Andy Ruffell

Thinking of moving house to 🦋 Might check in here every now and then to make sure it hasn’t burnt down

People sometimes say kids don't read any more. But as a children's author who visits schools up & down the country every week, I can tell you that if you give kids access to books, help them find ones they want to read, and let them read for pleasure - THEY STILL LOVE READING!!!

@red5nev @matthewdmarsden As a kid growing up in the 80s I loved being mistaken for the real @AndyRuffell. As someone now approaching 50 I still love being mistaken for the real @AndyRuffell! What a legend. P.S. the Raleigh Burner was my preferred bmx

@matthewdmarsden Dude, if you can remember those, then surely you can remember the legendary 80s BMXer @andy_ruffell

It is a shame that kids today will never feel the excitement we did when BMX's came out all those years ago. Which one did you want? For me they were all out of reach, but if you had a mongoose or diamondback you were a God. This was the one I always wanted retro.raleigh.co.uk/bikes/super-tu…

📢 Northern children's writers! Submit your work-in-progress to the @HachetteKids Children's Novel Awards by 13 January to win £3000 and a 9-month programme of mentoring and professional development, as part of the #NorthernWritersAwards. Full details at: newwritingnorth.com/northern-write…

@Headteacherchat Kindness

Anon post: As an aspiring headteacher, I'd like to ask #EduX: What do you believe makes a good headteacher?

I love cauliflower but it makes an unreasonable amount of mess when you cut it. The kitchen looks like I’ve burst a bean bag.

@TheMonologist Every weekend should start with something beautiful like this.

Michael Sheen performing the poetry of fellow countryman DYLAN THOMAS - who died 71yrs ago today. UNDER MILK WOOD (1954)

@Louiestowell Oldest daughter coming home from uni for reading week today. Can’t wait for a family cosy-up to watch Gilmore Girls 🧡

Book borrowing this half term is 2,000 % higher compared to the half term my 1st year here. #Librarians are a big part of the answer in my opinion. Boys borrow more than girls here, they are much more engaged if you create the space & hire the people. glenthornelrc.blogspot.com/2024/10/gettin…

IMPORTANT PLS SHARE. It's rumoured the English £9,250 tuition fee cap may be raised this pm for the 1st time in 8yrs, as University's finances are strained. As student finance misunderstandings abound, I've bashed out a few notes to help... 1. Higher tuition fees WON'T change what most pay each year. For most, they're paid for you by the student loans company and you repay afterwards only if you earn over the threshold. The amount you repay each year (9% over the threshold) solely depends on what you earn not on what you borrow. 2. Increasing tuition fees will only see those who clear the loan in full over the 40yrs pay more. That is generally mid-high to higher earning university leavers only, so the cost of increasing them will generally be born by the more affluent. Most lower and middle earning university leavers will simply pay 9% extra tax above the threshold for 40yrs (and higher tuition fees won't change that) 3. The rise is tuition fees is likely to be trivial compared to the changes the last govt made for 2023 starters. 2023 starters had their repayment thresholds dropped to £25,000 (from £27,295/yr) and had the time they had to keep repaying for (unless cleared) extended to 40years from 30years. So these higher annual repayments for longer, increased by over 50% the amount many graduates will eventually have to pay back for going to university. Yet they were almost stealth changes because people can't intuitively feel the seismic impact. Changing tuition fees is a more obvious rise, but in reality has far less of an impact on the amount most will repay (though combined with the 2023 changes it does certainly up the cost). 4. The biggest practical problem for students isnt tution fees (even if raised) its the fact maintenace loans aren't big enough. English maintenance loans have not kept pace with inflation. I'd urge the govt to couple the tuition fee loans with bigger living loans - if not it is a real risk to social mobility, with those from the poorest backgrounds likely to be worse affected. I could write more, but will stop here, hopefully this gives an idea the issues are less straightforward than many feel.

@MrBoothY6 Not a person but an interesting fact. When they analysed WW1 soldiers’ professions it was found that teachers were the most likely to have been recognised for bravery.

We are doing a morning on our key word courage tomorrow, and part of it will be a reading lesson on some of the bravest people in history. I've got a fair few examples, but what's the greatest example of bravery or courage that you can think of?

@Stephen_Ronson @ITWDebutAuthors @HodderFiction Absolutely! Being a writer was the only childhood dream I had that survived into adulthood but it still took decades before I dared to write anything. Congratulations on your second book 👏👏

I’ve spent most of my life wanting to be an author. But fear of failure held me back. So this moment is one of the big ones in my life. #TheBerlinAgent out Nov 7th. #writerscommunity #HistFic #ww2 #thrillerbooks

@dylanwiliam In the style of Ronnie Corbett in Sorry

I regularly see teachers being advised that feedback should be "timely". Does anyone know what this means?

Lenny Henry’s not going to feel the benefit of his coat when he goes out later #StrictlyComeDancing

@StevenLenton @bookboy007 @clareharlow @AmberCaraveo @Sally_writes @paddydonnelly @KevC46 @librarymice @RowanFoxwood @jackjackman_ @NicoletteJones @OliverJeffers Snap!

@clareharlow @AmberCaraveo @Sally_writes @andy_ruffell @paddydonnelly @KevC46 @librarymice @RowanFoxwood @jackjackman_ @NicoletteJones @StevenLenton @OliverJeffers do you fancy a quick VOTE? mrripleysenchantedbooks.com/2024/11/mr-rip…

Without our wonderful illustrators and designers our books would be a dull affair. Show your appreciation by making a vote!

Baking soda Search any ailment or DIY job online and I guarantee someone will suggest baking soda

The arts are the cake.

I’m always so sad when I hear English courses at universities are under threat… The creative industries in this country out perform the rest of the economy by double… #steamnotstem #creativeindustries