Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe

• What Makes a Great Curriculum with Catherine Priggs & Hugh Richards, Mind the Gap, Ep.109 (S6,E7)

  On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Catherine Priggs and Hugh Richards, co-authors of Secondary History in Action, to dig into what great history curriculum and leadership look like in practice. They discuss starting with a clear departmental vision, making brave choices about what to include (and exclude), and balancing school context with disciplinary integrity. Along the way they unpack ideas like core and hinterland knowledge, Richard Kennett’s museum curation analogy, and why non-specialist teaching makes a rich hinterland even more vital. Catherine shares insights from international curriculum work, while Hugh reflects on training hundreds of subject leaders and the realities of mandated trust curricula. The conversation also tackles assessment, examining extended writing in history as well as the kinds of tasks to avoid - before showcasing how scholarship-anchored enquiries can make the discipline sing. The book’s design contains QR-linked routes into Historical Association resources, offering a practical portal for teachers who want exemplification, not just principles. It’s an energising, example-rich tour of how to build ambitious, coherent history curricula that pupils remember and love.Catherine Priggs is an education consultant who specialises in history education and whole-school leadership. She has worked as a senior leader in two schools and as director of a teaching school. Catherine has mentored for various ITT providers, led the history programme for a SCITT, and led and supported departments as a subject leader. She has contributed to Teaching History, and authors and edits history textbooks. She presents at conferences, delivers CPD for a range of providers, and works with major UK-based and international exam boards. Catherine is a member of the Historical Association's Secondary Committee.Hugh Richards is head of history at an 11-18 comprehensive secondary school in York. He has a decade of experience in this role, working with a team of specialist teachers on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. He is an honorary fellow of the Historical Association and has led many workshops, webinars and CPD programmes. He has guest lectured as part of the University of York PGCE programme. He has authored chapters and sections of various books about education and history teaching, as well as textbook chapters. Hugh has worked as a consultant with schools, academy trusts and local authorities across England. Hugh and the other authors are part of the team that established and leads the Historical Association's Subject Leader Development Programme.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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Emma 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_turner75⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This 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/

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• Social Mobility Rooted in Pedagogy with Alun Francis, Mind the Gap, Ep.108 (S6,E6)

  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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Emma 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_turner75⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This 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/

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• The Science of Paying Attention with Mike Hobbiss, Mind the Gap, Ep.107 (S6,E5)

  On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Mike Hobbiss - teacher, researcher, and author - to dive into the science of attention and what it means for everyday teaching. Mike shares what he uncovered during his PhD and subsequent research about attention in real classrooms (and that its main detractors are peers, mind-wandering, background noise, and phones) and why seating, routines, and explicit expectations matter. The trio unpack how to cue attention in space (gestures and precise directions) and in time (test expectancy and the “forward testing” effect), arguing that managing attention is a social-justice issue that can help level the playing field. They contrast primary and secondary contexts, debate rows vs. groups, and explore how teachers can use research without drowning in excess workload, but mostly, they just want you to pay attention! Mike spent 8 years teaching Psychology, both in the UK and abroad, before taking time out of the classroom to complete a PhD investigating attention and distraction in everyday environments, focusing especially on classrooms and other educational settings. He has published research on attention, distraction, memory and mood in educational settings, as well on teacher habit formation. Back in the classroom since 2020, he is currently Head of Psychology at a school in Lincolnshire. He is the author of How to Teach Psychology: An evidence-informed approach and you can find his blog at https://hobbolog.wordpress.com/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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Emma 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_turner75⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This 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/

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• Implementing Evidence-Informed Practice at Scale with Meg Lee and Jim Heal, Mind the Gap, Ep.106 (S6,E4)

  On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington is joined by Meg Lee and Jim Heal, co-founders of Learning Science Partners, to explore how to make evidence-informed practice live and last at scale. Meg and Jim share why learning science should be a lens rather than an initiative, how they build common language across large, complex districts, and the three-phase approach they use to build, deepen, and sustain change. They discuss Maryland’s move to embed foundational learning science in statute, practical facilitation moves (from cognitive-load demos to “transparent facilitation”), and the idea of instructional equity - asking “who gets to think?” in every lesson.Dr. Jim Heal is a leading advocate for bridging the worlds of research and practice in education.  His work seeks to develop expertise in evidence-informed instruction and leadership in K-12 schools, school districts, and higher education in the United States and Europe.  Dr. Heal was a high school English teacher and principal for ten years in the UK before moving to the US, where he became Director of Practice at Harvard’s Research Schools International initiative. He currently serves as Professor of Evidence-Informed Education Leadership at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, served as a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where he earned his doctorate in educational leadership, and is author of How Teaching Happens: Seminal Works in Teaching and Teacher Effectiveness and What They Mean in Practice and Mental Models: How Understanding the Mind Can Transform the Way You Work and Learn.Meg Lee is a forerunner in implementing evidence-informed practice in schools and districts. A public school educator in a variety of roles from teacher to professional learning specialist to school-based administrator to central executive leader for over 25 years, Meg directed induction and professional learning for a large, innovative public district that implemented evidence-informed practice and worked to ensure every educator understands how learning happens.  She serves as Core Teacher, Learning Science and Advisor, Professional Learning at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, is the author of Mindsets for Parents: Strategies to Encourage Growth Mindsets in Kids (2nd ed.), and has taught education and psychology courses at the graduate level.Find out more about both Jim and Meg's work at https://www.learningsciencepartners.com/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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Emma 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/

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• Memory Is the Residue of Thought: Daniel Willingham, Mind the Gap, Ep.105 (S6,E3)

  On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Professor Daniel Willingham to explore how insights from cognitive science can transform classroom practice. The conversation ranges from his influential book Why Don’t Students Like School? to the enduring truth that “memory is the residue of thought.” Together, they discuss the power of narrative in learning, the balance between shallow and deep knowledge, and why repetition and practice still matter. Dan also unpacks key ideas like encoding, cognitive load, and the role of manipulatives, offering practical advice for helping students think deeply and retain what they learn. The episode is a rich, thought-provoking exploration of how the mind works, critical thinking, and their implications for education.Daniel Willingham is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. Until about 2000, his research focused solely on the brain basis of learning and memory. Today, all of his research concerns the application of cognitive psychology to K-16 education. He is the author of several books, including the best-selling Why Don't Students Like School?, and most recently, Outsmart Your Brain. His writing on education has appeared in twenty-three languages. ​In 2017 he was appointed by President Obama to serve as a Member of the National Board for Education Sciences. View his website at http://www.danielwillingham.com/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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Emma 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/

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