Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Archive 012: In this archive edition of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, primary mathematics expert, Lisa Coe returns to share her thoughts on implementing change on a school-wide level.

Whether you’re new to teaching or a seasoned professional, this conversation offers a gateway into the kind of thinking that shapes high-quality classroom practice across the globe.

Enjoying the podcast? Leave us a rating and review to help fellow educators discover the show. We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your reflections wherever you listen.

#PrimaryEducation #EducationalResearch #TeacherDevelopment #EvidenceInformedPractice #EducationPodcast #TeachingTips #ElementaryEducation

In this special episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Chris Such returns to tackle three brilliant questions from our listeners, exploring the intersection of pedagogy, leadership, and literacy development. Drawing on years of research and classroom experience, we dive into some of the most commonly debated areas of primary practice:

Should we go through test papers with the whole class a few days after the assessment?
How might we support a new literacy lead during their first twelve weeks, ensuring fidelity to new reading structures while maintaining teacher ownership?
What routines support disciplinary reading once decoding is fluent, and how can we embed these without narrowing the curriculum?

If you're a classroom teacher, subject leader, or school leader with an interest in making reading instruction as effective and inclusive as possible, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing on your favourite platform, leaving a review, or supporting us via ⁠ko-fi.com/tdape⁠. Join the conversation on our Discord server and never miss an unseen question submission!

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Archive Episode 011:

In this archive edition of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, expert leader and education research enjoyer, Lloyd Williams-Jones returns to share the research paper he believes every primary teacher should read. More than just a recommendation, Lloyd breaks down why this paper matters, how it connects to everyday classroom practice, and what makes it so transformative for teachers at all stages of their careers.

In this episode, you'll find out:

• Which research paper Lloyd believes is essential reading for all primary educators.

• How the ideas within it translate to real-world classroom impact.

• Why engaging with educational research is vital for professional growth in the UK, the US, and internationally.

Whether you’re new to teaching or a seasoned professional, this conversation offers a gateway into the kind of research that shapes high-quality classroom practice across the globe.

Enjoying the podcast? Leave us a rating and review to help fellow educators discover the show. We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your reflections wherever you listen.

#PrimaryEducation #EducationalResearch #TeacherDevelopment #EvidenceInformedPractice #EducationPodcast #TeachingTips #ElementaryEducation

Episode 225: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I’m joined by Stuart Welsh to explore what it takes to design effective professional development sessions that truly make an impact.

We discuss the thought processes behind planning professional development episodes, the models that can scaffold effective session design, common mistakes to avoid, and the essential ingredients for creating professional development that resonates with teachers and leads to lasting change.

Whether you're a school leader, professional development facilitator, or teacher interested in improving how professional learning is delivered, this conversation is packed with practical insights and reflections from Stuart’s experience.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing on your favourite platform, leaving a review, or supporting us via ko-fi.com/tdape. Join the conversation on our Discord server and never miss an unseen question submission!

Archive 010:

In this archive episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, we revisit a powerful response to a question about school-wide change with education leader Lloyd Williams-Jones. Lloyd explores exactly what it means - and takes - to successfully instigate and sustain meaningful change across an entire school community. Drawing from extensive leadership experience, Lloyd provides practical insights into managing school-wide improvements effectively.

Whether you're an educator or school leader in the UK, US, or beyond, this episode offers invaluable guidance for creating lasting improvements in your educational environment.

Enjoying the podcast? Leave a rating and review - it helps educators worldwide discover our content. Share your feedback wherever you listen!

#PrimaryEducation #SchoolLeadership #ChangeManagement #EducationPodcast #TeachingTips #InternationalSchools #ElementaryEducation

Episode 224: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, we bring you a special "Standing Room Only" session led by Gareth Metcalfe. Following last week's discussion, Gareth returns to walk us through the thinking and practicalities behind his project Deconstructing Word Problems.

In this CPD-style talk, Gareth shares:

• ​The rationale behind deconstructing word problems and the need for a consistent approach.
• ​How slow reveal, minimally different examples, and visual representations can help pupils process mathematical structure more effectively.
• ​The importance of carefully designed variation and redundant information in promoting deeper understanding.
• ​How his classroom-tested materials are structured and how teachers can implement them meaningfully in classrooms

This episode is ideal for teachers, maths leads, and school leaders interested in deepening mathematical reasoning and improving outcomes through carefully designed problem-solving experiences.

For more info, visit: https://iseemaths.com/deconwq2

To watch on YouTube click here

Vision page: https://www.iseemaths.com/problemsolvers/

If you enjoy this episode, please support the podcast by subscribing on YouTube, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or making a donation via www.ko-fi.com/tdape. Join the conversation over on our Discord server.

Episode 223: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I’m joined by Gareth Metcalfe and Elliot Morgan to explore the ideas behind Gareth's latest project: Deconstructing Word Problems. After three years of development and classroom testing, Gareth shares the thinking and pedagogy that underpin his approach to designing word problems that genuinely help students understand mathematical structures—not just guess at operations.

We discuss:

• The process of breaking down worded questions so that children can process them more effectively.

• How to design lessons that go beyond isolated word problems and towards connected, meaningful experiences.

• The role of visual modelling, slow reveal tasks, and redundant information in developing mathematical thinking.

• Pitfalls teachers often encounter when adapting word problems and how to avoid them.

• How teachers and schools can get the most out of Gareth’s new resources at icmaths.com/deconwq2.

Whether you’re a teacher looking to refine your use of word problems or a maths lead developing school-wide consistency, this episode is packed with practical insight and classroom-tested strategies.

If you enjoy this episode, please support us by subscribing to our YouTube channel, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or making a donation via www.ko-fi.com/tdape.

Join the discussion on Discord via our unseen question submission channel.

This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Emma Lindley-Thompson and John Jackson dive into a landmark study by Bethany Rittle-Johnson and Jon Star: Does comparing solution methods facilitate conceptual and procedural knowledge?

We explore:

• The premise of the study and how the researchers tested their hypothesis through equation-solving tasks.

• Key findings that shed light on the benefits and challenges of comparing solution methods.

• Where the responsibility lies—should the teacher or the curriculum initiate comparison-based learning?

• Whether and how teachers can balance direct instruction with opportunities for pupils to explore and compare independently.

• How we might adapt these findings for the primary classroom, ensuring comparisons support learning without overwhelming students.

This episode offers valuable insights for anyone teaching mathematics, developing curriculum, or interested in research-informed approaches to deepening conceptual understanding.

If you enjoy this episode, please support us by subscribing to our YouTube channel, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or making a donation via www.ko-fi.com/tdape. Join the discussion on our Discord server!

Episode 221: Writing First, Assessment Second – A Conversation with Chris Youles

This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I’m joined by Chris Youles for a timely conversation about writing assessment—why it often feels so difficult, how we’ve arrived at this point, and what we can do to realign assessment with the true purpose of teaching writing.

We explore:

• Why assessing writing has become disconnected from high-quality teaching.

• The unintended consequences of planning lessons around assessment strands.

• Whether great writing instruction makes formal assessment simpler—and what that looks like in practice.

• How schools can rebuild trust in teacher judgement and let go of overly complicated systems.

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by writing assessment or unsure how to make it more meaningful, this episode is packed with clarity, insight, and practical advice.

If you enjoy this episode, please support us by subscribing to our YouTube channel, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or making a donation via www.ko-fi.com/tdape. Join our Discord community to share your thoughts and explore unseen questions.

Episode 220:

This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I’m joined by Alex Gingell to explore the power of whole-staff rehearsal in teacher development and coaching. Drawing on his personal experience of professional development, Alex outlines why this approach holds such promise for schools looking to build consistency, confidence, and expertise across their teams.

We discuss:

• Alex’s professional development journey and what inspired his focus on coaching.
• Why coaching has the potential to transform teacher development.
• Where whole-staff rehearsal fits into a wider professional development model.
• What schools need to know to implement it effectively.
• Common pitfalls to avoid and how to get the most out of the process.
• One key takeaway for listeners looking to make professional development truly impactful.

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, senior leader, or someone interested in more effective CPD models, this episode is full of practical insights to strengthen professional learning.

If you enjoy this episode, please support us by subscribing to our YouTube channel, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or making a donation via www.ko-fi.com/tdape. Join our vibrant Discord community to share your thoughts and continue the conversation.

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