The Arch

In this episode I sat down with inclusion expert Craig Duggan (‘Executive Director of Inclusive Learning and Additional Learning Support’ at Middlesbrough College Group) and discussed how inclusion isn’t just about access or provision, it’s about a genuine commitment to keeping every learner in the system, even when that makes things more complex. I asked him the following: The word ‘inclusion’ is...

In this episode I sat down with metacognitive thinking expert Nathan Burns. Over the 45 minute episode we covered the following questions: Nathan, could you start by telling us a little about your journey into education and what first drew you to the field of metacognition? Metacognition is a term many educators have heard, but not everyone feels confident explaining it. How would you define metac...

This is the 2nd part of a two part episode with Al Kinglsey MBE. In this part of the episode, we discuss: People often say they ‘use ChatGPT’ or that they ‘just Google it,’ but the reality is that there’s a huge range of AI tools out there - a bit like people saying they have a Hoover when really they own a Dyson. How important is it for teachers and leaders to understand the different types of AI...

This is a 2 part episode with Al Kinglsey MBE. - In this part of the episode we discuss: People compare AI as we see it now, to the early days of the internet. Do you agree with that analogy? And if this really is like “day one of the internet”, what does the potential fast paced nature of technological progress in the next few years mean for schools and colleges? What are the risks for schools th...

In this episode I sit down with Simon Blower (Co-founder of Pobble) and we discuss: What first made you so passionate about writing? And what did you notice about pupils who did enjoy writing compared to those who didn’t? We talk a lot about “reading for pleasure”, but what does “writing for pleasure” mean to you? And why does enjoyment matter so much in writing? Why do so many pupils decide early...

In this episode I sat down with Northern Arch Learning partnership's DSL Lead Marcus Dickinson and I asked: What’s changed in safeguarding over the last five or six years since Covid? What concerns are you seeing more often now than before the pandemic? Are pupils coming to school with different needs? How did lockdown change children’s digital worlds? Are weekends and holidays now more complex di...

In this episode I sat down with Rachel Johnson (CEO of PiXL) to discuss something she calls “the art of subtraction” - a leadership approach that challenges the instinct to keep adding more initiatives and more priorities, and instead asks: What if the most important work is deciding what to remove? What to stop? Or what to simplify? We talked about: What do we really mean by subtraction in leader...

In this episode I sat down with Jim Smith and chatted about how to create a strong culture that improves outcomes. We discussed: What does a strong school culture look and feel like in action?  What are some of the signs or red flags of a culture that might be struggling or misaligned? What lessons have you learned about how to build culture when you’re starting from scratch or trying to reset it?...

In this episode I spoke to Jamie Clark about how to take complex ideas, and distil them into clear visual representations, thereby minimising unnecessary load on teachers and students. In this conversation, we dig into how the principles behind information design relate to cognitive load theory and what lessons teachers can take when designing slides, worksheets or revision guides. We discussed: W...

In this episode I'm joined by Sean Harris. Sean is a national voice on education and poverty. His work explores how disadvantage shapes the lives of children and young people, and what schools can do to respond with empathy, evidence and impact. He’s also the co-author of Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools, a book that has become an important guide for educators who want to better unders...

In this episode I sat down with the wonderful Mary Myatt to talk about designing a curriculum that is rich and ambitious. Mary is a leading thinker in curriculum design, intent, and implementation. With extensive experience working with schools, leadership teams, and policy makers, Mary has dedicated her career to ensuring that education is both rigorous and enriching, for all students. She has au...

In this episode I spoke to Hywel Roberts about how we can get students bothered about their learning and get them invested in what we're teaching them. Hywel has a background in drama and creative pedagogy and has spent years helping teachers bring the curriculum to life through storytelling, imagination, and what he calls ‘botheredness’ - the art of getting students truly invested in their learni...

This episode is the 2nd of a special 2-part interview with Graeme Murty. Graeme is a former Premier league footballer and current Sunderland Under 21s manager. In this episode we’re going to shift our focus from developing young performers to developing adults, and from nurturing talent on the pitch to building high-performing teams off it. Graeme’s experience leading elite level coaching teams of...

In this episode I sat down with former Premier League footballer and current Sunderland Under 21s manager Graeme Murty to explore the parallels between elite coaching and teaching, and how educators can apply these principles to their own classroom practice. We discussed the following: How do you cultivate a high-performance culture within a football academy, and what lessons can teachers and scho...

In our very first episode I sit down with our CEO at Northern Arch Learning Partnership, Tim Fisher. We discuss the vision behind our partnership and what helped shape this; how the specific makeup of our trust makes us different from others; and why our commitment to the development of people is key to our success.