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Michael Tidd

@michaelt1979.bsky.social
3.5K followers 691 following 1.5K posts

Junior school headteacher in Sussex

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Reposted by Michael Tidd
Daisy Christodoulou @daisychristo.bsky.social · 21h
A lot of people have asked me: why are the govt trying to undo the edu policies that have made England so successful? Latest Substack does not attempt to answer that question, because I don't know the answer! But it has some related comment. substack.nomoremarking.com/p/what-is-go...
substack.nomoremarking.com
What is going on in education in England?
Always count on the English to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Does anyone have a permanent Lego station - or something comparable - out on their school playground?
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Cethan Leahy @cethanleahy.com · 09/05/2026
I feel a lot of David Attenborough's hard work with nature preservation is to cover for how much of a mess his brother made of that dinosaur theme park.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Times this morning. Me in December last year. It was pretty damn obvious this would happen to anyone who did the maths. samf.substack.com/p/the-oversh...
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This is my favourite of the DfE Inclusion training slides so far. I'd like to add my own reflection question for older staff: Which previous model of DfE training materials encouraged the now frowned-upon approach? (Maximum of three responses)
DfE training slide, entitled "Reflection" features two cases: 
Teacher A: The teacher prepares the lesson by developing three different sets of lesson objectives and different sets of learning materials. Each set of objectives/materials gets progressively more challenging. The teacher determines in advance which set each pupil will get. The intention is that by giving pupils different work, based on their SEN status and whether they have lower or higher prior attainment, all pupils will make progress in the lesson.
Teacher B: The teacher starts by thinking hard about what pupils may find challenging about the new topic and how they can best scaffold learning for all pupils. They pick ‘worked examples’ which they intend to model initially and then provide as a scaffold when pupils start to practise the task. They plan a single set of lesson objectives and learning materials for all pupils, recognising that some pupils may initially need small group support to use the scaffold effectively.

Beneath is a reflection question: Which of these examples represents the planning of ‘adaptations’ more in-line with the principles of inclusive teaching, and why?
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
When teachers ask for more CPD/training for supporting pupils with SEND - which they frequently and clearly do, do we have any idea what they mean? I'm not even sure teachers who say it are sure what they mean often... And I worry that lots of materials are being prepared without that knowledge.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Another step in the normalisation of school-blaming. The BBC has no qualms now about advertising their services by implying a failure of schools.
A photo of a child in front of a world map, with the headline, "Kids struggling in the school system? No matter the subject, we have everything you need to..."
Image is labelled "Sponsored: BBC Bitesize"
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Stories like this worry me. Why are the BBC publishing details where a child might actually be at risk? And how long before a serious case review highlights that staff don't act on risks because they're told just to "adapt" or "meet needs" or "offer support" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Autism: Mum cannot understand why son placed on Child Protection Register
Danielle McQuillan said she does not understand why her son, who has autism and severe learning disabilities, was registered.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
This should be the easiest open goal in the world for a progressive government - they are literally violent criminals. Most voters do not like violent criminals.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
New immigration stats show that the numbers of asylum seekers in hotels is down to 16k - falling 50% in a year. Small boat crossings down 23% in the year to June. Numbers waiting for initial decision down from almost 180k to 40k.
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Joel @itsjoels.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
This is the letter kids got at the end of Dolly’s Imagination Library. I defy you to read this and not cry.
Sorry, I can’t type that.
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MꙬse Allain @mooseallain.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Life…
Cartoon of three rows of four crabs. Caption: Life is a crab array, old chum
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
These signs appear to be a thing in France and I think we should adopt them here too.
A blue French road sign entitled: Ligne de partage des eaux
Shows representation of water beneath subheadings: Océan Atlantique and Mer Méditerranée
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Important start of term request: recommendations for good insulated mugs. Preferably not clangy. I like the JosephJoseph mug, but want something a bit bigger.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
If you're a Traitors fan, the Canadian series is currently on BBC iPlayer, and worth a watch
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
No-one seems to be pointing out that a group of children who "struggle to engage" with academic pathways are too busy dicking around in lessons, with parental approval, and that they would do the same and fail to get vocational qualifications too.
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MꙬse Allain @mooseallain.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
A birthday card I made for a poet friend
Cartoon of a stern looking man wielding a notebook and pen contemplating a small plant. Caption: A poet describes the fuck out of a flower
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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
SMF researcher Barney Dowling looks at how the government can create space to reform social care, by reforming council tax alongside it ⬇️ www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...
smf.co.uk
Social care and council tax – fixing the fundamental crisis in local government
The system of social care is broken, bankrupting many local authorities - can the Government use this to show it can fix big problems?
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
It's funny how no-one ever asks where the money is coming from when you announce a cut in immigration.
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Hannah R @missradders.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
PSA: just remembered my alarms needed to go off. Sharing for other muppets.
static.klipy.com
Muppets Muppet Show
ALT: Muppets Muppet Show
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
I'm frankly a monarchist, but should the republicans ever get their way, I'd be happy to switch the national anthem to God Save the BBC
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Gemma Clark 🧿🕯️ @gemmaclark.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
The male Lionesses are on fire 🔥
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Last day with children in school today! Which is lucky, because it turns out my own children have approximately 18,475,385 questions they need to ask me in quick succession, sometimes at the same time as one another.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This is such en idiotic argument. It's like demanding music rooms without worrying about instruments. Or like I once had, a kitchen for a whole class... But with two ovens! www.tes.com/magazine/new...
tes.com
Make school libraries a legal requirement, MPs say
The government’s current focus is on ‘reading proficiency over pleasure’, a report by the Commons Education Select Committee warns
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
As an aside from the football... Chances the NCA portal functions as needed at 7.30 tomorrow morning?
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 07/07/2026
The question for Nigel Farage now is whether it's less embarrassing to un-resign and claim that was an establishment stitchup, or to spend a month competing with a bin. Neither is exactly a *great* option. Neither solves his ongoing scandals. And it's a mess entirely of his own making.
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Ben Newmark @bennewmark.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Evidence Informed? My recent speech from ResearchED on why I'm so worried about our direction of travel and why once again we may need to fight for evidence informed education. bennewmark.wordpress.com/2026/07/07/e...
Screenshot of text from the linked blog post.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The more I think about the 'Experts at Hand' idea, the more I worry about the role of 'swooping in', handing out a bundle of recommendations, and then waltzing off to lead schools to unpick what can and should be delivered. We may end up in even more of a mess.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Always amusing to see an article where the opening paragraphs highlight how little the author knows or understands about teaching. Maths teachers are not scared of going outside; they just know that sunflowers are a dreadful way of teaching about Fibonacci. schoolsweek.co.uk/why-im-tryin...
Taking your maths lesson outdoors might sound scary to a teacher whose comfort zone is a whiteboard and 30 desks ranged in front of them.

But showing a child the Fibonacci sequence in the seeds of a sunflower or the scales of a pinecone can bring something to life that will stick in their mind – even in the tension of an exam hall months later.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
'Right to Choose' assessments are a classic example of teacher workload: nobody objects in principle to the idea - because its for the benefit of the children - but the practice is another task in teachers' days for which there is no capacity.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
I can't help but think this Number 10 in the North idea is going to lead to a lot of people sitting on trains into London, quickly double-checking the agenda for their meeting that day, and then suddenly cursing themselves, the trains, and Andy Burnham as they hastily phone in their apologies.
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AR @psalisbury.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
I've just added this to my SEF: There are no trends for SEND data across the school, as the range and complexities of needs is so varied that the data in yearly or school context is almost meaningless. I feel strongly about this. Drawing conclusions from SEND data is deeply flawed.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Seeing the plans for the compulsory "inclusion" training that's come down the road, I can't help but recall the "New Opportunities Fund" training from many years ago. There's a real risk of it being a balance of useless and patronising.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Here's a pattern that summarises the challenges schools face in navigating government directives: INCLUSION is a strength, but ATTENDANCE is a weakness. And there's no acknowledgement in the report of the conflict 🙄
Ofsted judgement chart showing 5 judgements in the middle "Expected standard" band. One is marked as "Strong standard"; one marked "Needs attention"
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Who's going to be entitled to use this alternative entrance? At what point does it then become the main entrance? Who can access the calmer space? How many will there be? Will it still be calm if everyone wants to access it? www.gov.uk/government/n...
Whether that’s starting their day through an alternative entrance or taking time out in a calmer space, every child will be able to navigate the day with confidence.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
This level of humidity is unacceptable.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Remember when a prime ministerial resignation would have felt like big news? But today, I'm far more shocked by the revelation that the phonics threshold is now... 31!!!
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
For Fathers' Day, Keir Starmer posts a photo of his own father, who died in 2018, and a non-political message. The replies are a torrent of vitriol & cruelty, all with hundreds of Likes. We complain a lot about the quality of leadership, but there's a huge problem with the way we treat politicians
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JWexTheSpa @jwsidders.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
A shirtless white man, in the street with a knife in his hand, having attacked and wounded five people, allegedly shouting anti-Muslim slogans is the sixth story on the BBC UK news page. There is absolutely no doubt at all this would be the lead story if attacker and intended victims were reversed.
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Paul Brand @paulbrand.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
I’m going to focus most of my social media posts on Bluesky and Instagram. I feel increasingly that X is no longer valuable as a journalist. You can follow me on insta @paulbrandtv - join me there too! www.instagram.com/paulbrandtv?...
instagram.com
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
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Tom Phillips @tom-phillips.com · 19/06/2026
In accordance with ancient tradition, our next Prime Minister is announced to the nation while standing between a furry and a man with a bin on his head.
A victorious Andy Burnham MP (24,937 votes), as the result of the Makerfield by-election is announced, flanked by defeated candidates Count Binface (a bloke in a vaguely sci-fi costume with a large bin for a helmet; 95 votes) and Robert Pownall (who is in a full body fox costume, holding a sign reading "Protect British Wildlife"; 18 votes). There are some other candidates there just out of shot but that's not important right now.

Photo: Jon Super/AP
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Crikey. I've started to browse through the "enrichment framework" and my goodness they know how to strip the joy out of everything, don't they?
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Glennyrodge @glennyrodge.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
sorry to be ‘that guy’ but please be cautious when RTing a missing person post from an unofficial/unverified source. While many are genuine, sometimes the person has run away because they're a victim of domestic abuse. Thanks x
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
The whole of Lesotho is higher than Ben Nevis
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Got your first leadership position starting in September? membership.naht.org.uk/offer/join-n...
membership.naht.org.uk
NAHT - the largest union for school leaders in education | Join today
Become part of the biggest union for school leaders today and make your voice heard.
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 10/06/2026
We must take on the hateful forces that seek to divide us. My statement on recent events in Belfast.
The knife attack in Belfast on Monday was truly horrific. My thoughts are with Stephen Ogilvy and his family, who deserve justice.  
 
Targeting and terrorising innocent people because of the colour of their skin, including setting fire to their homes, has nothing to do with justice or a desire to keep communities safe, however. It is racist mob violence, which has been organised, enabled and whipped up by those seeking to profit politically and financially from hatred, fear and disorder. 
 
Social media platforms who give money and reach to these individuals to promote their hate need to be held to account. They cannot be allowed to continue pouring petrol on the flames.  
 
The disgraceful violence is a direct consequence of the normalisation of vile, racist rhetoric across the UK, which needs to be challenged far more robustly in our political discourse.  
 
I welcome the steps the Prime Minister has taken to work with police and the First Minister of Northern Ireland. We must stand together to prevent further disorder, and to take on the hateful forces that seek to divide us.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Who does this man from Location Location Location remind me of?
An image taken from a TV screen. The man is black, bald, with a black-haired moustache and goatee. He has bright eyes, and looks like he could break into a smile at any moment
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Everyone on X and elsewhere who called for a violent response should be charged with incitement. Everyone involved in the pogrom should be locked up with exemplary sentences. Govt should make it clear that will be the response in future anywhere else. Enough.
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
A genuine porridge serving suggestion from the DfE breakfast club guidance. Is this a joke?
Portion Sizes:
Two images are shown: a slice of bread on a plate, labelled 'High fibre bread' and '25g'; and a bowl containing a large spoonful of porridge, labelled 'Porridge' and '15g + 100ml milk'
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