Bedrock Talks from Bedrock Learning
Welcome to Bedrock Talks, a podcast from the team at Bedrock Learning that delves deep into the heart of literacy in education. Hosted by the insightful and experienced educator Andy Sammons, this podcast stands as a beacon for anyone passionate about enhancing literacy skills and understanding its pivotal role in education.
Each episode is a journey into the world of literacy education. Andy brings together a diverse array of voices from across the education sector, from seasoned teachers to renowned academics, policy makers to literacy advocates. All of our guests share a common goal: to explore and expand the horizons of literacy education.
We go beyond surface-level conversations. Our discussions are in-depth, nuanced, and filled with insights that only years of experience and expertise can bring. We tackle a wide range of topics, from innovative teaching methods to the latest research in literacy, the impact of technology on reading and writing, to strategies for engaging diverse learners. Our aim is to provide a platform where the complexities of literacy are unpacked and understood in a way that is both accessible and enlightening.
Join Andy and his guests as they illuminate the multifaceted world of literacy. Subscribe to Bedrock Talks and be part of a community that believes in the transformative power of literacy. Together, let's shape a more literate, informed, and connected world.
Episodes
42 episodes
41. Removing barriers, changing lives with Krystian Liptrot (CEO of Life Changing Education)
The education system is at breaking point. With unprecedented exclusion rates and 44,000 teachers leaving the profession last year alone, something has to change. Enter Krystian Liptrot, CEO of Life Changing Education (LCE), who's pioneering an...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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42:56
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40. The complexities of reading... and what teachers can do to address them with Dr Megan Dixon
What happens when students can decode words perfectly but can't comprehend what they're reading? Dr. Megan Dixon, a literacy expert who bridges the worlds of classroom teaching and cognitive research, unpacks this growing challenge facing schoo...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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38:27
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39. Disciplinary Literacy in Primary Settings with Shareen Wilkinson
Could disciplinary literacy be the missing piece in primary education? Prepare to have your assumptions challenged as education advisor Shareen Wilkinson reveals how young learners can benefit from thinking, reading, and writing like subject sp...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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35:41
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38. How can secondary schools crack the reading nut? with Dr Laura Shapiro
What if our understanding of reading development has been missing crucial elements? Dr Laura Shapiro, developmental psychologist and senior lecturer at Aston University in the UK, challenges conventional wisdom about literacy instruction and re...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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39:18
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37. Building a vocabulary-led curriculum with Lauren Bishop and Natalie Miles
When literacy becomes everyone's responsibility, something remarkable happens to a school's culture. In this captivating conversation, we speak to Lauren Bishop (Literacy Coordinator and English Teacher) and Natalie Miles (Assistant Head) from ...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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38:44
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36. What does literacy utopia look like, and how can we get there? with Jennie Shearer
What if every secondary school teacher knew how to teach a child to read? What if we stopped treating literacy as simply spelling and grammar exercises and instead recognised it as the foundation of all learning? In this thought-provoking conve...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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35:05
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35. Breaking literacy barriers with Kaley Macis-Riley and Laura May Rowlands
Host Andy Sammons welcomes two extraordinary educators who are transforming how schools approach literacy: Kaley Macis-Riley, Senior Lead for Quality of Education, and Laura May Rowlands, Head of English. Both working in schools with high level...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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39:42
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34. The Role of EdTech within Literacy with Jenny Webb
What happens when we treat reading as a checkbox rather than an ongoing developmental journey? Jenny Webb, Director of English and Literacy at Carlton Academy Trust, pulls back the curtain on the challenging reality of literacy in UK schools to...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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37:01
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33. Getting implementation right: Upstream, downstream and root causes with Mark Miller
How do schools successfully implement change that actually sticks? Mark Miller, Director of Bradford Research School, joins us to break down the recent updates to the Education Endowment Foundation's implementation guidance - revealing why the ...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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33:50
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32. Reading is learning: Breaking down the artificial barrier with Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler joins Andy Sammons to tackle one of education's most persistent challenges: the artificial barrier between reading and learning. This eye-opening conversation dives deep into why traditional approaches to reading comprehension do...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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35:38
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31. Revolutionising Education: Aaron Leary's Journey from Teacher to Innovator
Aaron Leary's journey - from a student grappling with language to co-founding Bedrock Learning - illustrates the transformative power of literacy in education. This episode explores personal experiences, teaching philosophies, and future aspira...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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45:43
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30. Interdisciplinary approaches to modern education with Carl Gombrich
Carl Gombrich is the Lead Academic at London Interdisciplinary School and oversees curriculum design, teaching, and learning. He was previously a Professorial Teaching Fellow of Interdisciplinary Education at UCL and is a Principal Fellow of th...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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42:54
29. The future of English with Elizabeth Draper
Ever wondered how English education is evolving to meet the demands of our rapidly changing world? Join us for a fascinating conversation with Elizabeth Draper, a trailblazer in the realm of English education, as we uncover the profound shifts ...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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35:36
28. Teaching early years speech and language with Steph Hammond
Bedrock's Andy and Morgan are joined by Stephanie Hammond, who's a Teaching and Learning Consultant offering bespoke training, auditing and support in pre-phonics skills, early reading, phonics and spelling.As a Primary Teacher with over...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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38:10
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27. Implementing a disciplinary literacy strategy with Sophie Prescott
With 20 years of teaching experience, Sophie Prescott has held various leadership roles across schools in the Midlands. From a background as a science teacher, her current responsibilities now include overseeing Reading and Literacy, supporting...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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23:40
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26. Impactful trust-wide digital transformation with Richard Anderton
Prepare to transform your approach to education technology with insights from Richard Anderton, the Digital Transformation Lead at the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP). Richard joins us to unpack his extensive role, focusing on how ATLP...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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30:59
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25. Death by PowerPoint: Improving CPD at Trust Level with Mike Gardner
How can you transform your teaching practices to be more engaging and effective? In this episode, we sit down with Mike Gardner, the Teaching and Learning Lead for Maritime Academy Trust, to explore his successful strategies for enhancing educa...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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34:40
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24. Innovation in Further Education with Holly Barnes-Lomax
Discover the hidden gems of Further Education (FE) as Holly Barnes-Lomax joins Bedrock Talks. Holly is the Teaching, Learning and Quality Lead at an FE college in Chesterfield.She takes us behind the scenes to explore the varie...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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34:28
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23. Need for (more than) speed: fluency and oracy with Sarah Davies
Sarah Davies is the author of Talking about Oracy which focuses on the development of effective communication beyond the parameters of the classroom. She is currently an Assistant Head Teacher at a secondary academy in the north-we...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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36:39
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22. Going from teacher to school leader with Dani Walley
After so many comments, thoughts and requests from the first episode, Dani Walley returns to Bedrock Talks to discuss leadership and teacher development.Dani is an Assistant Principal leading on teaching, learning and curriculum in a la...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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36:50
21. Implementing a disciplinary literacy solution in secondary school with Katie Chanter
Katie Chanter is a literacy leader for a large secondary comprehensive school, and has extensive experience of teaching English- including language development in early years. She has successfully implemented Bedrock, both tier 2 and 3 vocabula...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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34:34
20. Literacy in the library: innovative reading strategies with Val Dewhurst
Discover how to ignite a passion for reading and learning in your students with insights from Val Dewhurst, the dynamic Head of Library and joint Bedrock Learning lead at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (Quags). In our latest episode, Va...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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22:26
19. Waltz with the machines: Navigating ChatGPT as a teacher
Ever wondered how AI can revolutionise education? Get ready to meet Patrick Hickey, the AI Teaching Guru, who turned traditional teaching on its head by embracing cutting-edge technology. This episode features Patrick’s remarkable journ...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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34:22
18: Navigating dyslexia: A parent's guide - with Sally Collard
What if understanding dyslexia could transform your child's reading experience? Join us as we sit down with dyslexia specialist Sally Raymond, who shares her heartfelt journey into the field, driven by her daughter's struggles with reading. Dis...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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37:00
17. Persistent and Consistent with Dani Walley: Aligning behaviour and pedagogy
Ever wondered what it takes to transform behaviour culture in schools, especially in a post-pandemic world? In our latest podcast, we sit down with Dani Walley to discuss how the pandemic and social media have reshaped student behaviour, leadin...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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32:18
