In the age of AI, we are starting to receive questions from school leaders, business managers are HR officers who are facing a new kind of challenge: the catfish candidate. Just like in online dating, these applicants present a polished, idealised version of themselves, often crafted with the help of AI tools like ChatGPT. Their applications may tick every box on the person specification, but something feels… off.

When you're under pressure to fill a role quickly, especially in a busy school environment, it's easy to overlook the subtle signs. A well-written application can be reassuring, but it might also be masking a lack of genuine experience, emotional intelligence, or cultural fit. That’s why learning to spot the “robot in the room” is becoming an essential skill for school leaders.

So, what does an AI-written application look like and how can you tell when you're reading one? Here are five signs that may suggest AI involvement:

1. Overly polished or generic language

AI-generated writing tends to be grammatically flawless and highly formal but often lacks warmth or individuality. Phrases like “I am committed to delivering outstanding outcomes for all learners” may sound great, but without context, they’re just surface-level.

2. Lack of specificity

Candidates may refer to the person specification but fail to connect it to real experiences. For example, they might claim to have “led change” without explaining what was changed, how it was implemented, or what impact it had. Look for vague responses to criteria without any mention of what, how, or why.

3. Repetition of buzzwords

AI tools often lean heavily on educational buzzwords: inclusive, innovative, strategic, collaborative. These words can be meaningful but only when backed by examples. If they appear without substance, it’s a red flag.

4. Absence of personal stories

Genuine applications often include anecdotes; a moment with a pupil, a challenge overcome, a proud achievement. AI struggles to replicate this kind of emotional and contextual depth, which is often where the real person shines through.

5. Uniform tone across documents

If the cover letter and personal statement sound identical in tone and structure, it may suggest AI involvement. Human writing tends to vary slightly depending on the purpose and audience of each document.

To support more authentic applications from the outset, schools can take several proactive steps to shape the recruitment process and encourage genuine responses:

• Set the tone in your advert

Make it clear that you value personality, lived experience, and reflection. Phrases like “We’re looking for someone who brings their whole self to the role” or “We want to hear your story, not just a list of qualifications” can encourage more genuine responses.

• Include prompts that invite reflection

Instead of just listing criteria, include a question or statement that invites candidates to reflect. For example: “We’d love to hear about a time you made a difference in a pupil’s life.”

• Be transparent about your values and culture

Share your school’s ethos and working culture clearly in the advert. This helps candidates tailor their application meaningfully and makes it easier to spot when someone hasn’t engaged with your context.

• Review your person specification language

Ensure your criteria are clear, specific, and not overly broad. Vague criteria can invite vague responses, whether written by a person or a robot.

Spotting signs of AI-generated content doesn’t necessarily mean a candidate should be ruled out. In fact, some of the strongest applicants may use AI to help structure their thoughts or polish their writing, especially if they’re less confident expressing themselves on paper. The key is not to dismiss candidates too quickly, but to use the interview process to dig deeper.

Once you've decided to take the candidate further, how can you use the interview process to uncover the person behind the prose?

Shortlist with caution, NOT assumption

If an application meets the criteria but feels overly polished, use the interview to explore the candidate’s depth, values and real-world experience.

Probe for specific examples

Ask candidates to elaborate on statements made in their application. For instance: “You mentioned leading change - can you tell us what that looked like in your setting?”

Use value-based and cultural fit questions

Focus on questions that reveal emotional intelligence, motivation, and alignment with your school’s ethos. AI can’t convincingly answer questions like “What does our school’s vision mean to you?”

Encourage reflection and self-awareness

Ask candidates to reflect on a challenge, mistake, or learning moment. These responses often reveal authenticity and character and are difficult for AI to fabricate convincingly.

AI is a powerful tool, and it’s here to stay. But in school recruitment, it’s the human touch that matters most. From the moment you write the job advert to the final interview question, every stage of the process is an opportunity to encourage authenticity and assess alignment.

The key is consistency: do the candidate’s responses in the interview reflect the experiences and values they claimed in their application? If not, it’s worth asking - are they the right fit for your school? It comes down to trust. And if the disconnect is too great, alarm bells should ring.

Drawing on our own expertise and experience in the education sector, HR and recruitment as well as best practice from other schools, trusts and settings, we’ve compiled a series of resources to support you at every stage of the recruitment process. Through Teach in Herts, you can access guidance on writing effective job adverts, safer recruitment, selection guidance, and leadership hiring, all designed to help you recruit with confidence and integrity.

By learning to spot the robot in the room, and the occasional catfish candidate, schools can make recruitment decisions that prioritise character, credibility and a genuine connection to their community.

Further reading and resources

www.hfleducation.org/blog/ai-cant-spot-predator-why-schools-must-stay-human-hiring
www.hfleducation.org/business-services/recruitment-service
standout-cv.com/stats/ai-in-recruitment-statistics-uk
www.hfleducation.org/business-services/technology-schools/edtech-schools

Christmas is one of the most important celebrations in the Christian calendar and much more than just a festive season of gifts and gatherings.  December in the Early Years can feel like a whirlwind with sparkly decorations, Nativity rehearsals, Christmas lunches, and don’t forget Christmas jumper day.  For some children (and educators), it’s one of the most joyful times of the year; for others, it can feel overwhelming, with disrupted routines and the pressure to deliver polished performances weighing heavily.

So, how do we celebrate Christmas in a way that feels joyful, developmentally appropriate, and inclusive of everyone?

Rethinking the Nativity

For many schools and settings, the Christmas Nativity performance is an established tradition, but is it always the best choice for the children? Sometimes, long rehearsals, extended sitting, and missed play opportunities means the overarching EYFS principles can be lost.

Some schools and settings are adapting this idea with shorter, child-led performances, informal singalongs, or family craft afternoons. These approaches not only reduce pressure but also keep children at the centre, respecting their right to learn primarily through play.

Inclusion matters

The statutory framework makes clear that practitioners must ensure every child is included and supported. Not every child will celebrate Christmas, and some may find this time of year difficult.

By learning about your cohort, their beliefs, the festivals they celebrate, and being sensitive to families for whom this may be a challenging time, you can create an inclusive ethos within your school or setting. Giving space for children to share their family traditions and valuing a range of experiences not only promotes inclusion but also helps children learn that there are many different cultures and communities, each deserving of respect.

Rediscovering the joy

Amid rehearsals, paperwork, and glitter explosions, it’s easy to lose sight of the magic of the season. Learning should be enjoyable and engaging and for children, joy often comes from the simplest things: wrapping pretend presents in the role play area, making ‘snow’ from cotton wool (or being lucky enough to play out in it if it snows!), or listening to a winter story by the Christmas tree.

These moments support not only language and communication but also personal, social, and emotional development. They are the experiences children remember long after the term has ended.

Starting your teaching journey? 

The first few years can feel like a rollercoaster- there’s the buzz of your first placement, the thrill of making a difference and then, sometimes, that quiet voice of doubt: Can I really do this? Rest assured, you’re not alone - these feelings are part of the journey. I remember those challenges well from my own Newly Qualified Teacher days, and I’ve seen them echoed in the trainees and ECTs I’ve mentored since.

Without the right guidance and support, doubts can quickly become overwhelming, diminish confidence, and even lead to some teachers leaving the profession. That’s why the new Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) matters so much.

Launched in September 2025, the ITTECF feels like a big step forward. It’s designed to give continuity, clarity and real support from day one of training and through your first years in the classroom. However, like any reform, it comes with both promise and pressure. Here’s what you need to know.

What is the ITTECF?

The ITTECF merges the ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework into a single, coherent structure that supports your development from initial teacher training through your two-year induction. It includes entitlements such as mentoring, protected time and access to resources.

Key features:

• Integrated structure: A seamless journey from trainee to qualified teacher
• Inclusive focus: Stronger emphasis on SEND and adaptive teaching strategies
• Tailored mentoring: Support matched to your strengths and development areas

You might be wondering: What does this mean for me? Let’s look at the positives for new teachers.

Better preparation for diverse classrooms

SEND and adaptive teaching are now central, not optional. For too long, early career teachers have had to “figure out” inclusive practice on the job - often without the tools, training or the emotional support they needed. The result? Self-doubt, rising stress and a sense of letting everyone down.

Now, inclusive teaching is embedded at the heart of training. You’ll gain practical strategies to support all learners - without sacrificing your wellbeing or professional identity. With the right guidance, this shift could be a game-changer for recruitment, retention and the long-term health of our profession.

Tailored mentoring

Tailored mentoring under the ITTECF framework provides structured support from trained mentors, focusing on personalised development throughout both ITT and the ECT induction period. It is designed to be responsive, developmental and aligned with individual needs.

Protected time and practical resources

You will have protected time off timetable for planning, preparation and assessment, along with additional time to engage with your training or induction programme. This includes activities that support your development - such as observing great practice, coaching opportunities and marking moderation.

A clearer career pathway

Your development will feel structured and continuous, rather than starting from scratch after qualifying.

While the framework brings plenty of promise, it is important to acknowledge the challenges too

• Delivery matters: A strong framework only works if it’s implemented well. Advocate for your protected time and high-quality mentoring.
• Workload pressures: New expectations can feel overwhelming. Prioritise key areas of your development so your time and energy are focused where they will have the greatest impact.
• Inclusive teaching demands: SEND training is stronger but applying strategies confidently takes time. You’re not expected to be perfect – build your skills, reflect and seek guidance from your mentor.

How can you make the most of the new framework and protect your wellbeing?

• Engage actively: Ask for feedback and reflect regularly
• Use protected time wisely: Engage with the ECTP and CPD to support your progress against the Teachers' Standards
• Embrace SEND training: It’s about equity, confidence and professional identity.
• Speak up: If mentoring feels rushed or inconsistent, raise it early
• Connect with others: Share experiences with your peers – there is strength in solidarity.

The ITTECF isn’t just another framework; it’s a chance to rethink how we support and retain new teachers. Remember, perfection isn’t the goal. Growth, reflection, and resilience are what matter most. You are part of a profession learning to support its newest members better and, with the right guidance, you won’t just stay in teaching - you’ll thrive in it!

This is the first in a series of blogs about The writing framework, published by the Department for Education in July 2025, and its implications for classroom practice. If you have time and the inclination, we do recommend reading the framework in its entirety. However, our aim is to help translate this hefty 150-page document into easy-to-follow advice and guidance for busy classroom teachers, subject and school leaders.   

As can be seen in the Acknowledgements (p.11), they consulted widely, which is commendable. However, this has at times resulted in a mix of messages, as differing views on writing jostle to be heard within the document.   

In this series of blogs, we will explore the real strengths of The writing framework, while also addressing some of its ‘blind spots’ to help ensure that misinterpretation of its guidance does not lead to unintended consequences in the classroom.   

Whilst the document is non-statutory and will be updated after a revised national curriculum is drafted, it is worth noting that the framework’s introduction asserts:  

‘This document’s key objective is to help schools meet the expectations set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and the National Curriculum. It aligns with Ofsted’s education inspection framework and with The reading framework.’  

The framework is divided into eight sections:  

Section 1: The importance of writing and a conceptual model  

Section 2: The importance of reception  

Section 3: Transcription – handwriting and spelling  

Section 4: Composition  

Section 5: Pupils who need the most support  

Section 6: Writing across the curriculum  

Section 7: Leadership and management of writing  

Section 8: National assessments  

For this blog, we will focus on Section 1: The importance of writing and a conceptual model. Other sections will be explored in later blogs.  

What is writing and why does it matter?  

Section 1 contains some powerful and inspiring messages about writing that encourage us to reflect on the extent to which our current classroom practice enables children to experience what writing can be:  

 ‘Writing is ... key to social experiences as it enables participation in social communication […] writing is a highly creative process, allowing people to create imaginary worlds, entertain others and paint with words.  Writing can also be a form of self-expression: it offers young people an opportunity to reflect upon themselves, their interests and their worlds…’ p. 13  

It describes how writing, as a creative act of self-expression, can contribute to the well-being of the writer and the intended audience. So, the framework begins with asserting the vital importance of children writing for authentic audiences and purposes, and for children to have choice over what they write.  

Section 1 also emphasises how writing develops children’s thinking and learning:  

‘It helps pupils to consider information more deeply than when they are simply reading it; it enhances the learning of subject matter and helps cement that learning in long-term memory.’ p13  

It goes on to note that ‘when writers abdicate composition to artificial intelligence (AI), none of these cognitive advantages applies.’ Writing to think and reflect, then, has a key part to play in learning across the curriculum, which is developed further in Section 6 and we will explore in more depth in a later blog.  

Another strength in this first section is its emphasis on the importance of spoken language in writing development: interactions with adults, exposure to stories and back-and-forth talk. Crucially, it notes the need to teach children how to engage in dialogue to generate ideas for writing, with clear structures and talk routines modelled by teachers.   

Managing cognitive load and the demands on the working memory of young writers is a key theme. The framework asserts the need to slow writing down:   

‘Writing should not be rushed: pupils should concentrate on the quality of their writing rather than producing large amounts of lower-quality text.’ p19  

This encourages us to reflect on how we structure and sequence writing lessons. Are we giving children enough time and support to generate ideas and plan? Are we modelling writing features in manageable steps, or overwhelming them with too many at once? Do we use mini-plenaries, for example, to reinforce success criteria and share good examples? And are we building in time for editing and proofreading?  

Echoing messages from Telling the story: the English education subject report (DfE, 2024) and Strong foundations in the first years of school (DfE, 2024) reports, the framework stresses the importance of securing foundational writing skills before moving on to more complex writing, particularly handwriting and spelling. Poor spelling and handwriting can impact young writers’ self-esteem and act as barriers to writing. As it notes, ‘fluency in transcription frees up working memory to focus on composing writing.’ To remove transcriptional barriers to writing, we need to ensure handwriting and spelling are being taught regularly, and that misconceptions and gaps in learning are addressed, such as securing letter formation before joining. Importantly, though, it also emphasises that grammar and spelling should link to purposeful writing:  

‘Others may be turned off writing, if teaching is focused too heavily on learning lists of spellings and grammatical concepts, out of context and with little understanding of their potential for expressive impact.’ p21  

It stresses that:  

‘just as decoding is not reading, transcription is not writing: it is essential but not sufficient.’ p21  

Here the framework is reminding us that development of transcriptional fluency is important  so children can focus on composition, on the creative act itself. However, as we focus on children’s handwriting, spelling and grammar, are we linking them to the purpose: to communicate effectively to the reader, to have an ‘expressive impact’?  

Motivation is highlighted as a crucial driver of children’s success in writing. The framework explores different kinds of motivation linked to writing, explaining how one form of motivation is derived from feelings of success. This is why slowing down the writing process is so important: it helps ensure a high success rate for all children by teaching in small steps and addressing misconceptions. This might mean revisiting earlier learning, such as securing accurate sentence demarcation, before introducing more complex sentence structures. Conversely, if we rush the writing process, young writers can become overwhelmed and frustrated.   

Another form of motivation is highlighted: giving children choice in what they want to write about and who they want to write for. It asserts:  

‘Too often, pupils ‘learn to write for the circular purpose of learning to write’ and find little personal purpose or value in it.’ p22  

The framework encourages us to think about the writing tasks we give children: what’s in it for them? Do they get to write about what interests them, as the framework suggests? For example, writing about ‘granny’s cooking’ is listed as a legitimate and interesting to topic to write about at school. In addition to the teacher and their classmates as readers, can we find authentic writing tasks where children’s writing has a real purpose and audience, perhaps publishing their work in the school library, or sharing with another class, or even beyond the school gates? Could children share their writing with their family at home or even with the local community, for example? In the context of plummeting attitudes towards writing amongst young people, especially among primary-aged pupils, as shown by the National Literacy Trust’s research, motivation should be at the forefront of our minds.  

Blind spots and unintended consequences  

While the framework presents many strengths in this section, it also introduces a conceptual view of writing that may carry unintended consequences. This perspective could potentially have a detrimental impact on how writing is taught in practice.   

The Simple View of Writing (Berninger et al, 2002) is suggested as a way to think about writing, which boils writing down to: transcription + composition = competent writer: 

The risk with the Simple View of Writing is that it reduces writing to a formula: master transcription, then add composition. This suggests a linear process that doesn’t reflect the complexity of real writing. What exactly is meant by ‘composition’? It involves generating ideas, experimenting with language, and writing with purpose and audience in mind. If we treat transcription as a prerequisite, we may end up prioritising spelling and handwriting over creativity and meaning, like teaching children scales but never letting them play music.  

Interestingly, this model has since been revised to the ‘Not So Simple View of Writing’ (Adapted by EEF from: Berninger et al.,2002), which better acknowledges the role of motivation and the complexity of composition:  

The need to manage the demands we make on working memory in writing lessons is central in this model, affirming the need to teach the writing process in small steps, avoid overloading writing tasks with too many writing features, and develop children’s transcriptional fluency.  However, this model still overlooks the importance of helping children develop their identities as writers. This is likely to be through tasks that encourage self-expression, offer choice, and involve real audiences and purposes from the earliest stages, while also developing transcription skills like handwriting, spelling, and sentence construction. We need to ask ourselves not just what the writing needs, but also what our young writers need.   

The framework could have chosen a conceptual model for writing which attempts to celebrate the complexity and richness of the writing process and help teachers develop a pedagogy which address this, such as The Writing for Pleasure Centre’s ‘The Writing Map’: 

Note how in this model, writing is underpinned by meaningful writing experiences and explicit teaching, supported by motivation and social communication, alongside transcriptional skills. As teachers, we need to embrace the complexity of the writing process and develop a culture of a writing community in our classrooms.  

At HFL, our writing curriculum, ESSENTIALWRITING, places audience and purpose at the heart of writing projects. At the earliest stages of writing in the Early Years, children are invited to apply their transcriptional skills in the context of making books on topics of their choice. As children develop their writing, our English plans weave in grammar progression by noticing what writers use in mentor texts and explicitly modelling how to use them in the context of our own writing to have an impact on the reader.  

Any framework for teaching writing needs to help teachers without oversimplifying what writing really is. The Simple View of Writing may seem helpful at first, but it risks turning writing into a step-by-step formula (first transcription, then composition) when, in reality, writing is much more complex. If we want children to enjoy writing and see themselves as writers, we need to give them real reasons to write, choices in what they write, and opportunities to express themselves.   

ESSENTIALWRITING | HFL Education  

How to help with handwriting | HFL Education   

An introduction to ESSENTIALspelling | HFL Education  

Young, R., & Ferguson, F. (2025). The Writing Map. The Writing for Pleasure Centre The Writing Map & Evidence-Informed Writing Teaching  

Berninger, V. W., Vaughan, K., Abbott, R. D., Begay, K. K., Coleman, K. B., Curtin, G., Hawkins, J. M., and Graham, S. (2002). ‘Teaching spelling and composition alone and together: Implications for the simple view of writing’ Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(2), pp. 291–304  

Join us at our upcoming English Conference Writing Matters: Bridging Research and Policy into Primary Classroom Practice to explore the key themes within the writing framework and hear from its lead author, Dr Tim Mills, alongside other expert speakers including Professor Steve Graham, Professor Teresa Cremin and the wonderful author Bethan Woollvin.