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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Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview
Episode 266: This week sees the launch of a new monthly format on Thinking Deeply About Primary Education, as Kieran is joined by Elliot Morgan to make sense of what’s been happening across education over the past month.
Rather than chasing headlines, this episode slows things down. We look first at the stories that genuinely feel like progress, including new SEND funding signals, a national professional development programme focused on inclusive practice, the announcement of the National Year of Reading, and early conversations about the role AI might play in exam marking. Alongside optimism, there’s scepticism too, particularly around scale, delivery, and whether headline funding ever truly reaches classrooms.
The conversation then turns to a story that deserves far more attention than it’s getting: the sharp rise in elective home education. With a 15% increase in a single year, we explore what this trend might be telling us about inclusion, belonging, mental health, and the relationship between families and schools in a post-Covid system.
There’s space for lighter moments too. The introduction of new segments includes a nod to a friend of the podcast appearing on national television, and the revival of long-form educational writing. Elliot and Kieran recommend the most thought-provoking blogs and newsletters of the month, spanning cognition, leadership, autonomy, EAL provision, and the overlooked craft of running parents’ evenings well.
The episode closes with a reflection on a busy month for TDaPE itself, including the London conference, recent podcast episodes, and what stood out most from conversations with teachers, leaders, and speakers.
A slower episode. A wider lens. And a reminder that there is still a lot worth paying attention to in 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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.