Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 6h

📖 'Many students who could write with flair fail to do so because they cannot memorise or recall textual references…'

A major exam provider is making all its English exams open-book – could others follow suit?

Cambridge to make all IGCSE English literature exams open book

Students already had the possibility of consulting drama texts in the exam but, in future, all Cambridge IGCSE literature in English papers will be open book, including prose

www.tes.com

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Dr Michael Dempster @drmdempster.bsky.social · 3h

Its day therteen o #Scotstober 2025! The day's wird is: plooter

Dr Michael Dempster @drmdempster.bsky.social · Sep 2

🚨Annooncement!🚨

Here yer #Scotstober 2025 wirds!

A'm sharin on aw platforms, but maistly follaein on BlueSky this year.

A'm luikin forret tae yer warks 😁

Wirds as text ablow

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The Herald @heraldscotland.bsky.social · 2d

www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2553...

@jamesmcenaney.bsky.social

It might seem counter-intuitive but we must give teachers less classroom time

Teachers were promised a reduction of class contact time by ninety minutes per week. This was the pledge that really mattered – the one that could…

www.heraldscotland.com

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Alex Quigley @alexjquigley.bsky.social · 1d

“What is it useful for the teacher to know and how much can we expect them to internalise and act upon?”

Excellent by @head-teach.bsky.social. Why SEND labels & information from EHCPs are hard to process in useful ways for complex of classrooms:

matthewevanseducation.substack.com/p/the-eye-of...

The eye of the storm

What can we reasonably expect of teachers?

matthewevanseducation.substack.com

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Luna Press Publishing @lunapress.bsky.social · 1d

We are delighted to announce that Orcadian author Barbara Stevenson will return to Academia Lunare with a new work on Scottish Gothic Fiction: The Kirk, the Deil and the Grue Atween. Luna Press has acquired EWR and we are looking forward to welcome it in the new year! @babette1-62.bsky.social 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Announcing Stevenson's Exploration of Scottish Gothic Fiction

We are delighted to announce that Orcadian author Barbara Stevenson, will return to Academia Lunare with a new work on Scottish Gothic Fiction: The Kirk, the Deiland the Grue Atween.

www.lunapresspublishing.com

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 18d

Calling Scottish #writers!

Apply for the 2026 Scottish Writing Fellowship at the @universityofotago.bsky.social’s Centre for Irish & Scottish Studies in Aotearoa New Zealand, from 1 Aug–30 Sept 2026. Includes flights, accommodation & stipend. Deadline 31 Oct!
#writing
www.otago.ac.nz/ciss

Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies

The Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies provides an opportunity to study the literature, history, politics and culture of Ireland and Scotland – and of the Irish and Scottish diasporas – over the pa...

www.otago.ac.nz

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Alex Quigley @alexjquigley.bsky.social · 2d

🚨 NEW POST 🚨

‘Scaffolding and PEAL paragraphs’

“What should teachers do? Do paragraph plans, PEAL, and similar scaffolds have a place? Should we get rid and do things differently?”

alexquigley.co.uk/scaffolding-...

Scaffolding and PEAL paragraphs

"Scaffolds are not intended to be permanent. If everyone has a scaffold all of the time, it's not a scaffold, it's just your lesson plan." 'The Scaffolding Effect', by Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb ...

alexquigley.co.uk

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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 2d

Happy Bookshop Day! There are over 200 independent children's bookshops on my map so do pay your local one a visit. It's regularly updated but please let me know of any more I could add. padlet.com/Jon_Biddle/r...

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Dani Garavelli @danigaravelli.bsky.social · 2d

On the subject of young people don’t read blah blah, our middle son charged into our house unexpectedly the other day demanding “the classics.” “Bring me your Brontes,” he said. Now he’s sent a pic of him reading The Handmaid’s Tale on a train with the message: “Performative maling.”

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Chris Curtis @xris32.bsky.social · 8d

NEW BLOG: Do it now or do it when you’ve thought about it a bit more?

Sorry for taking a blog holiday!

learningfrommymistakesenglish.blogspot.com/2025/10/do-i...

#engchat #engchatuk

Do it now or do it when you’ve thought about it a bit more?

I have written at length about knowledge and its use in English, and this isn’t going to be one of those blogs, but it is about mapping out ...

learningfrommymistakesenglish.blogspot.com

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UofG Fantasy @uofgfantasy.bsky.social · 11d

Call for Papers and Sessions

Fantasy’s Present Pasts

University of Glasgow
Tuesday 23rd – Thursday 25th June 2026

Keynote Speakers: Stefan Ekman, Sofia Samatar and Helen Young

More details on the conference in the post linked below - deadline for proposals is Friday 12th December.

Fantasy’s Present Pasts – Call for Papers and Sessions – Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic

fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk

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EnglishScotland @englishscotland.bsky.social · 9d

Well done. Enjoy your rest. 😊

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Scottish Book Trust @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social · 12d

October is Black History Month, and the perfect time for readers of all ages to delve into books about Black history.

Our brilliant book list includes a wide range of engaging and informative reads for children and young people 📚👇

Book List: Black History Month books for children and young adults

October is Black History Month(this link will open in a new window), and the perfect time for readers of all ages to delve into books about Black history. This book list includes a wide range of enga

www.scottishbooktrust.com

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The English Association @englishassociation.bsky.social · 11d

👀👀 English 4-11 #Reading #ShortStories ⬇️

The Emma Press @theemmapress.bsky.social · 12d

“Looking for a book of short stories to appeal to those who love quirky humour and to inspire creativity? [...] I highly recommend this hard to define book" - Brenda Marshall, from English 4-11 @englishassociation.bsky.social on Please Don't Read The Footnotes Please by @robwaltonwriter.bsky.social🦣

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 11d

“…issuing, by the handiwork of Satan, from his grave at night-time, and pursued by a pack of dogs with horrible barkings, he wandered through the courts and around the houses…”

—William of Newburgh (c.1136–98) tells of a plague-spreading vampire in Annan, Dumfriesshire
#WyrdWednesday #MedievalSky

Thereupon snatching up a spade of but indifferent sharpness of edge, and hastening to the cemetery, they began to dig; and whilst they were thinking that they would have to dig to a greater depth, they suddenly, before much of the earth had been removed, laid bare the corpse, swollen to an enormous corpulence, with its countenance beyond measure turgid and suffused with blood; while the napkin in which it had been wrapped appeared nearly torn to pieces. The young men, however, spurred on by wrath, feared not, and inflicted a wound upon the senseless carcase, out of which incontinently flowed such a stream of blood, that it might have been taken for a leech filled with the blood of many persons. Then, dragging it beyond the village, they speedily constructed a funeral pile; and upon one of them saying that the pestilential body would not burn unless its heart were torn out, the other laid open its side by repeated blows of the blunted spade, and, thrusting in his hand, dragged out the accursed heart. This being torn piecemeal, and the body now consigned to the flames, it was announced to the guests what was going on, who, running thither, enabled themselves to testify henceforth to the circumstances. When that infernal hell-hound had thus been destroyed, the pestilence which was rife among the people ceased, as if the air, which had been corrupted by the contagious motions of the dreadful corpse, were already purified by the fire which had consumed it. These facts having been thus expounded, let us return to the regular thread of history.

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EnglishScotland @englishscotland.bsky.social · 12d

Sadly many schools are without a library or librarian. #EnglishScotland

Scottish Book Trust @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social · 13d

Do you believe all schools should have a library? 📚

It might surprise you, therefore, that there is no legal requirement for Scotland’s schools to have a school library or librarian.

We are calling on Scottish Government to change this story.

www.scottishbooktrust.com/our-research...

Poster with the map of Scotland. Title says 'The value and impact of Scotland's school libraries: final report'

Infographic quote that reads: 'School libraries are not optional extras; they are essential for equitable education. As librarians, educators, parents and policymakers read these pages, I hope they hear the plea: invest in people, space and resources, and the benefits – raised attainment, better mental health and more informed pupils – will be unmistakable.'

Quote is from Derek France,
Preston Lodge High School, East Lothian
Secondary School Librarian of the Year (2022)
Scottish Book Trust Reading
Champion (2025)

Infographic containing two facts. They are:
Fact:
Research proves having a school library and librarian delivers higher test scores equating to academic attainment, successful curriculum or learning outcomes, and positive attitudes towards learning.
Fact:
There is no legal requirement for schools in Scotland to have a school library and librarian.

Infographic card that reads: 'What can be done?

Scottish Book Trust recommends:

1. Scottish Government introduces a statutory requirement for secondary schools to operate a high-quality school library service, staffed by a qualified school librarian.

2. Scottish Government and local authorities work with stakeholders to ensure there’s a set standard of provision across the country.

3. Scottish Government and local authorities work together to empower secondary schools across Scotland with funding and resources to operate a high-quality school library service, staffed by a qualified school librarian.

4. Secondary school management teams appropriately train and support their librarians to deliver a high-quality library service. '

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Scottish Book Trust @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social · 13d

Time is almost up to win one of our Book of the Month competitions! ⌛📚

www.scottishbooktrust.com/competitions...

The cover of Thunderboots by Naomi Jones and Rebecca Ashdown. A young girl stands in a superhero costume.

The Empire of Forgetting by John Burnside cover. A fox stands against a black backdrop.

The cover of Firebloom by Justin Davies. Two children marvel at luminescent jellyfish.

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 14d

On BBC Sounds: Jackie Kay talks to John Wilson about her childhood in Glasgow as the mixed-race, adopted daughter of a loving couple, & her formative creative influences.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - This Cultural Life, Jackie Kay

Poet, writer and former Makar Jackie Kay reveals her formative creative influences.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Christopher Such @suchmo83.bsky.social · 15d

As with almost every article written about reading in the past few years, this one has inspired a few suggestions that the focus on phonics has caused problems.

I'd like to explain why I disagree.

>>

Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 15d

An expert shares five reading fluency strategies to support children to become better readers

Reading fluency: why it matters and how to teach it

A focus on reading fluency can help to bridge the gap between decoding and comprehension, says Penny Slater, who shares strategies for supporting children to become fluent readers

www.tes.com

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Alex Quigley @alexjquigley.bsky.social · 16d

💡’Supporting shy pupils to talk in class’

“Confidence that their teacher is sensitive to their needs is likely to breed increased engagement, while we can assume similar for reliable friends being present in their classes.”

alexquigley.co.uk/supporting-s...

Supporting shy pupils to talk in class

Shy pupils can easily, often unnoticed, slide to the sides of lessons. Supporting such pupils, who are nervous to talk with their peers or in front of the class, can be a tricky business but also vita...

alexquigley.co.uk

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EnglishScotland @englishscotland.bsky.social · 16d

Hope you're enjoying the last of the summer sunshine with a good book. 🌞📚 #EnglishScotland

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Hazel Pinner @hazelmpinner.bsky.social · 17d

That's my school signed up for #ReadingSchoolsWeek our Reading Leadership Group had so many ideas in answer to the questions & completed the application with enthusiasm! One of my favourite suggestions was sharing book recommendations with other #Orkney schools & asking them to do the same💡#ScoEdu

Scottish Book Trust @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social · 26d

Be a part of the first-ever Reading Schools Week from 2–6 February 2026! Sign up now. 📚🎉

Reading Schools Week 2026

An accreditation programme for schools that are committed to building a culture of reading for their learners and communities.

www.readingschools.scot

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Catherine Clarke @cathamclarke.bsky.social · 18d

What can we do with a #poem in under 15 minutes? Tune into #AHistoryOfEnglandIn25Poems on Radio 4 tomorrow / BBC Sounds to discover the surprising story behind Auden's 'Funeral Blues'. This episode may interest English teachers, as well as anyone who loves #history. @englishassociation.bsky.social

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EnglishScotland @englishscotland.bsky.social · 20d

#EnglishScotland

The English Association @englishassociation.bsky.social · 20d

englishassociation.ac.uk/words-that-b...

Words That Burn: exploring human rights through poetry in the classroom (30 September 2025, 16:45 - 17:30) | The English Association

We support the teaching, learning, and enjoyment of English at all levels of education, from early years to further and higher education and beyond.

englishassociation.ac.uk

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The Herald @heraldscotland.bsky.social · 20d

EXCLUSIVE

Education Specialist James McEnaney breaks down the official data on school PFI/PPP projects, exploring the overall costs of the scheme, the value of the buildings being financed, and the organisations turning huge amounts of public money into private profits 👇

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