Claire Ridsdale
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claireridsdale.bsky.social
Claire Ridsdale
@claireridsdale.bsky.social
📖 Proud Head of English for @leaftrust.bsky.social 🌿
📖LA Lead Moderator. Compulsive buyer of children's books and picture book fiend! 📚 All views my own.
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After 400+ hours, they're finished! ☺️ @leaftrust.bsky.social's suite of #WritingExemplification materials for Y1-Y5, showing the journey to EXS from September-July for pupils reaching the lower end of the standard. Feel free to get in touch if you're interested in buying for your school.
After 400+ hours, they're finished! ☺️ @leaftrust.bsky.social's suite of #WritingExemplification materials for Y1-Y5, showing the journey to EXS from September-July for pupils reaching the lower end of the standard. Feel free to get in touch if you're interested in buying for your school.
April 3, 2025 at 6:21 AM
I'm so proud of the @leaftrust.bsky.social moderation team. They ran all of the Y1-Y6 moderation sessions last week using our new exemplification materials; supported 140 teachers & had amazing feedback. 👏 There's a real buzz about writing across the Trust. It's so exciting seeing it develop.☺️
April 3, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Oh wow, well done #TeamBlackhorse. Your poetry recitals for the #LeafLiteratureFestival are brilliant! @brianbilston.bsky.social you'd be impressed! 👏👏👏
March 13, 2025 at 3:09 PM
THANK YOU so much to the wonderful @ianeagletonauthor.bsky.social for his brilliant session with @leaftrust.bsky.social's Reception & KS1 children this afternoon. We loved it...and the sea creature sign language! 🧜‍♂️⛈️🧜‍♂️
March 7, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
@leaftrust.bsky.social are a fantastic group of schools! I know you'll be welcomed and well looked after. 🍃Hope you've been able to share Glitter Boy as much as Nen - both brilliant! 🌈🎣
March 5, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Congratulations! 👏 So excited about your headline session at our @leaftrust.bsky.social #LiteratureFestival on Friday!! 😁📚🌈
According to @penamerica.bsky.social, 64% of banned picture books feature #LGBTQ characters and stories, so receiving a Kirkus Star for our gay fairy tale feels pretty radical and special.
@mrjamesmayhew.bsky.social @owletpress.bsky.social
#KidLit #BookSky #EduSky
March 4, 2025 at 10:37 AM
What a great start to our #LiteratureFestival this morning. Over 4000 children in our launch assembly; bookmark & story competition winners announced; winning stories read aloud and a host of exciting reading events shared. It's going to be a fun-packed couple of weeks! @leaftrust.bsky.social #RfP
March 3, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
I’ve been busy with my second newsletter MARCH edition!! And if you want to get inside the mind of this children’s author I can promise lots of child/ teacher/ librarian friendly content as well as the chance to win a signed hot off the press copy of PULOMA AND THE BEAR!! www.jasbinderbilan.co.uk
February 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
The longlist for #KlausFluggePrize 2025 is here! This is the 10th year of the prize which recognises the most promising & exciting newcomers to picturebook illustration. Congratulations to the 15 talented illustrators on the list 🎨 💐 #Illustration #Picturebooks
https://buff.ly/4h3zdgZ
February 19, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Hope @wshed.bsky.social is getting a slice of this! 🤞
The government announces a £270m 'Arts Everywhere' fund to support hundreds of arts venues, museums, libraries & heritage buildings.

The funding will help keep important cultural venues & buildings open, support hundreds of jobs, enable important upgrades, & run educational events for young people.
Major investment to boost growth and cement Britain’s place as cultural powerhouse
Over £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund for arts venues, museums, libraries and the heritage sector in major boost for growth
www.gov.uk
February 20, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
Parents! If your kid wants to be Loki for World Book day I'm putting together a newsletter next week with simple costume tips. If you're not signed up yet, please do! There will be WBD activity ideas too. louiestowell.substack.com #KidLitUK
The Louie Stowell Newsletter | Substack
News, books and nonsense. Click to read The Louie Stowell Newsletter, a Substack publication.
louiestowell.substack.com
February 20, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
Fancy some half term arty fun? Well, THIS FRIDAY at 10am I'll be posting a brand new episode of #DrawWithRob in which I'll show you how to draw a very cute... OTTER 🦦! See you by the riverbank...
February 19, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
As an author, I think it’s VERY important to give back to the community and support other writers and illustrators. I’m doing lots of picture book recommendations on my Tik Tok (@ianeagletonauthor) channel if you’re interested!
#KidLit #BookSky #PrimaryEduSky @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social
February 20, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Another very successful jaunt to @bookhaus.bsky.social this afternoon...🤗
February 16, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Year 1 ✔️
Year 3✔️
Year 4✔️
Year 5✔️
Year 2...started at last! Looking like we'll be ready to send to the printers after half term! ☺️ @leaftrust.bsky.social #Writing #Assesment #Exemplification
February 12, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
Congratulations 🎉 in particular some of my favourites #Carnagies25
I Am Wolf @alastairc.com 👏🏻
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow 👏🏻
Island of Whispers by @franceshardinge.bsky.social 👏🏻
The Wild by Yuval Zimmer 👏🏻
The #Carnegies25 longlists are announced 💥 From 119 nominations the librarian judges have selected 35 to longlist, 19 titles for the Carnegie Medal for #Writing & 16 for the Carnegie Medal for #Illustration. Is your favourite on these lists? #KidLitUK https://buff.ly/3CJMtsU
February 12, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
Spent a lot of yesterday talking with children and helping them find the right book.

We talked about what they liked, we laughed, we got excited about books they loved, we explored the library.

I believe every child is a reader they just have to find their right book.
February 12, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
We only have limited #SparkReading packs available for secondary schools - don't miss out!

They include all these brilliant books - and you'll get six copies of the group reading titles to support fun reading experiences.

Find out more 👇

www.booktrust.org.uk/spark-readin...
February 12, 2025 at 8:45 AM
It's arrived!!! 🎉🤗🥳 That's my reading for the next week or so sorted! Thanks @suchmo83.bsky.social!
January 27, 2025 at 2:12 PM
I took a bit of an unintended Bluesky hiatus over xmas (the time just seemed to disappear!) but look what Santa brought me! I fear he's going to have to bring more bookshelves next year! 🙈😂
January 20, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
If anyone's looking for picturebook recommendations and wisdom, my go-to people are @mattobin.bsky.social @marygtroche.bsky.social @smithsmm.bsky.social and @karlduke8.bsky.social. They're a combined fountain of knowledge so make so you're following them. #edusky #primaryedusky
January 19, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Absolutely!! ☺️
As I’m no longer on Twitter I’m wondering if there’s enough interest in me posting my curriculum book lists on here? Very happy to do so. #EduSky
January 20, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
The amazing @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social interviewed @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social and me for the latest issue- we talked about writing Beyond the Secret Garden.

booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/movi...
January 16, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
My favourite children's book of the year: SAFIYYAH'S WAR by Hiba Noor Khan. Absolutely beautiful & brilliant; every school & library should have a copy. To which end, I am giving away FREE COPIES TO SCHOOLS & LIBRARIES! Repost & follow to enter; closes 25th Jan 2025!
#BooksOfTheYear #books #giveaway
December 20, 2024 at 10:02 PM
Reposted by Claire Ridsdale
📣Upcoming Literacy Competitions📣

Challenges can inspire children and get them involved with literacy outside of the classroom... and they also offer some amazing prizes!

Find out more about two upcoming competitions run by the National Literacy Trust! (links below🔗)

#PrimaryEnglish #EduSkyPrimary
January 17, 2025 at 1:24 PM