Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Episode 183: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education Neil Almond joins me for a fascinating exploration of (the teaching and learning of) handwriting. Based on his upcoming chapter in the researchED Guide to Primary Literacy, we delve into the research in this field and what this means for us in the classroom. As part of the chat we discuss... Is handwriting important? What was the mo...

Episode 182: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education  I'm joined by CEO of the Aquinas Multi-Academy Trust, Kathy Griffiths, for a thorough exploration of effective leadership and her experience of over a decade in executive leadership. As part of the chat we discuss... What role does the CEO of a multi-academy trust perform and is it consistent across trusts? What do you enjoy mo...

Episode 181: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education  I'm joined by Nick Pointer for a thorough exploration of effective teacher professional development. As part of the chat we discuss... Your work revolves around supporting school leaders to think hard about teacher professional development - have you seen a shift in the sector in how we approach CPD over the past few years? You...

Episode 180: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education  I'm joined by Stuart Welsh for a truly fascinating exploration of fractions. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. Why is knowledge of fractions so important? 2. ⁠Why is knowledge of fractions so difficult for children to acquire? 3. ⁠Where can things go wrong with fractions in the classroom? 4. What can we do, as teachers, to e...

Episode 179: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I (Kieran Mackle) explore the fascinating world of number bonds in the second, audio-lecture episode of the podcast. Featuring... Systematic structuring Explicit diagnostic tracking Practical advice for the classroom Evidence-informed decision making ...and much, much more. Let us know if you enjoyed this episode format in the comm...

Episode 178: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education  I'm joined by Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb for a truly fascinating exploration of scaffolding in the classroom. As part of the chat we discuss... What is scaffolding/what is scaffolding not?  What are some of the pitfalls that teachers can fall into when trying to implement scaffolding? How can we establish scaffolding as an e...

Episode 177: Join us for this enlightening episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education  as we dive into the world of numbers and equations with Samantha Patterson, a primary mathematics expert from North East England. Samantha brings her extensive experience and passion for education to the table, discussing the pivotal role of high-quality mathematics education in shaping young minds. As p...

Episode 176: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, the inimitable Richard Selfridge joins me for an exploration of the use of student data and how teachers can (and should) use student data in a ways that are cost-effective (currency = time) and impactful in the classroom. As part of the chat we discuss... The misuse of data (common errors/misconceptions) How data can (and should)...

Episode 175: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Jon Kay (Head of Evidence Synthesis and International at the Education Endowment Foundation) joins me for an exploration of evidence synthesis and the ways teachers can put evidence to work for them in the classroom. As part of the chat we discuss... How the EEF evaluates the quality of research How teachers can navigate the huge b...

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 more. Tickets for Lyn's workshop in Leicester: ht...

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, much more. Let us know if you enjoyed...

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 Masters - which, when and why? Helping pupils (in...

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 navigate the gradual release of responsibil...

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 well How we can approach getting pupils to belie...

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 donation via www.ko-fi.com/tdape.  If you have a...

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 this episode, please support us by subscribing t...

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 support us by subscribing to our YouTube channel,...

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 importance of fluency Ways to support teachers in b...

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 fall into The hallmarks of a well-crafted teachi...

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 of the chat we discuss... How teachers can get...

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 support us by subscribing to our YouTube...

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 any potential overlap might occur ...and mu...

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 anyone studying or interpreting research into...

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 the principles of counting? When should students lea...

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 classroom ...and much, much more. Whether you'r...