Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 01/08/2026It's here! The first batch of 2026/27 resources are now live! Comprehension is built on a foundation of rich and diverse knowledge. Our Tutor Time reading programme builds knowledge of the world around them equipping young people for life beyond school. literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/ge... 003
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 20/06/2026Make next year your #YearofReading by joining us to Get Reading Into It! Our evidence based, knowledge rich, tutor time reading programme is the perfect way to start the day. Drop us a message to start the discussion now! Literacyengine.co.uk 003
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 18/06/2026We are seeing increasing numbers of schools come to us after trying to make Tutor Time novels work. Groups finishing books at different paces play havoc with carousels of shared sets. Our texts are all designed to fit one tutor session. Problem solved. literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/ge... 002
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 06/06/2026Make reading part of your students' daily routine next year by starting the day with knowledge rich non-fiction reading. With hundreds of resources already online and new resources every week you can build a programme that's right for you. literacyengine.co.uk 002
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 03/06/2026Is your Tutor Time reading programme in need of some non fiction? Do your students need cultural knowledge interventions? Join us and let's start building your students' background knowledge and reading fluency today! literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/pr...literacyengine.co.ukPricing 2026/27 - The Literacy EngineBuy Buy Gears of Thought are monthly extended reading packs to embed modelled, non-fiction reading into your Tutor Programme or across the curriculum. It is back again for the 2026/27 academic year bi... 002
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 02/06/2026What on earth am I supposed to do with a QR code that is posted online or emailed me? Scan it with my second phone? Just share the link! 010
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Knowledge of the world around them is one of the best ways to prepare young people for adult life. It underpins comprehension and arms against misinformation. Don't leave knowledge acquisition to chance. How do your students start their day? literacyengine.co.ukliteracyengine.co.ukThe Literacy EngineThe Literacy Engine - Driving Literacy Across The Curriculum. Weekly extended reading packs to embed reading in Form Tutor Time 002
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 16/05/2026Transform your Tutor Time reading programme with knowledge building extended reading across the curriculum. Drop us a message and start your journey today. literacyengine.co.uk 002
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 09/05/2026We can help transform your Tutor Time reading programme into a knowledge rich powerhouse next year. Empowering every adult in school to become a teacher of reading sends a powerful message that reading is not just for English lessons. Find out more here: literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/pr... 002
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 01/05/2026ICYMI This week's blog. What interventions do you have in place for students that are fluent but failing? Why knowledge is the crucial 3rd element of successful reading interventions. literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/20...literacyengine.co.ukThe Golden Trio of Literacy Interventions - The Literacy EngineThe Golden Trio of Literacy Interventions Walk into almost any primary classroom and you will see careful attention paid to phonics and, increasingly, to fluency. Programmes are structured, time is pr... 002
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 29/04/2026Why are some students fluent but failing? There is a forgotten third in the Golden Trio of Literacy Interventions that is leaving many students struggling to comprehend texts they can decode fluently. Today's blog takes a look at that forgotten third: literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/20...literacyengine.co.ukThe Golden Trio of Literacy Interventions - The Literacy EngineThe Golden Trio of Literacy Interventions Walk into almost any primary classroom and you will see careful attention paid to phonics and, increasingly, to fluency. Programmes are structured, time is pr... 012
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThinking Reading @thinkreadhq.bsky.social · 15/04/2026How are we different? We teach the lowest 10%. No one else does this successfully; some of the best-known ‘reading interventions’ actually ignore this group. Your students will catch up completely. The length of time on the programme is determined by the student’s rate of progress. 012
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 12/04/2026🚨 We are now taking orders for the 2026/27 academic year! 🚨 Get ahead of the curve and start planning your Tutor Time reading programme now. How will your students start the day? literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/pr... 002
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 27/03/2026Has any character, in the history of both TV and cinema, ever followed the instruction to stayed in the car? 000
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 01/02/2026🚨New Resources Alert🚨 March is now online featuring: ⚙️ Should social media influencers be more accountable for their content? ⚙️ Castle Bravo ⚙️ Aretha Franklin ⚙️ Have you ever wondered what taxes are spent on? Comprehension starts with powerful knowledge literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/ge... 012
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 07/03/2026Controversial opinion alert. The Leadership Pay Scale should start at the value of UPS3 plus the top of TLR1, not at UPS3. 030
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyCarl Hendrick @carlhendrick.substack.com · 06/03/2026Reading comprehension is not a skill. It’s an outcome of what you know. Strategies plateau. Knowledge compounds. lnkd.in/e-P9uNE2 02216
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyJon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 07/03/2026My latest article for Educate magazine is all about verse novels. In it, I explore how they can help make reading possible for children who might feel overwhelmed by the amount of text on a page, why they work brilliantly as read-alouds and how they're helpful for developing empathy. 1257
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 07/03/20261265 is the maximum number of hours a teacher can be directed to work. It isn't a target. The closer your contact time with students gets to 1265 the more workload is pushed outside the school day. It must either be protected or reformed to include ALL work. #SaveEducation 032
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 03/03/2026No solutions from the Chancellor for school budgets but at least she managed to find a nice 5% pay rise for MPs this year so... yeah... every cloud has a silver lining. ##SaveEducation 000
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 28/02/2026🚨April resources are now LIVE🚨 This month features: ⚙️ NATO ⚙️ The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln ⚙️ Mackenzie Scott ⚙️ How much money £1billion really is We equip young people with the essential knowledge to comprehend the world around them literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/ge... 002
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 28/02/2026I confiscated these cards this morning from a Year 11 student revising prior to their first Literature exam. Can you see the problem? #SnapChatAI 120
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 17/02/2026Surely those that successfully applied to draft the new national curriculum can consult outside their group to gather voices/evidence of what works well. Many subjects have organisations named as part of the draft team that you would hope bring their own diversity to the table. 000
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 14/02/2026True story. I sacrificed one Year 9 lesson to use 6-7 19 times. Year 9 didn't do it again. Ever. 140
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 13/02/2026It was a non uniform day at school today. As there always is there was a handful of students in uniform. The looks of relief and gratitude on their faces when they saw my suit was heartbreaking. 010
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyNeil Cohn @neilcohn.bsky.social · 13/02/2026After taking 7 years to write and draw, my new graphic novel, Speaking in Pictures, about language, cognition, comics, and visual communication is out in less than a week! At long last! www.visuallanguagelab.com/sip 35823
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyTheo Kuechel @theokl.bsky.social · 13/02/2026This looks very interesting indeed - CC @cmooreanderson.bsky.social @olicav.bsky.social @literacyengine.bsky.social @mrbates.bsky.social #VisualLiteracy 264
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 12/02/2026What movie moment made you exclaim… "THIS IS CINEMA!"media.tenor.coma large space ship is flying over a cityALT: a large space ship is flying over a city 000
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 09/02/2026Mind = blown by this thread. I mean... I can't say I've spent much time actively thinking about ice dancing but I just assumed they picked a random song and made up a different routine for each competition. 🤯 000
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 07/02/2026I love the ##WinterOlympics. That's it. That's the post. 😆media.tenor.coma group of people wearing motorcycle helmets with the words feel the rhythm feel the rhyme below themALT: a group of people wearing motorcycle helmets with the words feel the rhythm feel the rhyme below them 000
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 06/02/2026ICYMI This Week's Blog Which Experts Should Be Leading Literacy? We have a vast wealth of expertise in education across academia and classroom practice with experts across the board. But which experts should we listen to? literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/20...literacyengine.co.ukWhich Experts Should Be Leading Literacy? - The Literacy EngineAcademic Expert in Literacy vs. School‑Based Expert in Leading LiteracyThe worlds of academia and school based practice should be thriving together in the modern era of research informed teaching and ... 002
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyDr Katharine Barden @katharinebarden.bsky.social · 06/02/2026Excellent summary of where the expertise of academic researchers vs classroom-based practitioners lies, and why it can be hard to bring together. 062
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 06/02/2026How much "surplus" do you have to have invested to earn £4million from it?!? 😲 000
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 05/02/2026New Blog Alert Which Experts Should Be Leading Literacy? We have a vast wealth of expertise in education across academia and classroom practice with experts across the board. But which experts should we listen to? literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/20...literacyengine.co.ukWhich Experts Should Be Leading Literacy? - The Literacy EngineAcademic Expert in Literacy vs. School‑Based Expert in Leading LiteracyThe worlds of academia and school based practice should be thriving together in the modern era of research informed teaching and ... 012
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyJim Lauder @mrjlauder.bsky.social · 04/02/2026My fears with oracy were always: - promotes deficit narratives, especially around race and class - is really about debunked approaches like enforced group work and 21st century skills This seems to enthusiastically double down on both, plus makes some wild claims about the attainment gap, and AI. 191
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 31/01/2026ICYMI This week's blog takes a look at how we can start to bridge the cultural disadvantage gap via reading. Includes 5 evidence based strategies to use in your classroom. #GetReadingIntoIt literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/20... 002
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 31/01/2026I've had to start pushing back when asked to do things. "What would you like me to stop doing so I can do that?", is now a default answer. It's surprising how often the "new thing" becomes a "non thing" when you push back. We can't start to tackle workload until we accept that we are at 100%. 050
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyBen Newmark @bennewmark.bsky.social · 31/01/2026"Every adult is being used for every minute of the day" is an excellent thing to consider for anyone who wants change in schools. The pace and intensity of work in schools is remarkable. It shocks people when they first experience it. 139313
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 31/01/2026Hearing BBC Breakfast presenters cringe and contort over their pronunciation of 'Schitt's Creek' this morning is making me smile.media.tenor.coma woman in a black dress is smiling with #schitts creek written in the cornerALT: a woman in a black dress is smiling with #schitts creek written in the corner 010
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 30/01/2026It's ok. I'm sure the DfE will come up with an AI reading parent that children can read to instead. Then parents can stay at work even longer and not worry about silly things like reading. Yay! 010
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyJo DHT @meredithfox22.bsky.social · 29/01/2026This is a great thread...only thing I would add is that there is a removal of parental responsibility in some parts of proposal. If young people are gaming or online during suspension it is, surely, parents role to stop this. Likewise, support learning during off site exclusion. Or am I being crazy? 4188
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 29/01/2026🚨New Blog🚨 Closing the Disadvantage Gap We must not confuse disadvantage with inability. What interventions can we use to close the disadvantage gap & equip students with the rich knowledge they need to comprehend the curriculum & the world around them? literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/20... 003
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 29/01/2026Some really important points to consider here. A must read thread. 👏 You don't improve behaviour by reducing suspensions. You reduce suspensions by improving behaviour. One of these things is really easy to do. The other requires far more widely reaching change. 0135
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyTheo Kuechel @theokl.bsky.social · 29/01/2026Agree ... they (Gov) have completley forgotten/ignored libraries and museum. Completely in thrall to their US tech comany paymasters. 051
Reposted by Simon BaddeleyThe Literacy Engine @literacyengine.bsky.social · 28/01/2026In a world where screens and scrolling dominate the early development of too many children, get them out of your lessons and #GetReadingIntoIt. literacyengine.co.uk/index.php/20...literacyengine.co.ukGet Reading Into It - The Literacy EngineGet Reading Into ItIn many classrooms, reading has quietly slipped from its central position. Screens have filled the gap. A short YouTube clip to “engage”, a recap video to save time, an animated exp... 002
Simon Baddeley @simbadd64.bsky.social · 26/01/2026All well and good but what criteria are you using to assess them? There is no agreed component knowledge bank that anyone could use so assessment is based on loosely defined skills. Most oracy frameworks are built on pedagogy not knowledge and I don't want oracy dictating my pedagogy. 011