iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

April Fools is one thing. But thinking marking writing takes half an hour after school… that’s the real joke. There’s a lot of unseen graft behind those books. #EduSkyUK #EduSky

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

It’s been a busy few months at AIR HQ, but Primary Literacy Spotlight #newsletter is back. This month’s edition shares new writing research, free resources from BookTrust and the NLT, and stories of schools making real progress with literacy. 🩵 #EduSky #EduSkyUK air-ed.com/primary-lite...

air-ed.com

Primary Literacy Newsletter → November 2025

This month’s Primary Literacy Spotlight looks at what’s new and useful in the world of primary writing and reading. There’s new research into how children feel about writing, free literacy resources f...

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Meet AIR, your personal Writing Assessment assistant. It takes the hassle out of writing assessments so you can focus on teaching, not ticking boxes. #EduSky #EduSkyUK #PrimarySchools

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

I’ve become a bit frustrated with the price teachers/schools pay for lesson resources. So I’ve started working on putting a load of FREE #Writing resource packs together. Here’s one of them. I’ll post more over the coming weeks. 🩵 air-ed.com/project/read... #eduskyprimary #eduskyuk #primaryenglish

air-ed.com

Narrative Boost → Free writing resource for primary school teachers

Narrative Boost is a free Ready to Write! resource from AIR Education. It helps KS2 pupils improve their narrative writing skills by developing setting, character, plot and atmosphere. Pupils read sho...

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

End-of-term assessments done weeks ago. Holiday book finished on day two. Now what? That’s the beauty of AIR... less stress at the end of term means more headspace now. Enjoy it. www.air-ed.com #EduSkyUK #EduSky

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

📚 The June edition of Primary Literacy Spotlight is now live. This edition includes: AI in KS2 moderation, new research, free tools, and the latest from the DfE. Worth a look if you’re leading literacy in school. #EduSkyPrimary #EduSkyUK #EduSky air-ed.com/blogs/june-2...

air-ed.com

AIR → Newsletter, Primary Literacy Spotlight, The AIR Blog → June 2025

This month’s Primary Literacy Spotlight covers new research on reading enjoyment, free resources for National Writing Day and Refugee Week, and a selection of updates and case studies to support your ...

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

These days (especially with today’s worrying Trump-Gaza video), it feels like the world is spiralling into chaos. But then, you see this: a 105-year-old woman having a rave at her care home. Absolutely brilliant. Life’s short; you might as well dance - even when the world’s going crazy. ❤️

theguardian.com

‘I’m still dancing’: Derbyshire woman has 105th birthday rave at care home

Hilda Jackson and fellow residents partied with strobe lights, glowsticks and drum’n’bass from festival-headliner

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄? Accessibility, Oracy, AI, Sustainability, DEI: big themes that are shaping how learning materials are created & used. But are these the right priorities? What’s missing? Here's a visual summary of a great article (link below). #EduSky #EduSkyUK

A circular infographic titled 'Trends Shaping Education Publishing.' The diagram is divided into five color-coded segments, each representing a key trend: Accessibility, Oracy, AI in Education, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and Sustainability. At the center of the diagram is an icon of an open book and a digital device, symbolizing the intersection of technology and publishing. The background is dark, with contrasting text and icons for readability.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Deadline: Annual Literacy Survey (28th Feb). This is just a quick share to encourage #teachers to take part in the annual #NLT survey. It helps shape literacy strategies by gathering insights into children’s attitudes towards reading and writing. #EduSkyUK literacytrust.org.uk/events/annua...

literacytrust.org.uk

Annual Literacy Survey 2025 | National Literacy Trust

Registration for the 2025 Annual Literacy Survey is now open.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Great resource here from Danny. 🐵 ➡️🧑

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

📌 The National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey 2025. It’s a chance to share what’s really happening with kids' literacy in school. More responses mean a clearer picture - and better decisions that actually help pupils. Please fill it in and pass it on. #EduSkyUK #EduSky #Literacy

literacytrust.org.uk

Annual Literacy Survey 2025 | National Literacy Trust

Registration for the 2025 Annual Literacy Survey is now open.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

📢 The new Primary Literacy Spotlight is out! 🗣️ The power of spoken language in literacy 📖 Does the Phonics Screening Check actually help? 🤖 AI in literacy—game-changer or just hype? Plus, free resources + a gov update for schools. #EduSkyUK #EduSkyPrimary #PrimaryEnglish #Headteachers

linkedin.com

Edition #3: February 2024

Welcome to this month’s edition of Primary Literacy Spotlight! Each issue, I pull together the latest research, trends, and resources to help you navigate the ever-changing world of literacy education...

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Been thinking a lot about the Overton window over the last 24 hrs. How extreme ideas get floated, then suddenly, less extreme versions start to feel “reasonable.” It’s an old tactic, but when it involves removing an entire population from their homeland, it’s more than just political posturing 🧵👇

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Hemingway’s short, simple sentences made him a literary icon. But under the KS2 framework? ❌ Needs complex sentences ❌ Use a range of conjunctions ❌ Consider ambitious vocabulary Would The Old Man and the Sea be better with relative clauses? Nope. #EduSkyUK #PrimaryEnglish #Headteachers #EduSky

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

I’ve just spent a couple of hours doing to #Year9 reading assessments with students with social, emotional and mental health needs at The Compass School inRomford. What an amazing set of staff and students. Brilliant! I had so much fun. #SEND #EduSkyUK

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Austen? WTS. Dickens? Too many commas. Shakespeare? Not enough ambitious vocab. If the greatest writers in history wouldn’t get EXS or GDS in KS2, are we assessing the right things? Or just making better box-tickers? #EduSkyPrimary #EduSkyUK #PrimaryEnglish

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

I’ve not written a blog in a while. I love doing this stuff, but I’ve been busy! Anyway… here’s my latest effort: My #KS2 assessment of Pride and Prejudice. Not bad, Jane, but you’ve got some work to do. #PrimaryEnglish #EduSkyUK #TongueInCheek air-ed.com/blogs/jane-a...

air-ed.com

Jane Austen: Working Towards (Must Try Harder) - Air

Jane Austen might be a literary icon, but would her writing meet the KS2 framework? Missing bullet points and fronted adverbials? That’s WTS, Jane.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I’m so made up with the blues I’ve decided on tonight’s TV event! #EFC vs Bayern - 1985! Dig deep lads. You’ll turn these over! #UTFT

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Imposter here. 😀 I'm not a teacher or in the 5 o'clock club. But I have a couple of friends who are, and they asked me to create a feed that pulls all the #teacher5ooclockclub posts into one place. Here it is. 👇 You can go to that and pin it to your saved feeds. bsky.app/profile/tomj...

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

On my way to #Bett2025. Excited = 👍 Meetings booked = ✅ Bag packed for hotel = ✅ On-time for train = ✅ Printed tickets = ❌🤦‍♂️ Have an amazing time all!

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

What an amazing programme idea this is. I'm sharing it for everyone in the #EduSkyUK #EduSkyPrimary feeds.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

🏫🚗 A quick trip from York to Sheffield to do some #reading assessments with year 4s. We’re trialing some AI eye tracking technology to identify strengths and weaknessses when pupils read silently! 🤯 #EduSkyUk #PrimaryEnglish #EduSkyPrimary

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

If anyone is going to #BETT2025 - this is a great tool to help you find the stands to visit! #EduSkyPrimary #EduSkySecondary #EduSkyUK

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Reposted by Tom Parkinson

Atul Thakor @atulthakor.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

If you're struggling to figure out which vendors will be at #BETT this year you can use our handy search to check. #BETT2025 schoolgpt.co.uk/bett2025

schoolgpt.co.uk

SchoolGPT - BETT 2025 Exhibitor Search

Our AI powered search will help to find the vendors you are interested in.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

#DryJanuaryFail. My quick trip to Tesco to get rice for the curry I'm making tonight went very (very wrong).

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

I've created a #Bluesky feed for people in the UK in #Education. It will collate any posts that use these hashtags: #EduSkyUK and #EduUK I'm hoping it will help people create the education community we used to have on Twitter. You can pin it here: bsky.app/profile/did:...

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

2 very exciting updates released to AIR this week: 1️⃣ - A huge increase in its ability to read illegible handwriting (I didn't say scruffy! 🤣) 2️⃣ - AIR can now read, analyse and assess writing in Newspaper/Column-based formats! 📰 air-ed.com #UnderstandingSchools #Teachers #Headteachers

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Last week, I posted (I think it was last week! Slowly getting back to work mode) about the EPI's report on how #phonics screening hasn’t improved KS1 or KS2 outcomes or narrowed gaps. I was messing with Canva and thought I'd create a diagram representing the report. I hope this helps. 🩵

Image Description: A flowchart titled "Analyzing the Ineffectiveness of Phonics Screening" displays four color-coded branches leading to the central conclusion: Phonics screening fails to improve reading outcomes.

Top Left (Orange): Lack of Improvement in Reading Results

Points listed:
No significant progress in Key Stage 1 and 2
Ineffective assessment methods
Top Right (Green): Need for Alternative Approaches

Points listed:
Exploration of effective literacy strategies
Resistance to change in educational practices
Bottom Left (Yellow): Persistent Attainment Gaps

Points listed:
Unaddressed disparities in student performance
Equity issues in literacy education
Bottom Right (Blue): Educator Reflections

Points listed:
Suggestions for better assessment methods
Observations on student reading changes
Each branch connects back to the overarching theme at the center, represented by a small red icon of a document and magnifying glass. The visual is organised like a fishbone diagram, with concise text blocks outlining reasons and reflections related to phonics screening.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

On Jan 13th, 'Wicked Writers: Be the Change' kicks off, inviting pupils aged 9–14 to unleash the power of their words. It’s a cracking way to spark creativity and build writing skills. Fancy giving it a go with your class? Details here: literacytrust.org.uk/programmes/y... #EduSkyPrimary #EduSky

literacytrust.org.uk

Wicked Writers: Be the Change | National Literacy Trust

Could your students write persuasively about a positive change they would like to see in their local community? The Wicked Writers: Be the Change competition is back for 2025!

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

The Education Policy Institute reports phonics screening hasn’t improved Key Stage 1 or 2 outcomes or narrowed gaps. It’s clear we need to rethink early reading strategies. Teachers, you see this firsthand every day - what’s working in your classrooms, and what isn’t? #edusky #eduskyprimary

epi.org.uk

What can quantitative analyses tell us about the national impact of the phonics screening check? - Education Policy Institute

A new report published by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) examines the impact of the national phonics screening check (PSC) on early reading development in primary schools across England. The res...

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Quick note to anyone who has me on their email marketing list: if you email me on Christmas Day; instant unsubscribe! Hahaha. Hohoho. 🎄🍻

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

I've been doing the final round of #UserResearch that I've done with #Teachers on our latest project; the final bit is the Thematic Analysis of the calls I’ve done. This one (see image) was the only 'praise' theme 🤣! The rest are things we will develop to make our solution even better for schools!

Yellow slide titled 'Theme 5: Future of AIR’s Functionality.' It has two sections: 'Modular Judgments' and 'Assistance, Not Replacement.' Modular Judgments highlights that teachers prefer selecting objectives for specific terms or focus areas and favor a dynamic approach over strict curriculum sequencing. Assistance, Not Replacement emphasizes that teachers value AIR as a supportive tool offering suggestions rather than definitive judgments and want this to remain unchanged. The slide has a dark background with light text for contrast.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

After loads (and loads) of research calls, I've collated a list of feedback methods #PrimarySchool #Teachers use with their pupils. I've cross-referenced them with published research and created this (hopefully) useful graphic. 👍

A quadrant chart titled ‘Feedback Strategies in Primary Schools.’ The x-axis represents research support (low to high), and the y-axis represents effectiveness (low to high).

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

I've done 2 more user research calls with #Teachers today. What's clear is: You can’t automate great teaching, but you can make (parts of) it easier. Teachers don’t need another shiny, complicated system—they need tools that save them time while they work on improving outcomes for their pupils. ❤️

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

If I hear, or read, “game-changing” one more time! 🤪🤯

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

I've just been on a round table demo thing for #PrimarySchools. Too many #EdTech tools say they reduce workload but add complexity. We work hard to get this right in our app—and fix it if we don’t (and sometimes we don't! 😬😀). Our customers are teaching our kids; we owe them this focus!

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

I'm really excited to be releasing this new feature in AIR. This is our first step to test and research if/how we can use #AI in #PrimaryEnglish to generate 'Coverage and Gap Analysis' to support #LiftingLiteracy #AiEDU #EduSkyPrimary air-ed.com/help-center/...

air-ed.com

How to Use the Coverage Matrix

The Coverage matrix is a clear and actionable view of attainment; it ensures you have the insights needed to support every pupil’s writing journey effectively.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

I'm #researching the idea of AI-generated gap analysis for pupil writing assessments, moderated by #teachers. 🚀 I'd love your thoughts and shape the future of this feature! Book a quick chat with me here: calendly.com/tom-air-ed/a... #EdTech #AIinEducation #LiftingLiteracy

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

So, we're here! The autumn term rush is in full swing! Here's to all the #teachers juggling nativity planning, assessments, and the festive chaos! 🎅🎄 Not too long now! #TeacherLife #EndOfTerm

A frustrated teacher wearing red glasses holds a large stack of books against a festive green background decorated with Christmas garlands and baubles. The text reads: 'Screw chocolate! Get me an Advent calendar where behind every door there’s no nativity planning or end-of-term assessments.' The image humorously conveys the exhaustion teachers feel during the busy autumn term.

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Tom Parkinson @tomjparkinson.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

I've released another free AI tool for #Teachers. This one is to help you get kids #reading even when they're not interested. It'll generate a story based on their age and their interests. Have a play and feedback; I'm more than happy to keep working on these to ensure they help. buff.ly/3Zj99IU

air-ed.com

Personalised Story Generator

This tool supports teachers by creating personalised stories tailored to a pupil’s reading age and interests. By weaving engaging tales around topics they love, it encourages reading for pleasure and ...

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