New post: Essentialism: keeping the main thing the main thing open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...

What a fabulous experience for the young musicians! Inspiring a love of classical music by watching highly skilled artists perform #artsmatter #lovestc @marymyatt.bsky.social @royalphilsoc.bsky.social @royalphilorchestra.bsky.social

The huge difference in reading outcomes, described by @stevewillshaw.bsky.social in conversation with @lambhearttea.bsky.social and me on the KS3 webinar

Currently around 40 teachers attending my first in-person CPD session of this kind in Shrewsbury! Huge thanks to Wilfred Owen School and the Empower MAT for hosting me. Everyone who is booked has been sent attendee instructions for the day..

From power points to proper texts While there’s a place for power points, pupils need more. And if we’re interested in providing them with content that’s more likely to stick, then we have some hefty backup from the research.

If you haven’t read @ilankelman.bsky.social’s “Disaster By Choice” yet, now’s the time. And if you are a KS3 #GeographyTeacher, check out the upcoming ‘The Ambitious Years’ resource that I proudly wrote for @marymyatt.bsky.social based on his amazing book.

New post with insights from @lambhearttea.bsky.social Fairlamb on the rationale for teaching about the kingdom of Benin at KS3 as part of The Ambitious Years marymyatt.substack.com/p/key-stage-...

New post with insights from Alex Fairlamb on the rationale for teaching about the kingdom of Benin at KS3 as part of The Ambitious Years marymyatt.substack.com/p/key-stage-...

🚨12 DAYS TO GO🚨 Today's post for the upcoming Leading Secondary English @bloomsburyed.bsky.social is a soundbite I heard from @adamboxereducation.bsky.social about TTA: Do We Do What We Say We Do? This thinking influenced everything that went into this - authentic, concrete examples throughout!

Key Stage 3 is promising when...

Thank you to all those primary teachers filling this in for us! If you are involved with KS2, we'd love to hear from you! Please share @ruthswailes.bsky.social @uklitassociation.bsky.social @teresacremin.bsky.social @writingrocks.bsky.social

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the six million Jewish people murdered by the Nazis, as well as countless other victims. We honor their lives by rejecting the evils of antisemitism, dehumanization, and authoritarian violence wherever they appear. Never again means never again for anyone.

Are you a KS2 teacher? We're adding an extra dimension to our survey of poetry at KS3 by asking some KS2 teachers to respond to one question. Please could you take 2 mins to click this link & answer the question? Huge thanks! www.surveymonkey.com/r/MapKS2Coll...

Class 2 have been fascinated learning about Mary Seacole. They were saddened by how she was treated, yet inspired by her determination to help soldiers in need. We explored why she is famous, remarkable, and remembered. #historystc #unitystc #ks1stc @marymyatt.bsky.social

Over 150 colleagues signed up for the KS3 Ambitious Years webinar with @stevewillshaw.bsky.social @lambhearttea.bsky.social & me. Alex, on the difference scholarly, but accessible texts make to learning. I love that she talked about them not being 'gobbetised'! DM for a link to the recording

Key Stage 3 is not a warm-up. It is foundational. It's where pupils learn how to think, not just what to cover. It's not easy, but we need to focus on depth over pace, on ideas before tasks and in conditions of high challenge and low threat. /1

A really useful idea I was given is to ask primary to send them with a photocopy of their 'best work' and stick that in the front of year 7 exercise books.

New post open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...

I've never known a kid who doesn't get what Narnia is about if you read it to them..

I think a useful thing is for secondary teachers to be aware of what year 6 can actually do. There's some unnecessary repetition from what I can gather but also understand how independent they are capable of being.

Great to see someone thinking seriously about curriculum in KS3. It’s part of tackling the disengagement that sets in. We also need to think about how to transition kids more successfully from top of primary to Yr 7 in other ways.

For me KS3 (lower secondary) should be the most intellectually inspiring for teacher's too. Its a place where we can decide and not be rushed.

We can improve KS3 provision by learning from #autistic & other ND-authored theory & #EdRes. #Neuro-affirming T&L approaches allow ALL learners to thrive. #monotropism #neurodiversity #doubleempathy autisticrealms.com/neuro-affirm...

I always tell secondary teachers, when working with Y7, to assume THEY CAN rather than assume they can’t. Don’t reteach them just to make sure.

This is interesting to think about from the perspective of a child with a learning disability. Big ideas and stories are more accessible than exam technique. If ks3 focuses on this then schools become less inclusive.

There are 3 ways we can improve provision at Key Stage 3. First, stop treating KS3 as a warm-up for 'serious' work at KS4. When we do that, we lower the intellectual bar, often without realising it. /1

it is a truly excellent model of curriculum design. Pre-order now for 35% off with the discount code: LEADING35. www.bloomsbury.com/uk/leading-s...

New webinar: KS3: The intellectual powerhouse of the secondary school Too often, KS3 is seen as a warm-up for the 'real' work of KS4. But what if it’s actually the engine room of thinking, curiosity, and confidence? /1

🚨 22 DAYS TO GO 🚨 Today's post for the upcoming Leading Secondary English @bloomsburyed.bsky.social is a case study by Amy Staniforth on: Designing a Secondary English Curriculum Inspired by @marymyatt.bsky.social, @alexjquigley.bsky.social and @funkypedagogy.bsky.social,

Reading aloud isn’t what we think it is It's sometimes treated as a warm-up, a way in or something for pupils who might struggle. One of the barriers is because it’s enjoyable, we think it can’t be work, but it is! /1

This is exactly how we treat Year 7. The trouble is with curriculum. Many Year 7 science courses begin with "design an experiment", then just learn "content". Instead, we focus on metacontent: building, inferring from, and developing an explanation, from models. #SciTeachUK

New: KS3 can be the ambitious years. open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...

KS3 doesn’t need to be the 'Wasted Years' It’s got the potential to be the 'Ambitious Years'! Latest post open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...

Over the last few years, we've seen how much difference it makes when senior leaders and subject leaders have meaningful, informed conversations about the curriculum. /1

New post just out: "Troubleshooters" How fixing the many small frustrations - that make up most of our interactions with the state - can give people faith in goverment's ability to make things work. And help create a different Whitehall culture. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...

One of the things I talk about a lot is the trap of trying to do too much. It's a trait of diligent professionals. There will always be trade-offs, and psychologically that's hard. We need to practise saying that we are prepared to do fewer things in greater depth. /1

The Databusters are getting the band back together and going on the road with a new one-day course: AM: external data: IDSR, ASP, performance measures PM: internal data: TA, tests, SEND, reporting to parents/govs @insighthq.bsky.social schools, get in touch if you’re interested

When you talk with colleagues doing terrific work, it's so energising. Loved my conversation this afternoon with the brilliant Cass, Anna and Charlotte Bunyan on the power of reading @theeducakers.bsky.social

Clearing the Clutter When we slow down and go deeper, learning has the chance to breathe. But in many cases, we’ve made things too complicated. Between marking policies, data drops, and endless meetings, we’ve sometimes mistaken motion for progress. /1 films.myattandco.com/programs/web...

Terrific post from @cmooreanderson.bsky.social articulating the purpose of KS3

“Cognitive psychology has shown that the mind best understands facts when they are woven into a conceptual fabric, such as a narrative, mental map, or intuitive theory. Disconnected facts in the mind are like unlinked pages on the Web: They might as well not exist.” /1

New post Confirmation bias and making the case for fewer things, done really well open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...

By the way, why not make your New Year’s resolution be to start sharing little things that went well in your maths lessons using #MathsToday? Whenever I make a habit of this, it always makes me feel more positive about my job. It’s lovely to scroll through and see what everyone else is doing too.

I've realised that I can do anything, but I can't do everything! It's hard prioritising and there are always trade-offs, many of them emotional. /1

Schools are busy places. But much of that activity doesn’t translate into better learning. Between marking, data drops & meetings, it’s easy to lose sight of the work that actually makes the biggest difference to pupils. Too often, we confuse activity with impact. /1

New post and webinar for the new year... open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...

Excellent post from Mary. As @counsellc.bsky.social says, "You cannot Rosenshine your way into a curriculum, and nor can you Rosenshine your way into mediating content in subject sensitive ways."

I don’t think as much attention has been paid to implementing the curriculum as it has to the pedagogy to teach it. It’s a bit like going into a restaurant where all the effort has gone in to making it look amazing... open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...