Education Matters

Teaching Matters | Heat, Awards & Bad Language

Paul Hazzard and John Gibbs co-host Teaching Matters. The first story explores Richard Adams and Fiona Harvey's report in The Guardian that our school estate, much of it built well past its intended lifespan, simply isn't ready for the extremes we're now living through. Paul and John talk through the astonishing case of Matford Brook Academy in Exeter, a brand new school demolished before a single pupil ever sat in it, and ask why so much school architecture chases cheapness and modernist minimalism over comfort, craftsmanship and durability. John argues that huts, damp classrooms and stifling summer heat have been a feature of school life for decades, and that the real question isn't why this heatwave caught us out, but why we've never properly fixed our buildings. There's a sharp aside on the Japanese concept of 'attendancism', the idea that simply turning up is treated as a virtue in itself. For story two, they turn to the TES Schools Awards 2026, reported by Cerys Turner, and ask whether education needs its own version of the Oscars. Both Paul and John are self-confessed sceptics of awards culture, not because recognition doesn't matter, but because, as John puts it, teaching is "surprisingly more teamwork than it is anything else." They explore the cult of the super head, the quiet, unglamorous graft of teachers who never get near a stage or a statuette, and whether celebrating individual brilliance risks obscuring the collective effort that actually makes schools work. John makes the memorable point that a teacher can only be as good as the school that lets them be that teacher, and that timetabling, workload and support matter far more than any individual gift for the job. It's a properly provocative discussion, and Paul admits from the outset it might get him into a bit of trouble, asserting that "teaching isn't a sport". The third story takes them into Westminster, where Alexandra Topping's Guardian report on a fractious PMQs, featuring Kemi Badenock's fiery exchange with Keir Starmer and a swipe at Bridget Phillipson, prompts a wider conversation about political rhetoric, performative anger and what all of it models for young people watching, however indirectly, from the classroom. John makes the case that rage has become shorthand for authenticity in modern discourse, and that the more baffled people feel by the world, the angrier they tend to sound. They discuss whether chamber language is genuinely protected, why the Speaker intervened over Badenock's choice of words, and what Farage and Trump's brand of populist grievance owes to the same performative instincts. It's sharp, funny and unafraid to name what's really going on. As always, the episode closes with the bananas, Paul and John's weekly offering of something genuinely worth thinking about. Paul's is the Pygmalion Effect, drawn from Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson's 1965 Oak School Experiment, the study that showed how the words we use to describe a child's potential can directly shape what that child becomes. John's is a lovely, meandering reflection on tidying bookshelves, and what the books we keep, the ones we'll never read again and the ones we can't quite let go of, reveal about who we are. Teaching Matters continues to do what it does best, taking the week's education stories seriously without ever taking itself too seriously. Expect genuine warmth, proper disagreement where it counts and the kind of conversation that will have you nodding along on the school run. If you care about teacher education, school leadership, educational policy or simply want smart, human conversation about the state of our schools, this episode delivers. Follow Teaching Matters wherever you get your podcasts, and join Paul, John and guests next week for more stories shaping classroom practice, pedagogy and professional life across the world.

Teaching Matters | Boys Are Different, Good Leader – Good Parent & Smacking Shock

John and Paul examine three stories that shed light on crucial matters in education. John and Paul trace Gareth Southgate's claim that boys need to be taught differently from girls back through generations of changing attitudes, from segregated school entrances to suppressed aspirations for girls, before asking the harder question. Are differences between boys and girls down to nature, nurture or something more performed than either? John brings in the case of Clever Hans, the horse who appeared to do arithmetic but was really just reading tiny human cues, as a way into how early children learn to seek parental approval. John reminds us of psychologist Timothy Wilson's 2014 study in which he investigated human aversion to boredom and solitude.  The experiment found that when left alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes, 67% of men and 25% of women chose to administer themselves a mild electric shock rather than simply sit in silence. They also discuss an experiment in which most men, but far fewer women, chose to give themselves a mild electric shock rather than sit with their own boredom. But where do boys find expressions of masculinity now that manual labour and competitive sport offer fewer outlets than before? John and Paul connect this to recent unrest on the streets of Northern Ireland, with Paul describing the violence as "a twisted, warped and dangerous expression" of a masculinity young men have no safe way to channel. They consider how figures like Andrew Tate fill that vacuum for some, while Southgate models a quieter, more reassuring kind of leadership instead. They argue schools should do more to help pupils manage frustration and setback, pointing to Southgate's own missed penalty as a case study in resilience. The second story examines a TES piece by Sam Gibbs, Trust Curriculum and Development Lead at Greater Manchester Education Trust, who argues that leadership and parenting need not be incompatible. Paul and John discuss whether flexible working can suit teaching given fixed timetables, and debate whether someone who has never been a head teacher can credibly support one. John draws a parallel with football management, noting that "some of the best football managers weren't the best football players", while Paul invokes an old line about not needing to be a horse to judge a pony show. They return to Sam's point about small workplace indignities too, the broken photocopier and the grim staffroom kettle, and what these say about whether teachers are treated as professionals. The final story looks at the continuing legality of smacking children in England and Northern Ireland, despite it already being banned in Scotland and Wales. A UCL study links the practice to lower GCSE grades and riskier teenage behaviour. John is unequivocal that legislation is needed, recalling his own experience of corporal punishment at school and arguing that children are not their parents' property. Paul and John discuss what happens when children from households where smacking is normal meet the calmer expectations of school, and whether schemes like Sure Start should be revived for struggling parents. The episode closes with two bananas. Paul shares Carol Dweck's research on praise, showing how praising effort rather than talent shapes whether children grow up willing to take on challenges. John brings a story from the Dutch tradition of avondvierdaagse, an evening neighbourhood walk credited with giving Dutch children some of the happiest childhoods in Europe. A super show that brings insight to many aspects of education and a 'must listen' for everyone who is involved and interested in education.

Education Matters | Andrew Young

What does it really mean to teach adaptively? Not as a buzzword, not as a policy tick-box, but as a living, breathing practice that changes outcomes for real children in real classrooms? That's the question at the heart of our conversation with Andrew Young. Paul is joined by Andrew Young, social sciences teacher, co-director of a Teaching School Hub in York, and author of Adaptive Teaching: Culture to the Classroom, published by Crown House Publishing. With 14 years in the classroom and experience spanning pastoral leadership, curriculum design and large-scale teacher professional development, Andrew brings a grounded, practitioner-led perspective that cuts through a lot of the noise currently surrounding adaptive teaching. They begin with the fundamentals. What is adaptive teaching, and why does Andrew bristle at the phrase "it's just good teaching"? His answer is characteristically direct: "What we know teachers need is what children need. Really concrete language to operationalise and spell out sequences and ideas of what practice should be delivered and when." Vague platitudes, he argues, leave too many children behind. The conversation moves into the neuroscience and child development that underpins effective adaptive practice, cognitive load, executive function and working memory. Andrew explains why these three factors are the connective tissue running beneath the full diversity of SEND conditions, and why understanding them transforms the way teachers approach planning, explanation and assessment. He also tackles the thorny question of diagnostic labels, weighing their genuine usefulness against the risk of what he calls the nocebo effect, where a diagnosis can, through entirely real psychosomatic processes, constrain a child's self-concept and limit their sense of possibility. Modelling gets its own focused treatment. Andrew is candid about how rarely he sees it done well, particularly for newer teachers still building subject knowledge and pedagogical confidence. The I Do, We Do, You Do framework is a sound structure, he says, but dangerously misapplied when schools insist on it in every lesson regardless of where pupils are in their learning journey. Paul and Andrew explore the reactive and proactive dimensions of adaptive teaching, the practical differences between responding to Josie struggling at the back of the room right now and designing a curriculum sequence that anticipated her difficulties weeks in advance. That upstream-versus-downstream distinction is one of the book's sharpest ideas and it is explored clearly here. They examine the role of teaching assistants, professional development, lesson observation and the pressure of a curriculum that Andrew acknowledges can favour what he calls "the cognitive elite." He's not interested in lowering standards. He's interested in building systems that allow more children to meet them. One of the most thought-provoking moments comes near the end, when Andrew's single practical takeaway isn't a strategy or a resource. It's a call to examine the language used around SEND and disadvantage every day in schools, in staffrooms, in planning meetings. "What we say about people comes from how we're feeling, and what we're saying and feeling is impacting how we're behaving." This episode will resonate with classroom teachers, heads of department, SENCOs, school leaders, teacher educators and anyone working in initial teacher training or early career teacher support. It's a conversation that takes inclusion and adaptive pedagogy seriously without resorting to jargon or empty optimism. Adaptive Teaching: Culture to the Classroom by Andrew Young is published by Crown House Publishing and is available now. Mention is made of The Age of Diagnosis: Are Medical Labels Doing Us More Harm Than Good? by Suzanne O'Sullivan

The Hannah & Lucy Show | Avoiding Criminality

What happens when the systems meant to protect children aren't talking to each other, the consequences aren't landing, and teachers are left holding responsibilities that stretch far beyond the classroom? Hannah Wilson and Lucy Neuburger don't pull their punches on this one. The trigger for this episode is a Home Office report revealing that police wrote off thousands of crimes last year, including rapes, violent assaults and drug offences, because the culprits were under 10. Primary age. That figure lands alongside government proposals to raise the age of criminal responsibility in England from 10 to 12, a threshold that has sat unchanged since the 1960s and is now under serious scrutiny. Hannah and Lucy dig into what that actually means in schools. Not in policy terms, but in classrooms, corridors and staffrooms where teachers are already navigating rising violence, gang dynamics, the Manosphere and a cohort of young people consuming content online that normalises behaviour that the law is only just beginning to catch up with. The conversation is frank and wide-ranging. They talk about the recent high-profile rape cases involving teenage boys, the absence of custodial sentences and what that signals to other young people watching. "Kids aren't stupid," Lucy says. "They're going to see they got away with it." Hannah's response is direct: the inconsistency of consequence in the justice system mirrors what she sees in schools, where exclusion and isolation become a revolving door rather than a turning point. They raise serious questions about safeguarding, multi-agency working and the recurring failure of schools, police and social services to communicate effectively. Hannah reflects on teaching students caught up in county lines without ever being told, and on the toll carried by safeguarding leads who hold the full picture in near-total isolation from classroom teachers. "We're not trusted to do our jobs properly," she says, "and it really upsets me." There's a push, too, for something more preventative. Both Hannah and Lucy argue that curriculum time devoted to consent, digital citizenship, online safety law and the real-world consequences of criminal records is not a nice-to-have. It is urgent, it needs to start younger than it currently does, and a twenty-minute slot once a half term isn't close to sufficient. The noise outside school is louder than the voice inside it, and the gap is widening. They also make a case for universal pastoral support, not just for students already in crisis, but for the quiet ones, the ones making jokes to fill the silence, the ones nobody is listening to at home. A proper, qualified presence in every school. Not a tick-box exercise. The episode ends on a note that is, characteristically, equal parts exasperation and hope. A clip of a young person delivering an impromptu, clear-eyed speech about immigration and belonging gets a moment it deserves. As Hannah puts it: "Whoever taught you should be so proud." 🚩 This is The Hannah and Lucy Show doing what it does best, taking the news that everyone else is reporting and asking what it actually looks like from inside a school.

Teaching Matters | NEETs, Sport & Design

This week on Teaching Matters we explore why young people are leaving school with strong exam results but without the practical life skills they need for adulthood. The panel tackles a damning government review by former minister Alan Milburn. The report suggests that institutions built to support young people are no longer fit for purpose, leaving too many school leavers as NEETs (not in employment, education, or training). Together John, Shane and Paul unpack what this means for teachers, student teachers, and school leaders globally. The panel explores whether schools focus too heavily on high-stakes testing and university entry at the expense of genuine career readiness and modern survival skills.Is this crisis unique to the UK, or is it a growing international trend? Shane shares insights on the global nature of youth unemployment, noting that even in China, the challenges feel remarkably similar. Crucially, the team defends frontline educators, arguing against traditional teacher bashing. Teachers often know their students deeply on a local level, yet they are forced to work against systemic, policy-driven obstacles. John highlights how the system has historically ignored a vital thirty per cent of pupils, leaving a huge chunk of young people with a negative experience of formal education. Beyond the curriculum crisis, the panel discusses the future of learning environments and school funding. They debate how a hypothetical one billion pounds should be spent on school sport and physical education. They also question the physical infrastructure of modern schools, asking if classrooms resemble military-style, fluorescent-lit echo chambers rather than inspiring learning spaces for twenty-first-century students. Whether you are a classroom teacher, a teacher educator, a university lecturer or an education student, this episode offers a deep, ethical analysis of modern educational policy, personal narratives, and systemic reform. Episode Chapters 00:00 – Paul opens the studio session with Shane and John, introducing an international perspective on the week's biggest talking points and outlining the three major stories on the agenda. 02:58 – The Alan Milburn Report and the Exam Crisis A deep dive into the government review showing that schools are failing to prepare children for adulthood by overemphasising academic testing. 11:45 – The Global Picture of Youth Unemployment Shane explains how the rise of NEETs is not just a British issue, looking at how the youth employment landscape is shifting internationally. 19:20 – Systemic Failures vs frontline Teachers The panel addresses the danger of teacher bashing, examining how policy challenges restrict educators who genuinely care about student outcomes. 26:10 – The Forgotten Thirty Per Cent of School Leavers John explores why a massive proportion of students leave the school system having had a poor experience, and how to fix this structural issue. 32:40 – How to Spend One Billion Pounds on School Sport An analysis of funding priorities for physical education and the logistical headaches of managing massive resource allocation. 41:15 – Designing the Twenty-First-Century Classroom Moving away from military-style, fluorescent-lit rooms towards modern learning spaces that support collaboration and student wellbeing. 51:30 – Weekly Bananas and Final Insights The team wrap up the show with their signature reflections and a look at the week ahead in global education. Memorable Moments "Young people are more unemployed than ever, everywhere, including here in China... we've got to be very careful when we talk about the system." — Shane "There's a proportion of students who leave school having had a bad experience in school, not having enjoyed education." — John This podcast is brought to you by Education Matters, the premier digital platform bringing outstanding people, innovative practice and big educational ideas to a global audience.