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DamsonEd

@damsoned.bsky.social
758 followers 397 following 3.2K posts

Dr Megan Dixon: (retired) teacher, leader and researcher. PhD, Psychology. All things education and research - literacy, English, research into practice, curriculum, SEND. MTNBC Stage4. Still here. meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/piv…

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Shell @risu.bsky.social · 17h
I hate 💯 attendance policies as I have a child who is off sick, but sad about her “attendance data” I had to ask her “the teacher who is off sick all half term so you have a sub, or the teacher who was sick half of last week - should they come in or stay home?” Sometimes rest is good
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Sue Cowley @suecowley.bsky.social · 17h
This is very interesting indeed. ⬇️
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English and Media Centre @engmediacentre.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Resource written by Barbara herself - a benchmark of quality! There are lots of poems you'll never have come across before as well
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Thread… really worrying… such basic mistakes. bsky.app/profile/susa...
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Moor House Institute @moorhouseinstitute.com · 29/09/2026
Our training for schools is developed by highly specialist speech and language therapists and teachers with decades of experience. It's grounded in real-world practice and available on-demand. Find out more here www.moorhouseinstitute.com/dld-courses/ #SendTraining #DLD #DLDAwareness
A woman sits smiling at a laptop. Text reads On-demand DLD training for SENCOs, teachers, TAs and whole school staff
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Daniel Bowman @vrih.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Might be jumping too conclusions but they’re a non-profit structured to secure government contracts without a single SEND specialist in their leadership team. I don‘t get the sense they were selected based on expertise.
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Sue Cowley @suecowley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
SEND training for schools: guide to materials - GOV.UK share.google/70cawh2vFF02...
share.google
SEND training for schools: guide to materials
Guidance to help facilitators provide in-house training on SEND and inclusion in mainstream schools.
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Dr Susan Ebbels @susanebbels.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
5. the statement in the evidence summary that “Language includes both verbal and non-verbal communication” needs to be reversed. Communication includes verbal and signed languages and non-verbal communication. Communication is broader than language, not the other way round.
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Dr Susan Ebbels @susanebbels.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
4. communication does not only refer "to the social use of language", it is much broader than that. Communication refers to the transfer of ideas, messages, etc through a range of methods (not only through language, but also through non-verbal communication including signs, symbols, pictures etc).
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Dr Susan Ebbels @susanebbels.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
2. speech is not just "generating sound" (consider clapping or laughing) 3. facial expressions, gestures and body language are not examples of "non-verbal language", but rather of "non-verbal communication". Non-verbal languages are sign languages like British Sign Language
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Dr Susan Ebbels @susanebbels.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Very concerned by errors in definitions of key terms in new @departmentforedu.bsky.social training on speech, language & communication www.gov.uk/government/p... 1. speech sound disorders don't include voice quality (@sharynnemcleod.bsky.social & Graham Daniel 2017 misquoted)
gov.uk
SEND training for schools: speech, language and communication
Training materials on strategies for supporting pupils with speech, language and communication needs in mainstream schools.
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Thread. This is worrying when DFE training is inaccurate and in some cases, wrong. bsky.app/profile/susa...
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Dr Susan Ebbels @susanebbels.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I agree, I really worry about people with no specialist expertise in the area just reading off the slides and then struggling to answer questions, or clear up misconceptions (especially when some of the slide content is inaccurate and confusing).
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Word Aware @wordaware.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I hadn't actually looked at the content. Thanks for doing that. I hope it gets edited quickly. I also hope local SaLT and specialist teachers get involved in delivery.
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Dr Susan Ebbels @susanebbels.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I sincerely hope the @departmentforedu.bsky.social & @ambitioninstitute.bsky.social amend the slides and evidence summary quickly before too much confusion is caused to both the facilitators who will be presenting the training and those attending.
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Dr Susan Ebbels @susanebbels.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I will be explaining these concepts in my portion of the RCSLT webinar on accessible language in education & assessment at 4pm tomorrow afternoon. This is free, so anyone who is unclear on these concepts is welcome to attend, sign up here: www.rcslt.org/events/a-col...
rcslt.org
A collaborative approach to accessible examinations - launch of the fourth edition of Language of Examinations | RCSLT
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Dr Susan Ebbels @susanebbels.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
These were my concerns bsky.app/profile/susa...
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RR @rlrossi64.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Also, screening for ‘all SEND conditions’ is a nonsense.
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Sue Cowley @suecowley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Unfortunately I'm already seeing bad feedback about the materials. I had a quick look and it's kind of what you'd expect given their ECF stuff.
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NAPLIC @naplic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
NAPLIC has a series of networks related to #DevLangDis and #SLCN. These are all free to members. And as membership is only £20 it works out as exceptional value. www.naplic.org.uk/events/ SLCN provision network is on October 5th Journal club is October 21st
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Word Aware @wordaware.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A petition for you to sign calling for better services for people with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Started by Shelbi Annison, an adult with DLD. Please share with your non-BlueSky networks too #DevLangDis petition.parliament.uk/petitions/78...
petition.parliament.uk
Petition: Fund a national diagnostic DLD pathway & better services for people with DLD
Fund a national diagnostic Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) pathway and improved services for those with DLD. This pathway should raise awareness, understanding and inclusion of DLD, provide earl...
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Caroline Rowland @carorowland.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
As MD of MPI-PL I get an early sneak peak of the blogs written for our TalkLing blogsite by our researchers. From gendered language via seals and social media to the meaning of children's grammatical errors... All in quick easy reads here. www.mpi.nl/talkling
mpi.nl
Talkling. Blog about Language Science | Max Planck Institute
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Ambition Institute have been responsible for training in the ECF… training where primary teachers are given secondary materials and told it is “basically the same”. I hope it is not the same with this… www.tes.com/magazine/tea...
tes.com
What can schools expect from the DfE’s new SEND training?
The government is releasing the first wave of support as part of a £200m package of teaching training on SEND and inclusion. Hilary Spencer outlines what it will cover
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Jeni Hooper @jenihooper.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
What happened to piloting new systems to test them. Its obvious human observation is different from person to person but trying to create robotic structures is equally problematic. May I suggest accountability by those who are not accountable themselves is asking for trouble.
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Jonny H @poppop.studio · 28/09/2026
I'd quite like them all to get off Substack too...
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APA Journals @apajournals.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The incoming editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology, Young-Suk Kim, EdD, is seeking research grounded in diverse linguistic and cultural populations. Read the Editor Spotlight to learn about her background, priorities, and advice for authors: bit.ly/3TB1NQV #EduSky
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Jonny H @poppop.studio · 28/09/2026
poppop.studio/cpds/ Still gathering people's thoughts here....
poppop.studio
Share your thoughts on the DfE SEND and inclusion CPD | pop pop studio
The DfE is funding SEND and inclusion CPD, to start in September 2027.  We’re putting together a consortium to deliver it for teachers and teaching...
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Cara Jackson @carajackson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Curriculum reform is not new. We have research from folks like @mpolikoff.bsky.social & @davidblazar.bsky.social on how curriculum affects students. I'm curious about some of the underlying assumptions and what that means for implementation and monitoring, and welcome any thoughts. 1/
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Why are edu-influencers still posting and having conversations about education and policy on X? Do they not understand safeguarding? Or do they think it doesn’t apply to them?
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is a really good exploration of the challenges Ofsted faces. But it misses the big one! We don’t know if the framework actually improves schools! It has not been tested, it doesn’t have any research/evidence behind it to give it credibility bsky.app/profile/tesm...
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Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
‘The challenge is not just that the sector has identified too many flaws in the new framework; it’s that Ofsted has not done enough to win the hearts of the sector either.' Editor @jonsevers.bsky.social explores dissatisfaction with the inspection regime in the latest Tes Daily. Read it here ⬇️
tes-magazine-daily.beehiiv.com
Ofsted's last stand
Plus the week's talking points and events diary
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Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Labour’s plan to introduce ‘vocational GCSEs’ risks repeating the mistakes of the past by retaining a two-tier approach to education, warns Roy Blatchford
tes.com
‘Vocational GCSEs’ risk repeating the division of the past
We’ve had plenty of past attempts to build an education system that works for every pupil - and all have failed because they’ve been based on a two-tier model, warns Roy Blatchford
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is horrifying. Rather than consider the impact of the teaching on the learner, the teacher is stalked by AI looking for “digressions”. Surely the value of teaching is the effectiveness of the learning!! www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Teachers at Euan Blair firm report ‘horrendous stress’ after AI used to rate their work
Exclusive: Instructors at tech training company Multiverse hit out at ‘remorseless’ and ‘unnerving’ monitoring system
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womensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Linocut by contemporary printmaker Mariann Johansen-Ellis #WomensArt
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Ashmolean Museum, Oxford @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This beautiful box dates from 18th century China. It resembles a six-petaled flower, and features a phoenix and eight symbols of Taoist immortals inlaid with turquoise. The Eight Immortals (Ba Xian) are a group of ancient heroes in Chinese mythology who fight for justice and vanquish evil.
A gold box with turquoise phoenix and emblems of eight Taoist ImmortalsA gold box with turquoise phoenix and emblems of eight Taoist ImmortalsA gold box with turquoise phoenix and emblems of eight Taoist ImmortalsA gold box with turquoise phoenix and emblems of eight Taoist Immortals
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A Q&A I did recently with Ashoka and Forbes - Why Bellingcat Wants Everyone To Become An Investigator www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka...
forbes.com
Why Bellingcat Wants Everyone To Become An Investigator
The founder of one of the world's best-known open-source investigation outfits on building it from a laptop, why anyone can do this work, and why democracies have misread the problem.
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International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy @isacworld.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Starting soon: Disinformation & Infectious Diseases 🗓️ 28 Sept Disinformation spreads faster than pathogens. Hear experts from @Bellingcat & Cambridge’s Influence Technology Lab unpack how false narratives form &influence public behaviour 🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/f4udj36t @heiman-wertheim.bsky.social
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Think about this… girls worrying for their safety in schools. Then think about phone bans… How do girls protect themselves or get help if something does happen? bsky.app/profile/tesm...
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Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Half of secondary-age girls reported hearing misogynistic comments at school in the week before a DfE survey, with nearly a third of female KS4 students also reporting language that made them worry about their safety
tes.com
Half of girls hear misogynistic comments at school
Nearly a third of girls also heard language that made them worry about their safety in the previous week, DfE research shows
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EngagewithDLD @edldproject.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Hello E-DLD followers! Today's study aimed to investigate whether a jury’s opinions are different when they know that a defendant has DLD. Article summary: www.engage-dld.com/post/does-a-... Original article/Full text available at: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #DevLangDis #DLD #Jury
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Sue Cowley @suecowley.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I hated school and was a school refuser so 'school wasn't for me'. I was academically successful but terrified of some of my teachers who were excessively strict. People don't get on well at school for all kinds of reasons including curriculum and systems.
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Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The education secretary is preparing to make changes to Ofsted inspections in the “next few months” as concerns grow about school leader wellbeing, Schools Week understands. schoolsweek.co.uk/lucy-powell-...
schoolsweek.co.uk
Lucy Powell planning changes at Ofsted 'within months'
'We need urgent relief,' says union boss, following reports of adverse impact on leaders’ health
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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Will be interesting to see if and how this initiative continues.
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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Department for Education officials listen as psychologists tell them that English schooling suffers from “design failure” educationuncovered.co.uk/news/departm... Presentation on behalf of Association of Clinical Psychologists comes following petition with nearly 3,500 psychologists' signatures.
educationuncovered.co.uk
Education Uncovered | News| Department for Education officials listen as psychologists tell them that English schooling suffers from “design failure”
90-minute meeting with civil servants comes after nearly 3,500 psychologists sign petition and open letter calling on DfE to carry out “urgent education reform to protect children’s mental health”.
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Education Support @edsupportuk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It's #NationalTADay! 🎉 We want to say a big thank you for all the hard work that #TeachingAssistants do, supporting their colleagues and students.👏 🏆
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Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Five directors of a tutoring membership body have publicly resigned, sparking questions from members schoolsweek.co.uk/five-board-m...
schoolsweek.co.uk
Five board members resign from tutors’ membership group
Members of The Tutors’ Association find out about departures from social media posts
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Jonathan Slater @jonathanslater.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The Greenhouse from recycled church stained glass windows, also known as "Sacré Blur" was made by horticultural installation artists Heywood and Condie from salvaged 18th and 19th century ecclesiastical stained glass. London
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Ben Ambridge @ambridge.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I decided it's time to practice what I preach and make sure I publish all my null/inconclusive results, particularly when my theoretical approach really predicts the effect will be found, (and it *has* been found in similar studies). Only this way can we hope to find out what's actually going on!
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Michael Rosen @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We've just updated my website: click on the buttons: 'Events' for latest list of upcoming events; 'News' for latest news; ;'Blog' for latest poem writing idea; 'Books' for latest books. www.michaelrosen.co.uk
michaelrosen.co.uk
The Home of Writer Michael Rosen
Writer Michael Rosen's website for children, with videos, biography, news, a blog and lists of books
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Education Support @edsupportuk.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
School leaders and managers in Wales! Curious about professional supervision? Take a look at our guide to find out what supervision is and what it isn’t. Sign up, at no cost to you: ow.ly/Jvzy50ZQ7tO
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