Our Year 6 class are off for three days of transition to secondary school and while they’re gone I’ll be having my own transition day for my new job! I’m over the moon to have been appointed as the Deputy Headteacher at Skinners’ Temple Grove.

I am so pleased that my colleagues get to listen to @jonnybid.bsky.social speak about reading for pleasure this afternoon. It’s a great way to spend one of our weekly PD sessions and I am looking forward to hearing about what the school does with it going forward.

Looks like a great day at #cogscisci! I needed the full half term to catch up on sleep and others bits and bobs, but I might have to put this on the list for next year!

Folkestone was a treat today! @frankturner.bsky.social @mralmonded.bsky.social

Very pleased with @mralmonded.bsky.social’s viewing choice for this evening.

Fantastic morning of teacher cpd at #tdapemanchester. It was so tough to choose which workshops to go to. Thanks @kieran-m-ed.bsky.social @misssdoherty.bsky.social @chrispassey.bsky.social @mradamkohlbeck.bsky.social @jensutherland.bsky.social @andrewpercivaled.bsky.social @alexgingell.bsky.social

I am really interested in this distinction between hints and prompts in backward fading from @taylorda01.bsky.social and how to encourage student thinking and self explanation. #TDaPEManchester

It’s been a leadership/coaching heavy morning for me, so I’m finishing off with some maths with celebrated resource author @taylorda01.bsky.social and backward fading, which is one of my favourite things to share with colleagues! This is a great way to finish my learning at #TDaPEManchester

I had to come and see @mradamkohlbeck.bsky.social and @scottinghatt.bsky.social because I love Coaching Unpacked and they are such deep thinkers when it comes to coaching! #TDaPEManchester

I’m excited to see @alexgingell.bsky.social at #TDaPEManchester after hearing such great feedback from London!

What a way to start the day!! Thank you @andrewpercivaled.bsky.social for sharing your thoughts and experience at #TDaPEManchester 1. Clarify your curriculum precisely 2. Use multiple routes to knowledge 3. Space retrieval over long periods of time 4. Supercharge your homework strategy

Was there really any other option for the #TDaPEManchester keynote?! @andrewpercivaled.bsky.social is talking about optimising retrieval practice this morning to get us all in the zone for some good old professional learning on a Saturday!

Here is @kieran-m-ed.bsky.social kicking off #TDaPEManchester this morning! I’m up in session one, but I won’t force you to sit on the carpet!

We’re two tired teachers on bag duty at #TDaPEManchester this morning so come and say hello!

Ticket sales for #TDaPEManchester end tomorrow night. The best time to buy a ticket was 3 months ago, the second best time is now. 👇 www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinki...

Just a week to go until sales end for #TDaPEManchester, so @annahackett.bsky.social and I explored the sessions on offer in this week's #TDaPE open.spotify.com/episode/1CxH... All proceeds will be donated to Crohn’s and Colitis UK and tickets can be found here: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinki...

Looking forward to the next #TDaPE conference. This time it’s #TDaPEManchester and I’ll be there talking about the importance of getting teacher development right!

🚨 Teacher wellbeing, recruitment, and retention is critical. Join @misssdoherty.bsky.social at #TDaPEManchester as she shares how one MAT transformed its approach to prioritise staff growth over compliance. A must-attend for school leaders and CPD leads! #TDaPE www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinki...

I really did try to find some good in there 😂 listen now on #TDaPE!

This week on #TDaPE, @misssdoherty.bsky.social and Louise McLaughlin begin an exploration of the proposed changes to Ofsted. The good (I promise we tried), the bad, and the writing on the wall for teachers and school leaders. Apple: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Grading lesson observations... is this still common? 🤔 Back in 2018, 28% of schools graded them. Today, only 9% do! Of those who say it's still a feature in their school, the majority of these teachers don’t like it and would rather it didn’t happen!

Today is the day our pea gets married! 💛 I feel so lucky to be sat on the sofa 4,000 miles away watching this. She looks beautiful and I’m already crying 😭🥰

Today was an exceptional day at #TDaPELondon. It never ceases to amaze me that a group of teachers, leaders and researchers want to come together on a Saturday to learn from each other. A huge shout out to @kieran-m-ed.bsky.social for making the day happen.

Today was brilliant. Full credit to Kieran and the team for putting together such a great day. Such a collegiate, generous, warm atmosphere! #tdapelondon

Really enjoyed sharing my thoughts with #TDaPELondon & learning from others! An achievement with organisation @kieran-m-ed.bsky.social Fab hospitality, Bishop Justice @misssdoherty.bsky.social, long time no see @lwilliamsjones.bsky.social

I have to say I have LOVED this session from @benkowitzprimary.bsky.social #TDaPELondon

@suchmo83.bsky.social @kieran-m-ed.bsky.social @misssdoherty.bsky.social @mralmonded.bsky.social @mrsmithnorwich.bsky.social due to illness I cannot make the TDaPE Conf today. If anyone would like to use my ticket please DM me (free but a small donation to Velindre appreciated if possible)Please RT

You have six days to get your tickets! This conference is jam-packed with sessions from some incredible speakers. I am in great company and can’t wait to be there on the day. Join us at Bishop Justus for #TDaPELondon on Saturday 18th January.

Two weeks until #TDaPELondon! I am so excited to be part of a conference hosted at one of our Aquinas schools. I’ll be there talking about teacher development and giving away a couple of prizes as detailed below. We’ll be raising money for @velindrecc.bsky.social 💚

Super excited for this and looking forward to seeing who wins my prizes!! #TDaPELondon

Merry Christmas all! 🎄🎁🤶🏻🎉

A *new* blog - 5 Key ideas from Primary Reading Simplified primarycolour.home.blog/2024/12/22/5...

55 🤣

We all know I love a conference. I’m very excited about the #TDaPELondon conference (is there an official hashtag yet?!) which is raising money for Velindre 🩷

📢 Speaker Announcement 📢 At the TDaPE Conference, we have 30+ wonderful speakers sharing their insights and experience. First up, @scottinghatt.bsky.social @mradamkohlbeck.bsky.social and @misssdoherty.bsky.social will be exploring teacher development. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinki...

I had a great day with the staff at Scholars Academy Trust today! We launched Walkthrus and then delved into Big Picture Small Picture, Metacognitive Talk and Scaffolding before finishing the day with senior leaders on implementation. Now to relax for the rest of half term 🧘‍♀️

Here’s 5 things I’ve learned about handwriting from writing the chapter. 🥉Handwriting isn’t prioritised that much in English schools anymore. While much of the work that is done in school is with paper and pen, as adults type day-to-day, handwriting’s not seen as important.

PROUD FRIEND MOMENT!!!!!!!! I got home to some post and look what was inside @emmacate.bsky.social 🩷🩷🩷 I am so very proud of you, Emma. You worked your socks off to write this bad boy at the same time as being so poorly. You are an inspiration.

Can’t beat a matinee. So happy to finally see Hadestown with @mralmonded.bsky.social!

I’ve just watched a video of an SEMH teacher giving a dysregulated child a movement break by dancing together. The child’s face is pixelated thank goodness. But still, the teacher spent time setting up their phone to record the moment instead of just focusing on the child.

I sometimes get asked about the common issues I see across primary schools and the kind of support I offer as a result. This brief blog explains this stuff. This is my first new blog on Blue Sky so reposts much appreciated. primarycolour.home.blog/2024/09/08/h...

With lots of excitement around the researchED National Conference today, a reminder that the next event in the south east is on Saturday 12th October in Reigate, Surrey. #rED24 #rEDSurrey24 To see more details on talks and tickets please click on the link below: researched.org.uk/event/resear...

#rEDSurrey24 has been a highlight of my conference calendar for a number of years now and 2024 is shaping up to be another fantastic event. If you’re interested in becoming research-engaged or want to inspire your colleagues to join you on the ‘research train’, this is a great way to do it.