Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner welcome back Dr Carl Hendrick - writer, researcher and relentless “research distiller” - for a wide-ranging conversation about what the educational research can (and can’t) tell us, and how ideas mutate as they travel through schools. Starting with Carl’s monthly research round-ups and emerging areas like pre-questions (“pre-trieval”), they dig into a lively debate about the replication of the original scaffolding study and what that means for teachers: why learning science is probabilistic, why single studies shouldn’t become dogma, and how “evidence-based” can be misapplied in crude tick-box ways. From there, Carl makes the case for thinking less about “teaching” as an all-purpose term and more about instructional design - the alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment - and introduces Herbert Simon’s idea of instructional invariants: the conditions that must hold for learning to happen (working memory limits, attention, cumulative knowledge and prerequisites). Along the way they tackle the “lethal mutations” of retrieval practice, the expertise required to design coherent curricula (and why most teachers shouldn’t be expected to do it all), and the implications of AI for homework, assessment and the future of curriculum design.

Carl Hendrick is an internationally recognised expert in the science of learning and instructional design. He is a professor at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam and leads research projects that bridge cognitive science, educational psychology, and classroom practice. Carl’s work focuses on helping teachers and school leaders apply robust, evidence-based strategies - such as retrieval practice, spacing, and explicit instruction - to improve student learning. He has co-authored several influential books, including How Learning Happens and Instructional Illusions, and regularly advises schools and organisations on implementing research-informed approaches.

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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Emma 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
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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/⁠

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington is joined by Dr Simon Breakspear - educational researcher, author, and system leader based in Australia - for a wide-ranging conversation about how improvement actually happens at scale. Together they explore Simon’s distinctive role working across classrooms, schools, networks, and entire systems, and why sustainable change depends less on policy mandates and more on relationships, trust, and practical tools that respect teachers’ limited bandwidth. The discussion digs into two of Simon’s best-known ideas: pruning - a disciplined approach to strategic subtraction that tackles overload and “additivitis” - and Teaching Sprints, a short-cycle, evidence-informed model for collective professional learning that prioritises deliberate practice over sprawling initiatives. Moving fluidly between the macro view of systems and the micro detail of meetings, habits, and classroom routines, this episode offers a clear-eyed account of how leaders can reduce noise, focus effort, and create the conditions for meaningful, long-term improvement.

Dr Simon Breakspear is a researcher, advisor and speaker on educational leadership, policy and change. Simon develops frameworks and tools that make evidence-based ideas actionable and easy to understand. Over the last decade his capability building work has given him the opportunity to work with over 100,000 educators across more than 10 countries. Simon is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at UNSW. He serves as an advisor to the NSW Department of Education and sits on an expert steering committee for the Australia Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Simon received his BPsych (Hons) from UNSW, his MSc in Comparative and International Education from the University of Oxford and his PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge. Simon began his work in education as a high school teacher.

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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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/⁠

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Bennie Kara - former teacher, consultant, and author of Nuthall’s Hidden Lives of Learners in Action - to explore what learning really looks like beneath the surface of the classroom. Drawing on Graham Nuthall’s seminal research, Bennie unpacks the idea of the three worlds of the classroom (the public, social, and private worlds of learning) and explains why observation alone can never tell us what pupils have actually learned. The conversation ranges across deep listening, talk and oracy, prior knowledge and experience, misconceptions, and the limits of short lesson drop-ins, with practical reflections on how teachers can better surface pupils’ thinking without being overwhelmed by workload. Bennie also connects Nuthall’s insights to contemporary debates around curriculum design, inclusion, equity, and long-term memory, arguing that learning is shaped as much by peer interaction and prior experience as by what teachers plan and deliver. It’s a thoughtful, challenging episode that invites leaders and teachers alike to rethink what counts as evidence of learning - and where to look for it. 
Bennie Kara started her career as an English teacher in the inaugural cohort of Teach First in 2003. After 20 years' experience in education as a teacher and former deputy headteacher specialising in teaching, learning and the curriculum, she now works as a leadership coach in schools as a speaker and trainer on topics such as DEI, teaching and learning, and effective curriculum construction. She is the author of three books focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion in education. Graham Nuthall's work and research, as recorded in The Hidden Lives of Learners, sits in the intersection of her interests. She is particularly interested in the way he explores the social construct of the classroom, as well as the ways in which identity, experience and interest play into long term learning and memory. She strongly believes that effective pedagogy is rooted in the needs of students and is informed by research. You can order here new book here: https://www.hachettelearning.com/teaching-strategies/nuthall-s-hidden-lives-of-learners-in-action
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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Emma 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/⁠

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Jude Arkwright, headteacher of St Michael’s CE, Aldbourne, to explore how a strong culture of professional trust, research-informed practice, and professional development can transform teaching and learning. Jude shares how long-term staff stability and coaching triplets have created a school where teachers openly examine the smallest instructional details in real time, and where feedback is immediate, supportive and precise. The conversation then turns to St Michael’s much-admired approach to continuous provision through to the end of Year 2, unpacking what high-quality, well-planned play looks like in practice, how it builds knowledge and self-regulation, and why it is anything but low-rigour. Packed with concrete examples - from tutor tables and small-group teaching to deliberately designed environments and routines - this episode offers a compelling picture of how alignment between curriculum, pedagogy and culture can create calm, purposeful classrooms where children and adults thrive.
Jude Arkwright is Headteacher of St Michael's CE Aldbourne. She leads the school's successful Year One and Year Two continuous provision. Here is the way it is described: Research and our school experience tells us that young children learn best through play and exploration, this is why we have built on the excellent practice found in Reception. We have found our approach gives the children time to think and explore, in a culture, which supports both the adults and the children. We have seen close relationships build, a strong sense of well-being as well as greater levels of enthusiasm for learning by adults and children alike. The curriculum is exciting, creative and dynamic enabling skills and knowledge to be applied so that children can purposefully build on what has already been learnt as well as identifying what the children need to learn next to ensure they are all successful learners. Find out more about St Michael's at https://www.stmichaelsaldbourne.co.uk/
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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Emma 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/⁠

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Ann Palmer - educator, leadership coach, and founder of Figtree International - for a rich conversation spanning diversity, leadership, and the future of AI in education. Drawing on over 35 years of experience as a headteacher, Ofsted inspector, and international trainer, Ann shares how her work now centres on helping leaders grow into their roles, embedding sustainable approaches to diversity and inclusion through initiatives like the RACE Charter Mark, and exploring how technology can empower rather than replace teachers. Together they discuss why diversity work must move beyond tokenism, what great coaching looks like for school leaders, and how AI can enhance strategic thinking without eroding it. It’s a conversation about courage, consciousness, and change - rooted in Ann’s belief that education leadership should always be personal, purposeful, and impactful.
Ann Palmer FCCT has over 35 years of experience working in education, and has partnered with schools across the UK and internationally. She is the founder of the RACE Charter Mark which is an award recognising effective race equality strategies. She’s a qualified Executive Coach and Team Coach, and is often described as “a leader who leads with flair and vision” and is described as “inspirational”. Ann is a MAT Trustee, School Governor, Charity Trustee and Business Advisor, and she is the founder and CEO of Fig Tree International. She is also a published author, a podcaster and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2010 and given royal recognition in 2022.
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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Emma 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/