On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Alun Francis OBE - Chief Executive of Blackpool and The Fylde College and Chair of the UK Social Mobility Commission - for a wide-ranging conversation about further education (FE), the importance of pedagogy in post-16 education, and what genuine upward mobility looks like in real communities. Alun traces the origins of his FE reform work (including the early “Teaching for Distinction” collaboration with Tom) and explains why knowledge, practice, and assessment must be tightly aligned across vocational programmes - from hair and beauty to motor vehicle and nautical training. He argues that inclusion is achieved first and foremost through everyday instructional design (“who remembers what, and who gets to think?”), and welcomes qualification reforms that prioritise retention and end-point assessment. The trio also unpack Alun’s place-based view of social mobility - valuing skilled work, health, family and belonging, not simply income - and his contextual stance on pastoral care: compassion matters, but the core job is great teaching that changes life chances.

Alun Francis OBE is the Chair of the Social Mobility Commission and Principal and Chief Executive of Blackpool and The Fylde College. Blackpool and the Fylde College is an award winning organisation and is one of the largest and highest performing further education colleges in the country. It is pioneering a new approach to Further Education and Higher Education delivery with Blackpool Council, called “Multiversity Blackpool” which sits at the heart of local regeneration plans. Alun has thirteen years of experience in further education, having previously led Oldham College. Prior to this he had a varied career which has included a range of public services, local government, area-based regeneration, youth work and education, including primary, secondary and higher education. He has a strong interest in the economics of what is now referred to as “levelling up” and sees FE colleges as making a strong contribution to addressing this challenge. He received an Order of the Order of the British Empire for service to education in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.

Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specialising in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Emma Turner FCCT is a school improvement advisor, education consultant, trainer and author. She has almost three decades of primary teaching, headship and leadership experience across the sector, working and leading in both MATs and LAs. She works nationally and internationally on school improvement including at single school level and at scale. She has a particular interest in research informed practice in the primary phase, early career development, and CPD design. Follow Emma on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emma_turner75

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This podcast is sponsored by Teaching WalkThrus and produced in association with Haringey Education Partnership. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://walkthrus.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/