The Renaissance Space Podcast

In this episode, Georgina is joined by Kate Sayer, Education Specialist at the World Book Day charity and former primary teacher, whose career has centred on supporting children’s literacy through schools, arts organisations and family engagement.

Kate explores the charity’s six principles for reading for pleasure and why they matter so much in today’s classrooms. She discusses the role of teacher knowledge, the po...

In this episode, Polly is joined by Beccie Hawes, CEO of Cadmus Inclusive and specialist SEN advisory teacher, to explore one of the most overlooked barriers to learning: working memory. Beccie shares insights from her new book on demystifying executive functioning and explains why assumptions about these skills can leave some learners struggling.

From identifying subtle classroom indicators to implementing simple but powerful &ldqu...

In this episode, our host Margaret Allen is joined by Gary Hillyard, Headteacher at The Carlton Academy - part of the Redhill Academy Trust. Gary has been in education for 22 years and led the secondary reading strategy across the 10 secondary schools in the trust for the last 8 years.

We explore Gary's journey from bookseller to teacher and his deep commitment to developing a trust-wide culture of reading. He emphasises the importa...

In this episode, hosts Margaret Allen and Emma Dibden are joined by Dr Helen Ross - an independent educational research consultant, specialist assessor, and SEND expert. Together they delve into Helen's perspectives on reading, dyslexia, and education.

Helen discusses the challenges of teaching children to love reading, her personal experiences with dyslexia and the pressures of the education system - advocating for authenti...

In this episode, Margaret Allen is joined by bestselling author Jacqui Rose (better known to readers as 'J.P.') who shares her journey as an author - highlighting her Northern roots and adoption, which profoundly influenced her worldview and writing.

They discuss her latest book "Birdie" inspired by her empathy for pit ponies she saw growing up - reflecting themes of loss, grief, and racism. J.P. shares her childhood love fo...

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Our returning guest for this episode is Jeffrey Boakye - an author, broadcaster and educator with a particular interest in issues surrounding race, masculinity, education and popular culture. Together, Jeffrey and Margaret discuss the benefits of reading and why our perspective on it needs to change.

Jeffrey taught English to 11- to 18-year-olds for 15 years and now p...

In this episode, Margaret Allen sits down with Nick Hart, the Principal of Horizon English School in Dubai, to explore his journey from the UK to the UAE and the evolving dynamics of educational leadership.

Nick shares insights into the importance of alignment, improvement, and transition during the start of the school year, emphasising the need for adaptability and relationship-building before pushing for change. He also di...

In this episode, we’re joined by Rob Jennings and Cat Eadle, co-founders of The Dyscalculia Network CIC, for an insightful conversation on supporting learners with Dyscalculia.

Rob has over 15 years of experience in special education, with a focus on helping children overcome challenges with maths. Cat, a specialist teacher and co-author of the 'Succeed with Dyscalculia' workbooks, brings her expertise and passion for ...

Join us on  Weaving a Space and a Place for Children as we sit down with Maxine Low, a visionary educator with 27 years of experience at the forefront of education. Maxine's journey from Nursery Nurse to Headteacher has been guided by two fundamental questions: What is the best way to learn, and consequently, what is the best way to teach?

Throughout her career, Maxine has been a beacon of inspiration within her learnin...

Join us on  Weaving a Space and a Place for Children as we sit down with Maxine Low, a visionary educator with 27 years of experience at the forefront of education. Maxine's journey from Nursery Nurse to Headteacher  has been guided by two fundamental questions: What is the best way to learn, and consequently, what is the best way to teach?

Throughout her career, Maxine has been a beacon of inspiration within her l...

Cathy has spent all her career in primary teaching starting work in central London.  Having taught in several culturally diverse schools, Cathy moved to West Sussex and in 1990 became headteacher at Edward Bryant School in Bognor Regis.  She trained and worked as an Ofsted Inspector and lead Edward Bryant to attain an ‘outstanding’ rating in 2010. Cathy has also worked in other schools in partnership with the ...

Kay Tinsley is an English teacher and the Director of Teaching and Learning at TKAT (The Kemnal Academies Trust). Before joining TKAT she worked in a variety of different contexts, many deprived, to secure school improvement. Kay has over 27 years of experience in teaching and educational leadership and is currently researching for her PhD in Education at Sussex University, focused on the reading and teaching of poetry in schools. ...

Join this conversation with Natalie Fountain, Regional Education Director for the WISE Academies Trust. This Multi-Academy Trust serves schools in the Northeast of England and comprises 13 primary schools, including one SEND primary school. Across the trust, there have been many great examples of rapid school improvement where senior leaders, staff, parents and local communities have worked collaboratively to inspire success and ex...

As James D'Souza steps into his 20th year as an educator, his story takes on a new chapter richly embroidered with data. He holds the role of Lead Practitioner and serves as the Head of Psychology, with a history of leading Sixth Form education. He strongly believes in empowering fellow teachers to kindle and sustain their passion for profoundly impacting their students.

We invite you to join our close-knit community by subscribing ...

Join this conversation with Ben McGarry, Director of English for the OGAT primary academies, as he shares his experiences pitching and developing their trust-wide reading strategy and curriculum. This consistent approach across the academies allows them to pilot impactful and innovative activities which not only support student learning, but also build engagement in reading – and don’t just take their word for it, Ofste...

Jeffrey Boakye is an author, broadcaster and educator with a particular interest in issues surrounding race, masculinity, education and popular culture. Jeffrey taught English to 11- to 18-year-olds for 15 years and now provides training for schools, universities and businesses on race, identity, masculinity and education. He is also Senior Teaching Fellow at the University of Manchester’s Institute for Education.

Jeff...

Margaret Allen speaks to researcher Dr Sarah McGeown discuss the challenges of finding motivation for some children to be enthusiastic about reading and what to expect from readers of every ability. Sarah is at The University of Edinburgh as a Senior Lecturer in Development Psychology, and Deputy Director of Research, Knowledge Exchange and Impact.

Please subscribe to The Renaissance Space podcast on whichever platform you ...

Bec Richardson is an experienced Primary School teacher at Irchester Primary School – part of  Nene Valley Partnership Trust – 3 primary schools and one secondary.  Her many roles include leading Key Stage 2 and reading across the school, and within her Trust leads on writing and presentation.  At County level she is a lead moderator.

Please subscribe to The Renaissance Space podcast on whichever p...