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Nick Dennis

@nickdennis.bsky.social
460 followers 162 following 185 posts

School leader and consultant | I work with schools at moments of change — inspection, growth, turnaround & cost review | Interim Senior Deputy Head, CATS Cambridge · Associate, Steed Education | PhD · MBA. www.linkedin.com/in/nickdennis www.nickdennis.com

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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 22h
What do A Tribe Called Quest, Sir Anthony Seldon, AI and scenario planning have in common? My latest post on the Public First report on AI in English schools. Despite the drive to enhance schools, it falls short because it does not use scenario planning. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/whats-the-...
nickdennisnrd.substack.com
What’s the scenario?
In the second post thinking about Sir Anthony Seldon and Tim Bunting’s report, I want to consider their approach to moving the country forward in terms of thinking about AI.
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Schools History Project - SHP @1972shp.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
So much going on from @1972shp.bsky.social at the moment! Regional forums popping up all over the place, a superb SHP Understanding event coming soon at @britishlibrary.bsky.social and resources being developed from older projects!
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Some extended thoughts on the Public First/Sir Anthony Seldon and Tim Bunting report on AI and education. The main issue is that the report assumes a level of surplus that does not currently exist and needs to focus more on building absorptive capacity. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/all-the-su...
nickdennisnrd.substack.com
All the surplus you can find
As I read Sir Anthony Seldon and Tim Bunting’s report for Public First on AI, Britain’s Greatest Education Opportunity Ever: Why our approach to AI is stuck in the starting blocks; and how to get out,...
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Please help Alex out! #historyteachers
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Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Hi #historyteacher people. I am hurtling towards PhD research deadlines and looking for any TEACHERS and PUPILS who might help out by completing a survey about GCSE American West. Aim is to explore pupil metanarratives about Indigenous peoples and US expansion. Thread has more on the surveys.
static.klipy.com
Doc Brown Stoked on Train - Back to the Future
ALT: Doc Brown Stoked on Train - Back to the Future
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
A few months ago, I wrote about what I learned from talking to school leaders about AI and the notion of absorptive capacity for my final MBA project. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/what-i-lea...
Image of the blog post
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
How do you climb places in the PISA rankings when effectively standing still? Many will claim it has to do with direct instruction, or a knowledge-rich curricula. This is belief not supported by the evidence. My latest post: All the running you can do. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/all-the-ru...
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Schools History Project - SHP @1972shp.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We have nearly sold out our SHP Understanding event on Teaching History through an Emotional Lens, at the British Library on Saturday October 10th! But there are still some tickets left from www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shp-unders... come and join us for a really inspiring afternoon.
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Schools History Project - SHP @1972shp.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I'm excited to be kicking off the new term with a fantastic SHPU event @britishlibrary.bsky.social on Oct 10 'Teaching History through an Emotional Lens'. Expect stimulating source material, inspiring keynotes & a roundtable full of practical tips.Free tickets here www.eventbrite.com/e/shp-unders...
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Schools History Project - SHP @1972shp.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Check out my latest Director's Blog - Simply the Best, reflecting on the fantastic SHP Summer Conference in July director.schoolshistoryproject.co.uk/2026/09/05/s...
director.schoolshistoryproject.co.uk
SHP26: Simply the Best - Director's Blog
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Shell @risu.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
I hate substack but you don’t need to read it: essentially there is panic in edu about what should be the next fad, and how they can make it a cult when people aren’t on twitter. I’m old but I remember having collectives of colleagues who shared ideas. And more than Twitter follows as crediblity
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Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/the-great-... Another really interesting blog from @nickdennis.bsky.social on where things are heading with education. My key takeaway is that, if we are to see change, the DfE need to fundamentally rethink how they engage with the wider profession. #ukedchat
nickdennisnrd.substack.com
The Great Moving On Show
A common sense needs a commons.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The ending of the knowledge-rich era in English education.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
New blog. The Great Moving On Show. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/the-great-...
nickdennisnrd.substack.com
The Great Moving On Show
A common sense needs a commons.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Looking forward to working with The Church of England National Society For Education Leaders Like Us Alumni in September on two important aspects of senior leadership.
image of teacher writing on a board in a classroom.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
The really interesting point for me is that Alpha school is sold to rich people who believe it to be superior and also have the resources to make-up any deficit in learning through tuition etc. They pay because they believe it gives advantage & once it becomes a mass market, humans will be key.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
How many academics actually speak to the education department in their own institutions about teaching and learning? New post - Degrees of belonging. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/degrees-of...
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Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
What u find most frustrating about discourse around high stakes assessment is the lack of nuance. Yes, covid teacher assessed GCSEs had massive bias issues. Yes, bias is an issue in TA. Yes, comparable outcomes places de facto limits on “good” passes. Yes, many kids are failed by high stakes exams.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
New post: Degrees of belonging. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/degrees-of...
nickdennisnrd.substack.com
Degrees of belonging
I think the university dislikes education as a field of study.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Seen these charts from the Economist apparently showing how AI is affecting student outcomes? You should read the paper...
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Feeling and the fraying of a common sense. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/feeling-an...
nickdennisnrd.substack.com
Feeling and the fraying of a common sense
I read Claire Stoneman’s blog post this week, ‘Knowing-that and knowing-how: Educator chatter and its impact on school leaders’ and think it is perceptive and important, although for very different re...
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Reading is not knowing. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/reading-is...
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Are you an education and AI lout? See what Raymond Williams has to say about it.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
New post: Interest and inertia. Raymond Williams on AI and education, in 1958. www.nickdennis.com/blog/2026/08...
Front cover of Culture and Society (1958) by Raymond Williams.
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Reading this for a project I am working on with great people. There is so much in this book (published in 1961) that speaks to issues we still face in education and school leadership today.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
'Danish teenagers will have to make an oral defence of their written essays to combat AI cheating, the government has announced.' Piloting this for 2nd year undergraduate research essays this year, though NB it's not just policing: also develops key oral skills. 1/2
theguardian.com
Danish pupils will have to orally defend essays in attempt to combat AI cheating
Government introduces several measures, including monitoring of computers, for pupils aged 16 to 19
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
New post: Common sense and knowing your place. nickdennisnrd.substack.com/p/common-sen...
nickdennisnrd.substack.com
Common sense and knowing your place
Jason Arday resigned from Cambridge University this week after the institution announced it would investigate allegations around plagiarism, fundraising and his public biography.
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Helen @helenpins.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Making me want to rewrite (I can’t do every unit in KS3!) Maybe I can tweak. #historyteacher I was only looking for evidence in Stamford and for Capability Brown who did the landscaping at Burghley, and now I’ve added more to the list of stuff. discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10... It’s open access
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
A *free* book on History and AI from @marnieh-w.bsky.social. It can be downloaded from the link until the 6th August. Part of the Cambridge Elements series from @universitypress.cambridge.org www.cambridge.org/core/element...
Image of the book website where it can be downloaded free until the 6th August.
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Ian Dawson @iandawson51.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Delighted to attend #SHP26 & see the same enthusiasm, depth of thought, inventiveness & sense of community that's characterised the conference since 1989 - and also a real pleasure to hear first timers praise the welcome they received and the respect they're shown.
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Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Some wonderful discussion here with @fredoxby.bsky.social about principles for teaching empire. Love the idea of getting pupils involved in ethical decision making about the use of language. #historyteacher #SHP26
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
A fantastic @1972shp.bsky.social conference this weekend. It provides space for thinking, reflection and agreeable disagreement, all with a community feel. Thanks to @danlyndon.bsky.social, the wider team and workshop leaders/keynotes. I’m including a picture of egalitarian cheese. IYKYK. #SHP26
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Two examples of why the @1972shp.bsky.social conference helps build reflection. @marnieh-w.bsky.social and @profdanhicks.bsky.social talking about AI, assessment and public memory.
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
According to @arthurjchapman.bsky.social, Alexander Fleming is the most significant historical figure because his discovery will ultimately lead to the end of civilisation! A fascinating insight into Sarah Murrell's workshop 'It's all about the argument' at #SHP26
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Kate Argyle and Catherine Argyle from Historic England getting their students out of their seats to create a timeline showing the story of a farm over 10000 years! #SHP26
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Our last session of workshops for Saturday at #SHP26 kicks off with London Teacher of the Year winner Jasmine Kaur, sharing her scheme of work on economic history, focusing on the story of the Lascars, within an SEND context
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Bowie Knives and Protest Movements, a workshop around decolonising local histories, led by the Sheffield posse Mark Cottingham, Christine Winter and Katie Dennis #SHP26
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
@lambhearttea.bsky.social focusing on ways to engage students and scaffold their access to the curriculum, using captivating stories #SHP26
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Verity Dove, Flora Parkinson, Jacob Eyers, Amy Withnall and Gemma Shayler sharing their action research on raising attainment for higher attaining pupils #SHP26
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Daisy Horsley and Julie Edwards from @historicengland focusing on local histories #SHP26
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
@carolinepennock.bsky.social and Jennie Brown kicking off Day 2 at #SHP26 with an inspiring workshop on Teaching Indigenous Histories in Schools
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Glenn Carter talking to a packed primary crowd at #SHP26 about Historical Enquiry and Assessment
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
@ehp14.bsky.social sharing the way she has radically shifted the curriculum in her school to shift away from battles to social histories #SHP26
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Third round of workshops at #SHP26 with Ruth Lingard and Dan Nuttall discussing ways we can empower students to become ethical and critical learners in an age of AI misinformation
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
@missrcarter89.bsky.social with a jam packed workshop on building student knowledge and revision skills #SHP26
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
ECTS getting into role in @jbhistory.bsky.social and @samdayhistory.bsky.social's brilliant workshop empowering ECTs to stand out in a one-size-fits-all era of subject pedagogy
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Dan Lyndon-Cohen @danlyndon.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Helen Marsh's #SHP26 workshop boldly proclaims 'It can't happen without the women' and looks at the role of women in Tudor foreign policy at A Level.
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William Dalrymple @willdalrymple.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Wonderful piece on the widespread failure to teach the British enough about Empire by a proper specialist in the subject, the great Alan Lester @aljhlester. Full of interesting background about Gove and his extremist paymaster, Paul Marshall that I didn't know alanlester.co.uk/blog/teachin...
alanlester.co.uk
Teaching the British Empire: Experts Versus The Spectator
Alan Lester The Spectator’s owner Paul Marshall and its editor Michael Gove are afraid of William Dalrymple. His sequence of books on colonial India that have sold millions, his Empire podcast with…
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Nick Dennis @nickdennis.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Great to meet hear about the @gettyimages.com free collection of images and resources on Black History and Culture at #SHP26
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