Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview⁠⁠

Episode 279: In this episode of Thinking Deeply About Primary Education, Kieran Mackle is joined by Scott Wells, Professional Learning Lead at Windsor Academy Trust, to explore what it takes to design professional development that genuinely changes classroom practice.
Scott sets out a trust-wide approach to professional learning built around evidence, codification, coaching, rehearsal and careful diagnosis. The conversation explores how trusts can learn from bright spots within their own schools, how leaders can balance trust-wide clarity with school-level responsiveness, and why effective professional development must focus on more than knowledge alone.
Together, Kieran and Scott discuss instructional coaching, group rehearsal, knowledge building, professional development mechanisms, adaptive expertise, and the importance of routines, belonging and predictable classrooms. Scott also explains Windsor Academy Trust’s “rhythm of the year”, including alignment, improvement and transition phases, and shares how the trust uses drop-ins, spotlight tours and coaching data to inform its next steps.
This is a rich and practical episode for anyone interested in teaching and learning, school improvement, and how to make professional development meaningful at scale.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - ⁠https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠

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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview⁠

Episode 278: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Kieran Mackle and Elliot Morgan round up some of the most interesting developments in education across the past month.
They discuss the newly published white paper and what it might mean for inclusion, SEND provision and earlier, more coherent support for students, while also asking the obvious question: will the promises translate into meaningful change in schools? Alongside that, they explore proposals around school progress measures, the push to diversify the teaching workforce, and the complexities of trying to build a profession that better reflects the communities it serves.
The conversation also turns to some of the best writing they’ve read recently, including Mary Myatt on scaffolding, Craig Barton on AI and task design, and a thoughtful piece on leading with explicit empathy. As ever, the discussion moves beyond headlines to the deeper questions underneath: what helps teachers improve, what risks eroding professional expertise, and why thoughtful leadership matters so much.
They finish by reflecting on recent TDaPE episodes, including conversations on teacher voice and leadership, and make the case once again for more practitioners to share their work, their thinking and their expertise.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview

Episode 277: Should teachers be able to take PPA at home?

In this episode of Thinking Deeply About Primary Education, Kieran Mackle is joined by Adam Kohlbeck to explore one of the most debated issues in schools right now: whether planning, preparation and assessment time is better spent on site or in a space where teachers can think more clearly.

Together, they discuss the difference between genuine planning and simply producing slides, the conditions teachers need for deep professional thinking, and why collaborative planning only works well when it is structured properly. They also examine what this debate reveals about school culture, trust, accountability and leadership.

The conversation also looks at a major new research trial led by UCL, in partnership with the Chartered College of Teaching and funded by the Education Endowment Foundation, which will explore the impact of allowing teachers to take PPA at home.

More info here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/research-projects/2024/sep/impact-offsite-planning-preparation-and-assessment-ppa-teacher-retention 

This is a thoughtful discussion about workload, professional trust, teacher wellbeing and what it really takes to support great teaching.

TDaPE North West Conference ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tickets:⁠ - 28th March, St Helens ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinking-deeply-about-primary-education-conference-tickets-1661953891829?aff=oddtdtcreator
For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe
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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview
Episode 276: February was another strong month for Thinking Deeply About Primary Education. In this episode, I revisit the moments, ideas and questions from February 2026 that stayed with me longest.
This is not a clip reel for the sake of it. It’s a chance to slow down, connect threads across conversations, and surface the professional ideas that feel most live right now, from classroom practice to leadership, curriculum and professional development.
If you missed any February episodes, this is your way in. If you listened to them all, this is a chance to hear them differently.

TDaPE North West Conference ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tickets:⁠ - 28th March, St Helens ⁠⁠⁠⁠
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinking-deeply-about-primary-education-conference-tickets-1661953891829?aff=oddtdtcreator
For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe
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For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via [email protected]
Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview
Episode 275: What does it really mean to lead primary English well, beyond policies, monitoring and data drops?
In this episode, Kieran is joined by Tricia Moss and Sallie Stanton, authors of How to Lead It: Primary English. Together, they explore the shift from “doing lots” to leading strategically, with a relentless focus on return on learning.
You’ll hear why subject knowledge is the lever, why the text must be the beating heart of the lesson, how to think about a reading canon as a living curriculum choice, and how English leaders can decide what’s non-negotiable when competing pressures pull in different directions. Expect practical leadership principles, clear curriculum thinking, and a strong argument for why explicit teaching is not the enemy of joy in English.