Marking benches

I've been geekily looking through figures this afternoon.  The benchmarking figures, which are now in the public domain, give the income and expenditure of every state-run school, also the proportion of income spent in various categories, such as teachers and other staff, heating, learning resources, and the expenditure per pupil.  It also gives the position in the league tables.  I've got a list of all the Suffolk schools.  It's very interesting to see that, on the whole, the schools that spend most per pupil tend to be in the lower half of the results table.  This doesn't in the least stop the Local Authority pumping more money into failing schools, at the expense of succeeding ones, even though it doesn't, in itself, improve results.

I had a phone call from Weeza, asking me to babysit next Thursday.  It's not terribly convenient, actually, as it'll mean me missing my lunch club (you did know I'm a Lady Who Lunches?) and a school committee meeting, but I said I'd rather help her out, so I'll send apologies for both.  In fact, it doesn't suit her very well either, so she'll see if she can alter the appointment, but as she works three days a week she hasn't got much flexibility in her timings.

I'm reluctant to admit it, but I've almost had enough of faffing about and relaxing.  I'm completely unstressed and it's a bit dull.  Back in that week between Christmas and the New Year, I enjoyed being able to do whatever I wanted, or not do anything at all, but I've almost reached the limit of pleasure in that.  I'd like to make it clear that I have stayed strong and not succumbed to anything dreadfully worthy and sensible like turning out the linen cupboard or sorting out the kitchen cupboards, but I can see such a fate beckoning unless I rapidly become too busy to consider doing any such thing.