Mark Enser

I'm looking forward to my first term as a freelance writer and supporting schools. If you think I could be of any help, do get in touch.

What I have managed to find are 6 principles that we can use to guide our practice in the classroom - which I hope will help. Handy pdf summary included for download. enserm.substack.com/p/so-what-do... 2/2

*** FINAL POST *** Having spent the last few weeks sifting through research on supporting writers, it has become clear that no one has a clear answer to the problem. 1/2

*** NEW POST *** Do attempts to support weaker writers actually support improvement or simply mask a lack of improvement? What happens when we try and get all pupils to write in the same way regardless of the subject - or the question within a subject? 1/2

Deciding how and when to fade scaffolds is an important consideration and one I worry we sometimes leave too late as we focus on demonstration in books/mocks as opposed to using them to identify gaps

For the weekend crew

Although I couldn't ignore the class novel piece, it bumped one from the @ensermark.bsky.social 6 part (so far!) series on reluctant writers so I am going to give that a shout-out anyway. They have all been worth reading. Here's my favourite so far... enserm.substack.com/p/handwritin...

Calling all geography teachers! Building on the framework established in Powerful Geography, experienced geography teacher Mark Enser argues that ambitious curriculum content only becomes powerful when pupils are supported to think deeply, reason geographically and make meaningful connections

Coming March 2027: buff.ly/wj4wr91 @ensermark.bsky.social

*** NEW POST *** The next in the series looking at supporting unwilling writers. In this post I go through some of the research into building pupil confidence in writing and how it can be applied in the classroom. enserm.substack.com/p/why-is-a-b...

“If past success is the strongest source of [writing/recording] confidence, the job is to make sure pupils have some.” Great to see @ensermark.bsky.social address the #Fonagy report findings in this excellent blog ✨

*** NEW POST *** The next in the series looking at supporting unwilling writers. In this post I go through some of the research into building pupil confidence in writing and how it can be applied in the classroom. enserm.substack.com/p/why-is-a-b...

*** NEW POST *** Do pupils with more knowledge on a subject write better? Yes… but… Both the yes and the but are important and have implications for what we do in the classroom. enserm.substack.com/p/is-it-real...

*** EXCITING NEWS *** My new book - POWERFUL GEOGRAPHY 2 - is due to be published in 2027 by @crownhousepub.bsky.social. This book picks up where Powerful Geography left off, looking at the pedagogy needed to support a curriculum built on the principles of powerful knowledge.

This was a great review of research on sentence combining. Interesting to read alongside the recent @ensermark.bsky.social piece on this.

*** NEW POST *** Do pupils with more knowledge on a subject write better? Yes… but… Both the yes and the but are important and have implications for what we do in the classroom. enserm.substack.com/p/is-it-real...

Would be interesting to go back in time to see if anything could help me. I was a well read, articulate, middle class boy who could give confident verbal answers but not in writing until I got a word processor. I would drive my teachers mad with my brief, often one word answers to essay questions.

1/3 Really interesting piece from Mark on writing. I wonder whether we sometimes draw too neat a distinction between what children know & how they express it. Sometimes the difficulty is putting understanding into words. But sometimes finding the words is part of developing that understanding.

*** NEW POST *** Continuing to explore research on supporting pupils who struggle with writing - this time, looking at how to support pupils who write like they are speaking. Is better oracy the answer or more grammar instruction? What can a teacher do? enserm.substack.com/p/why-does-i...

Super insightful strengths-based & pupil-centred approaches here from @ensermark.bsky.social. Rather than rely on one-size-fits-all guidance (eg from commercial providers selling an ‘evidence-based’ fix), Mark encourages classroom teachers to attune to the class & build on emerging skills 🌟

*** NEW POST *** Continuing to explore research on supporting pupils who struggle with writing - this time, looking at how to support pupils who write like they are speaking. Is better oracy the answer or more grammar instruction? What can a teacher do? enserm.substack.com/p/why-does-i...

Ben really is amongst the best of people. This is an excellent read. Thank you for writing it @bennewmark.bsky.social

New. What those who find learning easiest can learn from those who find it hardest. I worked hard on this. bennewmark.wordpress.com/2026/10/15/w...

The new eels album has dropped and it is wonderful! open.spotify.com/album/3zLO9S...

*** NEW POST *** Continuing to look at supporting writing and asking the question - to what extent does a problem with writing come down to spelling or handwriting, and should we just let pupils type? As ever, the answer is more complex than you’d think… enserm.substack.com/p/handwritin...

*** NEW POST *** Continuing to look at supporting writing and asking the question - to what extent does a problem with writing come down to spelling or handwriting, and should we just let pupils type? As ever, the answer is more complex than you’d think… enserm.substack.com/p/handwritin...

In the light of the #Fonagy report, it’s so good to see #neuro-affirming guidance for teachers from an edu author with @ensermark.bsky.social’s experience & following. Unrecognised/unsupported #SEND can damage YP self-concept & contribute to poor MH/‘challenging’ behav. Mark’s relatable eg of a

“Let them dictate the answer while you write it down … For students with specific learning difficulties, such as #dyslexia, dictated essays were better than handwritten ones … If scribing transforms a pupil’s answer, the pen is the problem” ❤️

*** NEW POST *** One of the biggest frustrations I come across is an apparent gap between pupils knowing something in the classroom and what they go on to write in the exam. I take a look at why this gap exists and what we can do to address it. enserm.substack.com/p/the-knowin...

*** NEW POST *** One of the biggest frustrations I come across is an apparent gap between pupils knowing something in the classroom and what they go on to write in the exam. I take a look at why this gap exists and what we can do to address it. enserm.substack.com/p/the-knowin...

FUCK IT. Let's give away 3 more signed paperbacks of my latest novel, each with fab linoprint bookmarks, made by my mum Jo. Repost & reply to enter! You might like it if you like: Folkloric creatures Old records Intricate psychedelic stories The idea of circular time All shares much-appreciated!

*** NEW POST *** Why do some pupils seem so unwilling to answer certain questions in an exam? I take a look at the evidence around barriers to writing and start thinking about how those barriers can be overcome enserm.substack.com/p/why-does-t...

For me, one of the big credibility aspects of "being an examiner" is that gap-bridging. But I wonder whether now-more freely accessible post-mark scripts - and some "full marks in bullet point" examples would also help in this Brave New World?

This is true; you have to work quite hard to persuade them that bullet points will score marks. I've heard examiners say that it is possible to get full marks with bullet points.

I suspect that we don't model the "brutally efficient 2/6 answer" enough. A couple of relevant and broadly correct bullet points will normally qualify for band 1, but it's a dead end in terms of progression. Take that approach and you can't really embellish it to the next level...

It's exactly the same in science. The information from AQA for science tells a similar story. I used to try to coach the lower prior attainment kids to write anything at all for the "6 markers" telling them that they would be doing more than the majority of the other kids.

*** NEW POST *** Why do some pupils seem so unwilling to answer certain questions in an exam? I take a look at the evidence around barriers to writing and start thinking about how those barriers can be overcome enserm.substack.com/p/why-does-t...

Despite the best efforts of schools, people don't seem so smart. Perhaps it is because we have been stuck between flawed models of education. I take a look at what has been tried, and where things have fallen flat. enserm.substack.com/p/the-curric...

Read all about the occult afterlife of ancient mystery cults in a piece by me and the magical @mjpcuervo.com

Another excellent post by @ensermark.bsky.social on the also excellent Curriculum Reform Handbook from Learning First’s Ben Jensen and @heatherbellaf.bsky.social. Good advice for curriculum-makers at all levels from classrooms to government agencies.

This is a super summary of some of the most practical messages, for any curriculum writer, in our new Learning First, Curriculum Reform, Education Leader’s Handbook. Thanks @ensermark.bsky.social

*** NEW POST *** Refections on Learning First's new Curriculum Reform Handbook - lots to take away whatever your role in curriculum development and this first post just scratches the surface. Great work from Ben Jensen and Heather Fearn. enserm.substack.com/p/getting-cu...

Its new Julia Jacklin album release day - and it is fabulous! open.spotify.com/album/1nkNzp... I think you are a fan @bennewmark.bsky.social?

What impact does education actually have on peoples' lives and their beliefs? What difference do we make in schools? I took a look at the evidence - and it wasn't what I was expecting enserm.substack.com/p/education-...

*** NEW POST *** Can we educate our way out of a climate emergency? Sadly, research suggests that we use our education to pursue status rather than truth - and that’s a problem. enserm.substack.com/p/education-...