Substacks recommended by David Didau: The Learning Spy

Recommended by David Didau: The Learning Spy

Sammy Wright

Research and writing on schools, children, disadvantage and English teaching

Jen’s Substack

By Jen O’Sullivan

Where evidence-based meets chalk-dusted reality in literacy education.

Very promising new substack on the science of reading. Get in early

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

WAGOLL Teaching

By Ben Cooper

Researched-informed Primary School teaching in action. Here's What A Good One Looks Like.

Lots of great primary focussed content

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

Bernard’s Substack

By Bernard Andrews

A philosophical look at political and educational issues

Pedagogy of the Oppressor?

By Phil Beadle

Critical left-wing analysis of trends in education.

Not always right but always interesting. Great writer.

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

100% Assessment

By Matthew and Becky

Assessment insights for schools.

Becky Allen and Matt Evans, two of the finest minds in education, on, well, assessment.

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

The Next 30 Years

By Robert Pondiscio

A platform seeking to bridge the gaps between education practice, policy, and research.

Robert's blog (and book, How the Other Half Learns) is a trove of insigntful observation, mainly focussed on Ed in the US but applicable more widely

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

The Learning Dispatch

By Carl Hendrick

Making sense of how learning happens.

I don't care what anyone else says, Carl is, at heart, a decent human being.

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

Andrew Old's Education Battleground

A teacher in England discussing education and its inevitable conflicts

Expect a regular weekly round up and forensic articles on exclusions, school rules and misuses of data

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

No More Marking

By Daisy Christodoulou

Education, assessment and technology by Daisy Christodoulou & Dr Chris Wheadon

Daisy Christodoulou on assessment and AI.

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

Mr Salles Teaches English

By Dominic Salles

The easiest and most rewarding ways to get top grades in GCSE English language and literature.

Prolific posts - mainly aimed at students - on how to maximise grades for GCSE English Language & Literature

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

Text Savvy

By Josh Fisher

Collecting and commenting on quotes relevant to education.

Rebecca Birch - On Education

Exploring the intersection of evidence-based teaching, literacy, and the cultural politics of education. I write about how research, policy, and classroom practice collide—and what that means for teachers, students, and the future of education.

Comment is Freed

By Sam Freedman

Politics, policy analysis, and foreign affairs from Sam and Lawrence Freedman

Sam Freedman (and his dad, Lawrence) write one of the most insightful politics blogs out there

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

Dominic’s School Improvement Newsletter

By Dominic Salles

Education, curriculum design, teaching, amazing progress for your students. Applying research to reduce your workload and double your impact.

Punchy, provocative posts on improving school leadership

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

Powerful Knowledge

By Alex Crossman

Rediscovering the value of education, in its own terms

This is one of the best written education blogs out there. Highly recommended

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

Minding the Gap

By Natalie Wexler

A newsletter about education, cognitive science, and fairness from Natalie Wexler, author of The Knowledge Gap.

All about knowledge. Heavy emphasis on reading, writing & explicit instruction from one of the masterminds behind The Writing Revolution

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

The Bell Ringer

By Holly Korbey

Reporting, tools and resources on the science of learning

Filling The Pail

By Greg Ashman

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." – As W. B. Yeats never said

Greg is the man! His writing on education is clear, often caustic and very well informed. Not to be missed

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

Astral Codex Ten

By Scott Alexander

P(A|B) = [P(A)*P(B|A)]/P(B), all the rest is commentary.

Scott Alexander's Slate Star Codex was always a fascinating mix of the bewilderingly nerdy and the jaw-droppingly enlightening. This is the same.

- David Didau: The Learning Spy

We Are In Beta Newsletter

By Niall

Learn how inspiring school leaders are tackling the big issues in schools.