iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Jonathan Mountstevens @mrmountstevens.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Wait, but coursework is the great saviour of young people from the unbearable pressure and stress of the evil exam system, isn't it? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

New GCSE assessments 'unsustainable' say teachers in Wales

Unions warn teachers will quit and there are fears for pupils' wellbeing as classroom tests increase.

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Dan Willingham @dtwuva.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

I still hear this justification re: AI in classrooms: “It’s out there & we can't be left behind.” Friendly challenge: which happens more often? 1. Schools regretted waiting too long to adopt a technology. 2. Schools regretted adopting a technology before they fully understood how to use it.

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Kat O'Connor @kat-oc-kearey.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Woohoo, just got booked onto this! See you there if you're coming too, fellow #historyteachers (you absolutely should)

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Mike Hill @michaeldoron.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

🚨 History teachers, we’re back! 🚨 Join us on 7 Feb 2026 for a day of workshops and a nice curry – all for £25. Ten years after the ‘knowledge turn’, we’re exploring what knowledge-rich history teaching looks like today. Presenters & link below 👇

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Peter Tse @mrptse.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Really proud to share that my wonderful school - Ark Soane - has spotlighted by @inclusioninpractice.org.uk This is a testament to the incredible job that my incredible colleagues do every single day! Check out the report below to read more about our approach 👇

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

This is what always gets me. It's such a mind-numbing view of education. Some kind of godawful generic training for an identikit job that doesn't even exist.

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

It isn't possible to design a school system where everyone leaves with the skills needed for the workplace because *they're all going to do different jobs*. Workplace training needs to be done by employers.

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

The absolute last thing schools need right now - while dealing with an extremely tight funding settlement and rising poverty - is a radical overhaul of the exam system.

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Mark Enser @ensermark.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Great writing from @greeborunner.bsky.social on the difficulties faced by school leaders and why people might just need to give them a break open.substack.com/pub/greeboru...

open.substack.com

Spinning Plates

Understanding leadership

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Mike Hill @michaeldoron.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Really excited about presenting this series for @histassoc.bsky.social – starting this Wednesday, 4 June, 4pm. In the first webinar, @jacobolivey.bsky.social and I will explain why we think children don't need to 'do history' to learn history. Recordings will be available. Link below! 🔗👇

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Will Goodfellow @willgoodfellow82.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

We’ve gone to press for #ChangingHistoriesKS3 Expanding Worlds! It’ll be hitting our warehouse on 13 June so do get your orders in! In my 10+ years of history publishing, I honestly think this is one of the best books we’ve produced. Spell-binding narrative, stunning visuals and super accessible.

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Colin McCormick @colinmccormick.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

1. Very proud to present our research with Katie Amery at the Historical Association Conference in our home city. It’s been an inspiring two days of lectures, presentations, and rich conversations—and the sun came out to show the port of Liverpool at its finest. #hafconf25

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Mike Hill @michaeldoron.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Interested in a direct approach to history teaching? 'Lean lessons' with booklets, whole-class reading, explanation, and lots of questions? @jacobolivey.bsky.social and I are leading a webinar series for @histassoc.bsky.social in June – and it's cheap! Just £50 for all six webinars. Link below! 👇

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Claire Holliss @claireholliss.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Thinking about your teaching of the History A-level? I will be running a series of webinars with @histassoc.bsky.social between the 12th June and the 3rd July! Details are included in the link below, but feel free to ask me any questions about the course. www.history.org.uk/secondary/ca...

history.org.uk

Webinar series: Developing students’ historical thinking at A-level

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Mike Hill @michaeldoron.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

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Hugh Richards @hughrichards.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

These books are just stunning. Every page is beautifully laid out and illustrated

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Will Goodfellow @willgoodfellow82.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Gorgeous text, gorgeous pages. We're on the home stretch with the #ChangingHistoriesKS3 Expanding Worlds c.1600-c1870 proofs, so here's an Easter treat of a few pages. Every spread in this book is a thing of beauty. I can't wait for you all to see it.

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Stuart Lock @stulock.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

The government are suggesting schools should show Adolescence (and I disagree with this for more reasons than just this), but voted against a national ban on smartphones in schools. I don't understand.

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Josh Vallance @joshvallance.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

If you’re an ambitious Science, History, or Languages teacher and want to take the next step in your career by becoming a ML in one of the most exciting school improvement journeys around, then get in touch.

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Peter Tse @mrptse.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

So, when we drop into each other's slip stream, when we narrate the links explicitly to our pupils and when we boost each other up by retrieving and building on knowledge that we know our pupils know, this is our accidental approach to cross-curricular!

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Peter Tse @mrptse.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Yesterday, I spent a wonderful afternoon presenting with my even more wonderful colleague @michaeldoron.bsky.social at #REdBrum where we discussed our accidental approach to cross-curricular work at Ark Soane Academy.

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Chloe Oliver @chloeohistory.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Late to the party but #Soane25 really had me thinking about world building the Reformation with my Y12s. Today we took a virtual walk through a pre-Reformation church. On Friday they will revisit the route again to see how it changes before getting into the nitty gritty of Injections and Acts.

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Peter Tse @mrptse.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

We are entering a critical 5th year. Our first year of GCSEs for our founding cohort. We are hiring across all depts as we look to scale up and expand our work. Check us out! arksoane.org/jobs/vacancies

arksoane.org

Explore our vacancies

We look forward to receiving your application; if you have any questions, please do get in contact with us and we'll be happy to help.

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Pete Jackson @petejackson.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Having visited #Soane25 this weekend you can tell this is an amazing school with an exceptional staff. The excitement around teaching and learning is all around. Wonderful. 👏

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Peter Tse @mrptse.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Our subject teams are deep curricular thinkers. Every day, I get the chance to work with people who LOVE their subjects. Big shout out to @michaeldoron.bsky.social's fabulous history dept for hosting a fantastic conference last weekend. bsky.app/profile/edur...

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Peter Tse @mrptse.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

3 and a half years ago, a small group of 11 teachers set up Ark Soane Academy. We are now recruiting for our FIFTH year as a school. Where has the time gone?! 🧵

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Otis Blaize @oblaize.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Had the pleasure of speaking at Ark Soane on Saturday about Black British activism in Brixton. Thanks to @michaeldoron.bsky.social and the team for organising! #Soane25

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Rich @richkhistory.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

People, places and a pinch of discipline. Here's my slides from #soane25 if that floats your boat. The script is below each slide. drive.google.com/file/d/18CWg...

drive.google.com

Ark Soane Presentation RK.pdf

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Catherine Priggs @catherinepriggs.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

I loved presenting at Ark Soane '25 this weekend! I discussed the use of academic historical scholarship at Key Stage 4 and its potential for planning and delivering GCSE History.

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Christine Counsell @counsellc.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

This story of mahogany is one of the most thought-provoking and illuminating approaches to teaching the transatlantic slave trade I've ever come across. @hannahcusworth.bsky.social has blended her original research into a mesmerising story for Y8, evoking contrasting but connected worlds #Soane25

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Adam Smith @mrsmithnorwich.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

It's probably the focus on storytelling and worldbuilding - the talks tend to be about bringing the substantive content to life and crafting engaging schemes of work and interpreting historical scholarship. I leave every year feeling like history teaching is full of life.

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Mike Hill @michaeldoron.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Thank you to everyone who came to our second Ark Soane History conference yesterday. It was such a joy to see so many history teacher colleagues together. As always, I’m proudest of our pupils who were so keen to help and talk about history. What a lovely day. #Soane25

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Jonathan Mountstevens @mrmountstevens.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

It's time to teach Yr 12 the Soviet arts and culture topic again. Every year I love it but they all think it's weird and avoid questions on it in the exams. Determined to do better this time, putting my Shostakovich story at the centre and building out from there. drive.google.com/drive/folder...

drive.google.com

Shostakovich Story - Google Drive

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Rich @richkhistory.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

The thing I really enjoyed about #soane25 yesterday was the people who explained how things hadn't worked first time. They were honest about their mistakes. Teaching isn't an exact science and it was joyful to hear of people's experimentation. More honesty and failures at conferences please.

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Colin McCormick @colinmccormick.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending the day at #Soane25 with colleagues and friends. It was great to meet some of the trainees I usually work with remotely. The presenters never fail to inspire. History classrooms are better places because we continue to grow and improve together.

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Harry Hudson @harryhudson21.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Thanks so much to @michaeldoron.bsky.social and his team for organising a superb day at #soane25 yesterday! The buzz of ideas at events like this shows teaching at its finest and does wonders for both the self-perception and the image of the profession as a whole

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Hannah Cusworth @hannahcusworth.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Such a joy to be back with history teachers today talking about my research and translating it for the classroom. I owe so much to this community.

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Elizabeth Carr @egcarr.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

People, places and a pinch of discipline - @richkhistory.bsky.social rounded off the day perfectly. If we can live by that as history teachers, what wonderful imagined historical worlds our pupils will be helped to build. #Soane25

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Cat Batch @catbatch.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Excellent start to #Soane25 with @sam-jones.bsky.social talking about the power of building pupil comprehension through worlds. As a Viking geek, I loved it. From an ITT and CPD perspective, lots of nuggets to take away and share across our @teachfirst.bsky.social training.

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mjburnage.bsky.social @mjburnage.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Getting a brief History lesson on D-Day from @mrmountstevens.bsky.social and am suddenly quite envious of his students. #Soane25

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Cat Batch @catbatch.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Fantastic and (for our TF History curriculum planning) timely session with @mrmountstevens.bsky.social on worldbuilding before, during, and after school trips. Great to remind us that trips are interpretations, and pupils need this framing! Great practical and theoretical prompts. #Soane25

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Pete Jackson @petejackson.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Fab session from @kat-oc-kearey.bsky.social about world building and the Reformation. #Soane25

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Helen @helenpins.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Am about to listen to Eamon Duffy, which won’t mean much to non-nerds, but to the ‘Queen of the Reformation’ (my official title) this is a big deal. #Soane25 #historyteacher I did not give myself this title, to be clear.

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Adam Smith @mrsmithnorwich.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

It’s always such a pleasure to be in London for the Ark Soane History conference. To my mind, it’s one of the best subject conferences out there. #Soane25

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mjburnage.bsky.social @mjburnage.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Hearing Professor Eamon Duffy talking about his book on Morebath is Early Modernist heaven. #Soane25

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Pete Jackson @petejackson.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Amazing to hear Eamonn Duffy talk about the Reformation in Morebath. What a joy! #historytescher #Soane25

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Cat Batch @catbatch.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Living a dream by getting to listen to Professor Eamon Duffy at #Soane25. Excessively quoted throughout my undergraduate dissertation, his work really is wonderful. A key figure in my love for medieval and Reformation history.

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Pete Jackson @petejackson.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Superb session from Jimmy Colenutt on ‘Building Becket’s world’. A brilliant presentation with boundless enthusiasm and energy from Jimmy. Loved it #Soane25

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Christine Counsell @counsellc.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Well no surprise that this did not disappoint. @paulalobo.bsky.social walked us through scholarship relevant to the big freeze of 1962-3 and showed us how to craft stories that enchant her Y9 pupils with the silent, frozen world and the sizzling, shocking sixties that emerged from it #Soane25

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