Obsessed with education, teaching and learning, professional development and school improvement. Director of Academics and Enrichment at The Kemnal Academies Trust. Words mine. For blogs and more: https://nickpointer.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3mvmuaf3ck22d⏰ It's almost here - ResearchEd Cork is this Saturday! My session will explore how an in-house approach to TPL drives highly effective schools. School leaders, teacher educators & mentors - come along for practical tips on designing great CPD. Last few tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/researched-returns-to-ireland-tickets-198497025948016 Sep 2026 09:47 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvmuaf3ck22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3mpourwjx3c2c🌞 Heading to Wellington tomorrow - give me a shout if you’ll be there and fancy a catch up!02 Jul 2026 20:31 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpourwjx3c2chttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3mgaonr2yb22ySpeaking at my first TDaPE conf on March 28th, with a talk on maximising the potential of staff meetings 🧠 If you're a primary teacher or leader in the north west I highly recommend coming along! 🗾 Sutton Manor Community Primary, St Helens ⌚ 08:30-14:00 Tckts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinking-deeply-about-primary-education-conference-tickets-1661953891829?aff=oddtdtcreator04 Mar 2026 16:17 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgaonr2yb22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lxz6aicfy22k🧠 ResearchEd National this Saturday! My session is straight after lunch in Room M07: 🎓 14.00-14.40 | Session 5: Consistency Is Killing Us: Reclaiming teacher professionalism and agency through PD at scale Leaders, teacher educators, professional development leads and mentors - see you there!04 Sep 2025 12:42 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxz6aicfy22khttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lxz6aicfy22k🧠 ResearchEd National this Saturday! My session is straight after lunch in Room M07: 🎓 14.00-14.40 | Session 5: Consistency Is Killing Us: Reclaiming teacher professionalism and agency through PD at scale Leaders, teacher educators, professional development leads and mentors - see you there!04 Sep 2025 12:42 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxz6aicfy22khttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lxwghlbz2c2sAm I the only one who's looked back at the title for their upcoming ResearchEd National talk and thought "oh cool, that session sounds interesting... I wonder what it's going to be about!" 😅03 Sep 2025 10:31 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxwghlbz2c2shttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lt2opwdors2vEdFest Session 4: Professional learning and teacher agency to improve recruitment and retention panel NFER’s @jackworth.bsky.social: - UK teachers rate CPD experiences as area they have lowest degree of influence over. - PD experiences are v.closely associated with teacher retention (or lack of)…!03 Jul 2025 12:03 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt2opwdors2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lt2kmegjks2kEdFest Session 3: Formative Action with René Kneyber @rkneyber.bsky.social and Valentina Devid @valentinadevid.bsky.social Intro - formative action is another way of talking about formative assessment! #EducationFestival03 Jul 2025 10:50 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt2kmegjks2khttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lt2gtyntp22kEdFest Session 2: Sarah McAneny-Vincent and Scott Doyle from Spencer Academies Trust on inclusion-by-design. Starting off by setting out their aspiration - to live the slogan of “Once Derby Moor, always Derby Moor” for all children in the care of the school. #EducationFestival03 Jul 2025 09:42 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt2gtyntp22khttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lt2d4qwj2k2rEdFest Session 1: @bradleybusch.bsky.social introducing Hick’s Law, where the greater the number of options we have, the longer it takes us to make a decision. Conclusion? Too much freedom and autonomy can be overwhelming - particularly when we need to make choices that are a) quick and b) complex03 Jul 2025 08:36 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt2d4qwj2k2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lnzzd4gkw22jThis an important read 👇 Bold yet balanced pushes to challenge government to lead this work, with a real emphasis on a) increasing the choice schools have in PD providers, but also b) emphasising the role of capacity building for schools and trusts to develop their own, well-contextualised PD offer. [contains quote post or other embedded content]30 Apr 2025 14:34 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnzzd4gkw22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lmezrsxmm22fIf you haven't got a water meter definitely check if it could be cheaper. This calc is free: https://www.ccw.org.uk/save-money-and-water/water-meter-calculator/ - for me (single occ) I'll save 100s vs. rateable charge. Plus they should offer you a year trial to compare. ☑️ Penny-pinching with Pointer (could usurp Martin, who knows...)09 Apr 2025 12:52 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmezrsxmm22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lm63f7n4ps2sQuestion: do many UK state schools still use performance related pay? Or have most rolled this back to automatic ladder upgrades?06 Apr 2025 18:32 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lm63f7n4ps2shttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lkgmsfq2yc2cMae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau must the most spine-tingling national anthem, no? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿15 Mar 2025 17:14 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkgmsfq2yc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lk4d6pbj5c2oI've just discovered that vets tell you to brush your cat's (or cats'...) teeth. This is bonkers, no?? I now feel I need to hear how this actually goes down in practice from some pet owners 😅11 Mar 2025 14:55 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lk4d6pbj5c2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3ljcosnlsb22iStunning day in Cornwall for Inspiring the South West curriculum conference! Thanks to @celtacademies.bsky.social and @moremorrow.bsky.social for having me - this is such an exciting time for schools in the SW - really pleased to be here to talk about the curriculum and CPD. #InspiringSW01 Mar 2025 10:14 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljcosnlsb22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lhth5jdwqc22Such a pleasure to co-facilitate "Implementing CPD so it Sticks" with @singhamarbeerg.bsky.social. A great group who had some fab discussions about teacher professional development that's both impactful and sustainable. My first time working with @innerdrive.bsky.social - thanks for having me! 🤓10 Feb 2025 15:22 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhth5jdwqc22https://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lhj5r5a6sk2sRight. Back on socials. Looked at the other place (reluctantly) - increasingly unsure about the Musk-machine anymore, I have to say... and Linkedin is a weird place. So it feels like this is the new place for edu-discourse - right or wrong??06 Feb 2025 13:07 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhj5r5a6sk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3ldo3nnjg5c2bGreat piece by my colleague Steve in @schoolsweek.bsky.social about our recent exploration of the evidence base for how we might foster pupils' sense of belonging, motivation and engagement in schooling - definitely worth a read!19 Dec 2024 14:32 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldo3nnjg5c2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3ld4ig5gz5c2cBig day 🎉 Pleased to finally share "Achieve and thrive: a research-based guide to pupil motivation and engagement". It explores how teachers & leaders might apply the latest research into pupil motivation and engagement in practice - let us know what you think! https://www.ambition.org.uk/pupil-engagement-guide/?utm_source=InternalComms&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=PupilEngagementGuide&utm_campaign=Pupilengagement-publication-Dec2412 Dec 2024 14:33 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3ld4ig5gz5c2chttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lcsuahhhgc2kIn some areas of education I completely agree with the risks & downsides of a deficit mindset (SEND provision, for instance). In other areas (e.g. school improvement/teacher development), I think in some quarters there is an allergy to admitting that we might be able to improve on what we’re doing.08 Dec 2024 18:38 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcsuahhhgc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3lcsniwige224Brooding post-Darragh sunset in the south-west. Not a bad view to be marking assignments to…08 Dec 2024 16:37 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcsniwige224https://bsky.app/profile/nickpointer.bsky.social/post/3l7iq5nksx72ePupil engagement and belonging in schools – a thread and exciting opportunity... Do you feel like something is missing from your pupils' experience of school? You're not alone. 🧵27 Oct 2024 13:42 +0000at://did:plc:qyo32jzxpddwpb3frsptijsj/app.bsky.feed.post/3l7iq5nksx72e