Jonathan Mountstevens
@mrmountstevens.bsky.social
Deputy Head, History Teacher and Chartered Teacher Programme Lead. Mostly here to discuss curriculum, assessment, school leadership and history. Views my own.
Blog: https://occamshairdryer.wordpress.com
Blog: https://occamshairdryer.wordpress.com
I get really irritated by the labelling of these subjects as the ‘creative’ ones because it ignores the huge non-creative element that goes into success in any of them while also overlooking the creativity inherent in many other subjects. History, for example, obviously requires lots of creativity.
November 9, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I get really irritated by the labelling of these subjects as the ‘creative’ ones because it ignores the huge non-creative element that goes into success in any of them while also overlooking the creativity inherent in many other subjects. History, for example, obviously requires lots of creativity.
Pleased with this question. Harnessing students’ reading of historical scholarship to enable them to be critical of the exam board specification.
November 9, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Pleased with this question. Harnessing students’ reading of historical scholarship to enable them to be critical of the exam board specification.
Been a good half-term for baking.
November 2, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Been a good half-term for baking.
One of my students a few years ago found this old book in a charity shop and gave it to me and I love it so much. I wish maps, graphs and things still looked beautiful like this.
October 24, 2025 at 12:24 PM
One of my students a few years ago found this old book in a charity shop and gave it to me and I love it so much. I wish maps, graphs and things still looked beautiful like this.
Cracking article from @citoyenneclaire.bsky.social and @jcarrollhistory.bsky.social in latest Teaching History. Couldn’t be more timely for me as I’ve been consciously writing and using stories much more with my A Level students. Plenty here both to encourage and to challenge me.
September 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Cracking article from @citoyenneclaire.bsky.social and @jcarrollhistory.bsky.social in latest Teaching History. Couldn’t be more timely for me as I’ve been consciously writing and using stories much more with my A Level students. Plenty here both to encourage and to challenge me.
Gender split on Sir/Miss in these @teachertapp.bsky.social results would be interesting.
September 15, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Gender split on Sir/Miss in these @teachertapp.bsky.social results would be interesting.
And the Lord promised never to get us wet at the Yr 7 BBQ again.
September 13, 2025 at 5:05 PM
And the Lord promised never to get us wet at the Yr 7 BBQ again.
Uh oh, looks like I’ve foolishly decided to write a story for my Yr 12s this evening.
September 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Uh oh, looks like I’ve foolishly decided to write a story for my Yr 12s this evening.
I am quite envious of Lord Mansfield’s library steps, which can be folded up into a table.
August 30, 2025 at 2:30 PM
I am quite envious of Lord Mansfield’s library steps, which can be folded up into a table.
I think my favourite thing about Boney M at Goatfest today was the bemused expressions on all the teenagers’ faces at the levels of excitement generated amongst people of a less youthful generation by Ra Ra Rasputin.
August 23, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I think my favourite thing about Boney M at Goatfest today was the bemused expressions on all the teenagers’ faces at the levels of excitement generated amongst people of a less youthful generation by Ra Ra Rasputin.
Interesting collection of characters on George Bernard Shaw’s mantelpiece.
August 16, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Interesting collection of characters on George Bernard Shaw’s mantelpiece.
I’ve nothing against the subjects doing well and I understand the power of earnings prospects in A Level choices, but this graph saddens me and it feels like we have a job to do as schools to communicate the value of the subjects in blue and as a society to learn it. www.bbc.com/news/article...
August 14, 2025 at 8:10 PM
I’ve nothing against the subjects doing well and I understand the power of earnings prospects in A Level choices, but this graph saddens me and it feels like we have a job to do as schools to communicate the value of the subjects in blue and as a society to learn it. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Finally made it back to Stevenage and ended up on the same planter where we started, but collapsing this time because we’re substantially more tired. More than worth it though! Fab holiday!
August 11, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Finally made it back to Stevenage and ended up on the same planter where we started, but collapsing this time because we’re substantially more tired. More than worth it though! Fab holiday!
Went for King’s Cross rather than St Pancras to represent being back in Blighty because we thought we needed to hurry for a train, but ‘cor blimey there’s a points failure and everything’s delayed or cancelled. And it’s raining.
August 11, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Went for King’s Cross rather than St Pancras to represent being back in Blighty because we thought we needed to hurry for a train, but ‘cor blimey there’s a points failure and everything’s delayed or cancelled. And it’s raining.
Crossing Paris. Not too much further to go now.
August 11, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Crossing Paris. Not too much further to go now.
All lovely holidays must come to an end and it’s homeward bound for us from Zürich Hauptbahnhof.
August 11, 2025 at 9:42 AM
All lovely holidays must come to an end and it’s homeward bound for us from Zürich Hauptbahnhof.
Tram rather than train on final day of holiday. Off to Zürich Zoo for another day with friends.
August 10, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Tram rather than train on final day of holiday. Off to Zürich Zoo for another day with friends.
Heading back to Zürich now from Rapperswil after a lovely meal out.
August 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Heading back to Zürich now from Rapperswil after a lovely meal out.
Been on a fab trip via Swiss public transport to go for a beautiful mountain hike with friends and grill sausages over a fire pit. Didn’t have time to take selfies at all the railway stations but here’s a shot of where the bus dropped us off for the hike to make up for it (friends included).
August 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Been on a fab trip via Swiss public transport to go for a beautiful mountain hike with friends and grill sausages over a fire pit. Didn’t have time to take selfies at all the railway stations but here’s a shot of where the bus dropped us off for the hike to make up for it (friends included).
Arriving at Zürich Hauptbahnhof for a final weekend of the holiday to spend time with friends who live around here.
August 8, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Arriving at Zürich Hauptbahnhof for a final weekend of the holiday to spend time with friends who live around here.
Worth going through on the train even if only to get the text to add to the collection of different countries.
August 8, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Worth going through on the train even if only to get the text to add to the collection of different countries.
Departing from Uderns im Zillertal and saying goodbye to Austria after a wonderful week.
August 8, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Departing from Uderns im Zillertal and saying goodbye to Austria after a wonderful week.
Went to Zell am Ziller for our final day in the Austrian Alps. Bit of a station in development, this one, but the crazy angles we’re leaning at on the gravel do justice to how tired we feel after a steep walk on a warm day with a brisk swim in a very cold lake at the end of it.
August 7, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Went to Zell am Ziller for our final day in the Austrian Alps. Bit of a station in development, this one, but the crazy angles we’re leaning at on the gravel do justice to how tired we feel after a steep walk on a warm day with a brisk swim in a very cold lake at the end of it.
In fact the birthday trip involved a train, a cable car, a walk (with a mid-point break at a restaurant with a view), another cable car, a second walk, a bus and another train, so no shortage of public transport.
August 6, 2025 at 4:23 PM
In fact the birthday trip involved a train, a cable car, a walk (with a mid-point break at a restaurant with a view), another cable car, a second walk, a bus and another train, so no shortage of public transport.