Curriculum Is a Localist Model of a Distributed Mind The problem with dividing knowledge into pieces

New on Substack: New post: Why does dividing curriculum into knowledge components feel so unstable? Because we're imposing localist structure on a distributed system. The brain doesn't store knowledge in pieces. profbeckyallen.substack.com/p/curriculum...

My teaching daughter is Head of Y10 in an inadequate school. She is passionate and brilliant at it. Today she told me she is thinking of leaving teaching. She wants a life - evenings/weekends. The teacher part of me is so sad - she should be the future. As a mum I can see burn out is a risk at 27.

Teachers are overwhelmed by the guilt of not meeting needs.

“Staff know what children need, but they cannot provide it.

They carry the emotional fallout of systemic failure daily. Participants in my research described feeling responsible for needs that no single teacher or school could meet.”

Don't wait for a crisis to happen. Whatever you're facing, let's face it together 💙

Call our free and confidential helpline, available to all teachers and education staff.

📞We're here for you - 08000 562 561

Pivoting In November 2024, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. A nasty, sneaky, fast growing type of breast cancer: stage 3, grade 3, locally invasive triple negative breast cancer for those who know about …

I am writing - here is my first blog of 2026. This year will be the year where I write all those things I promised myself I would write, when I had the time.

Now I have the time.
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/p...

The Bertvent books

Giveaway!

I’m giving one lucky person the chance to pick one shelf of books from our Bertvent bookcase.

Follow and repost by midday on Saturday 27th and I’ll pick someone at random! Which shelf will you choose?

(UK only)

What’s behind the data? The importance of writing moderation - Insight Inform A guest blog from Laura Bailey, Head of Moderation and Assessment at Pobble, looking at moderation as professional development, and considering the curriculum impact of effective moderation.

Take a look at moderation as professional development, and consider the curriculum impact of effective moderation with our guest blog from Laura Bailey, Head of Moderation and Assessment at Pobble:

Insightful thread.
Alarming how little understanding of how schools operate this dfe advice shows.
Spat tea at "the SENCO on site and contactable" as if busiest people in school calmly sitting in their offices browsing clothes on the internet just waiting to come and resolve the odd little issue.

Do join us at this free research and practice seminar www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/write-to-r... @jonnybid.bsky.social @edfinch.bsky.social @firststory.bsky.social @minilebowski.bsky.social

Early Years High 5 Early years research evidence in 5 quick reads Hello and welcome to issue 16 of my monthly newsletter - your shortcut to the latest insights from early years research. Each edition brings you five key...

Out now: Early Years High 5

1️⃣  Screentime & socioemotional difficulties in childhood

2️⃣ Motor skills in infancy predict child behavioural health

3️⃣ Baby rooms in nurseries

4️⃣ 290,000 disadvantaged young children miss free meals

5️⃣ Benefits of e-storybook reading

www.linkedin.com/pulse/early-...

Important piece from @booktrust.org.uk and @openuni-rfp.bsky.social about the value of book choice for pupils and how to help promote it in the classroom. Do have a read! files.booktrust.org.uk/docs/documen... @teresacremin.bsky.social @richardruddick.bsky.social

🧵Thread worth reading…

There are lessons about unintended consequences that are not being learnt by government here.

I am worried about how these new targets all align with an inclusion agenda.

I hope the DFE are aware of the population prevalence of identified SEND.

bsky.app/profile/psal...

Why education can never be fun Proven with maths

Latest on our Substack - I attempt to prove mathematically that education can never be fun, with reference to The Flowerpot Men, Jock Stein & the Galapagos tortoise.

substack.nomoremarking.com/p/why-educat...

Two books on a wooden shelf

📣📚Back to school book giveaway!📚📣

To win a copy of these two fantastic new books for primary subject leads, simply repost & like.

Winner announced Friday 5th at 5pm. Uk only.

How to Lead it: English by @missis-scs.bsky.social and @triciamoss.bsky.social & Science by @kirstysimkin.bsky.social

BBC Radio 4 - The Verb, The Adverb at the Hay Festival 2025 Ian McMillan presents poets in performance for The Verb's performance wing, The Adverb.

This is such a welcome, life-affirming & diverse edition of BBCRadio4 The Verb. Top form delivery from @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social @lenniesaurus.bsky.social, Alex Wharton, @natholborow.bsky.social & Ian McMillan
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Denmark to end book tax to encourage people to read Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said that the measure was aimed at fixing Denmark's 'reading crisis.' The Scandinavian country's 25% sales tax on books is currently the highest in Europe.

Denmark to end book tax to encourage people to read

“Sometimes You Find A Dragon” by @vivschwarz.bsky.social

is a perfect #Assemblybook . It’s about spotting, thinking creatively and finding your voice and your art

It’s a joyful celebration of expressing yourself and exploring the world around you. #PicturebookPage @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social

I am so happy to be returning to the Cheltenham Literature Festival this year, on Saturday 18th October 3-4pm, where we will have a book group session on The List of Suspicious Things.

The festival runs is from 10th-19th October📚🍂

Tickets go on sale 4 September

If you're free for an hour on Monday morning, do come along. And, if you're not, please consider making a donation anyway.

TTC019 - Intro to The Primary Curriculum Accelerator - with Mary Myatt

I'll be running a free CPD session to talk about the importance of gorgeous resources and to introduce the Primary Curriculum Accelerator.

Monday 8 Sep 3.30 – 4.30
Link to register here marymyatt.typeform.com/TTC019

It’s all in place. However, it’s dull to teach and while pupils have covered the content, we’re not convinced they’ve learnt it deeply.

The coverage is there, we can tick it off on curriculum plans, but frankly it’s as dull as ditchwater.’

/2

We are aware of digital issues that a number of schools have experienced accessing the return and we thank you for your patience while these are being resolved.

The deadline will remain on Thursday 31 July as planned. We will contact schools that have been affected by these issues in September 2025, to support you in making the return.

Latest in the DfE Sport Premium online form chaos:
1. We know the form's not really working, and we don't know when we'll fix it
2. But you still have to meet the deadline. Screw your work-life balance.

Leadership visibility is falling 📉

Only 15% of secondary and 22% of primary classroom teachers now strongly agree that leaders are visible in their school - the lowest we’ve seen.

Why leaders need to spend more time in the early years To truly understand the issues early years teachers are facing, school leaders need to engage more deeply with this stage of education, writes Julian Grenier

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀?

The early years is not a strange, “other” world that is somehow less important than what comes after it in school.

My latest column for @tesmagazine.bsky.social ⤵️

www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

Attendance is the worst it’s been in schools yet rather than looking at support and understanding to solve the problem many seem to double down on an approach which demands attendance.

We’ve had real impact on our attendance by working with families and supporting the children.

Disabled people aren’t “burdens”.

We aren’t “economically inactive”.

We aren’t “useless eaters”.

We’re people, the same as you. We deserve to be treated with the same dignity & care as everyone else.

When you use terms like those above, you’re spewing eugenics talking points which fuel fascism.

Holding Courageous Conversations | Hannah Wilson A blog by Hannah Wilson.

I loved leading my workshop session on 'Managing conflict' at #ilconf25. Thank you to those who came along. If you want to do further reading on the subject, have a look at this blog from @hannahwilson.bsky.social, for #DiverseEd: www.hannah-wilson.co.uk/holding-cour...

NEW in the critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling ‘Unknown Adventurer’ series! 3 signed copies of THE LOST BOOK OF UNDERSEA ADVENTURE! By Teddy Keen are the UKLA Lucky 13th prizes for June. UKLA Members just RP to be in with a chance to win.
‪@quartokids.bsky.social‬

Look after your SLT!

You don’t always have to agree with them but they are human beings doing a hugely challenging job.

Many love to criticise but few want to take the job on.

If you catch them for a quick chat check they weren’t just about to get their first loo break/drink in 5 hours first…

Can AI assist the Comparative Judgement of primary writing? And can students respond well to AI feedback?

The ever interesting No More Marking Substack continues to challenge and inform, this time @daisychristo.bsky.social considers the use of AI to explore the thorny issue of handwriting bias:

Can AI assist the Comparative Judgement of primary writing?

substack.nomoremarking.com/p/can-ai-ass...