This week, Emma and Chris tackle how to arrange tables in your classroom! They
discuss the pros and cons of the three most common ways of organising tables,
such as impact on pupil focus, how social interaction can be affected and how
navigating around the classroom is a key consideration. With anecdotes, personal
recollections and experiences along the way, this will give you food for thought for
how your seating is set out in your classroom!

This week’s teacher tip will help shave time off each book that you mark, helping
your work-life balance!

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In the final part of our three-episode deep dive into orthography, morphology and
etymology as part of the writing framework, Chris and Emma talk all about excellent
etymology! With an explanation of what this is, suggestions for how to teach it within
your classroom and quick-win games on using etymology to impact spelling, this
episode will help you understand what etymology is and how you can immediately
start threading it into your teaching.

This week’s teacher tip is an easy one to help your class community too. Hit
download and enjoy!

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In the second part of our three-episode deep dive into orthography, morphology and etymology as part of the writing framework, Chris and Emma talk all about the marvellous world of morphology! Full of information about how to teach morphology

both explicitly and implicitly, strategies for embedding it within your classroom and the linguistic theory behind it, this episode is sure to help you tackle morphemes to bolster your teaching of spelling.

With a teacher tip linked to your personal wellbeing, there is lots to discover in this episode so get downloading!

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Chris and Emma kick off a three‑part series exploring the building blocks of spelling, starting with orthography—how children learn what “looks right” in written English.  

Chris shares the roots of his love for language, why English spelling is so complex and how phonics, pattern‑spotting and automaticity shape confident writers.  

They unpack spelling across EYFS to KS2, touch on Ofsted’s expectations and offer practical ways teachers can support children without overwhelming them. 

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In this episode of the Teachers Podcast, Chris and Emma dive into phase one phonics—the playful sound-focused stage that comes before the more official letters and reading.  

Emma explains how it’s all about listening, rhythm, rhyme, alliteration and oral blending, giving children the foundations for confident reading later on. From environmental sounds to body percussion, voice experiments, and fun games like I-Spy, they explore practical ways to bring phonics to life in nursery and early years classrooms—and even revisit it with older children when needed.  

It’s a happy reminder that phonics is about playing with sounds, building attention, and sparking a love of language. 

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In this episode, Chris and Emma celebrate one of the simplest (and most magical) things teachers do: reading aloud to your class. No guided reading, no assessments—just you, a book and your pupils, sharing stories together.  

They chat about why it’s so powerful for building vocabulary, imagination and classroom community, how to make the time for it, choosing books that children actually love and leaning into the joy of storytelling with voices, gestures and pauses.  

Packed with practical tips and teacher anecdotes, this episode is a reminder that reading aloud isn’t an extra—it’s a core classroom experience worth protecting. 

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In this episode, Chris and Emma are discussing sustainability and what this looks like in primary schools. 

They break down what sustainability actually means, share real classroom ideas you can try straight away and swap plenty of relatable stories along the way.  

From simple swaps and clever classroom hacks to the bigger challenges schools face, this episode is packed with practical tips, a few laughs and just enough inspiration to help you take that first small step towards a greener classroom.  

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In this episode, Emma and Chris chat all things AI in the classroom, with Chris sharing his insights while Emma admits she’s still a bit on the fence. They break down what AI actually is, how fast it’s evolving and some of the handy ways it can support teaching—from saving time to creating useful resources.  

They touch on the trickier bits too, like ethics and whether or not we should really be thanking our devices!  

There’s plenty of relatable teacher chat, including report-writing woes and how AI can be really useful for saving time and finding resources that actually fit your class, plus a reminder that the human touch still matters most.  

There is also a super-simple tip with Emma chatting about pens again. 

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In this episode, Chris and Emma discuss outdoor learning, with Emma bringing all the passion and experience and Chris admitting he’s still a bit of a beginner in this area. Emma shares why she loves it so much as she talks through its amazing benefits. 

Anecdotes and examples are swapped including how much can be done with potatoes! 

They also address some tricky questions like how do you squeeze outdoor learning into an already packed curriculum? How do you find the space or the right location? How do you get your leadership team on board?   

This week’s useful tip involves Chris discussing an inventive use of a humble cushion. 

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What makes a school a great place to work?  Explore what really shapes a school’s atmosphere in this episode on climate and culture, as hosts Emma and Chris discuss what really shapes a school’s atmosphere. Drawing on personal stories, they highlight how small details—from staff interactions to leadership behaviour—can make a lasting first impression.  

With honest reflections on teaching life, they discuss how to create a positive school environment, including shared values, trust, collaboration, wellbeing and recognition.  

The episode wraps up with a simple but clever classroom tip to stop those ever-disappearing pens! 

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