On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined once again by Mary Myatt, education writer, speaker and author of The Ambitious Years, for a compelling conversation about reclaiming Key Stage 3 as a vital phase of education in its own right. Mary makes the case that Years 7–9 should not be treated merely as preparation for GCSEs, but as a rich, intellectually ambitious period where every pupil deserves access to challenging curriculum content, powerful vocabulary, high-quality texts and resources that spark curiosity. The discussion explores the importance of stronger primary-secondary curriculum understanding and why leadership decisions around time, staffing, and curriculum priorities matter so much. Drawing on the 'Faster Read' research, Mary also explains why reading aloud, beautiful texts, rich narratives and “above pay grade” material can have a transformative impact, especially for pupils with lower starting points. Along the way, they revisit Mary’s signature idea of 'high challenge, low threat', showing how teachers can name difficulty, reduce fear, and create classrooms where pupils are invited into demanding work with confidence. Mary Myatt is an education adviser, writer and speaker. She curates Myatt & Co where she works with colleagues to develop work on curriculum and wider school improvement. She trained as an RE teacher and is a former local authority adviser and inspector. She has worked in small schools, for large trusts, national and international organisations. Mary has written extensively about leadership, school improvement and the curriculum: ‘High Challenge, Low Threat’, ‘Hopeful Schools’ and ‘The Curriculum: Gallimaufry to Coherence’ , ‘Back on Track’. Her most recent book, 'Key Stage 3: The Ambitious Years' is out soon. Her education philosophy is underpinned by several principles: that all children deserve rich demanding work, that high quality talk underpins learning, that human beings are curious and that they find deep work very satisfying. Find out more at https://www.marymyatt.com/ Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specialising in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on X @teacherhead Emma Turner FCCT is a school improvement advisor, education consultant, trainer and author. She has almost three decades of primary teaching, headship and leadership experience across the sector, working and leading in both MATs and LAs. She works nationally and internationally on school improvement including at single school level and at scale. She has a particular interest in research informed practice in the primary phase, early career development, and CPD design. Follow Emma on X @emma_turner75 This podcast is sponsored by Teaching WalkThrus and produced in association with Haringey Education Partnership. Find out more at https://walkthrus.co.uk/ and https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/
