Recap: a) “The whole structure of the two GCSE English subjects needs a re-think, to re-examine their shared & different purposes,” says ⁦Barbara Bleiman 🎓 Education is Conversation⁩ ⁦Schools Week⁩. b) Our podcast conversation on oracy & English: open.spotify.com/episode/64seQ6… schoolsweek.co.uk/what-should-be…

Just done a final page-turn to check Sept emagazine before it goes off to print. Always a nerve-wracking moment - is there a glaring typo we've missed? But it is looking lovely & is packed with great pieces! Do consider subscribing if you haven't already! englishandmedia.co.uk/emc-magazines/

Always a pleasure to proof MediaMagazine . I’ve had Ghost Town stuck in my head all day

On 'relevance': I remember, the first time I taught Shakespeare, encountering the line from Macbeth: "I am in blood / Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er" (III.4.136–8). ...

Delighted to have my piece on the Government's review of the curriculum included in The Conversation's response to the King's speech theconversation.com/kings-speech-2…

Here's something we're hoping to explore with some of our Associate Teachers: once students start studying age-appropriate accessible texts the quality of their work goes up #LowThresholdHighCeiling

EMC CPD Online: Beyond the Critical Essay – Improving Writing KS3-KS5 (8.10.24) "Interesting and inspiring. Looking forward to developing a more natural & purposeful approach to writing." Book your place by 8.00am on 4 Oct tinyurl.com/mr2bxjpf Barbara Bleiman 🎓 Education is Conversation Andrew McCallum

Really important to challenge this. It went hand-in-hand with the idea that 'all that matters is kids learn to read' even if the experience is terrible. No! Teachers know how to develop reading AND cultivate enjoyment of reading. Policy + perception needs to catch up with this

Promising noises from the new government about creativity. Here's to remembering that English is a creative subject too! The word crops up a few times in the CEF Manifesto for English NATE English Association CLPE Robert Eaglestone Barbara Bleiman 🎓 Education is Conversation James Durran englishandmedia.co.uk/blog/common-en…

A group of 10 organisations involved in English education – EY, primary, secondary, university & ITT – has published this Manifesto with our shared concerns & ideas for change. Please read Prof Becky Francis Bridget Phillipson. We'd welcome being involved in the process of reform.

This was such a lovely day. Fabulous discussions with inspiring teachers. We're really looking forward to working with everyone next year

NATE CLPE naaeorguk English Association and #CommonEnglishForum have produced an important #ManifestoforEnglish englishassociation.ac.uk/a-manifesto-fo… - listen to my discussion about it with Barbara Bleiman 🎓 Education is Conversation and Charlotte Hacking here films.myattandco.com/programs/a-man… (£ free trial)

Beyond cog. load theory: 'In conversation we can hold thoughts + reflect on problems sometimes for hours on end. This is why so often, even if we're trying to figure something out by ourselves, we imagine arguing with or explaining it to someone else.' uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-da…