The textbook uses Stalin walking around the room intimidatingly during Politburo meetings as evidence of his dictatorship. Every year I point out it’s pretty weak evidence when there’s loads of far stronger stuff available, and yet every year my students trot it out in their essays without fail.

I’ve got too much work to do today so obviously I decided to write a story for Yr 12.

I get really irritated by the labelling of these subjects as the ‘creative’ ones because it ignores the huge non-creative element that goes into success in any of them while also overlooking the creativity inherent in many other subjects. History, for example, obviously requires lots of creativity.

Pleased with this question. Harnessing students’ reading of historical scholarship to enable them to be critical of the exam board specification.

Interested that I heard some students in school talking about Mamdani’s win this week. Only a few of them but still I thought it was interesting.

My favourite fact what I learned this week is that Stalin killed more leaders of the German Communist Party than Hitler did.

If we really want students to develop grit and resilience we should put trying to recruit a Science teacher in the curriculum.

Having taken a look at the Curriculum and Assessment Review, I’m feeling more reassured than I was with the titbits leaked in advance to the press. I haven’t read every bit of it yet, but here are a few things I’m pleased about and a few things that worry me (definitely not comprehensive)…

Knowledge-nouveau riche?

I do think it’s so important that Times readers get to read about key curricular developments sooner than the people who’ll have to implement them.

Been a good half-term for baking.

Went to Felixstowe yesterday and there are two very pleasing things about this: a) I can now confirm that it is not on the end of his foot. b) Having lived in the East of England for nearly thirty years I have finally got my ‘I’ve travelled along every bit of the A14’ badge, which I’m proud of.

Excellent from @samfr.bsky.social on the power of public historical memory and the political battles to shape it. Definitely one history teachers will enjoy. If you don’t already subscribe, I’d strongly recommend.

Can’t wait for this. Was brilliant last year and the year before. #Soane26

One of my students a few years ago found this old book in a charity shop and gave it to me and I love it so much. I wish maps, graphs and things still looked beautiful like this.

Soviet history teachers, my reading on the Khrushchev/Brezhnev era doesn’t match what I’ve read on 1917-53 or Gorbachev and end of USSR. I’m keen to level up. What should I read (other than general overviews of the whole Soviet period, which I’ve done)? @alistairdickins.bsky.social can you help?

Today’s uncalled for gripe is people saying they are covering somebody or need somebody to cover them e.g. ‘I’m covering Bob today because he’s off sick.’ You are covering FOR Bob. Covering your colleagues would be inappropriate.

What five events defined your childhood? Mine, in order... 1. Chernobyl 2. Margaret Thatcher's fall from power 3. The Soviet coup against Gorbachev 4. IRA ceasefire 5. Mad Cow Disease

Sometimes duty is nice. Today a highlight was the Year 9 student sitting in the dining hall reading The Thursday Murder Club at a table with her friends, half of whom were also reading books. She expressed a cautious scepticism as to whether she was the target audience.

Stalin’s purges with Yr 12 today. Every year they know in advance that it’s going to get dark but they are still struck because they didn’t realise quite how dark it was going to get.

Latest on our Substack - I attempt to prove mathematically that education can never be fun, with reference to The Flowerpot Men, Jock Stein & the Galapagos tortoise. substack.nomoremarking.com/p/why-educat...

I had grounds for saying ‘You ain’t Stalin and I ain’t Trotsky’ to a valued colleague the other day and the more time passes the more pleased I’m getting with it as a line.

Can I have an inquiry as well over the photocopier getting jammed, somebody else being in the toilet when I was in a rush and then the projector remote control needing a new battery, all in the build up to one lesson the other day? Must be sabotage. www.bbc.com/news/article...

An absolute icon. RIP.

I spend so much time in the summer feeling grumpy about it being unpleasantly warm in bed at night that I forget how unpleasant it is to have to get out of bed, shave, get dressed etc when the house is cold.

Cracking article from @citoyenneclaire.bsky.social and @jcarrollhistory.bsky.social in latest Teaching History. Couldn’t be more timely for me as I’ve been consciously writing and using stories much more with my A Level students. Plenty here both to encourage and to challenge me.

It’s here!! I’m so proud of how beautiful @headofzeus.bsky.social have made it. The Story of Tudor Art comes out on 25th September, you can preorder your copy from all good bookshops in the UK, and for Tudor fans elsewhere @blackwells.bsky.social do free international shipping!

Gender split on Sir/Miss in these @teachertapp.bsky.social results would be interesting.

And the Lord promised never to get us wet at the Yr 7 BBQ again.

Thinking how current affairs has changed how I teach USSR to Yr 12 - stopping saying 'The' Ukraine, trying to correct the textbook's Moscow-centric perspective, using 'Russian Empire' rather than just 'Russia' to refer to the Tsar's domains. Still more to do but I think my teaching is better for it.

The new Ofsted framework will provide ‘absolute clarity’ in the same way as I am absolutely the coolest teacher.

Feeling pretty glad we got inspected last term right now.

Uh oh, looks like I’ve foolishly decided to write a story for my Yr 12s this evening.

New post just out: "Rayner and the Reshuffle" What's Starmer (and McSweeney) trying to achieve with the reshuffle? How might the deputy leadership election play out? (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...

A colleague asked me a challenging question at our SLT meeting today about whether something I’ve implemented and feel very strongly about might have had a detrimental impact. I don’t think the data bears out that concern but I’m really grateful to her for being willing to ask.

I love In Our Time and deep respect for Melvyn Bragg but I did a deep sigh when he suggested that its popularity might be because history isn’t taught with much illumination in schools for all sorts of reasons.

I only realised today that £20 notes show JMW Turner and The Fighting Temeraire and then it occurred to me that I haven’t a clue who and what is on the other banknotes. I know we aren’t using cash as much these days but feeling a bit ashamed of my lack of observation.

Yeah it was great thanks. Only wish it wasn’t over. How was yours? Did you get away? Rinse and repeat.

I’ve spent the last two evenings writing a story about Felix Dzerzhinsky instead of all the urgent work I need to be doing for the start of term and my mind keeps going there today as well. Ah yes, it must be the end of the summer holiday.

I am quite envious of Lord Mansfield’s library steps, which can be folded up into a table.

I had no idea I needed a Jaffa Cake milkshake in my life but now I’ve had one I can see that I absolutely did.

I think my favourite thing about Boney M at Goatfest today was the bemused expressions on all the teenagers’ faces at the levels of excitement generated amongst people of a less youthful generation by Ra Ra Rasputin.

Working my way through KPop Demon Hunters in small instalments while doing daughter’s hair (she virtually knows the whole thing off by heart). Wasn’t loving the idea but got to say I’m pretty invested in it now and I’m even a bit sad when we finish each time. But don’t tell anyone else, ok!

Been thinking recently about the experience of schools during Covid and how it shaped me as a senior leader. There are definitely things I’ve done since which I’m not sure I would have been tough enough to do before, esp stuff which I knew would not win support from all parents or even all staff.

Interesting collection of characters on George Bernard Shaw’s mantelpiece.

I’ve nothing against the subjects doing well and I understand the power of earnings prospects in A Level choices, but this graph saddens me and it feels like we have a job to do as schools to communicate the value of the subjects in blue and as a society to learn it. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Um…

We’re home now so you can be reassured that you won’t keep seeing irritating photos of Lego people at railway stations, but my last word is to encourage you to consider an Interrailing holiday. It’s great fun, a brilliant way to see lots of places, more sustainable than flying and kids go free!

Worth going through on the train even if only to get the text to add to the collection of different countries.

Obligatory ‘I spy a Habsburg chin’ photo.