Phil Rhodes

I've bought a website domain so now you can find my Self Marking sheets here: selfmarkingsheets.co.uk

Finishing off the GCSE Paper 3 resources & am so grateful for the praise that we've received 🤩 As a thanks, we're giving away lots of mugs & pens! 🎁 To enter, RT by 9pm Tues Also, schools planning ahead can make big savings with our fantastic discounts: corbettmaths.com/wp-content/upl…

5 Reasons the Picture of Trump as Pope is a Serious Problem 1. Inability or Unwillingness to Empathise The image in question was not released from an anonymous account or the backrooms of the internet — it came from the official White House Twitter account, historically one of the most respected and professionally managed communication platforms in global governance. Under President Trump’s administration, however, that standard has been drastically compromised. Just last week, Donald Trump had the honour of attending Pope Francis’s funeral, a deeply significant event that marked an immense period of mourning for Catholics worldwide. He would have been well aware of the global grief and reverence surrounding His Holiness’s passing. Yet, this image — an irreverent and inappropriate portrayal of Trump as Pope — flagrantly disregards that grief. For Catholics, the papacy is not a costume or a meme; it is a sacred office tied to centuries of tradition and theological depth. This tweet ignored not just political decorum, but human empathy. As the Bible reminds us: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15) Instead, there was mockery in the midst of mourning. 2. Unfettered Ambition It is inconceivable that such an image was posted without the explicit approval of President Trump himself. His endorsement of it signals something troubling — a form of unrestrained ambition. Evidently, the presidency of the United States — arguably the most powerful political office in the world — is not sufficient. Imagining himself as Pope hints at a hunger not just for power, but for adoration. Perhaps, after watching global front pages filled with grief and admiration for the late Pope, Trump’s appetite for attention was piqued. There is a parallel here with Jafar, the Grand Vizier in Disney’s Aladdin, whose insatiable thirst for power ultimately leads to his downfall. Even more poignantly, Jesus Himself offered a sobering caution: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:26) Unchecked ambition rarely ends well. 3. Supreme Confidence Donald Trump once infamously boasted “"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" Trump made those remarks at a campaign stop at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. The same supreme confidence seems evident here. He appears utterly unafraid of backlash, unbothered by propriety, and unconcerned with offending 23% of Americans who identify as Catholic. But history — and Scripture — offers a recurring warning: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) To so casually alienate a significant faith community is not just politically reckless; it is morally shortsighted. Actions like this may not bring immediate consequences, but over time, even the most impervious-seeming empires crumble. 4. Ignoring Expertise It strains credibility to imagine that no one in the White House foresaw the potential fallout from this image. The more likely reality is that concerns were raised, but either staff were too fearful to speak candidly, or senior leadership was unwilling to listen. To lead without listening is to steer a ship without a compass. Leaders who disregard counsel — who silence advisors out of fear or arrogance — place both themselves and those they serve in grave danger. King Rehoboam in the Bible ignored the wisdom of older advisors, choosing instead to follow the flatteries of his peers, which led to the fracturing of Israel (1 Kings 12). History repeats itself when leaders make the same mistakes. 5. Trivialising the Sacred Perhaps most importantly, this image trivialises something that millions of people around the world hold sacred. The papacy is not merely a position of influence — it is a spiritual office that commands reverence, humility, and service.

Having fun teaching Maths PGCE Southampton students the joys of #smarttechnologies Notebook and #lumio

#selfmarkingsheets now have the Excel files uploaded. Will work on Google sheets version soon. selfmarkingsheets.co.uk

Now Excel files have been uploaded

Seems all my files from my google storage have been deleted so my #selfmarkingsheets website is not working currently. Trash is also empty. I only have the Excel files backed up 😩

@LauriePile Hi Duncan, Sorry for not getting back to you. It seems all my files have been deleted from my Google file storage! I've got a back up of the Excel files but not of the Google sheets so will get working on uploading them again. Thanks for getting in touch. I'll see what I can do.

@Philmaths314 Have used these extensively. Thank you! The links aren’t working this morning though?

I've bought a website domain so now you can find my Self Marking sheets here: selfmarkingsheets.co.uk

@HongJ51912 Hi Hongmin, Sorry for not getting back to you. It seems all my files have been deleted from my Google file storage! I've got a back up of the Excel files but not of the Google sheets so will get working on uploading them again. Thanks for getting in touch. I'll see what I can do.

@Philmaths314 Hi Phil. Thank you for sharing this. But I couldn't access it any more. Has them been delete? Many thanks.

@BainesMaths Hi Clare, Sorry for not getting back to you. It seems all my files have been deleted from my Google file storage! I've got a back up of the Excel files but not of the Google sheets so will get working on uploading them again. Thanks for getting in touch. I'll see what I can do.

@alexcrookes Hi Alex, Sorry for not getting back to you. It seems all my files have been deleted from my Google file storage! I've got a back up of the Excel files but not of the Google sheets so will get working on uploading them again. Thanks for getting in touch. I'll see what I can do.

@Philmaths314 Hello! Are the SMS still available? Every link I click says the sheets have been deleted. Thanks 😁

Good use of percentages over 100. Let's hope April has better weather!

Happy Pi Day! Has lots of fun with the Pi Bake Off!

Great session with @johntomsett at Orchard and Noadswood inset. What is needed vs what is neat to know. And the more you think the more you learn. Thanks John!

@tombennett71 Let's hope that when a teacher makes a "mistake" they are suitably understanding and sympathetic and everything fine after a quick apology and chat!

This is a strangely unbalanced report from the BBC News site. Where is the disagreement? Because while talking through issues with kids and trying to understand them is a useful part of what schools do, not having boundary sanctions only teaches the top 5% most chaotic children that they can do exactly what they like. Including *bringing in knives*, which should be an automatic suspension and probably an immediate exclusion. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

@AMercerMaths We're doing a much better job as a department to write shared hws but I usually have to tweak them to how I want 🤣 so my own fault for adding more work!

Been thinking A LOT about workload/marking after a lot of conversations about it recently: In only 10 years I’ve seen loads of gimmicks. SALT, WWW/EBI, triple marking, verbal feedback stamps/stickers, feedback sheets, I haven’t seen everything but I’ve seen plenty… 🧵

@AMercerMaths Life would also be easier if we didn't have a new group every year. Having the same group definitely reduces prep time. But then you don't experience other levels of group!

@AMercerMaths You're right workload is hefty. For my marking I try to keep it simple by getting pupils to write on a worksheet. That's much easier than reading books. I alternate it with an online task. I check a few but it's easier. I % the score and record it so that my reports are accurate.

With the competition @PrometheanUKI #prometheanatbett

@teacherhead @NTCouncilTeam @Ashford_Park @stmichaelsald @PrincessMaySch @Noadswood_Sch Thanks for coming down to Noadswood

Brilliant week in schools watching lessons and meeting leaders.. Noadswood to Newcastle. Really, all the school-doom factory/prison folk can do one. Our system is full of wonders. Inspiring week. @NTCouncilTeam, @Ashford_Park @stmichaelsald @PrincessMaySch @Noadswood_Sch

It's peak travel season again, so remember to hide your differential equations.