The School of School

Honeycomb hunting, Spirit levels, and more. The crew are lucky enough to be joined by the amazing Debbie Lee, Maths Lead, Year 4 Lead and teacher at Overchurch Junior School, Wirral, to chat about content strands. Which content strands need more love and exposure? What real-life maths examples can we show to children? Plus, Andy takes us to the 11th dimension, almost.

Robot dentists, Rocket club, and more. In this episode we’re thinking about the future - ‘Great Scott!’ What will the future look like in terms of jobs and automation? Are kids losing their drive and curiosity for things? Plus, Andy questions if we are forgetting what it means to be a human…

Dopamine machines, Self-driving cars, and more. Our trio are discussing the ever-growing, and perhaps the ever-misunderstood topic, Digital Technology. Are screens taking over unnecessarily? Is learning proximity important? Plus, Andy shares that the first step when considering dig-tech changes has to be considering whether it has use in the specific environment.

Crescendos, Collaboration culture, and more. Darian Allan joins the crew to discuss the impacts of a spiralled curriculum. Is it a must to have a spiralled approach? What does it look like at Darien’s school? Plus, tips on dealing with different school cultures, environments and characters.

A blank canvas, Corridor conversations, and more. Ed Parkinson is back to share Attenborough School’s journey implementing the Maths — No Problem! programme. How did the change come about? What was it like getting everyone on board? Plus, Ed shares how the school cope with issues such as high pupil mobility.

Sidewalk cutouts, Subtitle popularity, and more. Jen Dousett is back! This week we’re talking UDL which stands for Universal Design for Learning. What exactly is this? What does truly understanding something look like? Plus Andy shares a study-group story of a child who was all-answers, but with a lack of understanding.

Credit card chaos, Fear of maths, and more. This week we’re looking at a hot topic - Financial Literacy. Are the mechanics for financial literacy already being taught in schools? Does the buck fall with content creators and teachers to install anti-fear mindsets? Plus, do children understand the dangers and magnitude of virtual payments on video games?

North Pole trips, Early Years algebraic ideas, and more. This week the crew respond to the UK Government’s push on teaching real world maths in school. Are we not already doing this? How bad is the maths disconnect when pupils get to year 7? Plus, Andy gives us a visualisation problem to solve, can you crack the question?

Length running, Online P.E, and more In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam discuss the impact of fitness in schools. Who is the push-up champion? Do more health lessons need to be taught in school? Plus, the crew talk about the importance of accepting failure as part of life.

Addictive scrolling, Media manipulation, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam discuss the dangers technology can bring. Are we always aware that technology is usually designed to be addictive? Are we playing catch-up with it’s rapid growth? Plus, should kids be made more aware of the dangers out there?

Reward systems, Global curriculum, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam are joined by Ed Parkinson from Attenborough School in Germany to talk about classroom cultures. Is consistency key? Do pupils have to have a particular mindset? Plus, Ed discusses parent buy-in and cases such as new pupils and teachers joining the fold.

Fast thumbs, Calligraphy courses, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam discuss the history and relevance of cursive writing. Can kids understand the older generation’s writing? Should we teach touch typing on phones and iPads? Plus, Adam wishes how back in the day, keyboard touch-typing should’ve been taught to everyone.

Colourful visuals, Tea-sipping teachers, and more. In this episode, Robin and Adam are joined by Sana Malik to discuss how textbooks bring maths learning to life and help all pupils. Do other countries use them? Why do people have a negative perception of them? Plus, Sana speaks on the textbooks characters growing throughout the book and assisting children on their maths journey through school.

Trapezoid gardens, Harvesting bark, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam are joined by Darien Allan to chat about certain mathematical activities and topics that can help ignite young minds. How can we encourage kids to see the world mathematically? What topics have Darien’s school explored? Plus, does maths need a whole marketing overhaul and a big makeover?

Fridge fairies, Wrong-handed teeth-brushing, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam discuss the importance of routines for children in school and out of school. Can bed making be an impactful start to a day? Should their free time be structured too? Plus, the crew highlight that school may well be the only place where some children actually experience structures and routines

Frolicking about, Banana mashing, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam chat about young children and their use of screens. Are phones acceptable at the table? How do we cope with technology’s dominance? Plus, Adam speaks on the importance of playing with and being around real people.

Decision paralysis, The Grameen Bank, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam are joined by Jen Dousett to discuss what the teacher of the future will look like. What threats does AI pose to learning in the future? How do we go about teaching kids that certain problems may never present a classic ‘answer’? Plus, Adam addresses the importance of strong relationships between all parties invo...

Charlie Brown, TikTok snippets, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam try to keep focussed as they discuss attention spans. Does the new generation have a shorter span? Why is it easier to focus on something like a hobby? Plus, Andy talks of Bob Dylan’s experience of being ‘in the zone’ early on in his career.

Compressed learning, Scrapping topics, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam discuss if a four-day school week would work. Would kids underperform with extra hours added onto each day? Can we take any lessons from a previous guest? Plus, can Robin convince Andy to change to a 4-day week?

Egg incubators, A famous David, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam are joined by Ed Parkinson and Angie Jones from Attenborough School in Germany who share their experience teaching the Maths — No Problem! Early Years programme, Foundations. How does journaling work at that young age? What is the role of the picture books? Plus, have Angie and Ed already noticed a difference in the ch...

Bitesize chunks, History in a day, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam take on trending topic: Micro Learning. What is this all about? Is information better learnt in small chunks? Plus, is this just a similar strategy to the already-in-practice spiral approach?

Emotional heights, Pushy parents, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam discuss parent complaints and feedback. Is there a wrong time for parents to complain? Do both parents and teachers need guidance on how to deal with sticky situations? Plus, Adam reminds us to always be mindful that the majority of complaints come from a good place - all parties want the best for the child.

Resurrecting stars, Newspaper confusion, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam discuss how AI will impact the future of learning. Is AI a friend or a foe? Will classroom teachers be replaced? Plus, Adam speaks on how different generations have gone through similar looming transitions.

Pencil-holding, Hockey stars, and more. In this episode, Andy, Robin and Adam discuss how to manage low-performing or struggling students. Is it fair to hold someone back a year? What’s the social impact like as a result? Plus, Andy discusses what lessons we can take from Jean Piaget’s work.

Pre-teaching, Wheel turning, and more. In this episode, Adam and Robin are joined again by Sana Malik to discuss how to manage a class of pupils with mixed attainment levels. How can a lesson cater to different learners? Does the structure Sana uses help? Plus, Sana speaks about the importance of getting class pairings right and how that impacts learning.