MET Pod

Join Chloe Bateman and Isobel Pravda, current Assistant Head at Reading Girls School and former Head of Drama at Maiden Erlegh School, for this month's episode! Isobel provides a comprehensive and engaging insight into the practice of instructional coaching and how this can be used to support professional learning and development at all levels of an organisation. Isobel's passion for instructional coaching shines through in this detailed discussion of the benefits of this development method for both coaches and those being coached.

Be a guest on MET Pod this year! Email metpod@maidenerleghschools.co.uk with a brief outline of your area of interest, research, or expertise - we can't wait to hear from you...

This month we are discussing how to get the most out of action research with Steph Hyde, Assistant Head of KS3 and Teacher of Drama & English Literature at Kendrick School in Reading. Steph not only shares the findings of her recent action research project investigating students' social media usage and how schools should respond to this, but an array of advice and guidance for those interested in undertaking action research. This is a must listen for anyone looking to develop their understanding of the planning, implementation, and reflection cycle and the benefits this can bring to your school, students, and career! 

Be a guest on MET Pod this year! Email metpod@maidenerleghschools.co.uk with a brief outline of your area of interest, research, or expertise - we can't wait to hear from you...

MET Pod is back! In our first episode of the 2022-23 season, we chat with Caroline Brayle, Head of French at Maiden Erlegh School, about supporting the 'quiet student' to succeed and thrive in our settings. 

In education, our careers, and our personal lives we are often encouraged to 'speak up!' and share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with peers. Communication is key! But what happens when the very act of speaking up is one which fills us with dread? This question is expertly explored in this in-depth discussion of how we can create the conditions which encourage students who struggle with public speaking to develop their confidence and oracy skills so that they are able to share their unique perspective with those around them. This research and experience-informed episode is not to be missed! 

Be a guest on MET Pod this year! Email metpod@maidenerleghschools.co.uk with a brief outline of your area of interest, research, or expertise - we can't wait to hear from you...

This month we bring you a very special episode of MET Pod as we discuss the joys of leadership with our CEO, Mary Davies. Mary reflects on her fascinating and varied journey into leadership at the highest level and shares advice and guidance which will resonate not only with current leaders, but those who aspire to be leaders in the future. This episode is a truly inspiring look at what makes educational leadership such a rewarding career and a real must listen for all staff. 

In this month's episode of MET Pod, Sara Elliss, Director of Standards and Continuous Improvement across the Trust, is joined by Jo Ricketts, Trust Compliance and Procurement Manager and former Business Manager at Hamilton School. Jo shares the extraordinary journey that was the designing, managing, and realising of a brand new school site and building for Hamilton School, our SEMH Special School. This episode details the challenging process of developing a design and plan to incorporate the needs and wishes of all key stakeholders and seamlessly transitioning an operational school to a new site during the academic year. 

This month we joined by Head of Religion and Philosophy at Maiden Erlegh School, Sian Jones! In this invaluable and inspirational episode, Sian draws on her wealth of experience as Head of a department which has historically included multiple teachers with subject specialisms outside of Religion and Philosophy to share her top tips and strategies for effective leadership and management. Sian's unequivocal commitment to ensuring the best outcomes for Religion and Philosophy students and empowering her staff shine through in this practical guide perfect for any aspiring or new to role Heads of Department. 

In this week's episode of MET Pod, Sara Elliss, Director of Standards and Continuous Improvement across the Trust, is joined by Luke Baker, Special Educational Needs and Vulnerable Groups Manager at Cranbury College, to discuss how we can create the conditions for our most vulnerable students to thrive in the school environment. Luke draws on his wealth of experience to share how staff at Cranbury support vulnerable students with EHCPs to build their trust in the school system and realise and achieve their potential. This unique episode of MET Pod is not to be missed! 

In this week's episode of MET Pod, Leah Shepherd, History Teacher at Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge, reflects on life as a new teacher and offers a range of invaluable tips and tricks to help you thrive - not just survive - in your first years in the profession! Join us to hear Leah's advice on everything from managing behaviour to achieving a healthy work-life balance...

In this episode our CEO, Mary Davies, is joined by Nicky Watson, Assistant Headteacher at Great Hollands Primary School, to discuss the range of strategies she has used to transform students' writing! Nicky not only shares the comprehensive whole-school writing approach that Great Hollands have worked to develop, but also reflects eloquently on the process of initiating, managing, and sustaining long-term change within an organisation. 

If you would like to follow up any of the references mentioned by Nicky, do check out the links below...

Pie Corbett writing techniques: https://www.teachwire.net/news/pie-corbett-encourage-good-literacy-habits-with-these-shared-writing-techni

Kotter's 8 Step Process for Leading Change: https://www.kotterinc.com/8-steps-process-for-leading-change/ 

In this week's episode of MET Pod, we are joined by Laura Hawkins, Class Teacher at Great Hollands Primary School, to explore Barry Carpenter's concept of the 'Recovery Curriculum'. We discuss a range of strategies for ensuring that our students continue to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally now that they are back in school, and consider how we can embed aspects of the 'Recovery Curriculum' in our long-term and whole-school planning. 

Take a look at the following links to find out more about Carpenter and the 'Recovery Curriculum':

https://www.evidenceforlearning.net/recoverycurriculum/

https://barrycarpentereducation.com/2020/04/23/the-recovery-curriculum/

In this week's episode of MET Pod, Katy Hardman, Head of Science at Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge, shares the wide range of strategies she has used to engage students in Science from the moment they step into the classroom in Year 7! Join us to hear Katy's invaluable reflections on how sequencing, practicals, and embracing the academic rigour of a subject can help students to embrace the intricacies of the curriculum.

Join us for a MET Pod roundtable discussion on effective recall and retrieval in the Modern Foreign Languages classroom! This week we are joined by Ana Bruna, MFL Teacher at Maiden Erlegh School, and Gianluca Raso, Curriculum Leader for Spanish at Maiden Erlegh School and for pedagogy in MFL across the Trust. Ana and Gianluca share a fantastic range of strategies for embedding recall and retrieval within lessons, consider the extent to which successful recall and retrieval are products of curriculum sequencing, and offer top tips for teachers looking to develop their practice in this area. With such wide-ranging and innovative recommendations, this is a must listen for all staff, not only our MFL colleagues!

Take a look at these resources if you are interested in following up the references made by Ana and Gianluca:

Chiles, M., The CRAFT of Assessment: A whole school approach to assessment for learning (2020) 

Gianfranco Conit's blog: https://gianfrancoconti.com/

Jones, K., Retrieval Practice: research and resources for every classroom (2019)

Steve Smith's blog: https://frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/

Join us as we explore the fascinating topic of student motivation with Ally Aldridge Gibbons, Teacher of Maths at Maiden Erlegh School in Reading! Ally gives us the low-down on the latest research into the factors which shape students' attitude to learning, the research-informed strategies we can trial in our own classrooms to enhance motivation, and how we can use remote learning to experiment with methods of increasing student motivation.

Take a look at these resources if you are interested in following up the references made by Ally: 

Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2007)

Hudley, Cynthia et al., Academic Motivation and the Culture of School in Childhood and Adolescence (2008) 

Scherer, R. & Nilsen, T., The Relations Among School Climate, Instructional Quality, and Achievement Motivation in Mathematics (2016)