Teach Sleep Repeat

In this episode, we answer your teacher questions - from our most controversial opinions about education, to how a TA should really be used in the classroom, our top tips for moving up with your class, and how pointless assessment can be. Expect a mix of honest takes, practical advice, and a few spicy confessions along the way.Instagram: www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast

Starting your first year as a new teacher? It can feel exciting, overwhelming, and just a little bit terrifying. In this episode, we share our top tips for new teachers to help you survive (and actually enjoy) your first year in the classroom.Plus, we share some honest stories from our own early years in teaching: the wins, the fails, and what we wish we’d known sooner.Whether you’re about to start teaching or are in the thick of your first year, this is your practical, no-jargon guide to surviving and thriving as a new teacher.Instagram: www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast

Why Aren’t Children Reading for Pleasure Anymore? 📚Reading for fun is at an all-time low and the stats are sobering. In 2025, just one in three children said they enjoyed reading in their free time. That is a 36% drop since 2005. What is going on?In this episode, we talk about what we have seen across our teaching careers, the barriers stopping children from picking up a book, and the cultural shift that is turning reading into “work” instead of leisure. From the fact that one in seven primary schools have no library (rising to one in four in disadvantaged areas) to the impact of screens, testing culture and a lack of representation in books, we explore the roots of the problem.We also share what actually works, from free choice and shared reading to building a reading culture at home, and ask the big question: What will it take to turn this around?Instagram: www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast

Yes. Hayden has an auto-focus square on his head. Enjoy it! As always, like clockwork, when the summer holidays roll around, we are bombarded with opinions on how they are TOO LONG!We talk about it. Are they too long? Is the cost of childcare too much? Is there a solution? Who is to blame? Is being bored bad?We'd love to hear from you.www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcastwww.tiktok.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast

This week, we chat about how in so many schools, creativity is disappearing in two major ways.Firstly, the arts themselves are languishing. Huge drops in children taking subejcts at GCSE like drama and music. Why is this happening and why is it bad?Secondly, in the classroom itself. Top-down strict rules for every lesson to look the same and fidelity to boring schemes is building a recpie for misery.Get in touch with us through our socials.www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcastwww.tiktok.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast

Jane Considine, a writing instruction expert and advocate for the new DfE Writing Framework, shares her insights on enhancing primary education. She discusses the framework’s potential to improve young learners' writing skills while addressing concerns about early formal writing methods. The conversation buzzes with humor and debate, focusing on the balance between creativity and structured instruction. Jane's positivity sparks a call to action for educators to engage in thoughtful dialogue about fostering effective writing experiences for children.

It's our last week as teachers... and it's all starting to feel very real.In this episode, we look back on the moments that made us -the unforgettable classroom highs, the amazing people we met, and the exact point we knew we couldn’t keep going.We’re asking ourselves the question we’ve been avoiding: have we made a huge mistake?Honest, emotional, and (as always) a bit chaotic—this one's for every teacher who’s ever felt torn between staying and going.Hayden also dives into his recent reaching of Sex Ed!💬 Got a story or dilemma? Send it in for a future episode.Instagram: www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast

It’s the end of the school year, which can only mean one thing: performance appraisal season. But with targets that feel random, policies that haven’t caught up, and a system still obsessed with spreadsheets… we’re asking:Do schools even value great teaching anymore – or just good data?In this episode, Dylan and Hayden unpack:What appraisals are supposed to be vs. what they’ve becomeThe 2024 rule change that schools are quietly ignoring (hint: appraisals shouldn't affect your pay anymore)Two shocking listener horror stories — including one about a school disco being used to block a teacher's progressionWhy stretch targets often just mean stretched teachersWhat a fair, supportive appraisal system could look likeFollow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcastFollow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast

The hidden crisis closing schools, cutting jobs, and reshaping teachingThis week, Dylan and Hayden dive into a topic that’s flying under the radar but changing the future of teaching forever.UK birth rates have fallen to historic lows – and now schools are feeling the impact. From empty classrooms and school closures to teacher redundancies and disappearing job ads, this episode uncovers how a quiet demographic shift is creating a very loud crisis in education.🔍 We unpack:The huge drop in UK birth rate – and why it’s happeningWhy schools across the country are merging, shrinking, or closing altogetherHow fewer children means fewer teaching jobs - even if you're brilliantWhy a fall in teacher vacancies isn’t always a good signOur personal storyWhether you're a classroom teacher, a school leader, or just education-curious, this is a must-listen on where the system might be heading next.📚 LINKS & SOURCESONS 2024 Birth Rate Statistics: www.ons.gov.ukBBC Report on School Closures: bbc.co.uk/news/educationNEU Press Release on Redundancies: neu.org.ukTES: “Why falling rolls could be the next big crisis” – tes.com💬 Tell us your story!Have you seen your school shrink, merge, or quietly lose staff? Drop us a message on Instagram or TikTok – or send in an anonymous story for a future episode.📸 Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast🎬 Tiktok: ⁠@teachsleeprepeatpodcast⁠

Last week, we shared the biggest news of our careers: we’re leaving teaching.In this episode, we dive into what comes next. We're joined by Sophie Hayes, a former teacher and founder of StoryZoo - a brilliant initiative helping schools spark a love of reading. Sophie opens up about her own leap out of the classroom and how she turned her passion into a thriving business.We also reflect on the emotional toll that teaching took on us - the constant pressure, the mental exhaustion, and the precious moments with our own children that we missed. It wasn’t an easy decision to leave, but it was one we had to make.Try StoryZoo now & get hold of Sophie to book a free demo: https://storyzoo.org/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcastFollow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/teachsleeprepeat.com