iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Extension of deadline for this, from Dr Aaron Bradbury📣 www.early-years-reviews.com/journal-of-p...

Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

New image to go with a timely republishing of my piece on the joy of childhood 🤓 dominicgunn.substack.com/p/teaching-a...

dominicgunn.substack.com

Teaching and 'The Fate of Wonder'

Repairing the curriculum

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Reposted by Dominic Gunn

sebdaorg.bsky.social @sebdaorg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

In Memory of Harry Daniels. The sad passing of Prof Harry Daniels is marked by his final editing of the latest EBD Journal. A worthy tribute to Harry’s professional focus throughout his professional life, championing those disadvantaged CHYPS suffering injustice. lnkd.in/eWhbTzBt

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

👊Stranmillis University, Belfast, where we shared ideas about: Parents as Partners; Belonging; Inclusion is not a Programme; Play is our Purpose. 🙏to Dr Maria Stewart, Tamsin Grimmer, and me🙂 Thanks to Chris and Beatrice at Early Education for organising such an essential and enjoyable event.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Just pondering which I like more, evening swifts or the ISS…when they both appeared next to each other! And yes, I did miss the ISS photo, because I was too busy enjoying the moment…

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Reposted by Dominic Gunn

UNICEF Press Office @unicefmedia.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Since the ceasefire was announced in October 2025, 265 Palestinian children have been killed across Gaza. During a period supposedly defined by restraint and protection, a child has been killed, on average, every single day for more than eight months. www.unicef.org/press-releas...

unicef.org

Geneva Palais Briefing: A child a day: The deadly illusion of Gaza's ceasefire

This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF Spokesperson, James Elder, to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

We’ve got this covered in schools, haven’t we, so our young people about to be first time voters can use greater power of thought than the adults before them? Just checking…

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Have the Newstainment shows (aka The News) gone the full soap and reality TV in their pursuits for dopamine clicks? Political reporting has to take the form of “GET AHT OF MY PUB” or ‘There’s going to be a fight at the reunion dinner…’ RIP tv journalism ⚰️

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

First swifts of the year on 8th May? I’m sure they aren’t the first but this seems early…🧐

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Reposted by Dominic Gunn

sebdaorg.bsky.social @sebdaorg.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Managed Moves - neither EXCLUSION nor INCLUSION? The latest SEBDA Newsletter has a transcript of the (free-to-view) podcast, where Marcia White talks about her research on managed moves, with Dr Rob Long and Dominic Gunn. sebda.org/newsletter/

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Early Education London Conference 2026… With Julie Revels and Kerry Murphy. app.sheepcrm.com/early-educat... Education

app.sheepcrm.com

SheepApp

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Blow-torching food 🔥 Is this to my dinner what Little Wandle or Read, Write Inc is to literature and poetry? 😶

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Well this is nice. And, no, you won’t hear about it on the newstainment programmes or phone-ins.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Including and Supporting All Children’ in Early Years…with me and Tamsin Grimmer. 25th August 2026 - a perfect start to the new academic year (or culmination of the last, for those of us who don’t close for summer holidays!) Just one of the valuable CPD events available through Early Education.

early-education.org.uk

Continuing professional development - Early Education

Explore our programme of Early Years CPD courses for practitioners. Online webinars and local CPD training with our early years specialists.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

In this month’s issue, our Zeitgeister Caspar Henderson reminds us that we share a ‘play equation with penguins (thanks to John Mitchinson) PLAY=joy+learning

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

On the 12th Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Join or at least engage with trusted organizations like: Early Education, Froebel Trust, PEDAL, TACTYC... These will guide and fuel your practice and ensure you can articulate your pedagogy to senior leaders.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

On the 11th Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Free-flow, outdoor learning, continuous provision, and ‘flow’ overlap but are not the same. Long child-led periods, with agency, enabled across environments, is a more helpful thought for you professionally.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

On the Tenth Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄EYFS is a sensory curriculum, to be presented in a sensory environment. Before you timetable sensory circuits or buy a ‘sensory room’, ensure you are confident about your ordinarily available sensory provision.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

On the Ninth Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Do you really need all those transitions during the school day? The answer is ‘No’ and some will be educationally damaging. But some might be necessary, so make sure you know which is which.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

On the Eighth Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Your children can’t see the visual communication aids when they are in the cupboard. (Not being over-critical - I’ve done it🤦‍♂️But we mustn’t).

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

On the Seventh Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Sing, Sing, Sing…and Sign! It’s much easier and more effective to sign for the whole class - no need to wait for Makaton training first (although recommended when the opportunity arises)

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

On the Sixth Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Children should not be directed to copy letter shapes before they have secured handwriting prerequisites. Ensure you know what these are and which unique child is still developing in this area.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

On the Fifth Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Systematic Synthetic Phonics lessons as sole or even primary method for teaching reading and spelling will fail on average about 20% of your class. So don’t subject them to additional phonics catch up lessons.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

On the Fourth Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄When you have completed the DfE Child Development training modules (and you should) ask yourself for each child ‘What is developmentally meaningful?’ (Thanks to Kerry Murphy/ Diverse Pathways).

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

On the Third Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄What does a Dojo (or your chosen extrinsic reward system) give a child that your loving, honest, connected relationship does not?

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

On the Second Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Did you know in Reception that the title is still ‘Keyperson’, not ‘Keyworker’? And it is statutory? And there is a good reason for this?

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

On the First Day of Transition to Year R Christmas, my Early Years Advisor said to me… 🎄Ask yourself if a commercial whiteboard programme making children sit and subitise at a level they already understood 18 months ago is necessary.

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Reposted by Dominic Gunn

Ruth Swailes @ruthswailes.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

A few people have asked about the audit tool I've developed, aligned to the DFE writing framework. I've made it available here: www.lulu.com/shop/ruth-swailes/integrated-early-writing-talk-and-physical-development-audit-tool/ebook/product-v8qn2z9.html?q=integrated+early+writing&page=1&pageSize=4

lulu.com

Integrated Early Writing, Talk and Physical Development Audit Tool

This audit tool aligns with the DFE non-statutory writing framework(2025) and the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (2021). It draws on a wealth of research to provide a toolkit for those working...

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Yr R and Assessment. If you’re feeling that we over-assess ‘progress’ in EYFS…that’s because we do! A fun, provocation with the help of a toy balloon and Carlo Rovelli here:

open.substack.com

Educational Assessment EYFS to KS1

(Embracing probability and rejecting datafication… … with the help of a toy balloon)

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Brotastic Bubblenomics by Carole Cadwallader. Sometimes we have to work hard to make visual aids work. But when we do… open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Absolutely, sing with young children. And that doesn’t include a whiteboard doing it for us btw! Recommended training by Early Education, Froebel, and me😁

froebel.org.uk

Singing with Young Children Webinar

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

For the attention of @sebdaorg.bsky.social and anyone considering the different values and purposes of ‘observation or surveillance?’

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Reposted by Dominic Gunn

The Grove Nursery School @grovenursery.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Siren Films have extended their free to watch offer on our short, but beautiful, film about sustainability at The Grove. Do share with friends and colleagues ...

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Reposted by Dominic Gunn

Special Needs Jungle @spcialndsjungle.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Statutory guidance on "Children missing education" has been updated: It's not also statutory for schools and includes a summary of responsibilities, including for parents, and a policy and procedure checklist: www.gov.uk/government/public...

gov.uk

Children missing education: statutory guidance for local authorities and schools

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

Monk Debunks - well worth sharing with anyone who is still to understand how grains of truth are manipulated by some media to present something utterly deceptive in order to generate outrage and conflict for their own personal gain. open.substack.com/pub/monkdebu...

open.substack.com

Benefits, Taxes, and Misleading Headlines

The truth behind the claim that most households take more from the state than they contribute.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Useful reminder of Cathy Gunning’s previous advice on Healthy Settling for High Well-being. Also, that there is no ‘key worker’ in EYFS. The ststutory term, and requirement, is ‘Keyperson’. early-education.org.uk/settling-chi...

early-education.org.uk

Settling children - Early Education

Healthy settling for high wellbeing How can we best help children feel at ease so that they are secure and settled in their new provision? To hold children in mind and consider them as the person to p...

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Although late to the cricket party, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this. And not least because, after nearly 25 days of serious effort…there is no ‘winner’! The endeavour is still valued, and tells us so much about the individuals and the teams. Yes, assessment of children’s abilities is still on my mind.

bbc.co.uk

England v India, fifth Test: Woakes walks out to bat one-handed

Watch the moment Chris Woakes walks to the crease to bat for England one-handed after sustaining a shoulder injury during the fifth Test against India at The Oval.

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Non-linear progress in Early Years. The National Strategies, 2008. Clearly accepted that educators can incorrectly or incompletely assess ‘progress’ if under-trained and reliant on linear assessment models. We’re not doing that now, are we? Especially with SEND, or non-SEND learning differences?

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Is the Cornish word for ‘childish’ really ‘betwattled’?

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Dominic Gunn @dominicgunn.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

@mrjamesob.bsky.social reading 1984 now, for all those who quote it without realising it is they who Orwell warns us about.

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