The playground piano has been my favourite addition this week. An old, unused piano given a new lease of life in the outdoor shelter. Children love to have a go at playtime (and no, they don’t all sound like this🤣).

Today, whilst covering Y3, I accidentally called a child her Mum’s name as I taught her too… then I looked around the room and realised I had taught 4 mums of that class. 👴

Teaching Y6 this afternoon, count down from 5 to bring focus back on me after a task…. 5,4,3,2,1 *fire alarm*. Now they all think I can control it with my mind. 🤣

Lucky to live in such a culturally rich city. Wonderful to celebrate the year of the snake today.

A few potential words of the day: Joblijock: a disturber of domestic peace (small children, cantankerous uncles, etc). Yule-hole: the furthest notch in your belt that you need to resort to at Christmas. Confelicity: joy in other people’s happiness. Merry Christmas.

Christmas dinner and fayre day today. Mrs R is however insisting that I wear a jumper to our daughter’s nativity this morning…

My Mum took a big bag of Eva’s baby clothes, and made this with them. We’ve had a lovely time talking about the memories associated with each square. ❤️

Jeffrey, the therapy hamster, has been working on this escape plan for a few days. It would appear that he has been nipping out at night and exploring his classroom. This morning, he gave the game away by nibbling through the pipe to the water fountain, flooding the floor.

We met with our North Manchester Heads’ network on Friday. I came away with my head brimming full of shared ideas… all my best ideas are someone else’s!

Who is the best education conference speaker you have seen? Who inspired you to keep on pushing? We are looking for someone to do a half day (£) at our North Manchester primary SLT conference and would love your recommendations.

We have been sent an advent calendar at work which is jam packed with spreads. The Senior Team WhatsApp is pinging like mad as we try to work out how to evenly spread the festive joy… make a rota for staff to open one each? Or just conserve it as it is? A sticky situation…

2 weeks of half term holiday come to an end. Lucky to have had a week to decorate and then a week of fun with my daughter. Equally lucky to be going back to work tomorrow leading a school which I love.

Not sure who has aged more in 5 years, me or the little one 🤣. Mixed half term for us as I have 2 weeks, Mrs R has the first week and Eva has the 2nd week. If you need me, I will be decorating

Never seen the Northern Lights before, always lived somewhere too bright. Lovely.

We have moved house to a place with fields and a country park on our doorstep. We were out in it this morning (sporting a tiara), this afternoon and at sunset to spot bats. I love it already.

Today’s win was getting a pigeon out of the secondary canteen (I was over for a meeting) with a wet floor sign. Glad I can add that to the CV. 🤣

A relative of mine has spent most of the week in hospital, after someone pulled in front of his emergency vehicle, travelling at high speed on blue lights to a job. He’s home now after some excellent medical care. If you drive, please watch this: www.bluelightaware.org.uk#:~:text=If%2...

I met the Mum of a new child at my school today, I taught her (the Mum, this isn’t uncommon, the oldest child of a parent I taught is in Y6). She looked at me and said ‘Mr Reed, you haven’t changed a bit’. And although I knew that this was a lie, I’ll take it 🤣

Donner kebabs for lunch and a talk from Johnny Bairstow - our trust does a decent inset!

Sometimes as leaders we need thick skin. Not sure this is quite what they mean.

We move house in a couple of weeks. The 5yo is a bit sad/nervous about it (not moving school, just house) so I want to read some bedtime stories which address it. Any recommendations?

At the start of the holidays I put my school badge somewhere really clever. I remember thinking ‘this is a great spot, I won’t lose it here’. Now, the hunt begins…

I couldn’t agree more.

Just posted new blog on Bluesky and not (yet) on Twitter. Be interesting to see engagement. Will I fold and put it on Twitter too? Please help me avoid the temptation by reposting here! primarytimery.com/2024/08/25/o...

When I was in secondary, I would have spent this week worrying about results. I would plan holidays so I could have been in school to help set-up, congratulate children, provide support and then tidy up. Please spare a thought for secondary staff this week- lots aren’t really on holiday.

Self-led pony trek briefing ‘Hold the rope and walk, follow the signs. Just one thing, make sure your (our) pony is at the front of the group and this one at the back or they will fight, violently.’ This ringing in our ears, we set off. Pony went where he wanted & abandoned the group. But no fight 😅

I don’t think I’ve ever nailed September insets. I yo-yo between information overload and ‘I trust you to use the time wisely’… this year we have 1 day of RWI training, so thinking carefully about day 2- what’s the key message and how to I make sure it sticks? What do you do?

The longer I spend in France, the more I think they are just nailing lifestyle. I know I’m biased because I am on holiday, but the attitude towards work, leisure, the environment and food is just spot-on. Hit me up with international school headships in France.. oh and a SENDCo job for Mrs R 🫣

We’ve just done an hour in a quadricycle (I think that’s the right word). Honestly, Paul and Barry must have had legs like He-Man. I am absolutely goosed!!

Marvelling at how children can play through the language barrier, I watched out 5yo befriend a play with French chn at the park. She passes a toy to her friend who replies ‘merci’, to which Eva responds ‘Boney M’, which is what she thinks is ‘you’re welcome’, her friend smiles and plays on 🤣🫣

Sunset on the beach 😍

It’s 33 degrees at 7:30pm here in France. The cheese is melting on the board! 😬🤣

We’ve been in the local tat shop to buy post cards and stamps. If I ask for directions to the pool, then explain what I did last weekend, I will have re-lived my GCSE oral.

There’s so much lovely discussion on here already. Ideas, agreement, disagreement, suggestions - all in a supportive and friendly discourse. No celebrity status. Just professionals chatting about education, and occasionally cheese. Cracking.

We are super excited to be in France. E for the beaches and pools, me for the cheese!

I like it here 😀. Some great blogs to read, really high engagement and interaction too. It may even be possible to discuss things without shout-downs and pile-ons, lovely!

This is ace. High on the agenda for all of us, I imagine.

Are there any ‘good to follow’ educators lists or groups? Just getting to grips and raiding other people’s lists to build my network.

Joining the X-odus, hoping the education community on here is as supportive and productive as it was on twitter.