For this episode, Tom and Emma chat with education “sister act” Tracey Adams and Sonia Thompson. The pair discuss their roles at St. Matthew’s Primary School in Birmingham, Sonia’s publication with John Catt Educational, and their philosophies on research-based education. In addition to being Head and Deputy Headteachers at St. Matthew’s, Tracey and Sonia are sisters and discuss their dynamic in a research school environment. St Matthew’s has garnered a lot of positive attention from the education community in the U.K, even having other educators visit quite often to take some of the techniques Sonia and Tracey use into their own classrooms across Britain. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode.

Using a wealth of knowledge gained in the classroom, Sonia’s recent publication builds off Ron Berger’s seminal work An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship. Sonia’s book explores how she has used Berger’s work in the classroom to build fundamentals in reading, language, and create educational experiences that shape young students for great achievement in the future.

Sonia Thompson is Head Teacher at St. Matthew’s C.E. Primary School and Director of St. Matthew’s Research School. She is an SLE for English and School Improvement and a regular speaker at conferences, such as Research Ed. You can find Sonia on Twitter @son1bun

Tracey Adams is the Deputy Head Teacher at St. Matthew’s CE Primary School and Deputy Director of St. Matthew’s Research School. She is also NCETM Professional Development Lead and SLE for Maths and School Improvement. You can find Tracey on Twitter @traceya75

Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead

Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers’, a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners & Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75