A week in the North West beckons. Working with a fabulous nursery school as a SIP and filming with Siren Films, leading day 5 of the Wirral writing project, leading day 1 of English Hub early writing training and working with our wonderful Wirral SLE team. Exciting times!

I’m leading training on developing a curriculum for under 2s today for leaders in Herefordshire . We’re going to start with attachment and relationships, which is a pretty good place to start with any curriculum IMO.

If you’re back at school today, have a fabulous term. This week is going to be busy, 2 training sessions and 3 school visits, plus some meetings, and celebrating my mum’s 90th birthday on Thursday followed by a party for her on Saturday. Have a great week, everyone!

I’m delighted to share that I’ve joined the editorial board for the journal of play and pedagogy. www.early-years-reviews.com/journal-of-p...

I’m starting to get into work mode again. I have 5 days left in the Autumn term and about 20 in the Spring and Summer. If you’d like school improvement support, training or a keynote speech or conference workshop, please get in touch. I’m happy to develop bespoke packages for MATs, LAs and schools.

Wise words from @ruthswailes.bsky.social 🥰 #EYFS #movement #physicaldevelopment #edusky

Looking forward to this.

Looking forward to giving the keynote at this event. There are a few tickets left and you don’t have to work in Waltham Forest to attend! www.wftradedservices.uk/Event/272210

Wondering whether there are headteachers and senior leaders in your networks who may be interested in this @moremorrow.bsky.social @edfinch.bsky.social @suecowley.bsky.social @ruthswailes.bsky.social @happyheadteacher.bsky.social #EduSky

What a fantastic day we had at #BrewEd26 . Good for the soul!

#Brewed26 Next up @ruthswailes.bsky.social talking about the importance of an enabling environment in education.

The rucksack is ready… Bring on BrewEdWake2026!

Off we go in Jersey !

Looking at Th Wirral from a different angle today. Ready to head out to Jersey to work with teachers and leaders on all things Early Years.

In honour of the Sunday Telegraph's editor and offical maddest columnist, we have created the Allister Heath headline generator... stirring-fox-7e1fab.netlify.app

Ready to go in Nuneaton with Heads, EY leads and Sencos.

What a great day we had today. Day 4 of our 6 day writing project. We’ve been looking through the lens of different theorists, research and developmental approaches to writing and collating children’s writing from across the Wirral to share with schools.

The week ahead brings day 4/6 of our Wirral writing project. 2 days working with Holy Family MAT, leading training sessions for Heads, EY leads and TAs, then off to Nuneaton to work with a consortium, finally ending the week in Peterborough, leading training on children’s writing.

A couple of days filming…

They already found me, and some of my colleagues. Hey-ho. 👋🏻 authoritarians. @ruthswailes.bsky.social @aaronearlyyears.bsky.social

Skipping in Scarborough!

6 weeks, 30 days, 21 training sessions, 15 school visits and an awards ceremony. It’s been quite a busy half term. Have a lovely break, everyone !

I’m so proud of this. It was a tremendous privilege to be commissioned to develop this curriculum idea and then to write it. Now I get to train the teachers all over the world who use it in their classrooms every day. I have to pinch myself sometimes!

Delighted to be assistant editor on this , coming soon… www.early-years-reviews.com/journal-of-p...

Happy Friday!

I’m thrilled to be part of the fantastic #BrewEd X @WomenEd event at WX Wakefield on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are here: www.wxwakefield.co.uk/Whats-On/Details?event=BrewedxWomened Don't miss this fabulous line-up!

I’m really proud to be a member of Leeds Learning Alliance. This conference is going to be great. Will I see you there?

I'm looking forward to leading this next month. It's open to anyone who wishes to attend. If you're interested in writing development then do come and join us!

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

Day 3/6 of our Early Writing project. It’s free for Wirral teachers to attend. We’re focussing on developmentally appropriate writing practice in early years. It’s been a real pleasure so far!

The UK version of “Project 2025” by the Reform party includes a British ICE, a concentration camp for 24,000 people, mass surveillance and withdrawing from refugee, anti-torture and anti-trafficking conventions. It’s on their website. That’s how comfortable fascists are in the UK today.

Detaining young children is not acceptable by any standards, it’s sign of a terminally fragile democracy. It’s time for other western democracies to follow Carney’s lead; to frankly call out the Trump regime. In the meantime… what are democrats in federal governance actually *doing*?

Publication of the year ! Wow !

Fab day today- discussing the readiness agenda with leaders and teachers at Learn Sheffield this morning, then leading the EY network this afternoon. How lucky am I ?

Grateful to @suecowley.bsky.social who introduced me to the Society of Authors. If you’re a member they’ll look through any contracts that you’re asked to sign. Absolutely brilliant service!

Preparing for the week ahead. School visits in Sheffield, Leicester and Essex and 2 training sessions in Sheffield, then an exciting end to the week, the ECDSN awards, where we’ve been nominated for an award. Can’t wait!

Can thoroughly recommend Qwant as an alternative to Google search - clean, unfiltered, unbiased answers.

I don't hold my pen or pencil 'properly' and am frequently told my handwriting is beautiful. As a primary teacher, if a child's handwriting was clearly legible, I didn't stress about pencil grip. Strikes me OFSTED are looking for easy sticks to beat teachers with. A waste of space is what they are.

This too, shall pass. But not before a load of schools are inaccurately labelled and shamed, and a load of young children are potentially put off writing in the name of ticking the box. It’s so tiresome!

Those of us who’ve been on the merry go round a while aren’t shocked. It was fidelity for a while, British values before that, community cohesion prior to that (remember that one?), ECM, differentiation…The latest in a long line of Ofsted obsessions appears to be pencil grip and handwriting.

I’ve worked with >500 teachers this week, but I’ve also been busy developing my handwriting programme. It’s designed to align to the phonics scheme you’re using, it’s developmentally appropriate, research informed and simple to incorporate into every day practice.

I’ve had a fabulous day: international training, HT appraisal then online training looking at the readiness agenda. I’ve also started to print out my handwriting programme which aligns with different phonics schemes. I’m quite pleased with how these are coming together.

Absolutely buzzing after leading an international training session early this morning, followed by training on curriculum for Heart Stronger Practice hub. I've worked with over 400 teachers already today. What a privilege!

Inspiration Network with Ruth Swailes 💡 On Tue 13 Jan, we'll be joined by renowned consultant and author @ruthswailes.bsky.social, to explore how a deep understanding of the unique child can shape a unique curriculum — one that is inclusive, responsive, and rooted in evidence-based practice. /2

Well, this is slightly concerning, when I’ve 5 days of long journeys ahead …

I had a lovely first day back, working with the team at Grace Owen Nursery today. Discussing all things EAD!

Just running through tomorrow’s inset and gap tasks. This is a project I’m leading with practitioners and teachers working with babies to 5 year olds, we’re focussing on Expressive Arts and Design and how it can be a powerful tool to build Executive Function. I’m quite excited about it!

End of the year musings… ruthswailes.com/should-old-a...

An inspiration to many, she will be missed but what a legacy she leaves us all.

The winter flu has caught up with me. I’m self medicating with Rumbullion and my 5th book of the week, under the mardy blanket, so it’s not all bad. Determined to shake it off in time for the NYE party!