Joe Stammers

Joe Stammers

@mrstammers.bsky.social

Assistant Head of T&L across 2 schools Lead Primary Practitioner of T&L for NPCAT ITT & ECT Mentor NPQSL Beginner blogger : https://mrstammers.wordpress.com/

309 followers351 following71 posts

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Unlocking automaticity: Just 6 minutes of daily spelling to support writing If you’ve ever watched a young writer freeze up mid-sentence, chances are it wasn’t because they ran out of ideas. More often than not, they hit a cognitive roadblock, and this could be over basic transcription mechanics.…

mrstammers.wordpress.comUnlocking automaticity: Just 6 minutes of daily spelling to support writingIf you’ve ever watched a young writer freeze up mid-sentence, chances are it wasn’t because they ran out of ideas. More often than not, they hit a cognitive roadblock, and this could be over basic transcription mechanics. When a pupil has to stop and burn precious mental energy asking themselves, "Is it 'i before e'?" or "Does 'necessary' have one 'c' or two?"
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

It’s that time of year again, so thought I’d share this blog from a couple of years ago… please enjoy it, like, comment and share ☺️ mrstammers.wordpress.com/2024/09/02/s... #ECT #Teacher #education #FirstDayofSchool #NewClass #primaryschool #secondaryschool

mrstammers.wordpress.comShould we smile before Christmas?Am I good enough? How can I make an impact off the bat? What if they don’t listen to me? What if I get it wrong? What if I confuse them? These are questions that ECTs have asked me recently. …

Joe Stammers reposted

Steplab
@steplab.bsky.social

🎉 Steplab Summer Reads - Giveaway #2 Win: 📖 Symbiosis by Claire Hill & Kat Howard 📚 Steplab whitepapers 💧 Steplab water bottle 🖊️ Notepad & pen To enter: 1️⃣ Follow us 2️⃣ Like this post 3️⃣ Repost Enter by 9:00am Friday 31 July. Winner announced the same day. Good luck!

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

New blog! 📚 I’m reflecting on @suecowley.bsky.social ‘s excellent Festival of education session on adaptive teaching, sharing key takeaways and practical ideas to support all learners… Read it here: mrstammers.wordpress.com/2026/07/23/f... #AdaptiveTeaching #Education #FestivalOfEducation

mrstammers.wordpress.comFestival of Education: Adaptive Teaching with Sue CowleyThe tasks a teacher should undertake Sue Cowley’s session on adaptive teaching was immense. Before I even get to the content, I have to mention Sue herself. She spoke with such warmth, humili…
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Festival of Education: Adaptive Teaching with Sue Cowley The tasks a teacher should undertake Sue Cowley's session on adaptive teaching was immense. Before I even get to the content, I have to mention Sue herself. She spoke with such warmth, humility and humour that the session felt more like a…

mrstammers.wordpress.comFestival of Education: Adaptive Teaching with Sue CowleyThe tasks a teacher should undertake Sue Cowley's session on adaptive teaching was immense. Before I even get to the content, I have to mention Sue herself. She spoke with such warmth, humility and humour that the session felt more like a conversation than a lecture. Having taught across all age phases (and still spending time in classrooms), everything she shared was authentic and rooted in real experience.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

🚨 Please take a look at more reflections from the Festival of Education @educationscape.bsky.social 🚨 🤔 This one made me think, but not come away with answers. I’m still grappling, but here are my thoughts. 🙏 appreciate comments, likes, shares and RT mrstammers.wordpress.com/2026/07/15/t...

mrstammers.wordpress.comThe Festival of Education:The Serious Business of Play I wanted to get these musings out by the start of the week, but Mrs and Mr OfSted put that on pause! So one of the sessions that really challenged my thinking at the Fe…
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Still thinking about 1 idea from the @educationscape.bsky.social Festival of Education @amarbeersinghg.bsky.social in the @evidencebased.education tent Performance isn't learning. I've captured a few reflections here: mrstammers.wordpress.com/2026/07/09/w... #EduFest #Teaching #Learning #edublog

mrstammers.wordpress.comFestival of Education: What I’m Still Thinking About… Performance Isn’t LearningThere are always sessions at the Festival of Education that leave you with pages of notes. Then there are the ones that quietly reshape how you think about something you’ve taken for granted …
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

What I'm Still Thinking About… Performance Isn't Learning

mrstammers.wordpress.comWhat I’m Still Thinking About… Performance Isn’t LearningThere are always sessions at the Festival of Education that leave you with pages of notes. Then there are the ones that quietly reshape how you think about something you've taken for granted for years. For me, one of those sessions was Amarbeer Singh Gill's Why are students so bad at learning? The title is deliberately provocative, but as the session unfolded, it became clear that the real question wasn't about students at all.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

👀 My reflections on @mradamkohlbeck.bsky.social session at the Festival of Education; how simple mental models can turn inspiration into better decisions, coaching and practice. mrstammers.wordpress.com/2026/07/07/f... @educationscape.bsky.social @evidencebased.education @aqaeducation.bsky.social

mrstammers.wordpress.comFestival of Education 2026What I’m Still Thinking About… Teacher Decision-Making There are always sessions at the Festival of Education that leave you with pages of notes. Then there are the ones that leave you …
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Festival of Education 2026

mrstammers.wordpress.comFestival of Education 2026What I'm Still Thinking About... Teacher Decision-Making There are always sessions at the Festival of Education that leave you with pages of notes. Then there are the ones that leave you with a single idea that refuses to go away. The talk was in the Big Orange Tent, hosted by Evidence Based Education For me, one of those ideas came from Adam Kholbeck's sessions on adaptive expertise.

Joe Stammers reposted

Evidence Based Education
@evidencebased.education

Replying to @evidencebased.education

✍️ Friday 3 July sessions: 1. Leading a Metacognitive Setting with Nathan Burns 2. Confidence in the Classroom: Adaptive Teaching Essentials with Linzi Smithies and Judith Copeland 3. Less is more: designing classrooms that think clearly with Joe Stammers @mrstammers.bsky.social

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Delighted to be at the Festival of Education this July. I’ll be exploring how the environments we create in classrooms shape the way students learn, participate and feel they belong. Looking forward to the conversations and shared thinking. #FestivalOfEducation #Education #Teaching

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Y1 Writing networking event across NPCAT connected the writing framework, National Curriculum & Inspection Toolkit.Rich discussions on curriculum alignment, handwriting, spelling and assessment.🙌Great to share best practice across schools. #Education #PrimaryEducation #Writing #UKEducation #Literacy

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Great to facilitate our second Coaching Community at St Alphonsus RC Primary,Middlesbrough to secondary schools. Exploring Oracy across phases; learning walks, pupil debate and rich dialogue in action fuelled an afternoon of collaboration and talk #Oracy #Education #Collaboration #EdLeaders

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Before the finish line: what you’ve built

mrstammers.wordpress.comBefore the finish line: what you’ve builtIt’s Summer. Do you feel it? ☀️ The summer term is officially here. Between the assessments and the busy corridors, there’s a quiet sense of readiness in our schools that wasn’t there in September. It’s not always "neat," and it doesn’t always show up on a spreadsheet, but the shifts are there: Routines that now feel normal. Students who are finally finding their feet. A sense of belonging that took months to build. The journey matters. Before the final rush takes over, take a moment to notice just how far your students - and you - have come. You’ve had a hand in every bit of that progress. Good luck for the weeks ahead! ☕️ #EduTwitter #SchoolLeadership #TeachingAndLearning #PrimaryEducation #SecondaryEducation #TeacherReflections #EdChat #FormativeAssessment #TeachersOfLinkedIn
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

The "Quick Fix" PD culture is failing teachers. 📉 Stop expecting 1-pagers miracles. Growth happens in the Coaching Cycle: Research, Practice and Sustained Support. 🪴➡️🌳 Move from "overwhelmed" to "expert." Read the full post: mrstammers.wordpress.com/2026/03/29/i... #EduSky #CPD #Teaching

mrstammers.wordpress.comIf Your PD Fits on a Page, It’s Probably Not Good EnoughJenny Webb (@funkypedagogy) has got me thinking deeply about PD. There’s some myths in schools that improvement comes primarily from curriculum design, accountability structures or the latest initi…
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Stop juggling cognitive load! 🤹‍♂️ Writing is hard; talking is the bridge. Oral rehearsal reduces pressure on working memory for primary writers. Featuring a Year 6 case study where "talking the sentence" transformed writing quality and home conversation. mrstammers.wordpress.com/2026/03/10/t...

mrstammers.wordpress.comTalk First, Write SecondI’ve been inspired by a visit to a school in North Yorkshire. Working with some leaders we were discussing sentence composition, and they said “Think it. Say it. Write it. Read it.” So I got thinki…
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Talk First, Write Second

mrstammers.wordpress.comTalk First, Write SecondI’ve been inspired by a visit to a school in North Yorkshire. Working with some leaders we were discussing sentence composition, and they said “Think it. Say it. Write it. Read it.” So I got thinking, if there’s one thread that stitches writing together from Reception to Year 6, it’s talk. Not grand, performative talk, but the simple act of saying a sentence before trying to write it.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

⁉️HELP WANTED⁉️ I’m looking for handwriting CPD that would be accessible beyond a specific scheme. Themes around: Handwriting readiness (bone / muscle/ cognitive development) Progression from Nursery Interventions If you are interested in helping, please do drop me a message 😊

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

🚨New Blog Post 🚨 This spring term, rediscover the power of Signal, Pause, Insist. Consistency across classrooms turns "rules" into "norms." Calm insistence is the ultimate gift for your pupils' focus. Full blog post here: mrstammers.wordpress.com/2026/01/07/n...

mrstammers.wordpress.comNew Year; Same RoutinesThe spring term always arrives with a particular kind of energy. Children return from the Christmas break a little taller, a little louder and often slightly out of rhythm. This isn’t a problem to …
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Back to the Beat: Why the Basics Still Win

mrstammers.wordpress.comBack to the Beat: Why the Basics Still WinI was listening to an episode of the Beyond Good podcast with Femi Adeniran and Matt Findlay titled “My Daughter’s Drum Lessons” on the way to work this week. There are a number of points that are worth listening to in this pod, so please do give it a listen, here: What stood out to me, was the reflection that, almost by accident, a sizeable body of work has been built up.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Less Is More: Rethinking How We Teach Writing in KS1

mrstammers.wordpress.comLess Is More: Rethinking How We Teach Writing in KS1If you spend any time in a primary classroom, you’ll notice something curious about how we teach writing. By the end of Year 2, children have often been asked to produce stories, letters, instructions, fact-files, recounts, poems, posters, diaries and sometimes even play-scripts. The list is endless, and a little exhausting. So I ask: why do we teach so many genres so early on?
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Having both myself and my wife in education is a blessing 🪽and a curse 👹 🪽 - school holidays & weekends together, understand each other’s successes and stresses … the list goes on 👹 - watching her go through inspections. This week is CSI - am I the only one that feels the CSI outdated?

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Too Much on the Walls = Too Little in Their Heads?

mrstammers.wordpress.comToo Much on the Walls = Too Little in Their Heads?Walk into many classrooms today and you’ll see walls bursting with posters, anchor charts, word walls, motivational quotes, and student masterpieces. I’ve been there myself - creating a map of Middle Earth when reading The Hobbit as a display board, and making a 3D display to entice children when creating writing inspired by ‘The Mysteries of Harris Burdick’ by Chris van Allsburg.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

🧠 Teacher Flight Paths = Game Changer. 🚀 Stop pacing, start piloting! Use intentional routes to maximize student engagement and assessment. ✅ Map: Know your path. ✅ Purpose: Check-in & praise. ✅ Assess: Catch learning mid-flow. #TeacherTips #Edublog mrstammers.wordpress.com/2025/10/23/f...

mrstammers.wordpress.comFind Your Flight Paths: How Movement Shapes LearningWhat are ‘flight paths’? Picture this: a classroom full of busy students and one teacher weaving in and out of desks like a pilot following invisible routes through the sky. Those routes , the ones…
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Find Your Flight Paths: How Movement Shapes Learning

mrstammers.wordpress.comFind Your Flight Paths: How Movement Shapes LearningWhat are ‘flight paths’? Picture this: a classroom full of busy students and one teacher weaving in and out of desks like a pilot following invisible routes through the sky. Those routes , the ones teachers naturally take as they move around the room, are what I like to call flight paths. BUT! They’re not just about walking around. They’re about being…
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

🚨New Blog Post 🧠 Forgetting isn’t failure: it’s the glue that makes learning stick. 🎨 Find the peg, hang the painting, then let time do the work. Inspired by Sarah Cottinghatt and chats at work … #EduChat #CognitiveScience #Ausubel #Forgetting #Edublog mrstammers.wordpress.com/2025/10/05/f...

mrstammers.wordpress.comForgetting: Why it is a good thing💬 “Don’t panic if they forget – plan for it. Forgetting, done right, is how learning becomes stronger.” The Forgetting Fear Teachers and parents everywhere have had the same quiet worry at so…
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Forgetting: Why it is a good thing 💬 “Don’t panic if they forget - plan for it. Forgetting, done right, is how learning becomes stronger.” The Forgetting Fear Teachers and parents everywhere have had the same quiet worry at some point: “Will they actually remember this next week?” Fear not!…

mrstammers.wordpress.comForgetting: Why it is a good thing💬 “Don’t panic if they forget - plan for it. Forgetting, done right, is how learning becomes stronger.” The Forgetting Fear Teachers and parents everywhere have had the same quiet worry at some point: “Will they actually remember this next week?” Fear not! Forgetting isn’t always the villain. In fact, sometimes it’s the secret ingredient that helps learning stick.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

💬 Blog 4: Feedback – Be Kind, Be Specific, Be Helpful This post explores why feedback matters, how Ron Berger’s 3 golden rules work & practical tips for teachers & parents. Because “Nice work!” isn’t always enough. 😉 #education #edublog #learning #feedback

mrstammers.wordpress.comFeedback – Be Kind, Be Specific, Be HelpfulWe’ve explored the importance of the environment, attention and the working memory. For new learning to stick, we need to ensure that we are constantly checking for understanding, and most importantly, providing the right feedback after we’ve worked out what the children do and do not know. Feedback is one of the most powerful tools we have in education. Done well, it accelerates learning, builds motivation and helps children refine their thinking.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

🧠 Working Memory – Navigating the Bottleneck We only hold 4–7 pieces of info at once. This post explores strategies for teachers + parents to reduce overload & support learning.

mrstammers.wordpress.comWorking Memory – Navigating the BottleneckAs we head into the first full week back, schools have hit the ground running delivering their lessons to pupils, and parents at home (if you’re anything like me!) are breathing a sigh of relief for the routing and normality! I also look forward to the homework that comes home. We’ve explored how environment and attention shape learning. Now we come to a crucial piece of the puzzle: …
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Attention – The Gatekeeper of Learning As we get closer to the new term; new academic year, here's the second blog around how we support children learning. I hope you find it useful. If there’s one thing teachers and parents know well, it’s the challenge of getting - and keeping - children’s…

mrstammers.wordpress.comAttention – The Gatekeeper of LearningAs we get closer to the new term; new academic year, here's the second blog around how we support children learning. I hope you find it useful. If there’s one thing teachers and parents know well, it’s the challenge of getting - and keeping - children’s attention. Whether it’s a buzzing classroom, a phone notification or just the endless energy of being young, attention can feel fragile.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

📖 New Blog Post As the new academic year begins, how can we shape environments - at school and at home - that actually help children learn? I explore noise, displays, distractions and even Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 👉 mrstammers.wordpress.com/2025/08/18/c... #education #learning #teaching #edublog

mrstammers.wordpress.comCreating the Right Environment for Learning: What the Science Tells UsI’ve had a bit of a hiatus with blog-writing; busy work and family got in the way! So I’ve taken inspiration from other writers and decided to do a mini-series as we start getting ready for the nex…
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

I’m thrilled to be speaking at ConnectEdLive soon! A brilliant opportunity to connect with fellow educators, share ideas and spark change in our classrooms and communities. 📅 July 15th Let’s keep the conversation going. #ConnectEdLive #EducationMatters #TeacherTalk

Joe Stammers reposted

Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

x.com/stmaryscvpri... for anyone wanting to explore a curriculum that is Cumulative, Connected and Coherent, take a look at this post 👍

x.comSt Mary's Catholic Primary School on X: "💙We are a Proud CUSP School 🗓️9th June we will host a day to showcase all the CUSP Curriculum has to offer: lesson design, SEND offer and Assessment at St Mary's 🙏Share the link with anyone who'd be interested: https://t.co/FG26EX6hXp @baronbedford @peedleweedle @Edu_Meadows" / X💙We are a Proud CUSP School 🗓️9th June we will host a day to showcase all the CUSP Curriculum has to offer: lesson design, SEND offer and Assessment at St Mary's 🙏Share the link with anyone who'd be interested: https://t.co/FG26EX6hXp @baronbedford @peedleweedle @Edu_Meadows
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

💬 "Just one more data drop and we’ll really know where they’re at..." 🤔 Nah. You already do — if you’re watching, listening and acting every day. 📋 Live marking, hinge questions, cold call, exit tickets — those are the tools. Let’s build strong, not just test well. #EYFS #KS1 #ResponsiveTeaching

mrstammers.wordpress.comDon’t Build Your House on Sand: Why Good Assessment’s Your Bricklayer, Not Your Estate AgentYou wouldn’t build a house by just putting in the front door, would you? Nah, you'd sort the foundations first, make sure every brick’s where it should be, and fix any gaps before the roof goes on. Well, assessment in the classroom’s the same — it's not a flashy end-of-year event, it’s the brick-by-brick work we do every single day to help children build something strong and lasting.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

x.com/stmaryscvpri... for anyone wanting to explore a curriculum that is Cumulative, Connected and Coherent, take a look at this post 👍

x.comSt Mary's Catholic Primary School on X: "💙We are a Proud CUSP School 🗓️9th June we will host a day to showcase all the CUSP Curriculum has to offer: lesson design, SEND offer and Assessment at St Mary's 🙏Share the link with anyone who'd be interested: https://t.co/FG26EX6hXp @baronbedford @peedleweedle @Edu_Meadows" / X💙We are a Proud CUSP School 🗓️9th June we will host a day to showcase all the CUSP Curriculum has to offer: lesson design, SEND offer and Assessment at St Mary's 🙏Share the link with anyone who'd be interested: https://t.co/FG26EX6hXp @baronbedford @peedleweedle @Edu_Meadows
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

Curriculum Schemes: The Good, the Bad, and the Local – Why One Size Can’t Fit All Curriculum schemes – they’re a hot topic in UK education right now. From the classroom to the staffroom, it seems like everyone’s either trying to adopt one, debating its merits, or wondering if it’s all a…

mrstammers.wordpress.comCurriculum Schemes: The Good, the Bad, and the Local – Why One Size Can’t Fit AllCurriculum schemes – they’re a hot topic in UK education right now. From the classroom to the staffroom, it seems like everyone’s either trying to adopt one, debating its merits, or wondering if it’s all a money-making scheme that will fall out of edu-sphere as quick as it came in. So, what’s all the fuss about? On paper, adopting a curriculum scheme seems like the ideal solution.
Joe Stammers
@mrstammers.bsky.social

🤓 February blog for teachers and parents alike 🙏 Like, Comment or Reshare if it created any thinking ✅ Thanks for taking time to read #edublog #edutwitter #Maths #sats mrstammers.wordpress.com/2025/02/28/m...

mrstammers.wordpress.comMath is for Life, Not Just for Tests: Let’s Talk About the Real WorldMental arithmetic is a big deal. Whether it’s calculating a tip at a restaurant (some Brits do do that!), managing your shopping budget, or simply figuring out how much time you need to get ready i…