Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Episode 142: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Stuart Tiffany for the second episode of Season 6. Stuart has been a guest on the podcast before but this time we sit down 1:1 to go far into the depths of primary history. Stuart shares his thoughts on subject leadership, locality and curriculum sequencing as well as his unrivalled passion for the subject of hist...

Episode 141: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Shannen Doherty for the first episode of the eagerly awaited sixth season of the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast. Shannen shares her reflections on leadership, her own professional growth and how to lead meaningful change across a number of settings. As part of the chat we explore... 1. When we las...

Episode 140: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Deputy Head Teacher, Tom Oakley as we discuss persistent problems in the classroom and how we might approach trying to solve them. As part of the chat we explore... 1. What are the most persistent classroom problems? 2. How can we approach these problems? 3. Why do you think x will be the next big research-informe...

Episode 139: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Ben Ebdon (@TeacherInTrain). Ben changed careers 25 years into his working life and I wanted to know what that experience was like, what his motivations were and how things had gone since making the leap into the world of education. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. What did you do before you were a teacher? 2....

Episode 138: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Christopher Such as we field questions from from listeners on a range of themes. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. When I assess pupils’ reading what am I looking for and how do I know that I am assessing pupils properly. ? 2. What is the biggest difference working out of schools , having spent so long working...

Episode 137: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Lloyd Williams-Jones for as we field questions from new and early career teachers. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. What strategies do you find most effective for maintaining a positive and inclusive classroom environment? 2. How do you effectively differentiate instruction to meet the diverse...

Episode 136: Join us for this special episode of "Thinking Deeply about Primary Education" as we continue on a fascinating journey into the world of educational research and instructional design. In this in-depth analysis, we delve into the groundbreaking paper "Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years On" by esteemed researchers, John Sweller, Jeroen van Merri...

Episode 135: Join us for this special episode of "Thinking Deeply about Primary Education" as we embark on a fascinating journey into the world of educational research and instructional design. In this in-depth analysis, we delve into the groundbreaking paper "Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years On" by esteemed researchers, John Sweller, Jeroen van Merrien...

Episode 134: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Christopher Such as we explore the captivating topic of engaging with education research. We uncover the power of education research in transforming classroom practices and enriching the teaching/learning experience, drawing on years of expertise in both the academic and practical aspects of education, while shari...

Episode 133: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Christopher Such as we field some more unseen questions about a range of topics from the selection and use of manipulatives in KS3 and mathematical language to retrieval practice success and the ideal primary assessment scenario. Whether you're new to the profession or an experienced senior leader, you won&#39...

Episode 132: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Christopher Such as we delve into the exciting changes happening in the world of Key Stage 1 assessment.  With the removal of KS1 SATs, schools now have the opportunity to reimagine how they assess reading proficiency in their early learners. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in a...

Episode 131: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Lloyd Williams-Jones as we explore the importance of teacher induction programs and discuss how we can support teachers who are new to our schools. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. What is induction and what should be included?  2. What does induction typically look like and what are the possible strengths and wea...

Episode 130: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Christopher Such as we delve into the exciting changes happening in the world of Key Stage 1 assessment.  With the removal of KS1 SATs, schools now have the opportunity to reimagine how they assess reading proficiency in their early learners. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in a...

Episode 129: In this thought-provoking episode of "Thinking Deeply about Primary Education," I'm joined, in-person, by a panel of esteemed guests, including Neil Almond, Shannen Doherty, Tom Brassington, and Lloyd Williams Jones, as we explore a potentially concerning phenomenon: "The Erosion of Art, Music, Sport, and Cooking" in primary education. Drawing on their extensiv...

Episode 128: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond as we delve into the exciting changes happening in the world of Key Stage 1 assessment. With the removal of KS1 SATs, schools now have the opportunity to reimagine how they assess mathematics proficiency in their early learners. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in assessment at KS1,...

Episode 127: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Shannen Doherty and the leadership team of St. George's Primary School in an attempt to demystify what "Outstanding" looks like in 2023 for primary schools. Using their recent Ofsted report as a stimulus, we explore... 1. " Behaviour is exemplary" ...how would you describe the systems you’v...

Episode 126: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Chris Such turns the tables on me (Kieran) with some unseen questions, as we try to help listeners with questions or problems they have been facing. As part of this chat we discuss bar models, fluency, subject leadership and much, much more. Whether you're new to the profession or an experienced senior leader, you won't wan...

Episode 125: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Christopher Such as we try to decide what the five things every teacher needs to know about reading comprehension are. As part of the chat we discuss reading comprehension in tremendous depth and even find some time to chat about the KS2 reading assessment from the summer of 2023. Whether you'r...

Episode 124: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I have the pleasure of speaking with Lloyd Williams-Jones, world-renowned expert in strategic thinking with extensive experience in supporting teachers through the implementation of mechanisms that allow schools to get the most from advanced planning. During our conversation, we dive deep into the importance of strategic thinking w...

Episode 123: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm delighted to have Adam Woodward join us for a thorough exploration of knowledge organisers. Adam, a highly experienced educator, will be sharing his insights and experiences from a multi-year and school-wide implementation of knowledge organisers. Throughout the episode, we'll delve into the theory behind knowledge orga...

Episode 122: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Neil Almond and Christopher Such as we take questions from listeners and do our very best to provide mildly-satisfactory responses. As part of the chat we discuss... No hands up, Testing in Year 1, "I'm leaving teaching", Working Walls ...plus much, much more. Whether you're new to the profession...

Episode 121: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education I'm joined by Kristian Still and Ben Ebdon for an exploration of Test-Enhanced Learning. As part of the chat, we discuss what test-enhanced learning is, why it is important for teachers, how to get the most from it, potential pitfalls to look out for, plus much, much more. Whether you're new to the profession or an experienc...

Episode 120: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education I'm joined by Brendan Lee for the first of two special episodes where Brendan and I quiz each other about the "Science of Mathematics (Teaching)" and, in particular, a model for teaching mathematics devised by Brendan off the back of his reading into education research. Across the two episodes we hope to provide an in-...

Episode 119: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education I'm joined by Elliot Morgan for an in-depth exploration of the teaching/leadership job application process, establishing a timely set of guiding principles for anyone preparing to land your dream teaching job. Covering every part of the job application and interview process from start to finish, Elliot has a ton of solid-gold ad...

Episode 118: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Lloyd Williams-Jones and Christopher Such for a spot of format diversification as we take questions from listeners and do our very best to provide mildly-satisfactory responses. As part of the chat we discuss... 1. Do you report the result of in year summative assessment tests to pupils or parents and, if so, what...