Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. DIGITAL DETOX TIME FOR ME NOW!!! 🎅🏼 Reminder that this account will be deleted on 31st December.

Thank you Martin and Ellington Primary! 😊

I’ve decided to delete this account on 31st Dec. Twitter was once a huge part of my work and the growth of Animate 2 Educate, but the platform has changed and the education community has moved on. Find me from January on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram & TikTok.

Wonderful to welcome Katie Harrison from Picture News to Ellington today. Our pupils loved meeting the founder, hearing her journey, and sharing their favourite Picture News stories and work. Picture News is used by 6,000 schools worldwide - I highly recommend it! @PictureNewsKt

Great to work with former Lanchester EP colleague Martin Urwin (now at Annfield Plain Infant School) on ‘Playful Pathways into Programming’, exploring creative coding ideas for EYFS/KS1. Also great to catch up with David Mordue and discuss ways I can support both schools in 2026.

Delighted to work with the brilliant Ruth Lue-Quee (My Mummy Teacher) yesterday as we delivered our webinar, ‘Using iPads and Tablets in the Right Way’. We explored key safety settings and creative apps that help young children move from doomscrolling to becoming digital creators

Amazing end to the week! A real honour to host the ICT for Education Conference at St James’ Park, made even more special by having 4 brilliant pupils from Ellington with me. They presented confidently to over 100 educators. A proud teacher moment and a day they’ll never forget!

Great to be back at Roseberry Primary (Co. Durham) today. I spent four fantastic years there from 2002–2006, and it’s hard to believe it’ll be 20 years next year since I left. Lovely to bump into some ex-pupils, now parents. Delivered an Online Safety update for staff.

Great Purple Mash training session at Abingdon Primary School (Middlesbrough) today, including a look at the fantastic new AI tools now in Purple Mash. Another brilliant addition from @2SimpleSoftware that will really support teaching and learning.

Wonderful end to the week at the fantastic Lanercost CE Primary School (Cumbria). Delivered practical coding workshops with all classes, then rounded off with an Online Safety session for parents - especially timely as many children may receive new digital devices this Christmas.

Brilliant rehearsal with my Ellington pupils today ahead of their Our Coding Journey presentation at the ICT for Education Conference at St James’ Park next Friday (5 Dec). FREE to attend! Join us for great coding ideas from EYFS–Y6. https://t.co/ph0eMs47TU

Brilliant first visit to Wheatley Hill Primary (Co. Durham) today - great digital curriculum and impressive 1:1 device use. Thanks to Alan Scarr and team for the warm welcome. Then on to Newport Primary (Middlesbrough) for a Purple Mash CPD on the refreshed Computing Curriculum.

Delivered a fun workshop on computational thinking for the ladies of the Tuesday Circle at Felling Methodist Church. Then on to Ashbrooke School in Sunderland for a Purple Mash CPD session, exploring how this great resource can be used to support SEND pupils. @2SimpleSoftware

Great rehearsal at Ellington today with my amazing Y6 pupils! We’ll be presenting Our Coding Journey at the ICT for Education Conference at St James’ Park on Fri 5 Dec — sharing coding ideas from EYFS to Y6. The conference is FREE — book your place! https://t.co/ph0eMs47TU

Delighted to visit Chadsmead Primary Academy, Lichfield for the first time today. Day of consultancy work looking at Computing curriculum and policies and also conducting pupil voice session. Then delivered the staff meeting at the end of the school day looking at best use of AI.

A fantastic end to an incredible week, presenting alongside some of my amazing Birchwood Digital Leaders at the ICT for Education Conference in Birmingham today. Together, we delivered a brand-new presentation, ‘Playful Pathways into Programming’.

Fabulous primary computing conference today organised by @Animate2Educate. I was the unsettling speaker.

Still buzzing after an incredible North East Primary Computing Conference yesterday! Huge thanks to the 100+ delegates, amazing presenters (Steve Bunce, Carol Allen, Simon Finch) and brilliant sponsors (2Simple, TTS, now>press>play, VEX, Newline). Roll on 2026! 🎉💻

Fab day yesterday visiting Mill Hill & Houghton Community Nursery Schools with Jo Hardy, Claire Tyler (TTS) & Tilly Brooke (Now Press Play). Incredible settings with great ‘Digital Atelier’ areas showing how young children can be creators, not just consumers, of digital content.

Last bits of preparation today ahead of a SOLD OUT ‘North East Primary Computing Conference’ on Wednesday. Looking forward to welcoming delegates from around the North East to the Grand Hotel for a fantastic day of high quality CPD.