It was great to kick off our ESSA study with The McREL Institute today. Looking forwards to working with you guys 😁

A fantastic and inspirational talk from EdShed CEO Dr. Martin Saunders about how to effectively teach phonics and how to use stories, songs and actions to enhance children's ability to retain learning. Today is the last day to visit the EdShed team at #gessdubai Stand P44

EdShed Co-founder & CEO, Martin Saunders, will be speaking at #Bett2023 Bett Global If you are attending and would like to meet one of our team for a coffee and a chat, please DM us or email [email protected]  #BettUK #Bett23 #BestBettEver

On the #WorldBookDay, i celebrate the enduring magic of books with this experimental short video created with AI. Words transformed into video! That speaks a lot about the power of words! Made using Runway ML Gen-2 video #Gen2 from Runway and #midjourney

Year 5 are using Spelling Shed 🐝🌈 to help them learn some ambitious vocabulary to use in their writing. #MWCPWrite #MWCPSpell 🐝

"We haven't got time in schools - our school system doesn't give the time to teach spelling and phonics properly" Martin Saunders Spelling Shed 🐝🌈 Teachers Talk Radio x.com/i/spaces/1rmxP…

An enormous thank you to @redgierob & Martin Saunders from Spelling Shed 🐝🌈 for joining me this evening on the Teachers Talk Radio Late Show. It was a delight to chat with you. Thank you for all your insights into the wonderful world of spelling!

We are proud to support so many schools using different validated schemes. If schools would like advice choosing a scheme right for your setting and funding, then please complete one of our self referral forms wensumtrust.org.uk/wensumenglishh… #phonics #funding #reading #schools

Foundational Literacy instruction in England: Government education departments never tested Playing With Sounds, Progression in Phonics, Early Literacy Support, Letters and Sounds - and now the DfE has promoted Little Wandle which is apparently in 5,000 schools - untested.

New: Small multi-academy trust gains £4.6 million in a single year from phonics product educationuncovered.co.uk/news/170096/sm… Piece on the Wandle Learning Trust, which has received £8m in three years from the Little Wandle programme it developed with Little Sutton primary school.

What I don’t understand is how a product that is just three years old commands so much trust and confidence, let alone cash. At least RWI has time in its side.

Exclusive, I think: Phonics providers alleging “favouritism” in DfE training contract award – with government pledging to investigate cases of hubs pressurising schools towards particular products educationuncovered.co.uk/news/170631/ph…

New: DfE refuses to release the names of people sitting on body advising it on £100m phonics policy – arguing that they would have expected their identities to be kept secret educationuncovered.co.uk/news/170896/df…

The thing I struggle with is how the DfE has managed these potential conflicts of interest. If the same people are planning a tender as applying for it, how are they “avoiding prior knowledge” as the public sector procurement regulations require? Should be transparent at least.

Hey Mercury you have locked our account despite your compliance people saying you wouldn’t. You take days to respond yet give very little extra to address issues. You have a bunch of our money, I’ve forwarded documents and need the account reactivated immediately if not before.

Although the DfE have refused, under FOI, to reveal the names of those sitting on its English Hubs Council, which provides advice on the £100m English Hubs initiative, it is clear from public statements that five people with links to Little Wandle have served there.

Exclusive: A “closed shop”? Phonics advisory group to Department for Education dominated by individuals linked to products offered by just two companies educationuncovered.co.uk/news/171666/a-… DfE finally reveals names of people on its English Hubs Council, following my FOI challenge.

This is scandalous really. English hubs advise on (and sometimes allegedly force) adoption of phonics schemes. The body behind these has a huge majority of people from two products, which then become adopted by the vast majority of schools, making Collins & OUP what, £50m or so?

New: Individuals linked to companies which won contracts to support DfE’s English Hubs initiative continued to serve on its overarching council – despite government document warnings on potential conflicts of interest educationuncovered.co.uk/news/171841/in…