The Migration Process
Catching You Up…
A lot has happened since my last update back in May; and that might be the understatement of the year.
First things first: I got married over the summer! What a relief that is. After years of planning (and a few spreadsheet-induced headaches), the big day finally arrived — on the exact date we got engaged seven years earlier. It was surreal, emotional, and everything we’d hoped for. There’s still a mountain of post-wedding admin to sort through, but the biggest event on our 2025 calendar is finally done and dusted.
Leaving the Orchard
In other news, I’ve officially begun migrating away from the Apple ecosystem starting with my phone and watch. Over the next 6–12 months (basically until the end of the 2025–26 academic year), I’ll be gradually removing Apple devices from my workflow.
My iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirTags have already gone. I’m currently living tagless, though I’ve been eyeing up Pebblebee as a replacement system. The only issue is cost; £200 worth of tags isn’t cheap, so that upgrade may need to wait a month or two.
I’m still clinging onto my AirPods and AirPods Pro for now, but I’m hoping to unwrap a pair of Fairphone Buds at Christmas (hint, hint).
The NPQLT Chapter Closes
This month I also completed my National Professional Qualification in Leading Teaching (NPQLT) — and honestly, I couldn’t be happier to see it finished.
If I’m being completely truthful, I didn’t enjoy it at all. The course felt like a relentless tick-box exercise, full of recycled jargon and theoretical frameworks that rarely translate into the realities of the classroom. What was supposed to be a programme about leadership and improving teaching too often turned into an exercise in writing essays that satisfied a rubric rather than genuinely developing practice.
It reminded me quite starkly that the education and CPD system is broken. There’s so much focus on formality, templates, and “evidence of impact,” yet so little room for professional curiosity, creativity, or reflection that actually changes what happens for students day to day.
That said, I poured a huge amount of time and effort into it. My final assessment went in at the start of October, and now it’s just a waiting game until results arrive (probably February). Whether I pass or not, I’m just relieved it’s over, and even more convinced that the profession deserves a better model of professional growth than this.
What's New?
A Name Worth Spelling
Before we even got together, I always knew I wanted to change my surname. The number of times educated professionals managed to misspell it, even when it was right there in the email address, was infuriating.
So, from 1st September 2025, the start of this academic year, my original surname has been relegated to middle-name status, and Lyall has taken its rightful place as my surname. It feels right, it looks right, and when people inevitably misspell it, at least I won’t sound quite so pretentious correcting them.
As part of my wider migration, I’ve also changed my phone number for the first time in over 15 years. My old number ending in 8000 has officially been retired (RIP; it was short, snappy, and easy to remember).
I’ve also switched networks: goodbye EE, hello Co-op Mobile. Ironically, Co-op still runs on EE’s infrastructure, so nothing’s changed except the monthly bill which, honestly, is fine by me.
Bureaucracy vs. Reality
The name change sparked a full-blown administrative marathon. Updating my government ID was chaotic as it took over two months and featured yet another spelling error (proof my old surname was cursed).
Thankfully, everything’s now corrected, and I finally have official ID that spells my name consistently across all records.
That delay, however, caused a domino effect with a few side projects, particularly my application to formally join the Air Cadets at school. Now that my paperwork is in order, I’ve completed the application and had my interview.
It was intense! They grilled me about my background, experience, motivations, and even quizzed me on RAF and RAFAC knowledge. I can’t say much about the outcome just yet, but it was positive. Let’s just say there’s a good chance you’ll be hearing from Acting Sergeant Lyall before long.
Another New Setup?
A little backstory for those who’ve not known me long…
When I first started building websites, and especially during university, I became something of a domain-name hoarder. At one point, I owned so many domains that I needed a spreadsheet just to keep track. When I became a teacher, I did a massive clear-out. But, over time, the collection has crept back up again (old habits die hard).
Now that my name change is official, it feels like the right time to consolidate and rebuild my online presence.
I’ve recently registered two new domains:
- mrlyall.uk
- mrlyall.co.uk
I intentionally registered both to avoid any confusion over whether the site was .co.uk or .uk. Going forward, I’ll be using mrlyall.co.uk as my primary domain, with the .uk version redirecting to it. It keeps things neat, consistent, and avoids any “which one do I type?” moments.
That brings me up to seven active domains overall, so an audit is definitely due to decide what stays, what goes, and what gets redirected.
Of course, a few of those domains will never be mentioned publicly. Some are reserved for internal use within my homelab and digital infrastructure, and others for future personal projects.
My current flagship site, mrdaviscsit.uk, is already renewed until October 2027, but over time it will gradually hand over duties to mrlyall.co.uk as my primary domain. By that point, the Davis identity will be formally relegated in favour of Lyall.
This blog will move too, separating my personal site, professional portfolio, and web services properly at last.
ADCM Remains
One thing that won’t be changing is ADCM.
I can’t bring myself to rename it to ALCM, it just doesn’t look right. Besides, migrating every email address and service again would be a logistical nightmare.
The last big switch (back in 2020) took months, and some systems still haven’t caught up. So ADCM and ADCM Networks will remain proudly untouched throughout this migration.
What's The Delay?
The main delay now is simply time and planning. I need to map out which domains go where, what gets archived, and how the new structure will fit together. You’ll likely notice gradual changes across my portfolio, websites, and digital footprint over the coming months as I transition everything to Lyall.
This isn’t just about changing devices or domain names. It’s about simplifying my digital life aligning my online identity with who I am today and who I’m becoming.
So yes: a new surname, a new setup, and a new direction.
Same me, just a little more Lyall-logical.
Clearing the Clutter: A Digital and Personal Reset
I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a few years now, and this finally seems like the right time to take action.
Marking the Milestone: Mastering the Computing Measure
Note to self: I really need to post here more often! It’s been a whirlwind since my last update. Between chasing rapid grade improvements for our Year 11s, general OFSTED prep, onboarding a new team member, and—yes—rewriting the Key Stage 3 curriculum (again), I’ve completely lost track of time.
It's Been A While...
A lot has changed since my last ramble on here. First off, I have finally rid myself of that dark and questionnable realm that is Twittter (I will call it that until Elon finally gives up his X fettish). I left mainly because I planned to do it years back but never fully committed.