iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Mary Myatt

Joshua Seigal - 'YAPPING AWAY' out now! @joshuaseigal.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Do you need any fun poems to see you through the week ahead? Loads for FREE on my website - www.joshuaseigal.co.uk - including the poem below. Enjoy, and feel free to share! #BookSky #EduSky #teachers #KidLitUK

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

I've been in schools where reading feels like a gift. And schools where it feels like a fix. The difference? Positioning. When reading is squeezed to the edges, pupils get the message: this is remedial. This is not the real work.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

A week in with KS3: The Ambitious Years. @samgibbs.bsky.social review: "Every young person has a right to an education that is rich in knowledge, high in challenge and rooted in belonging. That is not a luxury for some children; it is an entitlement for all." open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

# A week in It’s been almost a week since 𝘒𝘚3: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 was published, and I wanted to pause and share something of what this week has felt like. I’ve been genuinely moved by the responses coming in. open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...

open.substack.com

# A week in

Well hello there, and welcome to update #194!

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

What are pupils being included in? At KS3, the real question isn't just "do they belong?" — it's "what do they belong to?" Rich knowledge? Demanding texts? Or a thinner curriculum because we've decided that's what they can manage? /1

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

"Every young person has a right to an education that is rich in knowledge, high in challenge and rooted in belonging. That is not a luxury for some children; it is an entitlement for all." @samgibbs.bsky.social on KS3: The Ambitious Years 🙏 amzn.to/4ue27Bk

amzn.to

KS3 The Ambitious Years: Why Years 7-9 matter more than we think

Buy KS3 The Ambitious Years: Why Years 7-9 matter more than we think by Myatt, Mary (ISBN: 9780995668720) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

The 5 questions I asked every school while writing 'KS3: The Ambitious Years'. I started with assumptions. Some were wrong. 🧵

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Very grateful for this generous response from @spryke2.bsky.social If you've been thinking about getting a copy, the paperback is now available here: amzn.eu/d/0eywWJAr KS3 isn’t the bridge. It’s the foundation. Thank you, Stuart.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

For colleagues who asked about the paperback: KS3: The Ambitious Years is now available earlier than expected. amzn.eu/d/0eywWJAr The book makes the case that KS3 isn’t the waiting room for GCSE, it’s the foundation. Thank you for all the support around this work.

amzn.eu

Amazon.co.uk

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

1/ For too long, KS3 has been treated as the bit in between. Not quite primary. Not yet GCSE. A bridge. A waiting room. A place where ambition quietly becomes diluted.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

1/ If KS3 doesn’t matter, why do we keep paying for it at KS4? Across schools and trusts, we see the same pattern: intervention increases workload rises pressure builds But the root of the issue often sits earlier.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

New post: High expectations, high support on the great work of Charlotte Bunyan and colleagues @theeducakers.bsky.social substack.com/@marymyatt/n...

substack.com

High expectations, high support

Well hello there, and welcome to update #192!

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Reposted by Mary Myatt

Crown House Publishing @crownhousepub.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

“This book is a supportive and inspiring guide to embracing your unique strengths as an introvert”. #QuietLeadership makes it easy with examples and practical tools that leaders can use immediately: buff.ly/zmsifzS @exheadteacher.bsky.social

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

The DfE white paper is clear: literacy is every teacher's responsibility. Primary leaders, ask yourselves: Is your September INSET truly preparing colleagues to deliver on this?

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Stories do more than engage. They build knowledge, they deepen vocabulary, and they give pupils access to worlds, people, places and ideas they might not otherwise meet. That is why story-rich curriculum work matters.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

On 1 September, we’re hosting a big online curriculum inset day for schools using The Teachers’ Collection. 9.30–3.30. Schools with a subscription can send as many staff as they like. A strong start to a richer, more text-led curriculum. theteacherscollection.com

theteacherscollection.com

The Teachers' Collection - Resources to support curriculum planning

We suggest stories and texts to underpin teaching in every subject. We drafted some outline plans and pulled together important vocabulary for each unit.

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Reposted by Mary Myatt

NATRE @natre-update.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

A range of events open to all in various locations for Jewish Culture Month beginning on the 16th May. Great for TeamRE 😊 Find out more here 👉🏼 jewishculturemonth.org.uk

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Strong KS3 does not begin in Year 10. It begins in Year 7, when pupils are given serious texts, serious ideas and serious intellectual attention. KS3 isn’t the bridge, it’s the foundation. www.myattandco.com/ks3-the-ambi...

myattandco.com

Key Stage 3: The Ambitious Years | Myatt & Co

Explore KS3 curriculum resources and downloadable booklets on History, Geography and RE for Year 7. Quality teaching materials by Myatt & Co.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Secondary schools receive data, but they rarely receive information about the curriculum. They know what score a pupil achieved, but they don't know what they've read, written, discussed, or argued. And in the absence of that knowledge, the professional default is to begin again

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Who gains most when Key Stage 3 is ambitious, and who loses most when it is not? There's a compelling educational case for an ambitious KS3: it builds the knowledge and habits of mind that make later learning possible, and gives ages 11–14 the seriousness they deserve.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Year 9 is where ambition goes to die in too many schools . Options are chosen, GCSEs are looming and the curriculum quietly thins out. Teachers know it, pupils feel it. And yet we treat it as inevitable, a structural feature of secondary education, as opposed to a design flaw

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Year 7 pupils don't need easier work, instead they need richer work, with the right support. That's the thinking behind KS3: The Ambitious Years. Ofsted called it 'The Wasted Years'. We're calling it something different. /1

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MRMICT @mrmict.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with @marymyatt.bsky.social for this Chalk Learning Chalk Talk session. Our conversation explored design for learning and, as we discussed, perhaps more accurately, high quality and beautiful design for all. open.substack.com/pub/chalklea...

open.substack.com

Mary Myatt and Karl McGrath: Design for Learning

A Morrisonian approach to creating beautiful learning materials

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Ashley Betts @abetts.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

"She acted because she believed it was the right thing to do, and that takes courage." I'm taking this thought into work with me next week. A thought provoking piece from Mary Myatt here. Having moved from secondary to primary, I fully agree that so much more can be done with KS3.

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Mr E @theniceman.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Thanks for this! Here's similar thoughts on languages and the need for pupils to have their own snowball of language to roll from topic to topic, getting bigger and bigger. Much better than an even coverage. Which will just have melted away. whoteacheslanguages.blogspot.com/2025/10/am-i...

whoteacheslanguages.blogspot.com

Am I about to come unstuck? - How much can you rely on a metaphor for learning?

How much can you rely on a metaphor for learning to guide your practice? All models of learning are metaphors. Starting with the popular "s...

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

What strong KS3 looks like and how to make it happen in practice I’ve pulled this together in a new book: KS3 The Ambitious Years (published 2 June) It’s not a set of quick fixes. More a framework for thinking clearly about Years 7–9 If it’s useful, you can take a look here: amzn.eu/d/03E9eYMw

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

For years, we’ve said KS3 matters, but if we’re honest, the system hasn’t always behaved that way. In many parts of the sector, curriculum time has been squeezed, texts are often simplified, and expectations are quietly lowered. /1

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Mr T does Primary History @mr-s-tiffany.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

My brand new subject leader CPD is now open to book! If you're on Facebook, join the Mr T does Primary History group for a discount (or message me if not). Bookings taken via invoice and/or through here: t.co/Za6poLu8Dy

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

In 2019 I did a lecture for @natecommunity.bsky.social Conference on 'the big picture' in curriculum & learning in English. I was reminded of it, seeing an excellent post by @marymyatt.bsky.social this am – one of many she's doing that I strongly agree with. www.englishandmedia.co.uk/blog/big-pic...

englishandmedia.co.uk

Big Picture English - Beyond the Brushstrokes

Full transcript, with slides, of the 2019 Harold Rosen address at the annual NATE conference, delivered by EMC's Barbara Bleiman

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St Thomas Cantilupe Church of England Primary @st-thomascantilupe.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Last week Class 2 learnt about Edith Cavell and why she was such a remarkable person in history. We discussed why the artist created the stained glass window of her… here are some of our thoughts. #historystc #lovestc @marymyatt.bsky.social

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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

How can schools support teachers with keeping up to date with children's literature? Is time prioritised for it and, if so, how? Or is it left for people to do in their own time? I understand the challenges around fitting it in, but it's valuable CPD and needs to be recognised as such.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

"Will they cope with demanding texts?" This is the question I hear most often when colleagues first encounter our KS3 materials. A MAT recently introduced our humanities resources. Staff were sceptical. The texts felt too demanding for their pupils. /1

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

This is an incredibly important blog by my colleague Lucy Hinchliffe on behalf of @engmediacentre.bsky.social All English teachers should take a look & DfE should definitely be talking to us about this. If they get this wrong, nothing else will go right in the Nat Curric for English.

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STP Guy @stpguy3.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

I've just reviewed my 51st Sticky Toffee Pudding. But what did it get out of 10?

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Asha @begley.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

What a fabulous experience for the young musicians! Inspiring a love of classical music by watching highly skilled artists perform #artsmatter #lovestc @marymyatt.bsky.social @royalphilsoc.bsky.social @royalphilorchestra.bsky.social

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

The huge difference in reading outcomes, described by @stevewillshaw.bsky.social in conversation with @lambhearttea.bsky.social and me on the KS3 webinar

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Mr T does Primary History @mr-s-tiffany.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Currently around 40 teachers attending my first in-person CPD session of this kind in Shrewsbury! Huge thanks to Wilfred Owen School and the Empower MAT for hosting me. Everyone who is booked has been sent attendee instructions for the day..

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

From power points to proper texts While there’s a place for power points, pupils need more. And if we’re interested in providing them with content that’s more likely to stick, then we have some hefty backup from the research.

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Kit Marie Rackley @geogramblings.com · 03/02/2026

If you haven’t read @ilankelman.bsky.social’s “Disaster By Choice” yet, now’s the time. And if you are a KS3 #GeographyTeacher, check out the upcoming ‘The Ambitious Years’ resource that I proudly wrote for @marymyatt.bsky.social based on his amazing book.

Cover of a Year 7 Geography guide titled "Disaster by Choice." The image shows a flooded area at sunset, with rooftops peeking above water.

Red page titled "The text" lists the book "Disaster by Choice" by Ilan Kelman with publication details and links for ebook and hard copy. Book icon included.

A coastal scene with damaged homes atop eroded cliffs, under a cloudy sky. Text discusses climate change, heatwaves, and increased vulnerability.

Red informational flyer titled "Disaster by Choice." Features a circular photo of Kit Marie Rackley, an education consultant and advocate. Includes contact details, links, and highlights their work on climate issues.

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

New post with insights from @lambhearttea.bsky.social Fairlamb on the rationale for teaching about the kingdom of Benin at KS3 as part of The Ambitious Years marymyatt.substack.com/p/key-stage-...

marymyatt.substack.com

Key Stage 3 shouldn’t be a waiting room for GCSE

Well hello there, and welcome to update #175!

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Mary Myatt @marymyatt.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

New post with insights from Alex Fairlamb on the rationale for teaching about the kingdom of Benin at KS3 as part of The Ambitious Years marymyatt.substack.com/p/key-stage-...

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