SecEd Podcast

Pete Henshaw

The SecEd Podcast is dedicated to supporting best practice in the secondary school – with practical advice, discussion and tips for teachers, support staff and school leaders across a range of topics.

  1. The SecEd Podcast: The perfect classroom environment

    7 JAN

    The SecEd Podcast: The perfect classroom environment

    This episode discusses how teachers can create the perfect classroom environment for their students, offering a range of practical tips and quick wins. Our expert panel discuss four core aspects – the physical classroom environment, the social environment, the emotional environment, and the learning environment. Physical environment: We ask what we can do to create a positive physical space in the classroom to support learning, including the use of displays, the layout of furniture, and issues like temperature and natural light. Social environment: We look at the tenets of positive social classroom environments, including how senior leadership and teachers can work together to create a "this is how we do it here" culture that is consistent across lessons so that children know what they will encounter when they walk in the door. We touch upon behaviour for learning, addressing low-level disruption, common lesson routines to reduce anxiety and maximise focus, and much more. Emotional environment: This concerns students' emotional response to our classroom environment. What can we do to create a classroom environment that is conducive to challenge but which is unthreatening and a place where pupils become comfortable with hard work, including via the use of rewards and sanctions. Learning environment: This concerns the way that learning is structured and organised in order to ensure every student values their work and strives to achieve, including the adaptations we make for SEND and other disadvantaged students. We discuss how to motivate students and consider a range of teaching techniques.

    1h 12m
  2. The SecEd Podcast: Teaching Shakespeare Effectively: Practical tips and classroom ideas

    03/12/2025

    The SecEd Podcast: Teaching Shakespeare Effectively: Practical tips and classroom ideas

    This episode offers a range of practical ideas, advice and teaching techniques for engaging students in the work of William Shakespeare – both in the English classroom and across the school. Produced in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the episode features a panel of experts and educators who discuss how we can make Shakespeare enjoyable for our students. We talk about Shakespeare's place across the school, in the English and drama classrooms of course, but also in other places such as the assembly hall and extra-curricular work. We offer a range of teaching tips and ways we can make Shakespeare enjoyable and engaging for students, including how we can help them to penetrate the vocabulary of Shakespeare, how Shakespeare can support oracy education, and ideas for how we can introduce Shakespeare effectively in key stage 3. Crucially, we also ask what we should avoid doing when teaching Shakespeare and ask how we can show students the relevance of Shakespeare in today's world. This episode has been produced to mark the launch of RSC's new Shakespeare Curriculum platform, which brings you the next generation of digital resources to support your teaching of Shakespeare. It is free to access for state-maintained schools and SEN schools. More details at the end of the podcast or via: www.shakespearecurriculum.com

    1h 15m
  3. The SecEd Podcast: Preparing for the new Ofsted school inspection framework

    05/11/2025

    The SecEd Podcast: Preparing for the new Ofsted school inspection framework

    This episode dissects the revised Ofsted inspection framework, setting out actions that school leaders can take now to prepare and offering expert insights and tips. Our panel has extensive experience of Ofsted inspection, and they break down the key changes that schools should be focused on and how best we can respond. We highlight key aspects of the revised framework, including the implications of the new evaluation areas and grading points. We interrogate the new "secure fit" model of inspection and Ofsted's new "expected standard". We delve into the inclusion thread that runs throughout the framework and will dominant inspections from now on and we discuss the new focus on school context, asking how school leaders can best communicate this information during inspection. We offer top tips for the Monday phone call, tips for identifying strengths/weaknesses, touch upon the new role of the "nominee" and the case sampling of pupils. Finally, we list actions that schools should be taking now to set themselves in good stead for inspection under the new regime.

    1h 6m
  4. The SecEd Podcast: Do your students belong? Inclusion and participation in school life

    01/10/2025

    The SecEd Podcast: Do your students belong? Inclusion and participation in school life

    This episode focuses on belonging and inclusion in the secondary school – namely how can we ensure that every student can take part in school life. Our panel of experienced school leaders define what "belonging" means in the context of a busy secondary school. We talk school culture: what does a culture of inclusion and belonging involve, how can we develop this in a natural way, and what approaches are in place at our guests' schools – especially when it comes to welcoming new students in year 7. We talk about the role of school staff in fostering belonging and inclusive practice, including in the classroom, and some of the key strategies we can employ. We talk behaviour and what kind of approaches to behaviour management and expectations can support a culture of belonging – including understanding where our families are coming from. We also touch on inclusive curriculum design and delivery, including how to audit our curriculum for inclusivity and what curriculum "accessibility" actually means. And finally talk attendance and family engagement. How we can reduce student absence via a culture of belonging and how can we engage with families to extend this feeling of belonging into our communities.

    1h 21m
  5. The SecEd Podcast: The secrets to adaptive teaching

    03/09/2025

    The SecEd Podcast: The secrets to adaptive teaching

    In this episode we break-down the secrets to effective adaptive teaching approaches in the secondary classroom. Our experts define what exactly adaptive teaching is and offer insights to help teachers to know when we should adapt our teaching, how we can adapt teaching, and who we should be adapting it for. We discuss the importance of using adaptive teaching to maintain high expectations in the classroom and in order to ensure that our ambitious curriculum is accessible for all students regardless of background or need. We consider what adaptations we can plan in advance of our lessons, with some practical examples, as well as some of the types of live adaptations that we might make use of responsively in the moment. We also consider how teaching assistants might best support some of these approaches. We consider the use of scaffolds, including what these might consist of and how these can be withdrawn once they have served their purpose. Finally we talk CPD and offer some specific tips for new and early career teachers to help them hit the ground running with adaptive approaches.

    1h 5m
  6. The SecEd Podcast: Speech, language & communication needs in the secondary school

    02/07/2025

    The SecEd Podcast: Speech, language & communication needs in the secondary school

    This episode offers a range of ideas and advice for identifying and supporting students with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in the secondary school. SLCN are the most common need for the more than 1.2 million students who are on SEN Support in England's schools – and the evidence tells us that there will be many more who are going undiagnosed. This discussion features four experts who look at identifying SLCN, screening students, and the problems of underdiagnosis and "masking" that prevent students from getting the support they need. We discuss what the signs of undiagnosed SLCN are in the classroom and the overlaps between these needs and other challenges such as SEMH, poor behaviour, and school absence. We hear about the approaches being taken in two secondary schools and discuss a range of ideas for practical interventions to help support students with SLCN in and out of the classroom. We also touch upon how we can support teaching staff in this work, including with CPD. This episode has been produced with support from our friends at Speech and Language Link.

    1h 1m
  7. The SecEd Podcast: Autism in the secondary school classroom

    04/06/2025

    The SecEd Podcast: Autism in the secondary school classroom

    This episode considers how teaching staff can effectively support autistic students in the classroom and across the mainstream secondary school. Our expert panel offers a range of practical insights and advice to help teachers and support staff, including teaching tips and pastoral care. We begin our discussion by busting some of the common misconceptions and myths about autism and autistic students before dissecting what makes for an autism-friendly school and classroom environment and strong inclusive practice. We discuss what schools can do to support and foster friendships and social connections for our autistic students – and how can staff build strong relationships with these young people? We touch upon Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) but also why we cannot rely on the paperwork and must engage with the young person if we are to meet their needs – taking a strength-based approach. How can teachers adapt their lessons to include their autistic students without overwhelming them – and what part does technology (including AI) play in making learning accessible for young people? We also ask what needs to change in the school environment to support proper inclusion autistic young people – including asking each of our experts for the one big change they would make in schools… Finally, we discuss the common teaching methods that make things harder for autistic students. How can teachers combine routine with the flexibility that these students need.

    56 min
  8. The SecEd Podcast: A brilliant secondary school library

    07/05/2025

    The SecEd Podcast: A brilliant secondary school library

    In this episode, we consider what makes for excellent library provision in the secondary school, including ideas for supporting literacy and curriculum delivery. We speak with four experienced and expert school library professionals to glean their advice, ideas and tips for excellent library provision. We discuss the most important elements in effective library provision and why schools should consider employing a qualified librarian as part of their provision. We consider how school librarians can work effectively with teaching staff to support whole-school teaching and learning and ideas for how librarians can engage with colleagues across the school. Of course, we focus on literacy and reading and the role libraries and school librarians have to play, including ideas for library-based initiatives, managing library stock, engaging struggling readers, and boosting reading for pleasure. And it's not just about books, we also consider the hidden roles of a school librarian, including the pastoral side. And we finish with our ideas corner when we ask each of our guests to offer their ideas for library provision that schools can adapt and adopt.

    1h 15m
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About

The SecEd Podcast is dedicated to supporting best practice in the secondary school – with practical advice, discussion and tips for teachers, support staff and school leaders across a range of topics.

Information

  • Creator
    Pete Henshaw
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright MA Education Ltd 2020
  • Show Website
    SecEd Podcast