Wednesday 18 November, we will welcome over 600 school leaders to explore what works in creating positive, purposeful learning environments where every child and young person can thrive.
Delegates will hear from iour and school culture, including Tom Bennett OBE, discover effective practice from Northern Ireland and beyond, and take away practical strategies back to their school.
#BehaviourOfSuccess
@tombennett71 @ProfDanielMuijs @StuartLock @BruceNextLevel
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Shaunagh #RemoveTheRoom retweeted
Can we also ban mobile phones in parliament, then? #bbcbreakfast @BBCBreakfast
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Shaunagh #RemoveTheRoom retweeted
Women with โknown vulnerabilitiesโ were targeted by police officers for sexual purposes, a police watchdog has said
belfastlive.co.uk/news/girl-14-aโฆ
belfastlive.co.uk/news/girl-14-aโฆ
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Winning the double at u14, u16 & u18 levels in 2006 is honestly up there with some of my favourite memories.
My daughter won her first league title this year at 12 years old and she was absolutely buzzing.
Removing the competitive element makes it a hobby not a sport.
My daughter won her first league title this year at 12 years old and she was absolutely buzzing.
Removing the competitive element makes it a hobby not a sport.
BREAKING: Proposals will go ahead to change rules and make teenage games non competitive in new report going to the GAA.
Teenage GAA games set for radical rules shake-up the42.ie/7221525
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The fact that they chose this photo...
The stand-off between the Department of Education and its scrutiny committee at Stormont has come to an end, after Education Minister Paul Givan backed down on his order for officials to boycott meetings.
belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/โฆ
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Shaunagh #RemoveTheRoom retweeted
THIS!!! And I don't just mean at government level. I mean in schools, from teachers through to SLTs, LAs from SEND teams through to directors of education. There's nowhere near enough accountability.
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Cried my eyes out watching scenes from #UnauthorisedAbsence
Such a universal experience however it is so unbelievably isolating.
Such a universal experience however it is so unbelievably isolating.
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ENGLAND - A frustrated Blackpool dad has accused a high school of showing โno common senseโ after his daughter was placed in isolation for wearing trainers to school because of painful blisters caused by new shoes.
blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/blackpoolโฆ
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