iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Leave ‘26 = coastline coves, the sound of the sea, boating down estuaries, & cream teas…… #devon26

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Proud aunty day….my eldest niece graduated from Swansea Uni today with a 1st class degree in marine biology! She commences her masters at Swansea in the autumn - what a superstar!!

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Reposted by Prof. Claire Ball-Smith

Holly @hollyeliza03.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Reflecting on my PGCE experience with the University of York ✨️

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Joseph Cox @joecox23.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Such an amazing year at the University of York! So many wonderful people who I have met along the way and impacted my teaching - thanks to you all. Here's to many more years in history education, what a fab community #PGCE #historyeducation

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Holly @hollyeliza03.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Officially a PGCE graduate! Now onto first post in September 🙌🎓

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Victoria Crooks @victoriacrooks.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

🚨2019 REBLOG🚨 Gearing up to speak to my #ITT beginning teachers tomorrow about how they can continue to grow as #ECT s and beyond. The end of the #ITT #PGCE year is not the end of the process of becoming a great classroom practitioner. uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog/2019/07/09/b...

uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog

Building your house: Teaching in the Long Term

Photo by Scott Webb on Pexels.com At the start of the PGCE I use a recurring image with my students of a house under construction. I set out that our aim during the ITE year is to dig and lay the …

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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Another stupid Mahmood idea - getting “trained” members of the public to decide asylum cases - is ripped to shreds here by someone who knows what they’re talking about… Politicians have truly lost their minds on immigration. It’s making us a very wretched and angry place.

Asylum appeals
Sir, Muddled government thinking is contlating the law, resources and the judiciary ("Public to decide asylum appeals as Mahmood jettisons judges", Jun 29). Nothing except its own ambivalence prevents a government with a large majority from changing the law on immigration and human rights, and nothing except its own misplaced expenditure priorities prevent it from funding the courts and tribunals system to eliminate the backlogs.
The task of the immigration judiciary is to decide whether, on return to their home country, an asylum seeker faces a real risk of persecution. This can mean torture and death, so immigration judges exercise the nearest that the UK now has to a capital jurisdiction. That responsibility, which I exercised for 20 years, requires accumulated legal training, skill, experience and judgment. Replacing a body of people exercising those proven attributes with one that lacks all of them and will not be operational until the end of next year is nonsensical. It will imperil appellants and will undoubtedly increase the number of applications to the High Court for judicial review. We have only to imagine a proposed crash course for applicants from different backgrounds with no medical knowledge for surgical hospital positions.
Dr Jonathan Lewis
Designated immigration judge (ret'd), Pinner

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

An absolutely classic tale, I venture no one can top this @apf102.bsky.social in the history education world…..

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Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

There is a triple impact here: 1. Now bursaries are almost gone TF tends to pull trainees away from other routes as they are funded. The trade off is much higher timetables, less subject specific input, and ultimately less robust ITE however you cut it. 2. The concept of “high potential” trainees

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Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 25/06/2026

#OtD 25 Jun 1876 the Battle of the Little Bighorn began when Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes routed General Custer's army, killing Custer in the process. A full account of the battle is in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9753...

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Victoria Crooks @victoriacrooks.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

This has me absolutely beaming. The committee voted for the anonymised shortlist to select the winner & it was an incredibly hard call to make. The nominees were all so impressive; their mentees/ tutors spoke so highly of them &their historyteacher #mentoring. Helen would have been thrilled. 😍

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

We are so so proud of one of our UoY mentors this evening - Erin Josh of Northallerton School & Sixth Form has won the inaugural Helen Snelson HTEN mentoring award! See the thread below for more details as to why, plus all the other incredible mentors who were nominated.

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Standing ovation 👏 this evening for the legend who is James Noble-Rogers, about to retire from UCET after 21 years at the helm. But not before we got Andy H to conduct a special ‘this is your life’ drinks. Thank you James, for all you have done for the HEI ITE sector over many decades. #legend #ucet

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

A huge welcome to our 2025-26 @universityofyork PGCE cohort! Virtual hello for secondary BTs this week, but the secondary team are looking forward to saying hello in person on Monday next week. Primary BTs already up & running!! Welcome aboard your PGCE journey at York!

media.tenor.com

a cartoon of goofy standing in front of a blackboard with the words " a teacher " written on it

ALT: a cartoon of goofy standing in front of a blackboard with the words " a teacher " written on it

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Important article getting at the heart of retention problems with ECTs. Push-pull factors clear. Lots of good for thought for schools, DfE, trusts, appropriate bodies and ITE providers. bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/PRNJER...

bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

The five‐year itch: Motivational factors that influence the career decisions of early career teachers in England

You have to enable JavaScript in your browser's settings in order to use the eReader.

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Reposted by Prof. Claire Ball-Smith

Jill Berry @jillberry102.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

"The ITT curriculum needs to be carefully designed & sequenced in order to maximise learning & retention: overloading the syllabus dilutes the impact of everything in it." A good piece from Yalinie Vigneswaran of @ambitioninstitute.bsky.social, @tesmagazine.bsky.social: www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

tes.com

Overloading ITT isn’t the solution to society’s ills

We can’t solve every challenge in society by adding it into teacher training - but government-backed professional development would help teachers to play their part, says Yalinie Vigneswaran

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

@uoyeducation.bsky.social a few photos of the PGCE Graduates (History, Geog, MFL) and PGCE staff celebrating at today’s graduation! #Graduation2025

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Congratulations @lydiawigley.bsky.social - this is so well deserved, you’re going to be a fabulous history teacher! Stay in touch… #Graduation2025 #BrilliantTeachers

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Graduation day today for all Univ of York PGCE students! Some of the brightest gowns in town donned by the tutor team (incl. THAT ‘Barbie’ gown), but achievement so well earned for Team History making @ruthlingard & I very proud indeed.. Congratulations Team History! Ready to make a difference..

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

So I think the mighty Helen S would be smiling down on us today: our brilliant 24/25 historians completed their PGCE, & so we invited them to choose one of Helen’s history books as a celebration gift. Helen’s husband donated her history collection to the PGCE course, with this request. They had fun!

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Join the brilliant, friendly, talented PGCE team at Univ of York! It’s a wonderful uni to work within, & a welcoming Dept of Education. We’re looking for an experienced and inspiring English lead tutor, who is ready to take the PGCE English course into its next chapter. What have you got to lose?

jobs.york.ac.uk

Jobs - The University of York

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History Teacher Educators' Network @htenuk.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

@htenuk.bsky.social would like to congratulate @counsellc.bsky.social on the award of an OBE in the King's birthday honours list. Christine's contribution to the #historyteacher #HistoryEducation and #curriculum has, and continues to be, incredibly significant. Congratulations Christine!

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Not a huge fan of the Honours system esp. when I see folk awarded who really don’t impress. But that @counsellc.bsky.social has been awarded an OBE makes me think someone somewhere does understand just what honours should be all about. What a rich impact CC has had on history ed. Congratulations!

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Downholme exploring with a birthday pint P1

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

When your partner knows you’re marking assignments…….. #fridaypmchocboost

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

The dog’s gone full holiday mode in less than 48 hours…..

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

After a really busy week or two & a busy Friday afternoon ahead, the arrival of this through the letterbox at lunchtime has cheered me up considerably, as it always does!! Saturday reading - sorted ✅ #historyteacheratheart #hacommunity

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

These Oracy Commission Conversations are great!! Ten minutes of pure gold taking in the complexities of what Oracy looks like in all subjects and key stages. Definitely worth a listen…

open.spotify.com

The Commission Conversations - Christine Counsell

The Commission Conversations · Episode

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Ian Dawson @iandawson51.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

A little something for Early Careers Teachers @htenuk.bsky.social @danlyndon.bsky.social @apf102.bsky.social @histassoc.bsky.social The most important questions to ask history students of all ages: identifying students’ metanarratives and preconceptions See link at thinkinghistory.co.uk/index.html

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Still plenty of time to apply. Successful applicant will inherit internationally renowned PGCE history course, a superb group of dedicated history mentors + they get to work alongside the brilliant Ruth Lingard @yorkclio.bsky.social Great post in a very supportive dep’t @uoyeducation.bsky.social

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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

As an alumni of the York History PGCE I'd like to encourage as many people as possible to go for this great opportunity. Alongside our sadness there is still hope for the future.

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Come and join our friendly ITE team here at UoY, we’re excited to see the next chapter for our PGCE History programme: could you be its lead? jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/hist...

jobs.york.ac.uk

Jobs - The University of York

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Victoria Crooks @victoriacrooks.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

Thinking about New Year's resolutions? Before you start, why not think about what has gone well over past term/year in #school, with aim of maximising those aspects to support your #teaching practice & #wellbeing moving forward. uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog/2024/12/16/f... #EduSky

uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog

Festive Countdown: Teacher positives to head off the January blues

Photo by Binti Malu on Pexels.com Every newspaper/ magazine article I read at the moment seems to be a countdown of one sort or another: 10 best fiction books of the year, 20 top gifts for the men …

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

From a history legend - a perspective stretching fifty years in our history educ community. This is the community all ECT history teachers in the UK join…..

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Prof. Claire Ball-Smith @educprofclaire.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

The amazing PGCE crew are back at UoY this wk focusing hard today on consolidating learning thru’ worked examples. Here’s our Core students practising FAME techniques with peers from a different subject, & giving feedback to each other on learning consolidation success. Greatstuff after a long term!

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