Dr Nigel Newton
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drnnewton.bsky.social
Dr Nigel Newton
@drnnewton.bsky.social
🔍 Education researcher
🖊 Writer
📚 Teacher
💡 Innovator

• Academic at Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Equity & inclusion, Curriculum & knowledge, Values & school culture, Transitions & student journeys

See www.options-ed.co.uk
Our important study on how CfW is supporting equity and inclusion has been published by the Welsh Government. The research highlights the EI work being done across Welsh schools, the challenges they face & key tensions which will need to overcome.
www.gov.wales/equity-and-i...
Equity and inclusion in the Curriculum for Wales: a qualitative study | GOV.WALES
This report presents findings from qualitative research with senior leaders and practitioners exploring the theme of equity and inclusion in the Curriculum for Wales.
www.gov.wales
July 18, 2025 at 6:30 PM
It's one thing to measure grit or growth mindset in psychological studies, another to operationalise insights that actually benefit individuals in the complex contexts of their lives.

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
Children to be taught to show some ‘grit’
Pupils need more robust mental health, say ministers in drive to tackle worklessness crisis
www.telegraph.co.uk
May 16, 2025 at 7:52 AM
I went to the supermarket on my bike this morning. As I was leaving a group of 3 teenage boys, I approached: Excuse me, sir, would you like an ice-cream? We bought a box of 4 and have 1 over."
We need to worry about misogyny & violence influencing boys. But let's never be quick to judge either.
April 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM
In business, parties seek maximum advantage with minimal obligation. Even complex deals remain limited in scope. Diplomacy, however, is different. Its consequences are unpredictable, and unintended fallout is often severe. (1/10)
#ovalofficmugging #presidentTrump #VPJDVance #presidentZelensky
March 1, 2025 at 4:46 PM
This is the grim face of capital manifest in political power. Trump isn't interested in anything but how money can be made from Ukraine's situation. Money for the elites. All Western governments have been complicit in this kind of thing, just not as explicitly.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
Trump tells Zelensky 'make a deal or we're out' in angry White House meeting - follow live
A joint news conference is cancelled after the US president calls his Ukrainian counterpart
www.bbc.co.uk
February 28, 2025 at 7:14 PM
If the English national curriculum is going to change, please can we make sure kids learn to critically evaluate the promises of politicians, understand how capital operates to exploit workers & be empowered to participate fully in all aspects of civil society. Otherwise, what's the point.
February 27, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Thoughtful review of my book in the British Journal of Educational Studies:
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/ZDE8R...
Values, Relationships and Engagement in Quaker Education: Student Perspectives on Inclusive School Cultures
Published in British Journal of Educational Studies (Ahead of Print, 2025)
www.tandfonline.com
February 5, 2025 at 5:01 PM
In education, it’s rarely the mechanisms or processes adopted that cause positive outcomes; rather, it’s the negative aspects they prevent and the process's unintended effects on relational learning dynamics that bring benefits. That often unravels when processes become hard-baked into systems.
January 26, 2025 at 4:29 PM
The US artist Georgia O'Keefe said: Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous.
Interest is a forgotten aspect of learning, but it's essential. It builds commitment, without which we can't effectively engage with knowledge.
January 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I'm working with 2 FE colleges in Wales on the development of a new application to support transitions into post-16 ed. We're focused on building students' learning dispositions, while also generating timely data to improve the support colleges provide, especially to yp affected by poverty.
January 10, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I'm currently writing up research commissioned by Welsh Gov on the way schools are enacting CfW to support equity & inclusion. This qualitative research has provided valuable insights into how schools are curriculum making & perceive their role in tackling inequalities in education.
January 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Important research which highlights the significance of values within primary school contexts & their role in fostering a sense of belonging.
Short animated video clip presenting findings from our recent research project!
A short video detailing some of our key findings from the 'Becoming Citizens of 'Post-Secular Britain: Religion in Primary School Life' project with @annastrhan.bsky.social @drpeterjhemming.bsky.social and Sarah Neal.
youtu.be/YYO31AZiN3A?...
January 10, 2025 at 4:09 PM
My book provides evidence for the importance of values such as mutual respect & equality to how pupils engage with learning opportunities provided in schools.
There are important insights here about knowledge & curricula applicable across all learning contexts.
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Values, Relationships and Engagement in Quaker Education
This book draws its research from the Quaker schools in England to state that values matter more to learning than is often acknowledged.
link.springer.com
January 10, 2025 at 10:38 AM