Alex Quigley

Exploring confusion around modelling: “I do, we do, you do” vs “Guided and Independent Practice” In the last couple of days I’ve seen a couple of resources posted online that made me question my understanding of the idea of ‘I do, we do, you do’ and how this fits with ideas o…

Interesting exploration of 'I do/we do/you do' and 'guided - independent practice' from Tom Sherrington. If things feel too linear and straight-forward, they probably need more thinking! All the details matter.

teacherhead.com/2025/11/21/e...

My latest 3Rs newsletter - edition #73 - is now live (quick sign-up - always free).

It includes my review of 'Instructional Illusions', new resources on metacognition, research on the opportunity gap for young boys, disciplinary literacy, and more.

alexquigley.co.uk/the-3rs-read...

Replace with what?

Metacognition - New and Updated Metacognition is a well known term but perhaps less well understood for some busy teachers. Education Endowment Foundation guidance on the topic of 'Metacognition and Self-regulation' has always prove...

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'Metacognition - New and Updated'

alexquigley.co.uk/metacognitio...

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) have updated our guidance on ‘Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning’. Find out more here:

educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-ev...

Feedback: A message in a bottle Approaches to feedback, such as written marking or 'whole class feedback', are popular classroom strategies that are undertaken daily with students of all ages and stages. But do they truly land with ...

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‘Feedback: A message in a bottle’

“If teachers are pouring hours into writing feedback, they need to know it won’t drift aimlessly like a message in a bottle, but land exactly where and how they intend.”

alexquigley.co.uk/feedback-a-m...

Feedback: A message in a bottle Approaches to feedback, such as written marking or 'whole class feedback', are popular classroom strategies that are undertaken daily with students of all ages and stages. But do they truly land with ...

💡NEW POST💡

‘Feedback: A message in a bottle’

“If teachers are pouring hours into writing feedback, they need to know it won’t drift aimlessly like a message in a bottle, but land exactly where and how they intend.”

alexquigley.co.uk/feedback-a-m...

Feedback: A message in a bottle Approaches to feedback, such as written marking or 'whole class feedback', are popular classroom strategies that are undertaken daily with students of all ages and stages. But do they truly land with ...

🚨 NEW POST 🚨

‘Feedback: A message in a bottle’

“Feedback is not a clear, simple exchange. It is a difficult, contingent, emotional, belief-laden effort. Teachers pose messages that can be easily lost, or can hit home very directly.”

alexquigley.co.uk/feedback-a-m...

Feedback: A message in a bottle Approaches to feedback, such as written marking or 'whole class feedback', are popular classroom strategies that are undertaken daily with students of all ages and stages. But do they truly land with ...

🚨 NEW POST 🚨

‘Feedback: A message in a bottle’

“Feedback is not a clear, simple exchange. It is a difficult, contingent, emotional, belief-laden effort. Teachers pose messages that can be easily lost, or can hit home very directly.”

alexquigley.co.uk/feedback-a-m...

Access to books; extensive daily reading; high quality book talk; literacy levels of parents (particularly mother); genetic predispositions. Basically nature x nurture stuff.

🚨NEW Writing

Last weekend I blogged about 'what do we mean by high expectations?' alexquigley.co.uk/what-do-we-m...

This weekend I have written about 'Dyslexia: Issues with definitions & diagnoses': alexquigley.co.uk/dyslexia-iss...

Keep up with all my writing here: alexquigley.co.uk.

I didn’t see that. Useful to see. A though not ideal findings!

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-...

Children learn to read with books that are just right for them – but that might not be the best approach Reading achievement has been stagnant in the US for decades, raising questions about what other methods might work to help kids learn to read.

This article is from the US, but popular approaches to ‘levelled texts’ should be questioned:

“…there will not be considerable reading gains until kids are taught to read with sufficiently challenging and meaty texts.”

theconversation.com/children-lea...

Dyslexia: Issues with definitions and diagnoses Teaching a struggling reader, whether they are seven or seventeen, can be a gut-wrenching experience. It can make the typical tasks of a school day difficult and sap the enjoyment out of learning. It ...

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‘Dyslexia: Issues with definitions and diagnoses’

“The nature of a definition can fundamentally change how we respond to a special educational need. Dyslexia has been prone to changing definitions, shifting symptoms and different diagnoses.”

alexquigley.co.uk/dyslexia-iss...

My daughter’s (now 17) best school artwork is at home at the moment and it is a treat!

What do we mean by high expectations? "They can because they think they can." ('Possunt quia posse videntur') Virgil's 'Aeneid' High expectations can be a mysterious thing. Something ineffable. You can understand them when you experien...

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‘What do we mean by high expectations?”

“High expectations is not some idealism that every child can achieve a 9 or an A*, but it should be something useful that believes and builds a culture that supports every child to be the best version of themselves.”

alexquigley.co.uk/what-do-we-m...

What do we mean by high expectations? "They can because they think they can." ('Possunt quia posse videntur') Virgil's 'Aeneid' High expectations can be a mysterious thing. Something ineffable. You can understand them when you experien...

🚨 NEW POST 🚨

‘What do we mean by high expectations?’

“If we don't break down high expectations into things we think and do (often as a relentless habit), then it becomes an empty platitude.”

alexquigley.co.uk/what-do-we-m...

Sorry - I’m not understanding? The link font?

Thanks for the lovely feedback!

What do we mean by high expectations? "They can because they think they can." ('Possunt quia posse videntur') Virgil's 'Aeneid' High expectations can be a mysterious thing. Something ineffable. You can understand them when you experien...

🚨 NEW POST 🚨

‘What do we mean by high expectations?’

“If we don't break down high expectations into things we think and do (often as a relentless habit), then it becomes an empty platitude.”

alexquigley.co.uk/what-do-we-m...

Stop Over-Optimizing Everything - The Growth Equation Since the glory days of Babe Ruth, with only a few dips here or there, home runs have been king in baseball. But over the past decade or so, an interesting phenomenon has occurred. Home runs are still...

Whether it is sport, using AI, or school improvement, this challenge to ‘Stop over-optimising everything’ really made me think.

thegrowtheq.com/stop-over-op...

Becky Francis: 5 reflections on the curriculum and assessment review With the curriculum and assessment review due to publish its recommendations ‘very soon’, chair Becky Francis writes exclusively for Tes about what she has learned through the process

Today’s essential read - @beckyfrancis.bsky.social reflects on the curriculum and assessment review ⤵️

www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

👀 New, updated Teachology Masterclass on 'Adaptive teaching' in central London on Friday 21st November. It includes an exclusive short-guide & brand new content. There's also a bonus online twilight on 'Scaffolding to secure success'.

Find out more: www.teachology-education.co.uk/adaptive_tea...

Early years attendance sets the stage for lifelong learning and friendships.

But the latest EPI data is worrying: absence is rising, espec for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Find out how to make a difference in this new EEF blog:

educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/attenda...

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 ...

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‘Scaffolding and PEAL paragraphs’

Have exam boards got it right? PEAL, PEE, PETAL support some students to develop their writing in different subjects, but they may hold back as many students as they help?

alexquigley.co.uk/scaffolding-...

The eye of the storm What can we reasonably expect of teachers?

“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...

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 ...

💡NEW POST 💡

‘Scaffolding and PEAL paragraphs’

Have exam boards got it right? PEAL, PEE, PETAL support some students to develop their writing in different subjects, but they may hold back as many students as they help?

alexquigley.co.uk/scaffolding-...

My formative judgement would be they are no longer overwhelmed by extended writing, hence the gradual remove of PEAL. It is pretty much the point of scaffolding in all learning for all children.

Generalisations that we should leave scaffolds in place in case of emotional distress could disempower teachers from making sensitive, formative judgements about the children they teach. I reckon they may as likely lower expectations rather than support the emotions of students who struggle.