Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Educators Neil Almond, Lisa Coe, and Stuart Welsh discuss mastery in math education, curriculum overloading, and hope for the future. They explore the importance of interconnectedness in solving problems, the need for a strong foundation in math, and collaboration between primary and secondary schools. The panel sheds light on teaching for mastery, the significance of understanding functions, and the impact of online resources on education.

Episode 82: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Andrew Jeffrey, Neil Almond, Adam Smith and Elliot Morgan as we try to unpick learning objectives and the role (if any) they have to play in the classroom. What is the point/purpose? Should we share them at the start of the lesson? We answer each of these questions and much more. Whether you're new to the profession or an experienced senior leader, you won't want to miss this one... Support TDaPE at ko-fi.com/tdape Join the family discord at https://discord.gg/xeNhPVRZZJ

Expert in staffing and education, Matt Swain, shares insights on attracting and retaining staff in the education sector. Topics include importance of staffing, recruiting strategies, teacher retention, CPD benefits, workload reduction, and innovative recruitment tactics for schools in need.

Experts Amy Bills, Tom Brassington, and Lisa Metcalfe discuss the role of performing arts in primary education, emphasizing its impact on students' skills, self-esteem, and empathy. They highlight the importance of integrating performance arts, storytelling, vocabulary, and English practice to foster a holistic learning experience for children.

Join Michael Pershan and Christopher Such as they explore self-explanation in education, discussing its role in studying examples, problem-solving, and comprehension. They touch on the challenges and benefits of applying self-explanation in various subjects, highlighting the importance of fostering deep thinking and meaningful learning. The episode also delves into discovery learning, incorporating specific prompts and examples in math teaching, and navigating the introduction of self-explanation in education.

Math education expert Christopher Such discusses the challenges of teaching fractions, emphasizing the importance of visual representations, vocabulary acquisition, and mastering manipulatives. The podcast explores different pictorial representations of fractions and the effectiveness of two-color counters in promoting a deep understanding of ratios.

Experts Sue Byron and Adam Lowing discuss the 2022 Green Paper and its implications for SEND provision in England. They touch on challenges in providing support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, concerns about practical implementation of proposed changes, and the importance of early assessment and intervention. The conversation also highlights the impact of funding cuts on early identification and intervention for children with SEND.

Dr. Danielle Colenbrander, Neil Almond, and Christopher Such discuss instructional models for teaching children to read irregular words. Topics include mispronunciation correction, balancing teaching approaches, decoding strategies, and the controversy around sight word instruction. The importance of morphology in word identification and challenges in educational research are also explored.

Adam Smith and Neil Almond share insights on creating a knowledge-rich religious education curriculum, emphasizing engaging students, continuous improvement, and engaging in creative design despite challenges. They discuss the impact of Kenneth Clark's 'Civilisation' series on curriculum design and the importance of setting goals for writing non-fiction.

Liv Dempsey and Adam Woodward delve into the mysterious world of Independent Schools, debunking myths and discussing the pros and cons of working in this sector. They explore topics like small class sizes, challenges of timetabling, and promoting collaboration between different school sectors.