SecEd Podcast

Many educators see a role for both skills and knowledge in the curriculum – but the national debate continues to pitch one against the other. In this podcast, Pete Henshaw chats with Jez Bennett and Chris Holmwood from the 5 Dimensions Trust in Milton Keynes about how schools can embrace both skills and knowledge education and what this might look like. We look at what Ofsted has to say on the matter, how we can promote skills within a system of terminal examinations, and hear about the innovative ASK (Academic Skills and Knowledge) framework in place at Shenley Brook End School, where Chris is headteacher.

In this SecEd Podcast, Matt Bromley interviews assistant headteacher, Zoe Evans, about her work on embedding literacy, numeracy and digital competency skills across the curriculum at her school in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. Zoes takes us through the process she followed including the creation of a 'skills team' and the identification of the common skills that students need to use in most subject disciplines. Zoe also talks about establishing a common language for learning across her school, and of the importance of consistency in the key words and definitions teachers use, in order to aid transfer of knowledge across subject fields. Zoe explains how her school is now sharing its approach to skills development across Wales in partnership with the Welsh government.

In this SecEd Podcast, produced in partnership with Access 1st, producers of the SEN-HUB CPD service, we discuss practical ideas and approaches to support teachers to be confident and effective in their practice. We consider what a confident teacher looks like, themes of CPD and wider school support, school culture and collegiate working, school leadership, staff wellbeing and mental health among other issues. Pete Henshaw, editor of SecEd, gets ideas and tips from Mark Grimmett, a lead practitioner and teacher of mathematics at Guildford County School, David Higginbottom, an assistant headteacher at the Gosport and Fareham Multi-Academy Trust, and Penny Georgiou, director of Access 1st With thanks to Access 1st for their support. The Access 1st SEN-HUB CPD service for teachers launches in June at www.senhub.co

In this SecEd Podcast, Matt Bromley interviews former headteacher, David Birch, about his work as part of the Forgotten Third Commission, which looked into how to improve the prospects of students who do not achieve at least a Grade 4 pass in GCSE English and maths. The fact that this represents about a third of 16-year-olds year-in, year-out is not an accident but the product of the system of comparable outcomes whereby the spread of GCSE grades is pegged to what cohorts of similar ability achieved in the past. The Commission points out that young people who fall below this bar pay a high price and its report focused specifically on how we can do better for these students in respect of English, though many of its observations could also be applied to maths. David talks to Matt about each of the Commission's findings and brings us up to date with the group's work, including the recent creation of a Passport in English. The discussion also touches upon Pupil Premium practice, including the problems of an intervention-heavy approach ahead of a focus on the quality of teaching and learning and cultural capital and aspiration.

This SecEd Podcast offers a range of practical, research-based advice on what an effective CPD programme in schools might look like and how we can evaluate our CPD to ensure it is effective and has impact for our students. We also consider support staff, subject-specific CPD vs pedagogy-led CPD, and teacher autonomy when it comes to leading their own CPD. SecEd editor Pete Henshaw speaks with Maria Cunningham, head of education at the Teacher Development Trust, a national charity supporting evidence-led CPD practice in school, and Ben Solly, principal of Uppingham Community College in Rutland and a member of SecEd's editorial board. For further information on The SecEd Podcast, visit www.sec-ed.co.uk/knowledge-bank/podcasts/

In this two-part SecEd Podcast, we speak with expert Matt Bromley, a former teacher and school leader, SecEd editorial board member, and author, about curriculum design. Based on his new book, School and College Curriculum Design, Matt takes us through his six steps for effective and coherent curriculum design, focusing on Ofsted's new inspection requirements as well as general best practice principles. These six steps are to: Agree the vision, Set the destination, Assess the starting points, Identify the way-points, Define excellence, and Diminish disadvantage. The first podcast in this series covered steps one to three. This podcast is part 2 and focuses on steps four to six. In conversation with SecEd editor Pete Henshaw, Matt offers a range of practical advice and reflection, as well as some key questions to help schools evaluate their own curriculum design work. This podcast is published in conjunction with Matt Bromley's recent SecEd Best Practice Focus on Curriculum Design.

In this two-part SecEd Podcast, we speak with expert Matt Bromley, a former teacher and school leader, SecEd editorial board member, and author, about curriculum design. Based on his new book, School and College Curriculum Design, Matt takes us through his six steps for effective and coherent curriculum design, focusing on Ofsted's new inspection requirements as well as general best practice principles. In conversation with SecEd editor Pete Henshaw, Matt offers a range of practical advice and reflection, as well as some key questions to help schools evaluate their own curriculum design work.