Melissa Colothan
@mrscreadsalot.bsky.social
Mother, Primary Wirral Y5 teacher, KS2 English lead & bookworm, OU TRG leader, UKLA25 book prize judge, runner, coffee-drinker, music-lover.
Currently reading: Jakub's Otter
Currently reading: Jakub's Otter
Pinned
Wirral OU TRG
Teacher’s Reading Group, reading for pleasure recommendations
padlet.com
An intentional work in progress but this is my padlet I've started today for our Wirral OU RfP group that I am adding even more to as extra. Sharing should it be of help for anyone searching for teacher tried & tested book recommendations padlet.com/MrsColothan/...
Adore this! First day back Tuesday sorted. I have a number of not publishable personal resolutions in the manner of these 🫣😉. I want some fun in the classroom to usher in 2026 so this is a great help & prompt from Brian.
Poetry prompt: An idea for the first day back. Write New Year resolutions that you can be absolutely certain you will keep. brian-moses.blogspot.com/2019/12/new-...
January 4, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Adore this! First day back Tuesday sorted. I have a number of not publishable personal resolutions in the manner of these 🫣😉. I want some fun in the classroom to usher in 2026 so this is a great help & prompt from Brian.
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
I am writing. Part 1. The tragedy of hidden schools, in hidden communities
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/03/p...
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/03/p...
Part 1.
My writing, I have decided, will include reflections, thoughts and ideas about education. But, I cannot ignore the situation I am in (see previous writing) and so, I will also be adding bits and pi…
meganjanedixon.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 3:23 PM
I am writing. Part 1. The tragedy of hidden schools, in hidden communities
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/03/p...
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/03/p...
A colleague recommended this on a recent course where the impact of technology on young minds was discussed. This is worth reading from a social media viewpoint. Many UK schools have already adopted phone in pouches etc but parents need to feel able to do more (I do!) supported by big tech & gov.
January 3, 2026 at 1:09 PM
A colleague recommended this on a recent course where the impact of technology on young minds was discussed. This is worth reading from a social media viewpoint. Many UK schools have already adopted phone in pouches etc but parents need to feel able to do more (I do!) supported by big tech & gov.
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
I am writing - here is my first blog of 2026. This year will be the year where I write all those things I promised myself I would write, when I had the time.
Now I have the time.
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/p...
Now I have the time.
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/p...
Pivoting
In November 2024, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. A nasty, sneaky, fast growing type of breast cancer: stage 3, grade 3, locally invasive triple negative breast cancer for those who know about …
meganjanedixon.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 2:12 PM
I am writing - here is my first blog of 2026. This year will be the year where I write all those things I promised myself I would write, when I had the time.
Now I have the time.
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/p...
Now I have the time.
meganjanedixon.co.uk/2026/01/02/p...
Very much looking forward to the National Year of Reading in 2026! I mean, every year is a year of reading for me but anything that gives me the platform to bang on about the importance of reading in schools is always welcome. #nationalyearofreading share.google/Z1zERzIfZiFm...
GO ALL IN | National Year of Reading 2026
The National Year of Reading 2026 invites the UK to rediscover the joy of reading. Whatever you’re into – music, films, food or anything – reading can take your passions further. Join the movement and...
share.google
December 31, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Very much looking forward to the National Year of Reading in 2026! I mean, every year is a year of reading for me but anything that gives me the platform to bang on about the importance of reading in schools is always welcome. #nationalyearofreading share.google/Z1zERzIfZiFm...
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
This from @markgoodrich.bsky.social, is one of the only reasons I've found where I wish I were still on twitter - so I could share it to encourage others to leave
open.substack.com/pub/markgood...
open.substack.com/pub/markgood...
A New Year's Resolution for Teachers: Quit X
The best time to do so was when Musk started poisoning it; the second-best time is now
open.substack.com
December 31, 2025 at 9:31 AM
This from @markgoodrich.bsky.social, is one of the only reasons I've found where I wish I were still on twitter - so I could share it to encourage others to leave
open.substack.com/pub/markgood...
open.substack.com/pub/markgood...
Holidays have allowed me time to really get into this novel. It's a weighty tome and being able to be lost in it has been well worth it. The scope and complexity is mesmerising. It is an absolute standout read of the year.
December 31, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Holidays have allowed me time to really get into this novel. It's a weighty tome and being able to be lost in it has been well worth it. The scope and complexity is mesmerising. It is an absolute standout read of the year.
Our Boxing Day Book Swap tradition continues thanks to the book elf (me 😆).
For Dad: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
For Mum: Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Eldest daughter: Girl (in real life) by Tamsin Winter
Youngest daughter: Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway.
I'm sure I'll read them all!
For Dad: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
For Mum: Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Eldest daughter: Girl (in real life) by Tamsin Winter
Youngest daughter: Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway.
I'm sure I'll read them all!
December 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Our Boxing Day Book Swap tradition continues thanks to the book elf (me 😆).
For Dad: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
For Mum: Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Eldest daughter: Girl (in real life) by Tamsin Winter
Youngest daughter: Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway.
I'm sure I'll read them all!
For Dad: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
For Mum: Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Eldest daughter: Girl (in real life) by Tamsin Winter
Youngest daughter: Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway.
I'm sure I'll read them all!
Loving sharing this with my little one 💕 #advent #littlepeoplebigdreams #readerteacher #readingforpleasure
December 22, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Loving sharing this with my little one 💕 #advent #littlepeoplebigdreams #readerteacher #readingforpleasure
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
‘Schools can contribute, but they cannot carry this alone’: Luke Ramsden of the Schools Consent Project warns about the expectations placed on schools under the government’s new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls
Schools can’t stop violence against girls on their own
Misogyny takes hold beyond the school gates – so it’s essential that the new government strategy does not expect education to solve this social issue alone, writes the Schools Consent Project’s Luke Ramsden
www.tes.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:35 AM
‘Schools can contribute, but they cannot carry this alone’: Luke Ramsden of the Schools Consent Project warns about the expectations placed on schools under the government’s new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
This profit comes from schools. Ofsted and the DFE insist that schools pay vast sums for these products. Yet- schools budgets are decimated.
The DFE has the moral and ethical responsibility to produce a product for schools that they do not have to pay for.
bsky.app/profile/warw...
The DFE has the moral and ethical responsibility to produce a product for schools that they do not have to pay for.
bsky.app/profile/warw...
New: Former headteacher and DfE adviser Ruth Miskin sees her phonics company’s value climb to £19 million
educationuncovered.co.uk/news/former-...
Post-tax profits at Ruth Miskin Literacy, whose sole shareholder is Dame Ruth, have approached £10 million in total over the past four years.
educationuncovered.co.uk/news/former-...
Post-tax profits at Ruth Miskin Literacy, whose sole shareholder is Dame Ruth, have approached £10 million in total over the past four years.
Education Uncovered | News| Former headteacher and DfE adviser Ruth Miskin sees her phonics company’s value climb to £19 million
Post-tax profits at Ruth Miskin Literacy, whose sole shareholder is Dame Ruth, have approached £10 million in the past four years. The company turns 20 years old on Sunday. It plans to invest in an ex...
educationuncovered.co.uk
December 18, 2025 at 4:14 PM
This profit comes from schools. Ofsted and the DFE insist that schools pay vast sums for these products. Yet- schools budgets are decimated.
The DFE has the moral and ethical responsibility to produce a product for schools that they do not have to pay for.
bsky.app/profile/warw...
The DFE has the moral and ethical responsibility to produce a product for schools that they do not have to pay for.
bsky.app/profile/warw...
I've been reading Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors and I really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for a front cover and I love the portrait on the front! The book is captivating as it says underneath though, a story of sisters, addiction, grief and difficult family relationships.
December 18, 2025 at 6:51 PM
I've been reading Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors and I really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for a front cover and I love the portrait on the front! The book is captivating as it says underneath though, a story of sisters, addiction, grief and difficult family relationships.
Afternoon reading as recommend by Ruth Swailes on her Wirral Early Years sessions #eyfs #readerteacher
December 13, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Afternoon reading as recommend by Ruth Swailes on her Wirral Early Years sessions #eyfs #readerteacher
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
The curriculum and assessment review marks a shift in how we understand the term ‘knowledge-rich’ that could have big implications for schools, writes @damsoned.bsky.social
Why the curriculum review’s take on knowledge may change how you teach
The curriculum and assessment review marks a subtle shift in how we understand the term ‘knowledge-rich’ that could have big implications for schools, writes Megan Dixon
www.tes.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:05 AM
The curriculum and assessment review marks a shift in how we understand the term ‘knowledge-rich’ that could have big implications for schools, writes @damsoned.bsky.social
I recently finished Jakub's Otter. Just gorgeous. Lovely story of a young carer learning to carry just a little less on his young shoulders. Wonderful book for building empathy. #readingforpleasure
November 30, 2025 at 10:23 AM
I recently finished Jakub's Otter. Just gorgeous. Lovely story of a young carer learning to carry just a little less on his young shoulders. Wonderful book for building empathy. #readingforpleasure
I've been reading A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke. It's great when you read a book and hear it in your head in the writer's voice. This book was a like a memory trip round my old stomping ground, Angel. Despite living literally round the corner I never seemed to make it to the Old Red, shame.
November 30, 2025 at 10:14 AM
I've been reading A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke. It's great when you read a book and hear it in your head in the writer's voice. This book was a like a memory trip round my old stomping ground, Angel. Despite living literally round the corner I never seemed to make it to the Old Red, shame.
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
A great way to celebrate poetry in schools! The Young Poet Laureate Programme kicks off with the first Young Poets Week during the week of 24th Nov. Free online sessions for KS2/KS3 pupils plus free resources. Thank you @literacy-trust.bsky.social. Info here: literacytrust.org.uk/programmes/y...
Young Poet Laureate | National Literacy Trust
The Young Poet Laureate Programme programme aims to inspire a new generation of young poets, championing young poetic voices and developing children and young people’s literacy, creativity and confide...
literacytrust.org.uk
October 30, 2025 at 10:48 AM
A great way to celebrate poetry in schools! The Young Poet Laureate Programme kicks off with the first Young Poets Week during the week of 24th Nov. Free online sessions for KS2/KS3 pupils plus free resources. Thank you @literacy-trust.bsky.social. Info here: literacytrust.org.uk/programmes/y...
Orbital has been sat in my TBR for a while. I bought it for my husband and it just didn't click for him so I didn't rush to read it. But for me, it clicked. I thought it was heavenly, ethereal and intensely calming.
October 30, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Orbital has been sat in my TBR for a while. I bought it for my husband and it just didn't click for him so I didn't rush to read it. But for me, it clicked. I thought it was heavenly, ethereal and intensely calming.
These would make such a brilliant writing stimulus for a story setting. Detailed images of the insides of musical instruments. #writingforpleasure
www.instagram.com/p/DQT-IMGiE9...
www.instagram.com/p/DQT-IMGiE9...
October 29, 2025 at 5:38 PM
These would make such a brilliant writing stimulus for a story setting. Detailed images of the insides of musical instruments. #writingforpleasure
www.instagram.com/p/DQT-IMGiE9...
www.instagram.com/p/DQT-IMGiE9...
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
The last four weeks have been a shocking and often infuriating insight into how Government failed so many children during a national time of crisis.
www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...
www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...
October 27, 2025 at 10:23 AM
The last four weeks have been a shocking and often infuriating insight into how Government failed so many children during a national time of crisis.
www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...
www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...
Reposted by Melissa Colothan
🚨 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...
‘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...
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...
alexquigley.co.uk
October 25, 2025 at 8:47 AM
🚨 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...
‘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...
One of my TAs is enjoying reading the books I have in my room. In return she loaned me The Lotterys Plus One. I enjoyed it so much & loved this diverse family. Families aren't perfect but we can learn a lot about each other's differences from The Lotterys. I'd like to live in their house please!
October 24, 2025 at 10:11 AM
One of my TAs is enjoying reading the books I have in my room. In return she loaned me The Lotterys Plus One. I enjoyed it so much & loved this diverse family. Families aren't perfect but we can learn a lot about each other's differences from The Lotterys. I'd like to live in their house please!
The two most amazing people have joined my class on supply working as TAs.They painted this brilliant bookshelf for the bottom of our new reading display. I can't begin to describe how transformative they've been with their 1:1 children. Some people are golden. I hope we can keep them in school 🙏
October 24, 2025 at 10:03 AM
The two most amazing people have joined my class on supply working as TAs.They painted this brilliant bookshelf for the bottom of our new reading display. I can't begin to describe how transformative they've been with their 1:1 children. Some people are golden. I hope we can keep them in school 🙏
This is fairly simple & easy to grasp. Children develop at different rates. They also go through physical, cognitive & emotional developmental stages at particular ages.Not all children in a school year group are at the same stage at the same time. Why does the DfE & government not understand this?
So much to say about the 90% phonics target. Most of it is about the ridiculousness of it.
We have been 90% and 92% the last two years before that with a very SEND heavy year 1 we were 70%, before that we were 84%. Nothing to do with teaching and everything to do with cohort…
We have been 90% and 92% the last two years before that with a very SEND heavy year 1 we were 70%, before that we were 84%. Nothing to do with teaching and everything to do with cohort…
October 17, 2025 at 6:51 AM
This is fairly simple & easy to grasp. Children develop at different rates. They also go through physical, cognitive & emotional developmental stages at particular ages.Not all children in a school year group are at the same stage at the same time. Why does the DfE & government not understand this?
I've been enjoying Anzu and the Realm of Darkness. It has gone straight to the top spot of most in-demand books in class! #readingforpleasure
October 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
I've been enjoying Anzu and the Realm of Darkness. It has gone straight to the top spot of most in-demand books in class! #readingforpleasure