Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Episode 265: Left-handed pupils are often judged on messy pages, slow fluency, and “awkward grips”—but what if the real issue isn’t the child… it’s the instruction?

In this episode of Thinking Deeply About Primary Education, Kieran Mackle is joined by Mark Stewart (Left n Write UK)—a contributor to the Writing Framework and long-time advocate for left-handed learners. Mark explains why left-handers face built-in challenges in left-to-right writing systems, and how small changes in paper angle, seating, grip, and modelling can remove barriers fast.

You’ll hear practical classroom strategies to prevent smudging, “hooked” writing, discomfort and fatigue, and copying difficulties—plus why teachers need to look beyond the finished page and focus on how writing is produced. Mark also shares two unforgettable letters: one from a 13-year-old whose writing changed after 10 minutes of guidance, and another from a woman in her 70s reflecting on a lifetime of unnecessary struggle.

If you teach EYFS/KS1 or support handwriting across primary, this episode is a must-listen for inclusive, evidence-informed practice.

Key themes: left-handed writing, handwriting technique, grip, letter formation, teacher training/CPD, cross-laterality, writing framework implications, classroom adaptations.

TDaPE London Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinking-deeply-about-primary-education-conference-london-tickets-1852637682179?aff=oddtdtcreator

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview

Episode 264: What happens when a maths app “works” in the moment… but pupils can’t do the same maths the next day on paper?

In this episode, Kieran Mackle and Stuart Welsh dig into a systematic review and meta-analysis on digital mathematics interventions for learners with mathematical learning difficulties/disabilities. They unpack what the evidence suggests (and what it doesn’t), why outcomes vary wildly across studies, and how schools can avoid buying into shiny “silver bullet” claims.

Key themes include:

• Why “generally positive” results still hide a real risk of negative impact

• The difference between performance in-app and learning that transfers

• Mobile vs laptop: what the studies show (and what we’re only guessing)

• A simple decision lens

• What research still needs to answer so teachers aren’t forced to guess

If you’re a primary teacher, maths lead, SENCo, or school leader weighing up edtech spending, this conversation will help you be both evidence-aware and implementation-smart.

TDaPE London Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinking-deeply-about-primary-education-conference-london-tickets-1852637682179?aff=oddtdtcreator

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview

Episode 263: This week is a proper behind-the-scenes look at TDaPE London.

I’m joined by Lacey Cousins and Natalie Stevenson from the Hawley and Eleanor Palmer Primary partnership, our host schools in Camden, to walk through the programme and talk honestly about how you choose sessions when everything looks brilliant on paper.

We get into what makes a day like this genuinely useful: not just big names, but specific ideas you can take back on Monday. Retrieval practice that actually improves assessment in foundation subjects. Professional development that helps teachers make better in-the-moment decisions. Number sense and what it really means in classrooms. AI, character education, continuous provision, early writing foundations, culture-setting, games for fluency, and why problem solving still gets squeezed out even when everyone agrees it matters.

We also talk about the underestimated magic of conferences: the corridor conversations, the “happy accident” of ending up in the wrong room, and how a single session can re-energise your whole January.

Tickets are still on sale at the time of recording, lunch is sorted, the raffle is ready, and every speaker is giving their time to help us raise money for the Velindre Cancer Centre.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview

Episode 262: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about AI for Schools, James Radburn and Neil Almond start by looking back at “Education Technology Trends to Watch in 2025” and ask what truly moved, what stayed theoretical, and why AI-driven personalised learning still hasn’t landed at scale. They dig into a crucial question: what do we even mean by “personalised”—better sequencing and timing of knowledge, or just swapping examples based on interests?

Next, they run a fun (and revealing) experiment: asking multiple LLMs—ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek—what they predict about AI in schools, from AI detection dying off to AI showing up more in policy than classroom practice.

Then the hosts give their own six predictions for 2026, covering lots of possibilities for the next 12 months.

A practical, slightly sceptical, educator-first episode about what’s next—and how schools can innovate without getting governed by AI instead.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview

Episode 261: What does your first year in headship really look like when you inherit a school in special measures, with an unstable leadership history, significant behaviour challenges, and the pressure of Ofsted hanging over every decision?

In this episode of Thinking Deeply About Primary Education, Kieran Mackle is joined by Olivia Dempsey to unpack the tension every new head feels: make an instant impact to establish credibility… while also building prudent, sustainable systems that last beyond year one.

Olivia shares what she prioritised first (and what she refused to rush), why behaviour became the lever that unlocked everything else, and how radical transparency—about the budget, the strategy, and the hard realities—helped rebuild trust with staff. She also speaks candidly about redundancies, the emotional toll of leadership, and why modern headship increasingly includes safeguarding, community support, and “whatever it takes” problem-solving.

You’ll hear practical insights on:

• building staff trust through purposeful listening

• balancing quick wins with long-term strategy

• improving behaviour to protect teaching and learning

• recruiting and rebuilding teams under pressure

• leading in contexts of high vulnerability and poverty

• why headship can’t be done well without community networks

If you’re a new headteacher, aspiring head, senior leader, or a teacher curious about school improvement in real conditions, this one will land.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Learn more about ⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview

Episode 260: In this episode, I’m joined by Hannah Carter, author of The Honest DSL, for a candid and thoughtful discussion about what the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead really involves beyond the statutory training and checklists.

We explore the emotional weight of the role, the cumulative impact of safeguarding work over time, and the professional isolation that many DSLs quietly carry. Hannah reflects on why honesty matters in safeguarding conversations, how hypervigilance can bleed into everyday practice, and why the role often has a shelf life that schools are reluctant to acknowledge.

This is not an episode about procedures or compliance. It is a conversation about responsibility, professional identity and what it means to hold safeguarding at the centre of school life while remaining human. Essential listening for DSLs, senior leaders and anyone who wants a more realistic understanding of the role.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via [email protected]

Learn more about ⁠The Story of Maths⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview

Episode 259: What happens if you stop asking every teacher to plan in isolation, stop relying on heroic individuals, and build a genuinely shared planning system across an international school?

In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Kieran is joined by Lewis Sargent and Matthew Lee from Wales International School in the UAE to dig into the nuts and bolts of collaborative planning, PLCs and teacher workload.

Lewis and Matt describe how they have moved from uneven, individualised planning to a system where subject teams plan ten days ahead, quality assurance is built in, and every teacher has protected time to adapt high quality plans for their classes. They talk through what their professional learning communities actually do, how cross phase observation works in practice, and why everything they have put in place is grounded in theory rather than hunch.

Across the conversation they explore:

• Why planning across the school was so variable when they arrived, and why they wanted a single planning vehicle everyone could use

• How the new planning cycle works, including ten day lead time, subject leader checks and sharing plans with parents in advance

• What their PLCs look like week to week, and why previous experiences of PLCs often left teachers cold

• The concrete impact on teacher workload, confidence and the quality of lessons

• The challenges and unintended consequences of system change, including staff turnover, curriculum reform and supporting weaker teachers

• Their advice for leaders who want to ringfence collaborative planning time without breaking timetables or budgets

If you are thinking about centralised planning, shared schemes, or how to make professional learning less random and more coherent, this episode offers a detailed case study from a busy international school context.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Learn more about The Story of Maths - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview

Episode 258: Handwriting has quietly slipped into the shadows of reading and phonics, yet the new Writing Framework (July 2025) places it firmly back in view. It expects teachers to model good handwriting across the curriculum, not just in a weekly handwriting slot, and asks leaders to take responsibility for getting it right. But what does that actually look like in real classrooms, with real children and very real workload?

In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Kieran is joined by handwriting specialist Nicky Parr to explore why handwriting still matters, how it connects to the new Writing Framework, and what schools can practically do for pupils who find writing physically and emotionally hard.

Drawing on her experience as a teacher, a parent of a neurodivergent child, and a consultant working in schools, Nicky unpicks the hidden complexity of handwriting. She explains why it is not a simple “neat or messy” issue, but a demanding motor and cognitive skill that draws heavily on attention, posture, paper position, pen hold and practice habits. Along the way, she tackles common assumptions, including the idea that typing has made handwriting obsolete, and the quiet shame many adults carry about their own handwriting.

Across the conversation they discuss:

• How Nicky’s journey with her son’s coordination and attention needs led her into specialist handwriting work

• Why so many children become reluctant writers because handwriting is painful, effortful or a source of embarrassment

• What the 2025 Writing Framework actually says about modelling handwriting and leadership responsibility

• The key things Nicky looks for when she walks into a classroom: pen grip, paper and book position, posture, use of lines and the children who are quietly hiding

• Why we have “pitched handwriting and typing against each other” and what a more balanced, research-informed view looks like

• How schools can build simple, sustainable routines that support handwriting without overwhelming staff

If you are a literacy lead, class teacher or school leader wondering how to respond to the new Writing Framework, or you have a nagging sense that handwriting is holding some pupils back from showing what they can do, this episode offers both reassurance and clear next steps.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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 Visit Heddle.link/TDAPE to go straight to the free Heddle community.

Episode 257: Supporting multilingual learners is never just about one intervention or one brilliant teacher. It lives or dies in the systems that sit behind every lesson, every admission and every decision a school makes.

In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Kieran is joined by Dr Robert Sharples to unpack the Heddle System, a whole school approach to English as an Additional Language (EAL) that ties together admissions, assessment, classroom practice and targeted support into one coherent framework.

Drawing on Rob’s work as an academic, author and co founder of Heddle, they explore what it really takes to build EAL provision that works for every multilingual learner, not just the ones who shout loudest for attention.

Across the conversation they dig into questions such as:

• What are the expectations every teacher should meet for multilingual learners in their classroom?

• How can schools design tiered EAL provision that does not leave the EAL team doing everything for everyone?

• Where should you start if your current EAL offer is fragmented, informal or entirely dependent on one heroic colleague?

• How can admissions, assessment and record keeping stop being a black hole and start becoming the engine of effective support?

• What is a sensible, evidence informed stance on AI translation tools for students, staff and families?

If you are an EAL lead, SENCo, senior leader or classroom teacher who wants to move from well intentioned bolt ons to a joined up system for multilingual learners, this episode gives you a practical blueprint for what to focus on next.

For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Episode 256: This week, I am delighted to launch a new #TDaPE series, Thinking Deeply about AI for Schools. Landing on the first Wednesday of each English school term, this format will see Neil Almond and James Radburn tackle the biggest questions facing schools about artificial intelligence in a period of constant change and pressure for the sector.

In this pilot edition, Neil and James turn their attention to Alpha School, the much-talked-about AI-powered private school. Is it a passing fad, or the first glimpse of a new era in education?

Listen in to find out what it might mean for schools like yours and join the conversation in the comments, wherever you are listening.