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Melissa Colothan

@mrscreadsalot.bsky.social
283 followers 309 following 206 posts

Mother, Primary Wirral Y5 teacher, KS2 English lead & bookworm, UKLA25&27 book prize judge, runner, coffee-drinker, music-lover. Currently reading: Sisters in the Wind

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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
So excited to begin this journey with my class 😃
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UKLA @uklitassociation.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The #uklabookawards2027 Longlist is here! Our 89 teacher judges now have until March to deliberate with their classes which titles they think should make the Shortlists. See the full list here: buff.ly/sHLtEsm #uklabookawards #bookawards #teachers #education
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Right up your street then! It's a great debut.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Oh I really enjoyed it! Definitely recommend it. The interactions between Sunny & Mo are very touching.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Great and fair article. I'm still finding multiple copies of the last book all children received from above (the one about the previous queen) that children 'accidentally' didn't take home. Choice is key. Choice would be an easy adjustment to make to this initiative.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
BBC News - Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Terrible news. I've taken many a class to visit Jodrell Bank and it is so inspiring. National self-sabotage indeed. Why is science being so undervalued in the UK lately?
bbc.co.uk
Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands
Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.
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UKLA @uklitassociation.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
GIVEAWAY TIME! Excuse earlier's preview of next month's Lucky 13th. This month's is... The Shipwreck Atlas: an immersive, expert, accessible guide through 50+ shipwrecks lost to the treacherous seven seas. UKLA Members, repost to be in with a chance of winning a copy!
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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
THREAD. A collection of photographs of excellent trees I have met on walks. You will find the all-important captions to each photo in the alt text.
A threatening and creepy tree I don't like at all, which speaks out of its bellybutton and is advancing towards me in tiny tree steps which it thinks I haven't noticed, and repeatedly asking me why I will not "Come inside where it is warm, for a nice treat."
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Side note: I also recommend listening to Jessie Buckley's Mercury Prize shortlisted album For All Your Days with Bernard Butler. Also stunning and beautiful.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
I adore Jessie Buckley so I'm desperate to watch the film adaptation of Hamnet. But I also love Maggie O'Farrell as an author & don't know how Hamnet escaped me. However, I read it eventually, spurred on by the film. It's a stunning, emotional book. I fell for Agnes so much. Much recommended.
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Bookshop.org UK @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
📣 READ IT FORWARD! 📣 10% of ALL children’s book sales through Bookshop.org UK go to reading charities @booktrust.org.uk and @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social in February 2026, and EVERY sale supports independent bookshops 📚https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/read-it-forward-with-bookshop-org
Read it forward poster by Bookshop.org, books flying on a purple background.
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Sharna Jackson @sharnajackson.com · 06/02/2026
Morning all! I’m supporting #ReadItForward! Pre-order my book, the Street Art Mystery, (out next week, eeek) and @bookshop.org will donate 10% to @booktrust.org.uk and @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social - uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-... << thank you xx
uk.bookshop.org
The Street Art Mystery
Check out The Street Art Mystery - <p>Margot, Wesley and Josephine have got an awesome weekend mapped out for the end of the holidays before they start high school – and they don’t want anything to st...
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
A lack of diversity, primary specialists (esp KS1 and EYs), SEND and a lack of experience working in the north of England. This was the chance for fresh eyes. But, instead we have the same people who have worked on all of this before. A missed opportunity. bsky.app/profile/scho...
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
**UPDATED POST** Sunday morning spent reading Tree Thing. What a well spent morning too. Such a beautifully illustrated book. Kiran Millwood Hargreave says on the front 'an exquisite fable' and there is no better description. Can't wait to take this into class.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Thorough, excellent guidance for all English Subject Leaders. And it works! Thanks Megan 👏
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Just read Dream Count. The writing itself is beautiful but I found it a struggle at times. I wanted more of the story of the four characters than their romantic relationships. These women are so much more. The middle section with Kadiatou is however gut-wrenching and a story endlessly repeated irl.
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Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 23/01/2026
Sky News: Danish PM Mette Freideriksen’s note in the visitors book when she visited UK today
Visit of the
Prime Minister of Denmark
22nd Jawary 2026
We'll get by with a little help from our friends
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
This is excellent 👌
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Looks very useful across the curriculum, particularly for new subject leaders.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Book delivery! Looking forward to reading Tree Thing, new from Piers Torday. It looks superbly illustrated. #readingforpleasure
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
It's very neat! Looking great.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Yes, it's a rude awakening perhaps.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
I'm not sure if it's too late but any schools with photographs of children on the platform should be deleted as a matter of urgency. Just horrific.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
This is not far enough. BBC News - Elon Musk's Grok AI image editing limited to paid users after deepfakes www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Elon Musk's Grok AI image editing limited to paid users after deepfakes
It comes after government urged Ofcom to use all its powers – up to and including an effective ban – against X.
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Voice 21 @voice21oracy.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
🎉📢Voice 21 hopes that all UK teachers are settling into the new term! 😅Still struggling to find your classroom voice in the new year? Then check out these five top tips for new oracy leads and practitioners👇 voice21.org/five-top-tip...
voice21.org
Five top tips for new oracy leads and practitioners - Voice 21
It’s a new school year, and this year, we have just short of 500 new Voice 21 Oracy Schools joining our network of dedicated schools. Knowing where to begin can be tricky, as every school’s context an...
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Adore this! First day back Tuesday sorted. I have a number of not publishable personal resolutions in the manner of these 🫣😉. I want some fun in the classroom to usher in 2026 so this is a great help & prompt from Brian.
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
I am writing. Part 1. The tragedy of hidden schools, in hidden communities meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/03/p...
meganjanedixon.co.uk
Part 1.
My writing, I have decided, will include reflections, thoughts and ideas about education. But, I cannot ignore the situation I am in (see previous writing) and so, I will also be adding bits and pi…
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
A colleague recommended this on a recent course where the impact of technology on young minds was discussed. This is worth reading from a social media viewpoint. Many UK schools have already adopted phone in pouches etc but parents need to feel able to do more (I do!) supported by big tech & gov.
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I am writing - here is my first blog of 2026. This year will be the year where I write all those things I promised myself I would write, when I had the time. Now I have the time. meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/p...
meganjanedixon.co.uk
Pivoting
In November 2024, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. A nasty, sneaky, fast growing type of breast cancer: stage 3, grade 3, locally invasive triple negative breast cancer for those who know about …
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
I will be following and saving every word. No holding back, as ever...love it Megan!
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Very much looking forward to the National Year of Reading in 2026! I mean, every year is a year of reading for me but anything that gives me the platform to bang on about the importance of reading in schools is always welcome. #nationalyearofreading share.google/Z1zERzIfZiFm...
share.google
GO ALL IN | National Year of Reading 2026
The National Year of Reading 2026 invites the UK to rediscover the joy of reading. Whatever you’re into – music, films, food or anything – reading can take your passions further. Join the movement and...
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Congratulations! Great to see the impact of your work valued so highly. Well deserved 👏
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Michael Tidd @michaelt1979.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
This from @markgoodrich.bsky.social, is one of the only reasons I've found where I wish I were still on twitter - so I could share it to encourage others to leave open.substack.com/pub/markgood...
open.substack.com
A New Year's Resolution for Teachers: Quit X
The best time to do so was when Musk started poisoning it; the second-best time is now
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Character-rich books always win it for me and Caledonian Road is packed full of people who quite frankly, I really didn't like which makes it all the more gripping when their downfall inevitably happens. Staggeringly close to real life and the state of play in society, a gripping read.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Holidays have allowed me time to really get into this novel. It's a weighty tome and being able to be lost in it has been well worth it. The scope and complexity is mesmerising. It is an absolute standout read of the year.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Our Boxing Day Book Swap tradition continues thanks to the book elf (me 😆). For Dad: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan For Mum: Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Eldest daughter: Girl (in real life) by Tamsin Winter Youngest daughter: Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway. I'm sure I'll read them all!
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Loving sharing this with my little one 💕 #advent #littlepeoplebigdreams #readerteacher #readingforpleasure
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Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
‘Schools can contribute, but they cannot carry this alone’: Luke Ramsden of the Schools Consent Project warns about the expectations placed on schools under the government’s new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls
tes.com
Schools can’t stop violence against girls on their own
Misogyny takes hold beyond the school gates – so it’s essential that the new government strategy does not expect education to solve this social issue alone, writes the Schools Consent Project’s Luke Ramsden
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DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
This profit comes from schools. Ofsted and the DFE insist that schools pay vast sums for these products. Yet- schools budgets are decimated. The DFE has the moral and ethical responsibility to produce a product for schools that they do not have to pay for. bsky.app/profile/warw...
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
It's a beautiful portrait.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
I've been reading Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors and I really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for a front cover and I love the portrait on the front! The book is captivating as it says underneath though, a story of sisters, addiction, grief and difficult family relationships.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Afternoon reading as recommend by Ruth Swailes on her Wirral Early Years sessions #eyfs #readerteacher
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Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
The curriculum and assessment review marks a shift in how we understand the term ‘knowledge-rich’ that could have big implications for schools, writes @damsoned.bsky.social
tes.com
Why the curriculum review’s take on knowledge may change how you teach
The curriculum and assessment review marks a subtle shift in how we understand the term ‘knowledge-rich’ that could have big implications for schools, writes Megan Dixon
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
I recently finished Jakub's Otter. Just gorgeous. Lovely story of a young carer learning to carry just a little less on his young shoulders. Wonderful book for building empathy. #readingforpleasure
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
I've been reading A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke. It's great when you read a book and hear it in your head in the writer's voice. This book was a like a memory trip round my old stomping ground, Angel. Despite living literally round the corner I never seemed to make it to the Old Red, shame.
Front cover of Kathy Burke's autobiography
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Van Occupanther, I must correct!
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Adore this band. Vanoccupanther will always be a favourite of mine from them.
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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
A great way to celebrate poetry in schools! The Young Poet Laureate Programme kicks off with the first Young Poets Week during the week of 24th Nov. Free online sessions for KS2/KS3 pupils plus free resources. Thank you @literacy-trust.bsky.social. Info here: literacytrust.org.uk/programmes/y...
literacytrust.org.uk
Young Poet Laureate | National Literacy Trust
The Young Poet Laureate Programme programme aims to inspire a new generation of young poets, championing young poetic voices and developing children and young people’s literacy, creativity and confide...
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