Craig Barton

Mr Barton Maths Podcast

Craig Barton interviews guests from the wonderful world of education about their approaches to teaching, educational research and more. All show notes, resources and videos here: https://www.mrbartonmaths.com/blog/

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.mrbartonmaths.com

Author

Craig Barton

Category

Education

Podcast website

www.mrbartonmaths.com

Latest episode

Oct 21, 2026

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Episodes

#209 Research in Action 26: Linguistic influences on number processing with Silke Goebel 28.01.2026

In this conversation, Silke Goebel, a professor at the University of York, discusses her research on number processing in children, the cognitive and cultural aspects of numerical cognition, and the influence of language on learning mathematics. She explores how numbers are represented in the brain, the concept of subitizing, and the challenges posed by different number systems across cultures. Th...

#208 Atomisation in Action – episode 4 (with Kris Boulton and Duncan Grantham) 11.11.2025

Kris Boulton and maths teacher Duncan Grantham join me to discuss creating maths resources using AI. You can access the shownotes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-in-action-4

#207 Atomisation in Action – episode 3 (with Kris Boulton and Lee Wheeler) 01.09.2025

Kris Boulton and maths teacher Lee Wheeler join me for the third in our monthly deep-dives about how to apply the principles of Atomisation in the classroom. This time we look at problem-solving, prerequisite knowledge, and overtisiation. Access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-in-action-3

#206 Mastering classroom management with Ollie Lovell and Mark Dowley 29.07.2025

Ollie Lovell and Mark Dowley have written a fantastic book - The Classroom Management Handbook. In this conversation, we dive into three of Ollie and Mark’s 10 behaviour principles: Master your own behaviour to influence others, Treat behaviour as a curriculum, and Success is the greatest motivator. We then discuss my favourite part of the book - the worked example or scripts that Ollie and Mark h...

#205 Why CPD is broken and how to fix it with Adam Boxer 15.07.2025

Science teacher and educational guru Adam Boxer joins me to discuss why he thinks the way CPD is traditionally delivered in schools is broken, and how we can fix it. We discuss three common models of CPD - the one-off inset, the yearly whole-school focus, and instructional coaching - and Adam outlines just how difficult it is to make them effective. We then discuss Adam's alternative. You can...

#204 Developing a lesson structure – episode 5 (with Ollie Lovell) 12.06.2025

Regular listeners will know that each month, I get together with my good friend and podcasting arch-enemy Ollie Lovell. This is the fifth in our series of conversations where we seek to agree upon a maths lesson structure. This time around, we continue our discussion of the Do Now, this time focusing on how to respond to the checks for understanding, and addressing reasons why the Do Now can take...

#203 Atomisation in Action – episode 2 (with Kris Boulton and Lee Wheeler) 04.06.2025

Kris Boulton and maths teacher Lee Wheeler join me for the second of our series of Atomisation in Action episodes, where we discuss the benefits and challenges of applying the principles of Atomisation in the classroom. This time, we discuss how Atomisaiton can go wrong, and how it works with sets and mixed-attainment classes. You can access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-...

#202 AI and Education – episode 3 (with Neil Almond) 27.05.2025

This episode, Neil Almond, creator of the amazing Teacher Prompts newsletter, returns to the show. We begin by reflecting on some recent developments in the world of AI and then turn our attention to Neil’s AI spin on Neil Postman's Technology Principles, where Neil expresses caution about the impact AI could have on our students' education and the role of teachers. You can access the show...

#201 Atomisation in Action – episode 1 (with Kris Boulton and Lee Wheeler) 30.04.2025

This is the first in what I hope will be a new series of episodes focusing on Atomisation and its potential impact on student learning. Access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-in-action-1

#200 AI and Education – episode 2 (with James Radburn) 23.04.2025

This is the second instalment in a series of episodes examining the role of AI in education. On this episode, I am joined by James Radburn. As you will hear, James has devoted considerable time to considering the positive benefits and pitfalls of AI in education. Today, after James shares three practical use cases of AI that all listeners can use, we dive into the tricky areas of AI literacy for b...

#199 Developing a lesson structure – episode 4 (with Ollie Lovell) 09.04.2025

In this engaging conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie Lovell discuss various teaching strategies, focusing on the 'Do Now' structure in classrooms. They explore the importance of checking for understanding, the effectiveness of mini whiteboards, and how to manage latecomers. The discussion also touches on their upcoming Aussie tour, providing insights into their teaching philosophies and p...

#198 AI and Education – episode 1 (with Neil Almond) 19.03.2025

I hope this will be the first of a series of episodes investigating AI's role in education. Specifically, I am interested in how AI can save teachers time, help them do their jobs better, or ideally both. I am also interested in the role AI may play in the future in acting as an intelligent 1-to-1 tutor for our students. So, in this first conversation, Neil and I cover the basics of what exact...

#197 Developing a lesson structure – episode 3 (with Ollie Lovell) 28.02.2025

This is the third in our series of conversations where we seek to agree upon a maths lesson structure. This time around, we continue our discussion of the Do Now, this time focusing on the choice of content, and what students do whilst working on the Do Now. As ever, we go super deep. So, I hope people enjoy it. Show-notes: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/lesson-structure-3

#196 Developing a lesson structure – episode 2 (with Ollie Lovell) 09.01.2025

In this episode, Ollie and I tried something different. I’ve been working with a school to help develop a departmental lesson structure with their maths team. I know Ollie had been doing something similar with a school he has been working with, so it seemed a good idea to chat through our ideas to see where we agreed and differed. My original plan was to cover this all in one pod. But, as you will...

#195 Developing a lesson structure - episode 1 (with Ollie Lovell) 01.11.2024

In this episode, Ollie and I tried something different. I've been working with a school to help develop a departmental lesson structure with their maths team. I know Ollie had been doing something similar with a school he has been working with, so it seemed a good idea to chat through our ideas to see where we agreed and differed. My original plan was to cover this all in one pod. But, as you will...

#194 A chat about Ollie Lovell's lesson 31.08.2024

Ollie Lovell sent me a recording of a maths lesson he had recently taught in a school he has been supporting. I suggested we discuss the lesson, centring around Ollie’s planning, the decisions he made, and his responses in the lesson. Fortunately, Ollie agreed, hence what you are listening to now. I have shared the video clips from the sections of the lesson that we discussed on the show-note page...

#193 Tools and Tips for Teachers: Episode 14 (with Ollie Lovell) 11.07.2024

In this conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie Lovell discuss various topics related to teaching and professional development. They touch on the importance of aligning pedagogy in schools and the potential benefits and drawbacks of co-constructing instructional practices. They also discuss effective strategies for delivering CPD, including cold calling participants and switching partners during acti...

#192 Tools and Tips for Teachers: Episode 13 (with Ollie Lovell) 25.06.2024

In this conversation, Craig and Ollie discuss various topics, including their health, their rankings as education influencers, and the importance of breaking down concepts into smaller atoms for effective teaching. They also explore the idea of sharing what students need to hear rather than showing off one's knowledge, and the challenges of atomization in teaching. Ollie shares his experience...

#191 Tools and Tips for Teachers: Episode 12 (with Ollie Lovell) 16.05.2024

In this conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie discuss various topics including recovery from illness, feedback, and teaching methods. They explore different approaches to going through responses from starters in the classroom, such as working through every answer quickly, circulating and addressing specific questions, and using mini whiteboards. They also discuss the importance of setting the tone...

#190 Atomisation and Unstoppable Learning with Kris Boulton 01.05.2024

Kris Boulton returns to the podcast to discuss atomisation and how it can lead to unstoppable learning for our students. You can access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-kris-boulton Timestamps: Atomization in mathematics education, with a focus on expertise-induced blindness and its impact on students' understanding. (10:57) Breaking down complex processes into simpler s...

#189 Tools and Tips for Teachers: Episode 11 (with Ollie Lovell) 18.04.2024

In this conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie Lovell discuss various teaching strategies and approaches. They cover topics such as the importance of choosing effective examples, the benefits of using green smoothies for breakfast, and the concept of hands-up cold call. They also explore the idea of starting with general examples instead of easy specific cases, and how this can improve student under...

#188 Ten ways to get amazing GCSE maths results with Jo Morgan 03.04.2024

Craig Barton and Jo Morgan discuss Jo's career journey and the context of her school. They then dive into the topic of achieving amazing GCSE results, starting with the importance of a solid Key Stage 3 and 4 curriculum and pedagogy. Jo emphasizes the need for high-quality teaching, a robust curriculum, and going into depth on topics. She also discusses the benefits of setting and the challeng...

#187 How to coach responsively with Josh Goodrich 14.03.2024

In this episode, Craig Barton interviews Josh Goodrich, the co-founder and CEO of Step Lab, about his experience as an English teacher and his work in teacher education. They discuss the importance of instructional coaching and the challenges schools face in implementing effective coaching programs. Josh emphasizes the need for schools to de-implement ineffective practices and create a culture tha...

#186 Tools and Tips for Teachers: Episode 10 (with Ollie Lovell) 22.02.2024

In this conversation, Craig and Ollie discuss various topics including Brian Johnson's quest to beat the aging process, fitness goals, teaching reading using Monster Phonics, treating failures as system failures, effective teacher professional development, and the use of silent teacher and checking for listening in the classroom. In this part of the conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie Lovell...

#185 Tools and Tips for Teachers: Episode 9 (with Ollie Lovell) 22.01.2024

This month Ollie Lovell and I discuss the following things: Why change needs a deep understanding (08:15) The power of using critical evidence during CPD (23:10) Is making feedback into detective work really a good idea? (39:39) The Derring Effect (55:04) What have you got worse at? (1:11:24) I need the toilet (1:20:25) You can view the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/tools-and-tips-for-te...

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