The Leading, Language and Literature Podcast

Episoade

• Doug Lemov - What does evidence-based reading instruction look like? - New York 01.07.2026 1h 6min

  In this episode I am speaking with Doug Lemov. Doug is one of my all time teaching heroes and an incredible person in the world of education. He is the founder and leader of Teach Like a Champion, an organisation that studies exceptional teachers and translates their practice into replicable techniques. Most notably, these are shared via the Teach Like a Champion books which are now on their 3.0 version.Whilst the TLAC books are an exceptional example of how to improve any teacher’s classroom instruction and curriculum design, Doug has also authored and co-authored the likes of Practice Perfect, The Coach’s Guide to Teaching, Teaching in the Online Classroom, Reading Reconsidered and The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading. It was on the topic of the last two books that I most wanted to speak to Doug. Reading and the associated knowledge students gain from it has always been of great importance within English, but this has never been more prevalent in the age of smartphones, the internet and its associated economy of attention.We discussWhat the biggest oversights English teachers might have about reading instructionWhy solid advice, effectively communicated, isn’t enough to improve reading instruction in schoolsAny prerequisites an internal canon of literature should adhere toWhy engaging with a contiguous, 300 page text is better than a unit filled with diverse extracts exploring a common themeAnd finally, when and how we release our level of control and encourage students to read more challenging books at homeThank you so much to Doug for speaking with me and the legendary support he has given to teachers down the years with his team at Teach Like a Champion.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Reinforcing Middle School English You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Reinforcing Middle School EnglishDoug’s books
• Dr. Claire Badger - Can we teach creativity? - London 23.06.2026 34min

  In this episode I am speaking to Dr. Claire Badger. Claire is the Head of Teacher Professional Development at InnerDrive, a UK-based education and coaching company that specialises in bridging the gap between cognitive science, psychology, and the classroom. She is also a former assistant head and now specialises in helping schools develop their evidence-informed practice.Claire has also co-authored a book entitled Creativity for Teachers: A Cognitive Science Approach. It was this book and the discussion of creativity in schools that prompted me to contact Claire and arrange what proved to be a fantastic conversation.We discuss: 1. The varying definitions offered up by all sections of society regarding creativity and what it actually means in academic terms2. What different manifestations of creativity look like on a global, professional and educational level3. How knowledge and creativity are akin to the amount and type of lego blocks a child owns and what this, therefore, means for curriculum design4. How domain specific creativity is and whether it can be achieved through interdisciplinary projects5. What 'Legacy Projects' are what they require to be done well6. And finally, the extent to which we need to be planning with creative opportunities in mind and how much of it will come out naturally as a matter of teaching a knowledge-rich curriculumThanks again to Claire for taking the time to write the book and talk with me about it today. Creativity, as we discuss, is such a valuable and necessary part of everyone’s experience in education or their profession, so helping to dispel the myths from the meaningful evidence makes her work exceptionally useful.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Reinforcing Middle School English You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Reinforcing Middle School EnglishClaire’s book: Creativity for Teachers: A Cognitive Science Approach
• Gaurav Dubay - Trust Director of English - Birmingham 09.06.2026 44min

  In this episode I’m talking with Gaurav Dubay. Gaurav is a Trust Director of English and Evidence Lead in Education based in Birmingham, England. He is an active and passionate voice both online and in-person when it comes to enhancing all students outcomes through the Key Stage 3, literacy, oracy and much more.I have followed Gaurav for a long time now but what prompted our chat was a post I recently wrote regarding the intersection between English disciplinary skills and the vast background knowledge that also needs to be understood for kids to access many texts. This prompted an exchange between Gaurav and I that has led to this week’s episode.We discuss: Where Gaurav stands on recent advice to shift towards a concept-led curriculum in EnglishWhere he sees oracy playing a role in this or other forms of curriculum designHow departments can supplement their curriculum with the vast background knowledge needed to make meaning from texts in language and literatureAnd finally, Gaurav’s thoughts around AI implementation in the classroom and around the curriculumThanks again to Gaurav for taking the time to chat about all things English as well as all the fantastic sharing he has done over the years on X and beyond.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming and newly renamed book: Reinforcing Middle School English You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Reinforcing Middle School English
• WILF: Making Good Progress? The Future of Assessment for Learning by Daisy Christodoulou 18.05.2026 3h 12min

  In this episode, I’m explaining What I Learnt From: Making Good Progress? The Future of Assessment for Learning by Daisy Christodoulou. This is the fourth episode that sees me go through my annotations and notes for a book that explores an area of English teaching or leadership.This time, it’s a text that I think is absolutely fundamental to understanding assessment and therefore curriculum design in our schools. Even better, it is written by Daisy Christodoulou MBE, a former English teacher and one of the most prominent and important voices in education from the past twenty years. Much of the examples that she offers are written through the lens of her time as an English teacher and are therefore very instructive when it comes to improving our approach to teaching and learning.Expect to hear: Why assessment for learning or formative assessment has failed in many schoolsThe fundamental differences between summative assessments and formative assessmentsWhy descriptor-based assessments are problematicHow to create a model of progression in our curriculumAnd finally, how to create the best system of integrated formative and summative assessmentsThis is an absolute monster of an episode and I did consider dividing it into two parts. However, as a regular listener of podcasts myself, I know that depending on everyone’s respective listening habits you will choose to either listen and relisten to the whole thing as desired or break it up according to your commute, runs, walks or whatever you do whilst listening.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming and newly renamed book: Reinforcing Middle School English You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Reinforcing Middle School EnglishMaking Good Progress? by Daisy Christodoulou
• Gemma Keating - English and Maths’ interdisciplinary links - Hong Kong 08.05.2026 36min

  In this episode I am speaking to Gemma Keating. Gemma is a specialist in IBDP Mathematics, EdTech enthusiast and public speaker here in Hong Kong.Our chat is the sixth conversation ina series of discussions designed to learn more about secondary subjects and their possible interdisciplinary links with English. My intrigue in doing these is to see whether there are possibilities for connections across subjects that are at least shared in passing during class or actually and more excitingly, the basis of complex interdisciplinary units.We discuss:The products, processes or texts that are at the heart of studying MathsThe deep concepts that an expert in Maths uses to make meaning from these phenomenaThe potential links that Maths and English share from a conceptual or disciplinary point of viewAnd lastly, possible projects that students could work on to better understand both subjects, simultaneously.Thanks so much to Gemma for walking me through the basics and higher order concepts of Maths, so that we could consider interdisciplinary links. Whilst I’m walking away with a better appreciation of the likes of probability and geometry, Gemma did message me afterwards and explain that she could’ve covered the concept of ‘number’ too but felt I’d probably heard of that one already.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming and newly renamed book: Reinforcing Middle School English You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Reinforcing Middle School English
• Richard Wheadon - How do we develop students’ learning habits? - Chester 20.04.2026 52min

  In this episode, I’m speaking to Richard Wheadon. Richard is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching (FCCT), a former senior leader and author of Learning Habits: How to Develop Independent and Successful Learners.It was regarding this book that I most wanted to chat with Richard in the first place. For a while I have been considering the role of metacognition and self-regulation in the classroom and Richard’s book was released in a timely manner for me to further my knowledge on this emerging aspect of school instruction.We discuss:The cognitive processes we need to be explicitly teaching students so they can harness such methods themselvesWhy assemblies before Year 11 study leave are simply not enough when it comes to kids learning how to learnHow we implement such a programme in a pastoral and/or subject specific contextThe role parents play in habit forming behavioursAnd finally, Richard’s case for choosing this focus as a whole-school focus on improving students' learningThanks again to Richard for writing what is an excellent and instantly practical book as well as taking time to talk about implementation and lessons learnt in a insightful manner.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Learning Habits: How to Develop Independent and Successful Learners by Richard Wheadon
• Christopher Such - How to develop students’ reading ability - Peterborough 17.03.2026 55min

  In this episode, I’m speaking to Christopher Such. Chris is a primary school teacher by trade but has also served as a school leader, teacher educator and consultant. He has worked with many schools, multi-academy trusts and English organisations to develop teachers’ understanding of reading and implement evidence-informed classroom practice. He is also an author, having written The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading and Primary Reading Simplified: A Practical Guide to Classroom Teaching and Whole-School Implementation.As a secondary English teacher, I was keen to chat to someone with Primary expertise to better understand the experiences younger children go through before entering a secondary classroom. Given the quality and applicability of his writing, Chris was arguably the best person for the job.We discuss:Chris’ broad explanation of what outstanding reading instruction entails in KS1 and 2. The specific instructional routines Primary teachers use to develop fluency, vocabulary and other essential skills.What struggles when reading aloud reveal about a child's needs.What 'effective intervention' looks like.And finally, the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing.Thanks again to Chris for sharing vital ideas in terms of how to support students’ continual growth of literacy. His books, whilst including ‘Primary’ in the title, are equally effective when working with pupils who still require effective and efficient instruction in the secondary school.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Chris’ books: Primary Reading Simplified: A Practical Guide to Classroom Teaching and Whole-School Implementation and The Art and Science of Teaching Primary ReadingBeta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Costas Constantinou - How to Provide Effective Professional Development - London 06.03.2026 46min

  In this episode, I’m speaking to Costas Constantinou. Costas is the co-founder and Director of Education at Veema Education, an organisation that provides professional development and school improvement programs internationally. A former London-based school leader, he specialises in training, coaching, and supporting educators globally. He is also the author of "A School Leader’s Guide to Leading Professional Development".Professional development is a fascinating phenomenon, given those in charge are tasked with building a shared language of excellence for staff, who might have ten different definitions of what a "good lesson" even looks like. On top of this, it’s culturally and contextually complex, and is arguably one of the most interesting design challenges in education right now. So, getting Costas into discuss best practice was a real privilege.We discuss:How and why schools should move from one-off events to multi-year CPD that establishes whole-school priorities while still being relevant at the department levelHow can leaders can make CPD meaningful for both early career teachers and experienced subject specialistsHow we foster 'disciplined inquiry,' where teachers identify their own professional needsMoving from measuring teacher satisfaction to measuring its actual impact on student learningAnd finally, how to simplify engagement with evidence so it feels practical rather than a choreThanks again to Costas, someone who’s spent years truly deconstructing the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of school improvement, for his insights into the rigorous, evidence-backed architecture PD can offer.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Costas’ book: A School Leader's Guide to Leading Professional DevelopmentBeta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Gina Davies - English and Science’s interdisciplinary links - Hong Kong 20.02.2026 23min

  In this episode, I am speaking to Gina Davies. Gina is an experienced educator of Science with expertise in instructional leadership, coaching and serves the charity WomenEd as regional lead here in Hong Kong.Our chat is the fifth conversation in a series of discussions designed to learn more about secondary subjects and their possible interdisciplinary links with English. My intrigue in doing these is to see whether there are possibilities for connections across subjects that are at least shared in passing during class or actually and more excitingly, the basis of complex interdisciplinary units.We discuss:The products, processes or texts that are at the heart of studying ScienceThe deep concepts that an expert in Science uses to make meaning from these phenomenaThe potential links that Science and English share from a conceptual or disciplinary point of viewAnd lastly, possible projects that students could work on to better understand both subjects, simultaneously.Thanks so much to Gina for explaining the organising principles of Science in such a clear and concise way as well as offering numerous ways in which our two subjects intersect.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Li Bin - English and Chinese’s interdisciplinary links - Hong Kong 05.02.2026 23min

  In this episode, I’m speaking with Li Bin. Bin is a Deputy Head of School here in Hong Kong and formerly Asia-Pacific Regional Manager for the International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Programme. On top of that, she is a deeply experienced teacher of Chinese and has worked with many schools that offer bilingual instruction.Our chat is the fourth conversation in a series of discussions designed to learn more about secondary subjects and their possible interdisciplinary links with English. My intrigue in doing these is to see whether there are possibilities for connections across subjects that are at least shared in passing during class or actually and more excitingly, the basis of complex interdisciplinary units.We discuss: The products, processes or texts that are at the heart of studying Chinese Language and LiteratureThe deep concepts that an expert in Chinese uses to make meaning from these phenomenaThe potential links that Chinese and English share from a conceptual or disciplinary point of viewAnd lastly, possible projects that students could work on to better understand both languages, simultaneously.Thanks so much to Bin for providing me with incredibly substantial but eloquent answers that did so much to enlighten my understanding of Chinese and the similarities it might share with English teaching.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Shanice Welsh - English and Design’s interdisciplinary links - Hong Kong 26.01.2026 20min

  In this episode, I’m speaking with Shanice Welsh. Shanice is a director of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum here in Hong Kong and an active sharer of good teaching practice on the likes of X where she posts under the handle @Edu_byCreation. She is an experienced Middle Years Programme teacher and has done lots of work to integrate the framework into her own department’s output but also across the school as a whole.My chat with her is the third conversation in a series of discussions designed to learn more about secondary subjects and their possible interdisciplinary links with English.My intrigue in having these chats is seeing whether there are possibilities for connections across subjects that are at least shared in passing during class or actually and more excitingly, the basis of complex interdisciplinary units.We discuss:The products, processes or texts that are at the heart of studying DesignThe deep concepts that an expert in Design uses to make meaning from these phenomenaThe potential links that Design and English share from a conceptual or disciplinary point of viewAnd lastly, possible projects that students could work on to better understand both subjects, simultaneously.Thanks so much to Shanice who speaks with an excellent clarity, which speaks to both experience with interdisciplinary planning as well as a deep expertise in her subject.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• A Zoom with a View #6 22.01.2026 1h 31min

  In this episode, I’m talking to Eoin MacCarthaigh. This is the latest in a running series of conversations between Eoin and I, where we share 3 things each from the world of education that have been causing us some consideration.We discuss:1. Eoin’s pedagogical priorities for the new year2. Why everything is downstream from a concept-led curriculum3. How schools should approach the challenge of inclusion4. Why ‘Read Alouds’ are a great gauge of text suitability5. The role of homework in English6. And finally, why teachers benefit from learning things that are cognitively demandingIf you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on X @chrisjordanhk and Eoin @EMCTeachAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Tama Karena - English and Music’s interdisciplinary links - Hong Kong 08.01.2026 33min

  In this episode, I am talking to Tama Karena. Tama is a Director of Music at an international school here in Hong Kong and has 30 years of experience in the classroom, twenty of which have been spent in international schools. My chat with him is the second conversation in a series of discussions designed to learn more about secondary subjects and their possible interdisciplinary links with English.My intrigue in having these chats is seeing whether there is possibilities for connections across subjects that are at least shared in passing during class or actually and more excitingly, the basis of complex interdisciplinary units.We discuss:The products, processes or texts that are at the heart of studying MusicThe deep concepts that an expert in Music uses to make meaning from these experiencesThe potential links that Music and English share from a conceptual or disciplinary point of viewAnd lastly, possible projects that students could work on to better understand both subjects, simultaneously.Thanks so much to Tama for speaking with his customary soul and passion for the subject and allowing me to consider the less obvious connections that are two subjects share.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Louis Wong - English and STEM’s interdisciplinary links - Hong Kong 12.12.2025 38min

  In this episode, I am talking to Louis Wong. Louis is a STEM Coordinator, DP Physics teacher, IB Examiner, author and speaker. My chat with him is the first conversation in a series of discussions designed to learn more about secondary subjects and their possible interdisciplinary links with English.My intrigue in having these chats is seeing whether there is possibilities for connections across subjects that are at least shared in passing during class or actually and more excitingly, the basis of complex interdisciplinary units.We discuss:The products, processes or texts that are at the heart of studying STEMThe deep concepts that an expert in STEM uses to make meaning from these phenomenaThe potential links that STEM and English share from a conceptual or disciplinary point of viewAnd lastly, possible projects that students could work on to better understand both subjects, simultaneously.Thanks so much to Louis, who is nothing short of a local legend in STEM circles. I was somewhat nervous going into the conversation given my limited appreciation of the field but he does an incredible job of explaining his field in a clear and accessible way.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn @chrisjordanhk or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on learning how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing to help make it better.Links:Beta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Richard Bustin - Powerful knowledge and the capabilities students need - West Sussex 23.10.2025 1h 5min

  In this episode, I’m speaking with Richard Bustin. Richard is a Geography teacher as well as being Director of Pedagogy, Innovation and Staff Development at Lancing College in the UK. Most recently, he has authored a book entitled: What Are We Teaching? Powerful Knowledge and a Capabilities Curriculum.It was an interview I’d heard between Richard and James Mannion that led me to Richard’s work and reading his book was of great interest to me as someone who works within the IB framework. Although nominally a Geography teacher, Richard’s book takes a broad look at the way we approach subjects in the secondary curriculum and considers where our priorities lie and what this means for what students actually learn.We discuss:How self-aware teachers are about their priorities when designing and teaching the curriculumWhat Richard understands ‘powerful knowledge to be’ and how it should be implemented in the curriculumWhat the term ‘capabilities’ covers for students’ educationAnd finally, whether there is a way to overcome the binaries of traditional progressive pedagogies in the age of social mediaThanks so much to Richard for taking the time to chat to me about striking a balance between the rigorous drive to provide students with empowering subject knowledge at the same time as recognising the role that interdisciplinary ideas and collectively achieved academic capabilties.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on LinkedIn or X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or the top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing.Links:Richard’s book What Are We Teaching?Richard’s conversation with James Mannion for the the Rethinking Education podcastBeta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Morgan Whitfield - What is Challenge for All? - Ho Chi Minh 30.09.2025 59min

  In this episode, I’m talking with Morgan Whitfield. Morgan is an author, consultant, CPD trainer and senior leader. Her recent book, Gifted?, advocates for challenging all students through an inclusive approach to teaching, whereby every student is given the opportunities to reach mastery.I really wanted to chat with Morgan having read her book, which is possibly the most robustly researched piece of writing I’ve ever come across, as well as the global trend towards personalised learning through technology.We discuss:1. Why terms like 'most able' and their devoted interventions are so problematic2. Morgan’s experience in teaching and why it led her to this topic3. What ‘Challenge for All’ is theoretically and what it looks like practically4. Oracy, the Harkness model and PBL’s part in challenge for all, respectively5. And finally, what Morgan makes of Alpha Schools and their apparent attempts to challenge all students through AI driven instruction? Thank you so much to Morgan for speaking with me as well as leading the way on an issue that has its roots in centuries old problems around equity and social justice.If you’d like to be kept up to date on when chat like this happens, feel free to subscribe to the podcast and follow me on X @chrisjordanhkAdditionally, if you would like a head start on how to prioritise your middle years English curriculum, head to the bottom of this podcast’s show notes or the top of my stream on X to find a beta copy of my forthcoming book: Make Middle Years English Matter. You can read as much as you want and even highlight elements that you like, dislike or find confusing.Links:Morgan’s book: Gifted? Beta version of Make Middle Years English Matter
• Mary Myatt -Education adviser, Writer and Speaker - Wales 31.08.2025 46min

  In this episode, I’m talking with Mary Myatt. Mary is nothing short of a patron saint of curriculum design in the uk, with her books including The Curriculum: Gallimaufry to Coherence, Huh: Curriculum Conversations Between Subject and Senior Leaders and Back on Track: Fewer Things, Greater Depth.I find myself quoting things Mary has said in discussions with colleagues on a regular basis and was elated with the chance to speak with her. Particularly of interest was her focus in middle school and her insistence that with the right planning, it can become the ‘intellectual powerhouse’ of secondary schooling. We discuss: The extent to which schools have taken the advice of a 2015 paper entitled ‘KS3: the wasted years?’Why as a profession we were getting curriculum coherence wrong for so many yearsThe advice Mary typically gives to identify the powerful knowledge a curriculum should be organized aroundWhat she feels are the strengths and weaknesses of units or assessments that are planned with authenticity or a real audience in mind.Her work with the University of Sussex's Just Reading strategiesAnd finally, where does Mary stand on interdisciplinary learning?Thanks again to Mary for her indefatigable online presence, her writing and taking the time to talk to me today. If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhkLinksMary’s booksOfsted’s ‘KS3: the wasted years?’
• A Zoom with a View #5 05.08.2025 1h 25min

  In this episode, I’m talking to Eoin MacCarthaigh. This is the latest in a running series of conversations between Eoin and I, where we share 3 things each from the world of education that have been causing us some consideration.We discuss: 1. The challenges of instructional coaching2. The challenges of achieving improvement in education3. Handbooks versus playbooks and what this means for professional development4. Whether themes can be considered hinterland in English curriculum design5. The relationship between direct instruction and EnglishIf you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk and Eoin @EMCTeachLinks:Carl Hendrick’s X post regarding coachingCraig Barton’s podcast with Adam BoxerClaudia Lewis’ blogpost on playbooks and handbooks
• Sam Gibbs - Curriculum / Development Leader for The Greater Manchester Education Trust and Author - Manchester 23.05.2025 1h 4min

  In this episode I’m talking with Sam Gibbs. Sam is a former English teacher and curriculum / development leader for a school trust in Manchester. Additionally, she co-authored the brilliant The Trouble with English and How to Address It: A Practical Guide to Designing and Delivering a Concept-Led Curriculum. As we go onto discuss, making the shift to concept-led curriculum in English is a paradigm shift that ensures deeper learning for students. Consequently, Sam and Zoe’s book offers an excellent introduction to this change as well as practical advice for how to go about doing it. We discuss:How Sam advises on starting the shift to a concept-led curriculumWhether she suggests teachers start by exploring foundation concepts initially before then bringing in second-order ideas over timeExamples of how schools have taken on the concept-led curriculum and subsequently tried to build in assessmentWhether 'argument' is a foundational concept of EnglishAnd finally, the difference between 'structure' and 'pattern' as conceptsThanks again to Sam for giving up her time today as well as the amazing work she and Zoe Helman have done in bringing this book to the subject. If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhkLinks: Sam and Zoe’s book: The Trouble with English and How to Address It
• Dr James Mannion - Director of Rethinking Education, Author and Podcast Host - Brighton 23.05.2025 1h 8min

  In this episode I’m talking to Dr James Mannion. James is co-author of Fear is the Mind Killer a book designed to guide, implement and evaluate a Learning Skills curriculum in schools. More recently he has written Making Change Stick, a book that brilliantly synthesises research on school improvement so that is can be practically implemented in a sustainable way. James is also a fellow podcaster, hosting the Rethinking Education podcast and is director at Rethinking Education. I was really happy to be able to speak with James after following his work on Learning to Learn for a long time and wanting to know his interpretation of the International Baccalaureate’s approach to this. Additionally, his more recent writing on implementation science is incredibly useful in providing pragmatic approaches for new and existing leaders of change. We discuss: What the distinction is between cognition, metacognition, self-regulation and self-regulated learningWhat James makes of the IB's Approaches to Learning framework How his Learning to Learn programme was sequenced Whether Learning to Learn should be tailored to respective subjects or taught through a bespoke class How much of the Making Change Stick programme would be relevant to middle leaders And finally, whilst compiling a fantastic collection of implementation strategies, who are James’ 3 or 4 pillars of the field in terms of researchers or texts that proved seminalThanks again to James for doing the hard yards in condensing a decade’s work of research down into an eminently readable books on two separate occasions. If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhkLinks: James blog post on metacognition and self-regulationJames’ booksRethinking Education PodcastViviane Robinson’s Reduce Change to Increase ImprovementDiffusion of Innovations by Everett RogersThe Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM)