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Helen D

@dhmd.bsky.social
706 followers 632 following 45 posts

Retired Primary Headteacher, time limited researcher, canal explorer and Francophile.

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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A great favourite in the last school I worked in - it helped having the poet working in a nearby classroom on a daily basis. #KidsBooksFriday
Cover of Where Zebras Go by Sue Hardy Dawson showing a glorious orange and red background and a group of Zebras.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Does anyone have a permanent Lego station - or something comparable - out on their school playground?
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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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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
All 20 and travelled in the back of a removal van to Guide camp with 20 other Guides - not sure where the adults travelled!
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
There has also been a recent arrival in our extended family and these are three I love that have contributed to the start of their childhood library. #KidsBooksFriday
Cover of Baby’s First Stories by Lily Murray showing a black and white elephant blowing water into the air. The cover of Look Out Hungry Snake by Nick Delaney showing a snake looking very pleased with himself and two worried looking animals who might be his next meal. The cover of The Whales on the Bus by Katrina Charman and Nick Sharratt showing two oversized whales on a bus full of water driven by a goldfish!
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Loved this story when I came across it a few years ago. Short and beautifully written.
The cover of The Poet’s Dog shows a small cabin in a snowstorm in the woods. Two children and a dog approach it from the bottom of a slope.
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AR @psalisbury.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I know I've posted it it before, but someone might find this useful. I share this every September (although I do modify it) but if you're a new/inexperienced Head it might help you help everyone focus on what is important at the start of the year... philsalisbury.wordpress.com/2026/02/22/w...
philsalisbury.wordpress.com
We go again
We go again At the start of every new half term, and especially the start of a new year, we put aside some time to remind teachers about the importance of ‘starting again’.  I pinched the phra…
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
A favourite from when I was in school and now on my bookshelf. #KidsBooksFriday
The cover of a book showing line drawings of The Boy, the mole, the fox and the horse.
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Teaching with my eyes shut @eyesshutteacher.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
🚨 You need to read this thread ⬇️
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
And successful play-based learning is hard work, needs lots of preparation, training and a really good understanding of child development- it does not happen overnight!
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Ruth Swailes @ruthswailes.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
It’s been suggested that this needs to be seen by @departmentforedu.bsky.social @andyburnham.bsky.social , so I’ll share it again.
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
One of my favourite books from my own childhood definitely fitting the magical/fantastical category! #KidsBooksFriday
The cover of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak. The cover shows a monster with two horns, claw hands and human looking feet, a small sailing boat on a river and a variety of palm and other. trees.
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
And receiving new guidance at 10pm on a Friday evening or sometime on a Sunday to put into place for Monday morning.
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Thread. This is what the pandemic was like for teachers in schools. Schools were open ALL THE WAY THROUGH the pandemic. Let’s not forget what it was like for some, whilst others were partying. bsky.app/profile/eyes...
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Today’s theme sent me on a quick search to see which picture book sequels I had somehow missed - this has been added to my wish list! Sequel to the gorgeous ‘Journey’. #kidsbooksfriday
Cover of the Aaron Becker Picture Book ‘Quest’ showing the two main characters on a cliff looking towards an island in the distance.
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Mike @mikem51.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
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avidreader8.bsky.social @avidreader8.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
I LOVE YOU #booksky #books #Kindleunlimited #thriller #suspense #romance #novels #geopolitical #mythological #darkromance #women #contemporary #fiction #fantasy #crime #amazon #sifi #readingcommunity #writingcommunity #author #readers #indie
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Love this one! #KidsBookFriday
A wolf looking hungrily at a pile of pancakes.
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Poster from film Out of Africa
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THE NERVE @thenerve.news · 19/07/2026
NEW: Who funds Nigel Farage? And why has it taken till now for any journalistic scrutiny? @carolecadwalla.bsky.social who has tracked him for a decade exposes how the UK press & regulators looked the other way 🧵👇
Farage the money launderer and me: a decade of denial
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THE NERVE @thenerve.news · 16/07/2026
The Nerve 🤝 The Rest is Politics Alastair Campbell acknowledges our own Carole Cadwalladr’s fearless reporting on Nigel Farage all these years. Subscribe to our newsletter at thenerve.news to make sure Carole can continue her investigative work
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Wow - that brings back forgotten memories!
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Always enjoyed sharing this story with a reception class.
Cover of Six Dinner Side - a black cat with six empty food bowls
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Glad you are enjoying the life! This is our view this morning, looking at bottom of the Ronquieres Inclined Plane on the Charleroi-Bruxelles Canal in Belgium. Different country but same amazing narrowboat life!
Looking out of a narrowboat side hatch at the Ronquieres Inclined Plane, Wallonia, Belgium.
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The Marsh Family @marshfamilysongs.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
In the nick of time for the celebratory weekend in the 🇺🇸, here's "Trumpy Doodle" - our 250th anniversary version of "Yankee Doodle" that you can also download as a song on Bandcamp! youtu.be/EnZY_08vnHc #nokings #america250 🎶🚫👑✊
youtu.be
"Trumpy Doodle" - Marsh Family version of "Yankee Doodle" for the USA's 250th anniversary antics
YouTube video by Marsh Family
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Teaching with my eyes shut @eyesshutteacher.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
I’m the grandchild of 2 immigrants. German Jews who arrived in the late 1930s fleeing the Nazis. They would recognise the scenes in Belfast last night for what it was, not a protest. The only reason it won’t happen to me is because they were white & my family’s history doesn’t show on my skin.
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Kat @rosykat.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Teacher friends this is worth reading ✨
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
“4 competant and experienced women and one glamorous man with none…” Says it all bsky.app/profile/then...
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
3/3 We wouldn’t have changed it but it never felt like we were on an equal footing against the inspection framework.
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
2/3……. who other schools, professionals and the LA sent our way. Ofsted always commented positively on how inclusive we were but refused to accept that had an impact on our results even where significant progress could be demonstrated.
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
1/2 I agree completely. We were that school who didn’t turn parents and children away and who were proud of the fact that we successfully supported children with a wide range of needs but with that success came the inevitable expectations that we could take everyone …..
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Dr Jonathan Kershaw @jeckythump.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Essential thread 👇
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
We are currently in Lorraine, France and experiencing the same thing - our boat looks as though it is covered in dust! We were coated in floating seeds earlier - we think from willow trees!
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Just Lucrezia @jkh107.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
the best kind of problem to have tbh
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spacecowboy @spacecowboy17.bsky.social · 03/08/2025
Welcome to the ✨For You✨ feed! It finds people who liked the same posts as you, and shows you what else they've liked recently. 📌 Pin to add it to your top bar ❤️ Like the feed and repost to spread the goodness
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Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Scroll this 🧵 and hope.
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Chris Chivers @chrischivers.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
If this threat is carried out, it won't be "a civilisation" dying. It will effectively be civilisation as we have known it dying, largely on the whim of one person, aided and abetted by his hand-chosen henchmen and women. The TV "celebrity" creating his own biopic in real time.
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Jon Severs @jonsevers.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
"Nobody in that school or my primary school knew that there was a lot more going on for me than the death of my Dad." Hidden trauma and the challenge of helping those who do not seem to need help. A powerful, difficult, deeply personal read www.tes.com/magazine/ana...
tes.com
What my ‘hidden’ trauma taught me about belonging in schools
We can’t always know what a child is going through, writes trust leader David Clayton, who says his own childhood experience has shown him the need to make schools ‘sanctuaries’ for those suffering tr...
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Thread… This is the sort of brave leadership/school dev practice that develops innovative solutions to complex problems…. It is not the Ofsted implementation model. Neither is it a quick win. It takes time to develop the behaviours needed to develop well. bsky.app/profile/jdur...
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Rachel Orr @rachelorr.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
This is a powerful read from Edmund Barnett-Ward #RuthPerry @edmund-b-w.bsky.social difficultlessons.wordpress.com/2026/03/17/d...
difficultlessons.wordpress.com
Driving on Regardless
Where is OFSTED going? What have they learned?
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All On The Board @allontheboard.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Today is World Kidney Day It's important to take care of your kidneys and to be aware of the symptoms of kidney disease. Please share this so others can be aware also. #WorldKidneyDay #KidneysMatter #DontKidYourself
KIDNEY DISEASE

Kidney disease is a journey no one plans nor asks for,
its symptoms are a warning from a damaged or failing system we must never ignore,
over seven million people have it in the UK
and not everyone realises before it's too late;
Kidney disease isn't just caused by a lifestyle decision, 
Sometimes it's inherited but can be a manageable condition,
Better awareness and care can reduce the feelings of despair,
it's your early intervention, not the disease, that will determine your fate.

From Swollen ankles, feet or hands 
to Blood or froth in your wee;
Extra tiredness, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating and other less obvious symptoms to see,
You may feel or be sick and have persistently puffy eyes or face;
you may notice weight loss or loss of appetite, have itchy skin, discomfort in your lower back, side or abdomen, or need to wee more often,
If you have these symptoms please speak to your GP just in case.

Your kidneys work hard to keep you alive 
by being aware and treating them with care your whole body will thrive,
Kidney disease strikes silently and it won't go away quietly, 
It's incurable but in life there are no guarantees;
Stay hopeful but do what's necessary to heal,   pay attention to your mental health and how your body feels, 
You can do this and you have what it takes, because It takes heart to fight the impact of kidney disease.
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George Penney @georgepenney.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
A small human (3?) sitting behind his business-suited dad as they cycle into town has worked out a way to make this ride entertaining. Poking Dad's bottom as Dad pedals. Dad wryly saying: "Yeah, not helping, mate." Howling with laughter, Poking Small Human disagrees. (3)
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Paul Dix @pauldixbehaviour.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
NEW Blog Post www.whentheadultschange.com/post/trainin...
whentheadultschange.com
Training teachers in SEND
There are some incredible teachers, support professionals and leaders whose schools/settings are inclusive, the boundaries are clear and kindness never means a lack of ambition. In these environments training and development in all areas of additional needs falls on rich foundations.InclusionIn settings where there is more fear, more focus on compliance than connection and where inclusivity is conditional, things are different. SEND training feels at odds with the values. No excuses, super stric
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AR @psalisbury.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
I think the paper is also trying to address the disparity in the issuing of EHCP's (depending on parents, location, school demographic, social factors etc). There is no consistency nationally (or even locally), and this means 'SEND' looks very different in different schools.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Some cynics might have thought we'd seen all this stuff before, but clearly things have changed: the triangle is now upside-down. 😆
Triangle, with apex at the top, showing four layers from 'All children' at the base, rising through 'School Action', 'School action plus' to 'Statement'
(The pre-2015 SEND model)Triangle, with point at the bottom, showing three layers of support, with 'Targeted' at the broad top of the diagram, then 'Targeted plus' and narrowing to 'Specialist'
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Helen D @dhmd.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Finding the Sani- stat is frozen and you can’t empty cassette or pump out. Had to go into the water to remove the lorry inner tube/bag of clothes/mooring rope from round the prop. Change the gas bottle in dark and rain during dinner!
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Ummmmmm…. So it seems being responsive and compassionate is a better approach than punishment. Who knew? Only research from the last 30 years, rather than outdated behaviourism. Why have children been subjected to these experiments? www.tes.com/magazine/new...
tes.com
Rewarding good behaviour key to success, hubs evaluation finds
The DfE's behaviour hubs programme saw schools shifting towards restorative rather than zero-tolerance behaviour management policies, says final evaluation report
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Chris Chivers @chrischivers.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
@marshfamilysongs.bsky.social how do you manage to hit the right spot every time? Thank you.
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Stella @stella-b.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
This is awful and the scariest part is that there are some people in this country who think it’s a good thing.
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
🚨The Petition calling for by-elections to be called automatically when MPs defect to another party now has 43,000 signatures! Let’s get the 100,000 needed! petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...
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