The SecEd Podcast: The perfect classroom environment
SecEd Podcast
This episode discusses how teachers can create the perfect classroom environment for their students, offering a range of practical tips and quick wins. Our expert panel discuss four core aspects – the physical classroom environment, the social environment, the emotional environment, and the learning environment. Physical environment: We ask what we can do to create a positive physical space in the classroom to support learning, including the use of displays, the layout of furniture, and issues like temperature and natural light. Social environment: We look at the tenets of...
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The SecEd Podcast: Teaching Shakespeare Effectively: Practical tips and classroom ideas
SecEd Podcast
This episode offers a range of practical ideas, advice and teaching techniques for engaging students in the work of William Shakespeare – both in the English classroom and across the school. Produced in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the episode features a panel of experts and educators who discuss how we can make Shakespeare enjoyable for our students. We talk about Shakespeare’s place across the school, in the English and drama classrooms of course, but also in other places such as the assembly hall and extra-curricular work. We offer a range of teaching tips and ways we...
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The SecEd Podcast: Preparing for the new Ofsted school inspection framework
SecEd Podcast
This episode dissects the revised Ofsted inspection framework, setting out actions that school leaders can take now to prepare and offering expert insights and tips. Our panel has extensive experience of Ofsted inspection, and they break down the key changes that schools should be focused on and how best we can respond. We highlight key aspects of the revised framework, including the implications of the new evaluation areas and grading points. We interrogate the new “secure fit” model of inspection and Ofsted’s new “expected standard”. We delve into the inclusion thread that runs...
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The SecEd Podcast: Do your students belong? Inclusion and participation in school life
SecEd Podcast
This episode focuses on belonging and inclusion in the secondary school – namely how can we ensure that every student can take part in school life. Our panel of experienced school leaders define what “belonging” means in the context of a busy secondary school. We talk school culture: what does a culture of inclusion and belonging involve, how can we develop this in a natural way, and what approaches are in place at our guests’ schools – especially when it comes to welcoming new students in year 7. We talk about the role of school staff in fostering belonging and...
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The SecEd Podcast: The secrets to adaptive teaching
SecEd Podcast
In this episode we break-down the secrets to effective adaptive teaching approaches in the secondary classroom. Our experts define what exactly adaptive teaching is and offer insights to help teachers to know when we should adapt our teaching, how we can adapt teaching, and who we should be adapting it for. We discuss the importance of using adaptive teaching to maintain high expectations in the classroom and in order to ensure that our ambitious curriculum is accessible for all students regardless of background or need. We consider what adaptations we can plan in advance of our lessons, with...
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The SecEd Podcast: Speech, language & communication needs in the secondary school
SecEd Podcast
This episode offers a range of ideas and advice for identifying and supporting students with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in the secondary school. SLCN are the most common need for the more than 1.2 million students who are on SEN Support in England’s schools – and the evidence tells us that there will be many more who are going undiagnosed. This discussion features four experts who look at identifying SLCN, screening students, and the problems of underdiagnosis and “masking” that prevent students from getting the support they need. We discuss what the signs of...
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The SecEd Podcast: Autism in the secondary school classroom
SecEd Podcast
This episode considers how teaching staff can effectively support autistic students in the classroom and across the mainstream secondary school. Our expert panel offers a range of practical insights and advice to help teachers and support staff, including teaching tips and pastoral care. We begin our discussion by busting some of the common misconceptions and myths about autism and autistic students before dissecting what makes for an autism-friendly school and classroom environment and strong inclusive practice. We discuss what schools can do to support and foster friendships and social...
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The SecEd Podcast: A brilliant secondary school library
SecEd Podcast
In this episode, we consider what makes for excellent library provision in the secondary school, including ideas for supporting literacy and curriculum delivery. We speak with four experienced and expert school library professionals to glean their advice, ideas and tips for excellent library provision. We discuss the most important elements in effective library provision and why schools should consider employing a qualified librarian as part of their provision. We consider how school librarians can work effectively with teaching staff to support whole-school teaching and learning and ideas for...
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The SecEd Podcast: Teacher training & induction: Navigating the ITT-ECF
SecEd Podcast
This podcast discusses teacher training and induction, offering practical advice for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) and their mentors. Our expert panel explores the Department for Education’s new Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework – due to come into effect in September 2025. The combined ITT-ECF sets out what trainee and ECTs need to know – and know how to do – at the start of their careers and the panel discuss what is in the new combined framework and how it might work in practice, including how the distinct ITT and ECF elements will work together and...
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The SecEd Podcast: The Greatest Hits
SecEd Podcast
To celebrate the 100th edition of the SecEd Podcast this episode counts down our top 10 most popular podcasts of all time. Have you listened to them all? Launched in early 2020, the SecEd Podcast has been on air for five years and to mark episode 100 podcast co-hosts Pete Henshaw and Matt Bromley reveal our top 10 most listened to episodes – interspersed with clips and highlights from each one. Without giving the game away, themes include oracy education, senior and middle leadership, quality first teaching, classroom management, Pupil Premium, inclusion and SEN, and much, much more. Matt...
info_outlineThis episode focuses on subject reviews or “deep dives” in the secondary school, asking what they are, how we can conduct them effectively without burdening staff, and what information we can and cannot expect to gather accurately.
Our expert panel asks what a subject review or deep dive is and looks like and why we need to carry them out – ultimately, what is their purpose?
We discuss how we can best conduct reviews/deep dives in order to ensure that we gather reliable and valid information that helps to inform our improvement planning.
And how can we do this while minimising the amount of stress that deep dives can cause to subject leader sand teachers, not least in terms of workload?
We ask what information we can gather with accuracy and confidence through subject review/deep dives, including the kind of questions we might ask. And, crucially, we ask what information we cannot gather with accuracy and confidence and what approaches we should avoid.
We also discuss the vital role of subject and middle leaders and the kind of CPD a school must have in place to support effective subject review processes.
Ofsted has of course placed subject deep dives at the heart of its Education Inspection Framework, and we touch upon how good practice in this area can stand a school in good stead for when inspectors do call.