iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Setting off for my first residential conference as part of the #East100 tomorrow. Not sure if I'm feeling more nervous or excited. Time will tell.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

I love this function, of keeping the question types you want to focus on. I use it a lot in the build up to SATS. Thank you.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

The adventures on trains series is excellent.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

I'd add Cambridge to the list. London prices without the weighting. Totally unaffordable for a teacher on anything less than M6 pay band.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Martin Lewis has a list of these small fixes that would help. E.g. Universal child tax free childcare isn't universal because of who is or isn't eligible. Some families might earn up to a total of £198k and qualify, whilst families with one parent earning £100k don't. Feels unnecessarily unfair.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Is there a way the app can notify you if your ticket is the winning number, please? Seems to me like there's going to be winners who don't ever realise they've won, otherwise. Just an idea.

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Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

There will be no extra funding for next year's teacher pay award, the Treasury has confirmed. The DfE would have to fund any award from existing budgets. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

tes.com

No extra funding for teacher pay, Treasury confirms

Treasury says the DfE must fund any teacher pay award from its existing budget, with no additional money being provided beyond spending review settlements

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Simon Smith @smithsmm.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

No. 12 in my #FavePicturebooks25: “My Friend, Billy Whiskers” by @dc-litchfield.bsky.social, a tender triumph of imaginary friendship, courage & empathy. Dreamy art, gentle storytelling make a snowy-day hug in book form. Kids feel seen, brave & beautifully understood. #PicturebookPage

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Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

❗Some schools are at 'breaking point' amid a widening gap between the schools with the most and fewest numbers of pupils with education, health and care plans, research warns schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-at-b...

schoolsweek.co.uk

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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Reading Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick with my Y5/6 class is always an absolute pleasure. Not a single word is wasted! Six lines in and we're already straight into the action. Such a talented writer and such a sad loss.

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Dr Helen J Williams 🇪🇺🇵🇸 @helenjwc.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

>> A diagnostic alternative to ks1 #maths tests that help establish what KS1 children know and can do: atm.org.uk/news/ks1-tas...

atm.org.uk

KS1 Tasks not Tests

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Thank you for your hard work on this. There will always be commentators from the sidelines, and you won't make everyone happy, but it's important work. I am one of many grateful educators who are pleased that the ball is rolling on necessary curriculum evolution. Thank you, again.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Me too! Important and exciting work.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Really enjoyed this session. Thank you both.

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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Just finished rewriting the overview for a weekly picturebook assembly which focuses on empathy, inclusion and diversity. It's still a work in progress but please feel free to use and adapt. All shares appreciated. The link is on my Padlet: padlet.com/Jon_Biddle/r...

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Great. Thanks for the recommendation, John. I've just bought it.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Great. I really hope you enjoy it.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

Earlier this summer I read the debut novel by Marie O'Hare. It's brilliant and I keep thinking about it. I found it to be funny, dark, colourful and compelling. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'm recommending this now because the Kindle edition is only 99p at the moment. amzn.eu/d/hC3iV9B #summerreading #bookclub

Book cover for Marie O'Hare's debut novel, called I Know Where You Buried Your Husband. The image is of a view of the sky, as if looking up from an open grave.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

Haha. I actually did 5 when I read this. (This only works in a font where 1 looks like a lower case L.)

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Christopher Such @suchmo83.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

It's the summer holidays, which means I have a copy of Primary Reading Simplified to give away. Simply **repost** this post for your chance to win. I will pick a winner on Sunday 17th August. Good luck!

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Stuart Rowntree @primarythink.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

These four books are absolutely essential. I can't stress enough how important these have been to fundamentally shifting who I am as a teacher and a leader... Thank you to @marymyatt.bsky.social @suchmo83.bsky.social #MichaelChiles & @pepsmccrea.bsky.social for investing such time into these.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Anyone interested in Cadbury World tickets? I accidentally booked tickets for the wrong date and I can't go. It's for 6 adults a child (6-15yo) and another child under 5years old, for the 3rd September (not the 3rd August as I planned). If you're interested, send me a message. Please be kind.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

I learnt quite a lot from the reading, made some really great contacts through the face to face sessions, but the final assignment felt like a really big tick box exercise. If I could improve the course, I would remove the final assignment entirely and add more practical advice for doing the role.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

A quick note for the record: I enjoyed my NPQ course. The delivery was great. The networking and sharing of ideas etc was invaluable. It's the final feedback I find fault with.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

It begs the question: Is it worth it? If the NPQ feedback is so poor that it devalues the experience and doesn't help the participant, is the assignment really worth the effort? I'm not so sure. @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social @ambitioninstitute.bsky.social @teacherdevtrust.bsky.social

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Same. I was left feeling like, "Is that it? I put so much time and effort into this, and that's all I get?" The feedback totally undervalued the accomplishment and failed to give me any sense of how I could do even better. I can now see why many participants feel numb about their NPQ experience.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

For those who didn't meet the 60% threshold, the feedback is slightly more detailed but still not detailed enough to be useful. E.g. 'Your script was marked and moderated and you did X, but not enough of Y to pass.' It would be useful if this came with specifics or advice, but both are lacking.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

For those who have been successful, you don't get any sense of why you were successful or any recognition of the bits you did well. It's a mystery. This is one of the worst cases of professional feedback I've experienced. Although successful, there's nothing much to indicate achievement or growth.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

The NPQH and NPQSL final assessment feedback I've read recently is dreadful. If you've passed, you get an email saying congratulations, but no feedback on your assignment at all. None. If your assignment has been marked below the threshold, the feedback received is too vague to be helpful.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Oh no. I thought you were being sarcastic when you said it tasted bad. I would've put my money on it being delicious.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Awesome. And an epic Eye of Sauron in the middle. Double-win for the book- and food-lovers.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Good luck with the book, John.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Thanks for checking. I think the child should have had an F code, because she's been deferred and will do her SATs next year. Either way, I’m fairly sure her results should be in next years data, not this years.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Hiya James. What about pupils with a Z code? Are they in the data, too?

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School Data Updates @jpembroke.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

It’s KS2 results day tomorrow. If anyone has any questions about accountability measures, which pupils are included and which ones aren’t, and how things are calculated, please do ask. I’ll be around all day.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

Rachel I love your book thread. Have you heard of the book 'I know where you buried your husband' by Marie O'Hare? It's a funny, dark, page turner written by a teacher-turned-author. I'm halfway through and loving it. Give it a go, if you get a chance.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

'Constant difference' is a game changer for many children but be sure to help them to understand this, by exploring the structure with manipulatives and visual representations, before assuming they "get it."

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

I Know Where You Buried Your Husband: A page-turning, darkly funny new thriller for summer 2025, perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and ‘Bad Sisters’ amzn.eu/d/2ulkAA0 A colleague at my wife's school has just released her first novel. If you're looking for a great summer read, look no further.

amzn.eu

I Know Where You Buried Your Husband: A page-turning, darkly funny new thriller for summer 2025, perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and ‘Bad Sisters’ : O'Hare, Marie: Amazon.co.uk: Books

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

I must say, our inspection team worked very hard and were very fair. They showed understanding of our context, the journey we're on, and the dedication of our team. We were all genuinely thankful for their humanity and transparency. They were keen to check our wellbeing. I am glad it's over, though.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

A great day at #EducationFest with talks by Doug Lemov, Sarah Cottinghatt and John Tomsett the highlights for me. It was a long day (6 hours driving in total) but it was like food for the mind and soul. Just what I needed after a heavy few days. Thanks to the organisers speakers & folks on stalls

Photo of Wellington College, Crowthorne, venue for Education Festival 2025

Photo of Doug Lemov standing on stage in front of the title of the new Teach Like A Champion Book about the science of teaching reading.

Photo of Tom Sherrington introducing Sarah Cottinghatt in front of a presentation slide with the title Meaningful Learning in Action.

Photo of John Tomsett getting ready to present his talk called Truly Great Teachers. John was presenting in a marquee tent.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Well, that happened. Glad that Ofsted were able to fit us in before the summer holidays.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Wet wips. Bin bags. Zip lock bags. They're all useful to have to hand.

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Tom Oakley @mrtomoakley.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Sounds familiar. It's good that you're feeling optimistic. We're expecting Ofsted any minute and it would be just our luck for them to come this week as temperatures exceed 33 degrees! I need to summon that optimism and a late surge of energy to get us through the next 3 and a half weeks.

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