Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe

In this head to head episode of Mind the Gap, Tom and Emma discuss educational ideas that have recently captivated them, as well as some of the latest developments in the field. Emma has been thinking about the ways in which even beautifully designed curricula need well thought out task design to keep classes from becoming too formulaic across subjects. Tom, on the other hand, is looking at the ne...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by René Kneyber and Valentina Devid, co-founders of Toets Revolutie in the Netherlands and co-authors of the upcoming book Formative action: From instrument to design . The four of them talk about the concept of formative action, which is purposefully named to steer clear of the sometimes-problematic term 'assessment&#...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Carl Hendrick, author of two books about the science of teaching and learning and a third about bridging the gap between research and practice. Carl said he approached finding the research papers for his books in the same way that he would have compiled an album of seminal classic rock tracks, but with the criterion of...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Jon Hutchinson. The three of them talk about Jon's role at Reach which aims to weave five important threads into their community partners' educational systems: curricular coherence, understanding the principles of great teaching, maintaining relationships, understanding the community, and strong leadership. A la...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Amanda Wilson. The three of them talk through Amanda's unorthodox journey to headship, and the traits that she has found most important throughout her educational career: confidence, authenticity, and empowerment. Those three themes shine through in her book, Letters to a Young Generation: Aspiring School Leaders, a...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Professor Rob Coe. The three of them talk through the history of Rob's work as a teacher and then a researcher. Rob's work on the EEF Toolkit and the Sutton Trust report highlighted existing evidence about cost-effective interventions, and the publications shattered a lot of educators' previously held belief...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Zaretta Hammond. The three of them talk through much of Zaretta's work, identifying the components of the ready for rigor framework, the differences between 'shallow' and 'deep' culture, and how culturally responsive teaching involves leveraging cultures to create a richer learning environment. They...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by educational power couple Dr Pippa and Bradley Busch. The four discuss the effects of COVID on children's development, how to make the school environment more low stakes to make students more comfortable, and their favourite classroom strategies to help pupils learn better. Dr Pippa Busch is an Educational and Child...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by special guest Lekha Sharma. The trio discusses how to build a school culture, and Lekha talks about how she believes a positive school culture is a prerequisite for great curriculum and pedagogy. Lekha Sharma is a School Improvement Lead for the Avanti Schools Trust, leading on curriculum and assessment and has over ten...

In this episode, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner delve into the profound insights and powerful moments experienced during their conversations with incredible guests. They highlight the importance of making primary education accessible to all and teachers' duty to leave a lasting legacy through their teaching. Tom and Emma discuss the significance of routines and norms that support teachers in...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by special guest Ben Newmark. The conversation begins with the trio discussing the critical topic of breaking barriers and embracing individual differences in education while also sharing their insights, experiences, and concerns regarding the current education system and its approach toward catering to the diverse needs o...

On the latest installment of the Mr Barton Maths Podcast , Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner assume the roles of guests and engage in a lively discussion. For this special episode, Craig Barton and Ollie Lovell are joined by Emma Turner and Tom Sherrington to discuss coaching, the view from the back of a lesson, pre-testing, implied competencies, and more! Access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.c...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner delve into the intricacies of teacher training, coaching, and the hurdles faced during implementation. They explore the importance of listening to personal experiences, the value of partnerships, the evolving role of coaching, and the need for a holistic approach. The episode begins with a powerful observation: rather than defending...

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom and Emma are joined by special guest Alom Shaha, a teacher with over 25 years of experience. Alom shares his journey from working in television to rediscovering his passion for teaching and the sense of community it provides. During the conversation, Alom discusses his upcoming children's book that aims to teach young readers about scientific discoveries, s...

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Caroline Derbyshire joins Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss the importance of creating a positive and supportive environment for educators.  The trio discussed the importance of creating a culture of excellence in education, particularly in subject departments. They emphasized the significance of granting teachers the independence and assistance they need...

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington, and Emma Turner have the pleasure of being joined by Hywel Roberts, a highly accomplished author, educator, storyteller, and humorist. This episode provides a holistic perspective on how to create an effective learning environment in the classroom. The trio discussed the importance of enthusiasm, engagement, imagination, protection, storytelling, a...

In this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom and Emma reflect on past guests and Emma’s new book Simplicitus Altius: Leading the Interconnected Primary Curriculum . Tom and Emma discuss the lack of shock within the profession regarding the amount of stress people feel and how it potentially can lead to such tragedies is surprising. We must look at the high-stress system to make it more supportive and enco...

In this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom and Emma are joined by Vic Goddard . The group discusses Vic’s position in British Education, particularly his role as a leader and a role model for head teachers and school leadership across the UK. Vic’s first foray into thought leadership was the BAFTA-nominated documentary series Educating Essex , a seven-part series following a group of GCSE students and t...

For this episode, special guest Jim Knight joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss his research and experience in professional development. The conversation focuses on instructional coaching, teacher professional learning, and recent research to improve teaching and learning.  In part one of this episode, the group discusses the differences between two of Jim’s books: The Impact Cyc...

For this episode, special guest Sufian Sadiq joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss CPD, community engagement, and leadership in education. The conversation focuses on the interplay between meticulous planning and passionate engagement. It is clear throughout the conversation that Sufian has mastered the ability to engage and plan to make schools, communities, and learning thrive. ...

For this episode, special guest Aisha Thomas joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss representation. The conversation focuses on Aisha’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work and expertise in training educators to increase representation, develop inclusive curriculum, and create a framework for anti-racism/anti-prejudice environments. In part one of the episode, Aisha explores how s...

For this episode, special guest Sarah Cottingham joins Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss Sarah’s work and expertise in recent research, learning design, retrieval practice, neuroscience, learning schema, and professional development. The conversation begins by exploring Sarah’s explosion onto the educational scene, her beginnings as a teacher, trying different strategies to enhance studen...

For this episode, special guest Dylan Wiliam joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss good teaching practices, theories of student learning, and implementation. The conversation begins by exploring the concept of “good teaching.” The trio discusses differentiating good teaching from successful teaching, student engagement, humility, successful teaching strategies, research on the val...

For this episode, special guest Efrat Furst joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss useful learning from a neuroscience perspective. The conversation begins by exploring Efrat’s work at the Mofet Institute- a national institute in Israel that provides teacher training and research for teacher colleges. Efrat’s work at the Mofet Institute builds off her previous work at The Teaching...

For this episode, special guests Richard Selfridge and James Pembroke join hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss the effective uses of data. The conversation begins by exploring the context for much of the data practices and initiatives. The beginning of the episode focuses on what Richard and James have seen in the past and how schools & governing bodies have taken the lessons of t...