Josh Vallance

My core job is teaching English but my TLR impacts every area of our school. I'm proud of the work in those areas and been lucky to lead a fabulous team.

EAL improvement:

Sept: 8% of school as Band A, new to English
May: (inc 3 pupils that arrived in MARCH): 0.66% Band À

And literacy! See image.

Fabulous day of A level results for Trinity's English department.

100% A*-C
60% A*-A

Coursework: accepted by the exam board and 80% achieved A*-A.

Now on to the next lot of year 12s to shape them from the beginning 😎

Where have Labour gone wrong with the Schools Bill? The Government’s Schools Bill is about the enter its committee stage in the Lords. According to the Education Secretary Bridgette Phillipson, the Bill will be a “seminal moment for child protection…

As a Labour voter working in education, I’ve wanted to write about the Schools Bill for a while. I’m worried about what it includes. But I’m even more worried about where it’s come from, and what it says about those making decisions in education.

mrvallanceteach.wordpress.com/2025/05/17/w...

Where have Labour gone wrong with the Schools Bill? The Government’s Schools Bill is about the enter its committee stage in the Lords. According to the Education Secretary Bridgette Phillipson, the Bill will be a “seminal moment for child protection…

As a Labour voter working in education, I’ve wanted to write about the Schools Bill for a while. I’m worried about what it includes. But I’m even more worried about where it’s come from, and what it says about those making decisions in education.

mrvallanceteach.wordpress.com/2025/05/17/w...

OUT NOW! Amazon or Waterstones or email enquiries@cpmmmedia.com
Subject: Book order. @katieamery.bsky.social @corinnefowler.bsky.social @sathnam.bsky.social @richkhistory.bsky.social @msquinnhistory.bsky.social @oblaize.bsky.social @justice2history.bsky.social @hughrichards.bsky.social

How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures Read online, download a free PDF, or order a copy in print or as an eBook.

Often it feels as if being knolwedge-rich means focusing on the memory parts of Chapter 5 and not the rest - open access here. 2/2 nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2478...

& ultimately the answer to that question comes from English teachers/the English community, and not those outside. I suppose the challenge is, have these types of conversation around knowledge in eg English, become more commonplace/dynamic as talk around KR entered the mainstream (I have no idea…)

…to this thread has come from history teachers. Did, for instance, the ‘turn to knowledge’ (for want of a better phrase) from both g’ment & Ofsted change other subjects/the thinking in these subjects more than in history? @mrmountstevens.bsky.social would be keen for your thoughts, too!

How far do you think history is different to other subjects in the sense that a vibrant educational community have been having these conversations for some time (well beyond Gove/Gibb)? I don’t know enough about other subjects to really comment, but ultimately lots of the debate/response…

History feels streets ahead on this. Strong subject community with rich tradition of debate and discussion. Not sure how far these questions are asked in other subject areas. Possibly inflames some of the issues we’ve discussed already.

Poorly managed centralised implementation strategies seem to sit at the heart of the issues we currently see. I’ve got some horror stories from my old trust that speak to serious issues with ill-thought, top-down approaches. As you’ve said, I imagine you have to spend a lot of time unpicking these!

But I’m also conscious that this type of argument can feel a lot like pontificating, which might also be part of the problem some haven’t been convinced/brought on side.

Ultimately I think the type of curriculum work required to enact, for instance, a Future 3 type curriculum is really complicated and difficult. Often schools don’t have the expertise/time (more the latter!).

Which creates a bit of a viscous circle of pointing to this and saying, ‘look, this approach is flawed,’ and then more resistance/push back

My sense is that via either a poor articulation of what is actually meant by KR or PK (in a v complicated space!), or poor implementation from school leaders/trusts who just wanted knowledge ‘done’ to please Ofsted, the output in lots of schools has actually become pretty weak

I think there’s something here about a poor implementation of knowledge rich curricula (often heavily mandated from trusts without much input from HoDs/teachers in schools) causing many to grow frustrated

Is, then, the criticism often a criticism of a caricature/misrepresentation of knowledge rich curricula? In which case has the concept just been poorly explained?

Posed this question on X but didn’t get much response. Am keen to hear why some might not yet be convinced by KR curricula. Please comment/share!

Yeah I think I broadly agree. Too much feels ideological but it would be good to hear coherent arguments against it from those that clearly adopt this position (some of whom now influencing policy!).

Posed this question on X but didn’t get much response. Am keen to hear why some might not yet be convinced by KR curricula. Please comment/share!

If you’re an ambitious Science, History, or Languages teacher and want to take the next step in your career by becoming a ML in one of the most exciting school improvement journeys around, then get in touch.

If you’re an ambitious Science, History, or Languages teacher and want to take the next step in your career by becoming a ML in one of the most exciting school improvement journeys around, then get in touch.

Science - futureacademies.face-ed.co.uk/Vacancies/De...
History - futureacademies.face-ed.co.uk/Vacancies/De...
Languages - futureacademies.face-ed.co.uk/Vacancies/De...

We genuinely believe this is one of the most exciting school turnarounds in the country. And in some ways it no longer is a turnaround. This is now a great school with ambitious to become one of the best in the country.

🚨 Exciting Opportunities 🚨

We're recruiting to our ML team at Trinity Brixton. If you're an aspiring/current HoD in History, Languages, or Science then get in touch. Last year Trinity was the 5th most improved school in London. Come and be part of something special.

No exodus to state sector after VAT added to private school fees, say English councils Most say they have seen no impact on applications for year 7 places, despite warnings from those against policy

Shocked I tell you ... Shocked!

No exodus to state sector after VAT added to private school fees, say English councils....

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Amazing opportunity to come and work at Trinity. We're looking for a Head of MFL to join our cohort of middle leaders. Last year we were the 18th most improved school in the country. Come and be part of something genuinely exciting and transformative - futureacademies.face-ed.co.uk/Vacancies/De....

The work Jasmine is doing around EAL is already proving to be transformative. Come and be part of something exciting at Trinity.

The work Jasmine is doing around EAL is already proving to be transformative. Come and be part of something exciting at Trinity.