Primary Podcasts

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Primary Podcasts
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Primary Podcasts

Primary Podcast: Effective Questioning

In this podcast, our Primary Director, Darran Ellison-Lee, explores the way effective questioning can transform teaching and learning and ensure that pupils are getting the best out of every lesson. For more information, to ask any questions or to suggest future topics, please contact the Primary Team via dawn.lester@unitedlearning.org.uk.

Primary Podcast: Why Should Leaders Focus on Improving the Quality of Teaching?

In this podcast, our Primary Director Darran Ellison-Lee discusses why improving the quality of teaching should be a core focus for any primary leader. By investing in training, our teachers develop effective and durable skillsets and outcomes for pupils rise as a result. For more information, to ask any questions or to suggest future topics, please contact the Primary Team via dawn.lester@unitedlearning.org.uk.

Primary Podcast: Why we use Rosenshine’s 10 Principles of Instruction

In the second half of this two-part podcast, Darran Ellison-Lee explains why, as a Group, United Learning has chosen to adopt the Rosenshine principles and how this ‘common language’ is helping to drive continuous improvement across our schools. For more information please contact the Primary Team via dawn.lester@unitedlearning.org.uk.

Primary Podcast: Introducing Rosenshine’s 10 Principles of Instruction

In the first half of this two-part podcast, our Primary Director Darran Ellison-Lee is joined by Jancie Garratt-Simpson, Principal of Cravenwood Primary Academy in Manchester, to discuss the Rosenshine Principles of Instruction and how they have been adopted across United Learning’s primary schools. We explore what the 10 key principles of instruction look like in practice and the importance they have in the classroom, including in Cravenwood Primary Academy and Windale Primary School. For more information please contact the Primary Team via dawn.lester@unitedlearning.org.uk.

Our Primary Podcasts: An Introduction

As we begin our Primary Podcasts, our Primary Director Darran Ellison-Lee talks through the purpose behind the series. We hope that these will be useful for all primary staff - from NQTs and those looking to begin their career in teaching to senior leaders and primary heads. For those looking for more information about our Group, Darran also explains the key principles behind our Framework for Excellence, and a bit about what it means to be a United Learning primary school. For more information, to ask any questions or to suggest future topics for these podcasts, please contact the Primary Team via dawn.lester@unitedlearning.org.uk.

Improving the Quality of Teaching and Learning

In this podcast, we explore whole-school strategies for improving the quality of teaching and learning. This includes getting an accurate picture of teaching quality and how leaders can support individual teachers to improve.

Improving Behaviour: Describing Behaviours

In this podcast, we look at how describing the behaviours you want to see from your pupils - rather than simply reinforcing negative ones - can help to create a calm, purposeful and happy learning environment.

Improving Behaviour: Choices

In this podcast, we look at how teachers can improve behaviour by giving pupils simple, positive choices, and how this works in classroom practice.

School Development Planning

In this podcast, we explore how School Development Planning can best be used in primaries to drive continuous improvement, and how this differs from your SEF and Implementation Plan. Key areas of focus include where ownership lies, how to prioritise issues and evaluation.

Lesson Coaching

In this podcast, we present Lesson Coaching as a better alternative to traditional lesson observations. The practice is more manageable, more regular and more effective, giving every teacher the 1:1 CPD they deserve.

Win-Win Conversations

In this podcast, we explore Win-Win Conversations as a useful technique for facilitating difficult conversations between school colleagues that result in positive strategies and outcomes.

Interlude: Strategies for School Leaders

We briefly focus in on why the last three podcasts – School Development Planning, Lesson Coaching and Win-Win Conversations – are such useful tools for school leaders.

Pupil Progress Meetings

In this podcast, we look at the role of pupil progress meetings in schools and how progress and performance data can be analysed to set targeted support and interventions.

Effective Pupil-Focused Learning in Early Years

In this podcast, we look at the importance of pupil-focused learning in the Early Years. From your classroom layout to the role of the adult, we discuss how you can structure lessons in a way that enables children to best develop their own initiated play and activity and take that learning to the next stage.

Pupil Talk That Supports Effective Learning

In this podcast, we look at the value and impact pupil talk can have on learning, and introduce two techniques which you can implement in any class to support this.

What Should Leaders Focus On?

In this podcast, we explore five key issues that we believe primary leaders should focus on in order to secure ongoing improvements and maintain strong pupil outcomes.

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