Episode 174: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I am honoured to be joined by linguist, author and and all-round inspirational educator, Lyn Stone and Chris Such for a sensational, action packed exploration of spelling. As part of the chat we discuss... The English writing system Morphology Spelling patterns ...and much, much mor…

Episode 173: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Neil Almond takes us through the fascinating world of reading comprehension in the first, audio-lecture episode of the podcast. Featuring... Research analysis A thorough exploration of the key elements of Scarborough's "Reading Rope" Practical advice for the classroom ...and much, m…

Episode 172: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Shannen Doherty and Neil Almond for a round of unseen questions from listeners with huge connotations for our practice in the primary classroom. As part of the chat we discuss... Subject knowledge professional development - the how, the what, the WHEN!?!? NPQs and Mast…

Episode 171: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Shannen Doherty and Jim Brassil (@brassil88) for an exploration of effective modelling in the primary classroom. As part of the chat we discuss... What modelling is (for the purposes of this episode) Shannen and Jim's guiding principles for effective modelling How to n…

Episode 170: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Lloyd Williams Jones for an exploration of how we can establish a belief in the academic potential of all pupils. As part of the chat we discuss... What a belief in the academic potential of all pupils means How we can create the conditions for all pupils to achieve we…

Episode 169: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Stuart Welsh for an exploration of responsive teaching, the principles, the strategies and what this might look like in the classroom. If you enjoy this episode, please support us by subscribing to our YouTube channel, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or making a do…

Episode 168: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Stephen Lockyer and Christopher Such for an exploration of how lessons we might learn outside of education can play a role in our schools and our classrooms. As part of the chat we discuss... The joy of teaching Leadership Ofsted ...and much, much more. If you enjoy th…

Episode 167: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Elliot Morgan for an exploration of how and when we can make learning more challenging. As part of the chat we discuss... What challenge is The conditions surrounding learning Sustaining challenge over time ...and much, much more. If you enjoy this episode, please supp…

Episode 166: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by primary mathematics specialist Kate Frood for an in-depth exploration of some key themes in the world of primary mathematics. As part of the chat we discuss... Kate's principles for effective teaching What these principles might look like in the classroom The importanc…

Episode 165: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Lydia Grove, an editor at Teach Primary. We sit down to explore the nuts and bolts of becoming a published teacher. As part of the chat we discuss... How teachers can get their writing published The kind of articles magazines are looking for Pitfalls new authors can fa…

Episode 164: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Leisa Grace Wilson, a Languages Teacher, school leader and (currently) Editorial Director of Teach Middle East. We sit down to explore the importance of teachers writing about their craft and how they can get their work published in magazines and periodicals. As part o…

Episode 163: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Aimee Tinkler as we explore life in small schools; covering everything from leadership and curriculum to budgets and pedagogy. Whether you are new to the profession or an experienced senior leader, you won't want to miss this episode. If you enjoy this podcast, please …

Episode 162: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond as we explore the application of variation theory and the potential overlap with different areas/fields of education research. As part of the chat we discuss... what variation theory is whether it is possible to consider variation theory in isolation, where…

Episode 161: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Reid Smith and Christopher Such as we explore the role of background knowledge in reading comprehension and the research Reid has conducted over the better part of the last decade. As part of the chat we discuss... the key research takeaways, the limitations placed on …

Episode 160: Counting is fundamental to mathematics, but how much do we really know about it? In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, we explore the principles of counting and the ways we can support all pupils in developing confidence with number during their formative school years. As part of the chat we discuss... What are th…

Episode 159: This week on the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast, I'm joined by Sarah Larsen and Tom Brassington for a thorough exploration of geography teaching. As part of the episode we discuss... 1. The importance of language in geography lessons 2. The fundamentals of comparative studies 3. The use of images in the geography class…

Episode 158: This week on the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast, I'm joined by Shannen Doherty and Neil Almond to kick off 2024 with some unseen questions and much opinion based frivolity. As part of the episode we discuss... ...the point of using cursive writing on displays ...how to approach teaching in small schools ...what we shou…

Episode 157: This week on the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast, I'm joined by Christopher Such for an exploration of nine common misconceptions which surround the teaching of phonics. As part of the chat we explore all nine misconceptions and discuss... ...the purpose of phonics, the origin of these common misconceptions, how prevale…

Episode 156: This week on the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast, I'm joined by Shannen Doherty and Lod Will Jon for an exploration of the ways we can engage parents/carers with mathematics. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. Why should we try to engage parents with mathematics? 2. In an ideal world, what would this engagement look l…

Episode 155: Join us for this special episode of "Thinking Deeply about Primary Education" as we continue on a fascinating journey into the world of early math research and pedagogy. In this in-depth analysis, we delve into the 2023 paper "Research and Pedagogies for Early Math" by esteemed researchers, Douglas Clements, Renee Lizcano and Julie Sar…

Episode 154: This week on the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast, we take a deep dive into the essence of middle leadership in schools. Stuart Welsh shares his invaluable insights on the importance of middle leadership, the guiding principles that underpin effective leadership at this level, and how these principles translate into tang…

Episode 153: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I’m joined by Kate Jones and Shannen Doherty to discuss the themes in Kate’s new book, Smashing Glass Ceilings: Empowering Women in Education, which explores the challenges and opportunities for female teachers and leaders in schools. As part of the chat we discuss… 1. What inspired…

Episode 152: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, we conclude our conversation with Dr Robert Sharples (Episode 151), a senior lecturer in language and education at the University of Bristol, about the challenges and opportunities of supporting pupils who use English as an additional language (EAL). As part of the chat we discuss..…

Episode 151: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, we speak to Dr Robert Sharples, a senior lecturer in language and education at the University of Bristol, about the challenges and opportunities of supporting pupils who use English as an additional language (EAL). Whether you’re new to the profession or an experienced senior leader…

Episode 150: Join us for this special episode of "Thinking Deeply about Primary Education" as we embark on a fascinating journey into the world of early math research and pedagogy. In this in-depth analysis, we delve into the 2023 paper "Research and Pedagogies for Early Math" by esteemed researchers, Douglas Clements, Renee Lizcano and Julie Saram…

Episode 149: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I’m joined by Neil Almond, a teacher, leader, and co-creator of AI Education newsletter, Teacher Prompts, for a fascinating discussion about the role of artificial intelligence in education. As part of the chat we discuss… What is Artificial Intelligence? Is it likely to change the …

Episode 148: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Lloyd Williams-Jones for an exploration of his implementation of an approach to the teaching of reading. As part of the chat we discuss.... 1. What have you done? 2. How have you done it? 3. What has been the impact? 4. What challenges have you had to overcome? 5. What…

Episode 147: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Christopher Such and Neil Almond sit down with Professor Kathy Rastle for an in-depth exploration of morphology, early literacy instruction, phonics and much, much more. It's the finale of Season 6 and, once you've listened, I'm sure you'll agree it is the perfect way to end another…

Episode 146: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, we speak to Neil Gorton, a senior leader at BIS Vietnam, about the importance of teachers taking control of their own professional development. We discuss Neil's own motivation for self-guided CPD, his guiding principles, and how he balances the time demands of school and fami…

Episode 145: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Jonny Hall for a thorough exploration of www.mathsbot.com and how teachers can get the most from the superb resources available on the site . As part of the chat we discuss... 1. Where did the idea for MathsBot come from and which came first, you learning to code or th…

Episode 144: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by the inimitable Sarah Larsen for an exploration of geography. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. What is geography? 2. What are your guiding principles for the teaching of geography? 3. …and what role does cognitive science have in this respect? 4. What is field-work?…

Episode 143: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by the wonderful Rachel Ball for an exploration of how we might develop and engage with an evidence-informed culture of school leadership. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. What are your guiding principles for developing an evidence-informed and responsive CPD culture …

Episode 142: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Stuart Tiffany for the second episode of Season 6. Stuart has been a guest on the podcast before but this time we sit down 1:1 to go far into the depths of primary history. Stuart shares his thoughts on subject leadership, locality and curriculum sequencing as well as …

Episode 141: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Shannen Doherty for the first episode of the eagerly awaited sixth season of the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast. Shannen shares her reflections on leadership, her own professional growth and how to lead meaningful change across a number of settings. As…

Episode 140: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Deputy Head Teacher, Tom Oakley as we discuss persistent problems in the classroom and how we might approach trying to solve them. As part of the chat we explore... 1. What are the most persistent classroom problems? 2. How can we approach these problems? 3. Why do you…

Episode 139: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Ben Ebdon (@TeacherInTrain). Ben changed careers 25 years into his working life and I wanted to know what that experience was like, what his motivations were and how things had gone since making the leap into the world of education. As part of the chat we discuss... 1.…

Episode 138: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Christopher Such as we field questions from from listeners on a range of themes. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. When I assess pupils’ reading what am I looking for and how do I know that I am assessing pupils properly. ? 2. What is the biggest difference working …

Episode 137: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Lloyd Williams-Jones for as we field questions from new and early career teachers. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. What strategies do you find most effective for maintaining a positive and inclusive classroom environment? 2. How do you effectively …

Episode 136: Join us for this special episode of "Thinking Deeply about Primary Education" as we continue on a fascinating journey into the world of educational research and instructional design. In this in-depth analysis, we delve into the groundbreaking paper "Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years On" by esteemed researchers, …

Episode 135: Join us for this special episode of "Thinking Deeply about Primary Education" as we embark on a fascinating journey into the world of educational research and instructional design. In this in-depth analysis, we delve into the groundbreaking paper "Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years On" by esteemed researchers, Jo…

Episode 134: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Christopher Such as we explore the captivating topic of engaging with education research. We uncover the power of education research in transforming classroom practices and enriching the teaching/learning experience, drawing on years of expertise in both the academic a…

Episode 133: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Christopher Such as we field some more unseen questions about a range of topics from the selection and use of manipulatives in KS3 and mathematical language to retrieval practice success and the ideal primary assessment scenario. Whether you're new to the profession or…

Episode 132: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Christopher Such as we delve into the exciting changes happening in the world of Key Stage 1 assessment. With the removal of KS1 SATs, schools now have the opportunity to reimagine how they assess reading proficiency in their early learners. This episod…

Episode 131: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Lloyd Williams-Jones as we explore the importance of teacher induction programs and discuss how we can support teachers who are new to our schools.As part of the chat we discuss...1. What is induction and what should be included? 2. What does induction typically look l…

Episode 130: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Christopher Such as we delve into the exciting changes happening in the world of Key Stage 1 assessment. With the removal of KS1 SATs, schools now have the opportunity to reimagine how they assess reading proficiency in their early learners. This episod…

Episode 129: In this thought-provoking episode of "Thinking Deeply about Primary Education," I'm joined, in-person, by a panel of esteemed guests, including Neil Almond, Shannen Doherty, Tom Brassington, and Lloyd Williams Jones, as we explore a potentially concerning phenomenon: "The Erosion of Art, Music, Sport, and Cooking" in primary education.…

Episode 128: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond as we delve into the exciting changes happening in the world of Key Stage 1 assessment. With the removal of KS1 SATs, schools now have the opportunity to reimagine how they assess mathematics proficiency in their early learners. This episode is a must-liste…

Episode 127: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Shannen Doherty and the leadership team of St. George's Primary School in an attempt to demystify what "Outstanding" looks like in 2023 for primary schools. Using their recent Ofsted report as a stimulus, we explore... 1. "Behaviour is exemplary"...how would you descri…

Episode 126: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Chris Such turns the tables on me (Kieran) with some unseen questions, as we try to help listeners with questions or problems they have been facing. As part of this chat we discuss bar models, fluency, subject leadership and much, much more. Whether you're new to the profession or a…

Episode 125: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Christopher Such as we try to decide what the five things every teacher needs to know about reading comprehension are. As part of the chat we discuss reading comprehension in tremendous depth and even find some time to chat about the KS2 reading assessm…