Nursery World - Network Whispers - Assessment, business rates and kebabs

Nursery World and NDNA join forces for a behind-the-scenes column

SHISH! Children’s minister Nadhim Zahawi and shadow early years minister Tracy Brabin are unlikely allies at a popular Westminster event – but it is ‘babs, not babies, taking centre stage. The duo are both judges at the British Kebab Awards, or keBAFTAs as they are also known, which organisers say are ‘a reflection of the kebab industry’s significant contribution to the UK economy and British culture in general’. Incredibly, 110 politicians attended the most recent event in March, including Labour leader and vegetarian Jeremy Corbyn.

SAT STATE OF AFFAIRS MP Paul Williams was surprised at the response of his six-year-old daughter when he asked her what she wanted to do this year. ‘She had heard of a place called Disney,’ he told an audience of child development professionals last week, ‘but she also said, “I hope to do well in my SATs”. I thought, how the f**k does she know about SATs? I hadn’t told her and the school tries to shield them. At six, all I want is for her to be happy. If we are going to do assessments on children it needs to be so low key that nobody notices.’

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