iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Michael Fordham

AR @psalisbury.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

There is nothing new, or original, in this blog. It is just more about what would have helped me as a new teacher. I don't know why I'm bothering with these blogs really, maybe it is my age... 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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Reposted by Michael Fordham

Daisy Christodoulou @daisychristo.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

If AI is being used extensively in office jobs, then should we be letting students use AI in the classroom? No - here's why. With reference to 3 papers that show what you do in a job isn't the template for what you do in the classroom. substack.nomoremarking.com/p/education-...

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Jonathan Mountstevens @mrmountstevens.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

The people who think students will find a curriculum based on workplace training more engaging should go into schools and deliver a drop-down day, leading sessions on writing an application, interview skills etc.

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Jemma Sherwood @jemmaths.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

*Of course* school prepares children for their futures, but not by being a mini workplace. It’s by giving them a breadth of foundational knowledge and experience across the big, enduring disciplines and human pursuits. The kinds of things they won’t get chance to learn about or experience at work.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

After Virtue one of the books that most influenced my thinking on teaching.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

I think it's correct that the model is most appropriate for teaching procedures, and I see it used most powerfully in subjects such as maths.

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Dan Keates @dankeates.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Thrilled to be receivin first copies a real team effort by so many great history teachers and educators @victoriacrooks.bsky.social @lauralondo1017.bsky.social @paulalobo.bsky.social @danlyndon.bsky.social @mrmayhew.bsky.social @michaelfordham.bsky.social Dedicated to the great Helen Snelson

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

We're currently neck-deep in Asterix

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Just in case anyone else is looking for recommendations for books to read to young children.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

English translations of this series exist and the stories are absolutely great. I think the beaver is renamed Harvey in English.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Quentin Blake’s books are all great.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Good books in rhyme. Used from about 18 months up but still being read at 4/5.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

The six year old got into this series and obviously the three year old wanted to listen in. Makes for a longer bed time story but very good for a train journey.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Barnett and Klassen books are weirdly funny for both adults and younger children

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Books that make you go gooey inside.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Fun and environmentally conscious

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

We have his books mostly in German but they’re all English in the original and they’re all great.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Grabbing a few favourites off the shelf (ours are now 7 and 4 but all of these were being used from 2 up to about 5). First up is an absolute favourite.

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Tim Marston @tmarstonht.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

5 different emails from recruitment agencies today, offering me ECTs - PLEASE don’t come via agencies, just come and drop in - we welcome visitors. We aren’t the polished, slick school yet but we’re great to work for, full of heart and keen to get better. I won’t waste public money on finders fees!

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Reposted by Michael Fordham

Heather Fearn @heatherbellaf.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

New blog! ‘The Teachers’ knowledge that has no name’. What should we call this knowledge? heatherfblog.wordpress.com/2025/02/23/t... With special thanks to @michaelfordham.bsky.social

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Glad you enjoyed it - but I’m not surprised!

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

One of the challenges is that we invariably end up using proxies for subject specialism, but these proxies are not particularly useful, particularly outside more hierarchical subjects. I think the key for me would be an ongoing immersion in the subject, but that's almost impossible to measure.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Basilica Cistern an absolute must. Really spectacular.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

I've not been involved so couldn't possibly comment. But I kind of think that is what unions exist to do: collect views of members, agree on a common position, and then negotiate based on that. I'd be interested to see where NEU or NASUWT fall at the moment on flexibility vs fixed hours debate.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Isn't that what the unions do through collective bargaining?

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

There's a statutory entitlement to a break!

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

It means we lose the ability to justify long school holidays by saying "but we work in the holidays"! But on balance I think fixed hours would create a healthier profession and encourage more meaningful conversations about workload.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Essentially the question becomes whether teachers would like to trade the flexibility for when they work for clarity about how much they work.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

I think most academies follow something broadly similar to Burgundy Book. Personally I think a move to defined hours would be a good thing, but it would almost certainly mean more directed time than 1265 hours. For example, 8am-4pm (-30 min lunch) for 39 weeks a year (i.e. 195 days) is 1462.5 hours.

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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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Captain Easychord @suddenstars.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

"“Leaders continually monitor the progress of their pupil premium strategy and make helpful and proactive adaptations, as appropriate" Define 'continually'. Annually? Monthly? Weekly? Daily? Hourly? Or should we take that literally? "Can you watch the PP strategy for me? I'm busting for a wee!"

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Adam Smith @mrsmithnorwich.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

I strode confidently into this thinking that I was a well-versed decipherer of edu-mumbo-jumbo but I scored just 2/5. The Ofsted reforms really are comically bad.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Well done to Schools Week for digging in to what might look like a technical issue, but in reality will be what makes this framework fall apart.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

I wouldn't waste your time trying to understand it.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Inclined to deploy Hanlon’s Razor here…

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

That may be a fair criticism of current framework, but I don’t think the issue with the new proposal is fundamentally about its level of ambition: it’s that it is based on a premise about criterion-based assessment that has repeatedly been shown to be flawed.

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

These are the examples that Ofsted need to be bombarded with over the consultation. Anyone with half an ounce of sense will see that it is a nonsense that one of these is better than the other.

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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Which is better? "Teachers have the expertise and knowledge to make well-judged adaptations to overcome barriers to learning" OR "Appropriate and well-judged adaptations help pupils to overcome the most significant barriers to learning"

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

I would probably start here. Fundamentally, the proposal has been written by a team that do not understand the issues with descriptor-based assessment. bsky.app/profile/mich...

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Michael Fordham @michaelfordham.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

I recently said that the current Ofsted framework is the most intellectually rigorous one we’ve had and several people disagreed, but looking at what’s come out today I’m all the more convinced that it’s true. You don’t have to like it, but it’s intelligent. The new one? Don’t know where to start.

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Jonathan Mountstevens @mrmountstevens.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

We're gonna need a Bigger Listen.

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Jonathan Mountstevens @mrmountstevens.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Final thought on Ofsted for now: the section on Developing Teaching is predictably a dog's breakfast. I can't even work out what it's about. More importantly, it will have dire consequences in schools.

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