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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 16h

Another superb blog on writing! I so wish @writingrocks.bsky.social had been on the core panel and a key voice in the creation of the DfE Writing Framework.

Ross Young @writingrocks.bsky.social · 1d

Teaching the writing processes to children

By Ross Young and @ellencounter.bsky.social

writing4pleasure.com/2025/10/08/t...

Teaching the writing processes to children

download this article The act of teaching writing to children has undergone significant evolution over the centuries. While writing itself is an ancient skill, explicit instruction in how to write,…

writing4pleasure.com

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 1d

Go on as much as you like, as far as I’m concerned. An excellent blog that is equally relevant to English.

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 1d

Excellent piece on the dire impact of removing bursaries for training to teach subjects ts like English and History.

Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 1d

@victoriacrooks.bsky.social has written about this a lot, but I think this blog is an excellent summary and really gets to the heart of the issue:

uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog/2024/07/19/i...

It’s not about the money, money, money – until it is. Teacher recruitment and the need for bursaries

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) landscape should be driven by market forces like every other employment market. This is an argument we hear time and time again.&nb…

uonhistoryteachertraining.school.blog

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 1d

It’s simply appalling. I’m aware that lots of depts in both English and History fill gaps with non-specislists doing bits and pieces, especially at KS3. But how does shallow teacher knowledge build the firm ‘foundations’ of deep subject knowledge they so frequently talk about?

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 1d

Totally agree! Extraordinary.

Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 1d

The lack of student bursaries for training as an English teacher will only lead to further shortages of specialist English teachers and damage to the subject as a whole. Such a short-sighted decision!

Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 1d

The government has swung the axe on teacher training incentives – including cutting funding for shortage subjects such as maths and foreign languages

schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-swings-a...

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Reposted by Barbara Bleiman

Ross Young @writingrocks.bsky.social · 1d

An essential report from Dr Francesca Bonafede and colleagues that deserves careful thought and reflection from everyone interested in helping children and young people become the best writers they can be — in the broadest sense! 👇

literacytrust.org.uk/research-ser...

Children and young people’s writing in school in 2025 | National Literacy Trust

This report examines children and young people's perceptions of their emotional and cognitive engagement with writing in school, and their views on and engagement with writing instruction.

literacytrust.org.uk

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 2d

I'm doing a half-term reading/workshop on my poetry collection 'Snap!' at Saxmundham Library on Tuesday 28th October, as part of Poetry in Aldeburgh Festival. If you're in the area, with small children, why not come along? FREE but booking is required!

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 3d

Listened to @europeanspod.bsky.social for the first time this eve. (Hi Dominic!) Fascinating to hear about teacher pay in Luxembourg…and why earning vast amounts doesn’t make the teachers happy. Plus an interesting item on Intervision. A really entertaining listen!

Reposted by Barbara Bleiman

clarefeeneyuk.bsky.social @clarefeeneyuk.bsky.social · 3d

Good to see this article covering the concern over marking. Plenty of HTs, HODs & teachers have had enough of doing the unpaid QA work & seeing the neg impact on students.
Also, as alluded to by the EMC, a signif issue is lack of clarity around Eng Lang GCSE. What's it testing, how & why?

Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 3d

A piece on this in today’s Observer, quoting me & various Heads of English. Not the headline I’d have chosen & a lot more to be said, but great to have it flagged up as a major concern in a national paper. t.co/3rKtrjQllF

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 3d

A piece on this in today’s Observer, quoting me & various Heads of English. Not the headline I’d have chosen & a lot more to be said, but great to have it flagged up as a major concern in a national paper. t.co/3rKtrjQllF

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 6d

If you look at any of the @engmediacentre.bsky.social poem selections and resources with students today, do share any responses, views & writing with us or here! forwardartsfoundation.org/national-poe...

Poems and Resources - Forward Arts Foundation

A selection of poems and resources for children and young people that can be used to inspire on National Poetry Day and all year round!

forwardartsfoundation.org

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 7d

Hooray! Today’s the day! Jump straight to these pages of resources to pick a poem to share with your classes - lots of choices for EY, KS 1,2,3,4 & 5. @poetrydayuk.bsky.social forwardartsfoundation.org/national-poe...

Poems and Resources - Forward Arts Foundation

A selection of poems and resources for children and young people that can be used to inspire on National Poetry Day and all year round!

forwardartsfoundation.org

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 7d

Oh Shanthi, that’s so kind! It means a lot.

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 8d

Dire!

Reposted by Barbara Bleiman

clarefeeneyuk.bsky.social @clarefeeneyuk.bsky.social · 8d

Sadly, I could add so much more to this. Many of us have found the Review not to be a sufficient Q&A process. HTs are making complaints about the marking to exam boards who always defend their processes. There is no real accountability here. It's appalling. So many students impacted negatively.

Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 8d

Another email from an English teacher this morning about the appalling NATIONAL SCANDAL of GCSE English marking. They gave their permission to quote the email in full & I want to share it because it is so shocking. What are Ofqual & DfE doing about this?

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 8d

Another email from an English teacher this morning about the appalling NATIONAL SCANDAL of GCSE English marking. They gave their permission to quote the email in full & I want to share it because it is so shocking. What are Ofqual & DfE doing about this?

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 9d

www.englishandmedia.co.uk/videos/colle...

I’m thrilled that we @engmedia.bsky.social are now able to share the full set of stunning video clips of Tony Harrison reading & talking about several poems (including ‘Them & Uz’) plus a wonderful interview about poetry in general. RIP Tony Harrison.

www.englishandmedia.co.uk

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Reposted by Barbara Bleiman

English and Media Centre @engmediacentre.bsky.social · 9d

Treat your classes to some wonderful poetry, along with resources designed by @barbarableiman.bsky.social for @poetrydayuk.bsky.social this Thursday! englishandmedia.co.uk/blog/resourc...

Resources for National Poetry Day 2025

Creative approaches to poetry for across all secondary ages, designed by EMC on behalf of Forward Arts Foundation for National Poetry Day 2025

englishandmedia.co.uk

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Reposted by Barbara Bleiman

Sue Cowley @suecowley.bsky.social · 9d

The idea of a Year 8 reading test seems to have united pretty much everyone in education against it (except for those committed to sucking up to the DfE).

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 9d

This 👇

DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 9d

Good. We need to focus on (re) building the teams of specialists who know how to teach children with reading needs.

That is going to take a long time. Cos we are going to have to dismantle the phonics (and fluency) is everything myth. 🤷‍♀️☹️🥹

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 11d

For @poetryday it just so happens that the whole first section of my book ‘Snap!’ is on Games, Play & Activities, including, especially appropriately, the title poem. Here it is. The book is available on Amazon. amazon.co.uk/Snap-Poems-Chi…

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 11d

Yes. I still post there because far more people respond. I don’t much like being there but want to be able to respond to people I don’t always agree with.

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Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 11d

Shared this terrific blog on X too, to make sure it reaches plenty of teachers!

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Reposted by Barbara Bleiman

Mr E @theniceman.bsky.social · 11d

Why the "knowledge" distortion of cognitive science is so dangerous in MFL teaching:

whoteacheslanguages.blogspot.com/2024/06/lang...

Language Teaching: Building knowledge into Skills

Where does MFL sit in the current debate about knowledge and skills? We could be the perfect subject to see this play out and explore the r...

whoteacheslanguages.blogspot.com

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