Big up to all the Year 11s who had total meltdowns yesterday but then this morning pulled themselves together, put their uniform on, and are - right now - smashing it in their GCSE Lit exam. People talk about young people being flaky, but that’s not what I see. I see resilience and determination.

Martin Lewis for Prime Minister. I mean it.

So much love goes into creating spaces for children who are vulnerable. I’ve seen first hand, in all the schools I’ve worked in, the way dedicated staff - often the unsung heroes; the TAs, SSAs - transform space into somewhere welcoming and safe, where a child can find sanctuary and be known.

Mine is at least a room! And yes it is joyful. And yes it is often my escape where they welcome me in and ask me if I would like to join in with circle time. I desperately want this to be done well at scale and most importantly effectively staffed. We mustn’t just focus on the space.

open.substack.com/pub/foundrye... My new blog. From makeshift to meaningful: SEND and Inclusion bases in mainstream schools.

A personal piece. Go gently with one another. You never know what someone is carrying. watermanlearning.wordpress.com/2026/04/28/g...

I'm running this pay what you can webinar on adaptive teaching next Tuesday. Last shout for tickets! Please share. Thank you. #EduSky www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ultima...

Really interesting to read today's National Audit Office report on changing demand for school places. It's such a big issue for schools, especially when we're trying to plan ahead. Here’s what stood out..

More of this, less of bombing other countries (From @acyn.bsky.social )

Today's Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators) blog is by Sarah Bagshaw-McCormick Diversity in children and young peoples’ reading www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/diversity-in... #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #Belonging #DiverseEd

I’ve published a new book! 🥳 It is pitched at new teachers. Short. Easy reading. Helps make sense of what goes on in schools. Check it out. share.google/hsTGxb7gkEFt...

When Angela Rayner underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty, Richard Tice said it was "morally completely indefensible” and she should resign if she had “any moral decency”. Now we learn he set up four shell companies that let him avoid paying £100,000 he owed in tax and to then transfer the cash to Reform

It take weapons grade arrogance to invent popesplaining.

My daughter is an example of a motivated, hard working, conscientious Yr11.. and she’s struggling to self regulate and ignore the temptation of social media. Those who are less motivated don’t stand a chance. We need to help them. We need to take away reliance on phones for homework and revision.

Banning phones in school, in whatever form that takes, is generally agreed to be a good idea. Great 👍 But if we’re expecting young people to work/revise outside of school and if we’re saying that’s important for achievement.. we should not make that work/revision phone-dependent

The very best thing we could do to help Year 11 in the next two months is give them hard copies of everything they need to revise. Take out the need to use a phone completely. We need to be the adults for them. They cannot resist distraction on own. We need to take the distraction away.

I love Rachel Wright’s art so much. She is so skilled. #womensart

This is outstanding by @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk on the weaponisation of irony and the need for radical sincerity open.substack.com/pub/joxleywr...

Poster for the Kyiv Book Fair, Ukraine (2023)

Why do we keep on accepting the unacceptable? We are complicit in this is if we don’t stand up to it. It appalls me. @primeministeruk.bsky.social at this point you should have stood up and said this press conference is over. In school, if anyone spoke like this in a meeting, you’d end the meeting.

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀? Tapestry’s annual survey is now live - topics include:   • working with parents   • how individuals feel about their role   • AI in the early years The survey is open until 30th May 2025 - about 5 minutes to fill in. 📝 www.surveymonkey.com/r/TFHNF79

I'm running this free webinar on 4th June. Perfect for trainees, ECTs and anyone looking for inspiration on behaviour. Tickets are free with the option to make a donation. Please share! Thank you. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/positive-b...

🔥 15 hottest edu-research papers from the last 15 weeks: (all open source 🔓) ↓

First time watching an episode of Bluey today and ended up a total blubbering wreck. Blimey.

I’ve been going to LinkedIn for my edu news and views a lot recently and I honestly never ever thought that would happen

I mistyped an email sign off as “all the bees” instead of “all the best”. I reckon I’m going to stick with it. I can’t think of anything negative that can possibly come of wishing someone all the bees.

This is high art

I’m so pleased to be able to share that @carlywaterman.bsky.social will be joining Sharnbrook Academy and Meridian Trust as Principal in September. A very special leader for a very special school. Carly brings values and experiences that will be ideally placed to steer the next phase at Sharnbrook.

I am very excited to say that, after nearly three years as Director of ECT at Ambition Institute, I will be taking on the post of Principal at Sharnbrook Academy, in Bedfordshire, this September. What a privilege it will be to go back to Headship. Can’t wait! 🙌

I’ve been thinking about peace and reconciliation recently: how we humans can move on from hurt, reach out & find coexistence with those we’ve hurt & been hurt by - as individuals, as people’s & nations, as schools Unfortunately I have not found a solution - don’t read the thread for one quick trick

I’m delighted Sir Hamid Patel has been elected Chairman of Ofsted. His track record speaks for itself. He also showed me immense kindness whilst surrounded by edu-greats on an DfE consultation group. He has emotional intelligence, empathy and sensitivity - all qualities valuable at Ofsted I reckon.

Thank you @headsroundtable.bsky.social for this important statement. Racism is abhorrent and we must call it out. Sir Hamid Patel’s appointment at Ofsted is a brilliant one.

Omg just watched Lilo & Stitch for the first time ever. Was not prepared. Who knew? And why didn’t you tell me? Not sure I’ve laughed and cried so much in ages. What a delight.

🚨 Join our team ‼️ As the number of schools and trusts Steplab supports increases, we’ve got two exciting opportunities to join our UK-based team and help our partners with PD that really works. 👉 Coaching Development Lead 👉 Content Lead 📅 Closing 21 March More info 👇

In a world of Matts, be a Derek.

For two men who have professed such hostility towards taking the knee, they are surprisingly happy to do it for Putin, in the Oval Office, in full view of the world’s media.

Added my name to this: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/no...

Whenever you welcome guests, treat them with kindness, grace and respect. Simple as that.

The far right becoming the official opposition in Germany and the US siding with North Korea at the UN. If the warning signs weren’t clear enough, then surely they must be now?

After playing a fictional member of the Resistance a long time ago, I never could have imagined it ever happening in real life, but here we are.

Okay, I have to face up to the fact that I’m vacating a brilliant job at a fantastic school! 🥲 If you want to be a headteacher, you’ll love this. Come and visit. www.eteach.com/job/headteac...

If we give up on our values we give up on everything. Values are very much worth holding onto. Big hugs to everyone who is at least trying. ♥️

Look what I’m up to @jameshandscombe.bsky.social 🤩🤩🤩🤩

ECTs and trainee teachers: please can I ask for your help? I want to hear from you about your experience in teaching. What do you love about it? What do you wish you could change? If you’re a teacher who left teaching after their first few years, what pushed you to leave? Pls comment below👇

Ofsted has an “institutional disinterest”in why some schools welcome the most vulnerable children, while others “push them away”. @annelongfield.bsky.social & @jonnyuttley.bsky.social on why Ofsted’s inclusion category falls “woefully short of the sea change needed”. www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

Incredibly useful! Thank you Cassie 🙏

Everyone has a stake in the story of a school, & stories are never neutral. Whose story is the one adopted as ‘official’? & whose stories are silenced? New blog from me. Seems to be about ideas & opinions but is actually about power, & who holds it. watermanlearning.wordpress.com/2025/02/02/w...

🧵👇 Educational psychology has got its hooks in me. 1. It’s more than theory; it’s the key to understanding how kids learn, struggle & thrive. It’s the bridge between curriculum & cognition, behaviour & belonging. The more I dig into it, the more I see it shaping whole communities.

Loved this interview with @jonnyuttley.bsky.social. ✅ Happy, strong communities so people have better lives ✅ If you only ever talk to your direct reports, you get disconnected ✅ How can we help young people - long term? ✅ Small Trusts ARE the system #TeamTEAL m.youtube.com/watch?v=yg8y...