The English Teacher Feature

Sam Denno
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Join Sam Denno (National Education Lead for Secondary English at Twinkl) and other English specialists as they hold forth on educational updates and offer professional development tips for educators working in the world of primary and secondary English. Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

Episodes

  1. Is classroom talk an education silver bullet? (With Alan Howe)

    Jun 16

    Is classroom talk an education silver bullet? (With Alan Howe)

    Twinkl have teamed up with publisher Bloomsbury Education to secure the special guest on this episode of The English Teacher Feature. Podcast host and National Education Lead for Secondary English, Sam Denno, talks to author and educator Alan Howe about the use of oracy in the classroom. Alan's new book 100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers: Oracy, co-written with Topsy Page, is available to purchase on the Bloomsbury website - https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/100-ideas-for-secondary-teachers-oracy-9781801997331/. In their conversation, Sam and Alan talk about the value of oracy, the role it can play in education, why it is important beyond the classroom, when students should talk and when they should write and what practice looks like when oracy is used well. Alan ends by describing one of his favourite strategies from the book. Twinkl's Beyond Secondary range features a wide selection of resources for conducting oracy activities in the classroom.  Coordinate classroom dialogue using Beyond Debate Topic Packs which promote conversation via current issues: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/r/121pdl Or have a browse through the Beyond English oracy units of work to find an engaging theme for to drive student talk: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/r/pmctp  Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot Contents: 00:00 - Is oracy a silver bullet for teachers? 02:25 - The background of the authors 03:17 - The educational and political context of oracy 04:11 - The benefits of oracy 05:36 - Is oracy effective because speech is learnt intrinsically? 09:58 - Do classroom talk activities inevitably have to end with a written response? 12:39 - What do good and bad oracy practices look like? 14:12 - A favourite strategy from the book 19:05 - Do secondary classroom oracy strategies differ from primary strategies? 20:28 - How do we pass the oracy baton at the KS2/KS3 transition point? You can begin to explore all of Twinkl's secondary material by creating an account here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/r/1nc8jl #twinklbeyondenglish

    23 min
  2. Spelling isn’t what you think! (With Lyn Stone)

    Jun 9

    Spelling isn’t what you think! (With Lyn Stone)

    In this episode of The English Teacher Feature, Nicola Romaine is joined by Lyn Stone, author of Spelling for Life, to explore the science of spelling and challenge common misconceptions about how English words work. Together, they unpack how spelling is shaped by phonics, morphology and etymology, and why understanding word structure is key to improving both reading fluency and writing accuracy. The episode explores essential concepts such as orthographic mapping, cognitive load in writing, and how pupils build a strong mental lexicon for long-term word retention. Lyn also shares her practical “spelling detective” approach, offering teachers a clear alternative to traditional spelling lists and tests—supporting deeper learning through word investigation and pattern recognition. To close the episode, Sam Denno offers a focused reflection for secondary English teachers, drawing out key takeaways and practical ways to apply these ideas in the classroom. Key topics: How children learn to spell (beyond phonics)The role of morphemes in spelling and vocabulary developmentWhat is orthographic mapping and why it mattersTeaching the schwa sound in multisyllabic wordsMoving from spelling tests to deep word knowledge Ideal for primary and secondary English teachers, literacy leads, and anyone interested in evidence-informed approaches to reading and writing.

    26 min
  3. Can video gaming be harnessed for reading engagement? (With Sharna Jackson)

    May 19

    Can video gaming be harnessed for reading engagement? (With Sharna Jackson)

    In this fascinating episode of The English Teacher Feature, Sam Denno speaks to children's author and video game writer, Sharna Jackson, about the worlds of print publishing and game development. 2026 is the National Year of Reading. As part of the government's ambition to raise literacy levels and to increase reading engagement, there is an imperative to reconsider the definition of what reading is for our rapidly evolving, digital-literate society. As part of this, multi-modal text has to be considered. Sam and Sharna delve into the relationships between the two forms and consider the ways in which educators, creatives and writers might play a role in signposting connections between text. Sharna speaks passionately and enthusiastically about the world of creativity and storytelling in all of its forms.

    21 min
  4. Could we do a better job of engaging parents with English? (With the Kitchen Table Teacher)

    May 5

    Could we do a better job of engaging parents with English? (With the Kitchen Table Teacher)

    Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine welcome their first guest onto the show. Caroline Hudson, aka the "Kitchen Table Teacher", joins Nicola to talk through her own first-hand experiences of going deeper with parental engagement around literary concepts and the English curriculum in primary settings. Following the interview, Sam contemplates the implication of Caroline's ideas for secondary schools.

    25 min
  5. The writing framework unpacked (5): Why some pupils thrive in writing

    Apr 21

    The writing framework unpacked (5): Why some pupils thrive in writing

    Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine look at the case of Jamal, a confident, competent writer in year 6, who has had a positive experience during his primary schooling and is about to embark on his secondary school journey with a robust set of writing skills. They look at where things went right for Jamal and consider the application for classroom teachers of English and writing up and down the key stages. Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

    23 min
  6. The writing framework unpacked (4): What the simple view of writing means for your classroom

    Apr 7

    The writing framework unpacked (4): What the simple view of writing means for your classroom

    English teachers, Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine examine the "simple view of writing" model as presented in the 2025 writing framework and consider its implications for primary and secondary teachers. Should pupils be literally plotted onto an SVW graph or is it more of a metaphorical tool for educators. And, what can be done with pupils who fall into the respective quandrants. Join Sam and Nicola as they discuss transcription, composition and everything in-between! Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

    19 min
  7. The writing framework unpacked (3): How reading and writing actually work together

    Mar 24

    The writing framework unpacked (3): How reading and writing actually work together

    In this packed episode of The English Teacher Feature, Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine dive into the next section of the DfE's 2025 writing framework. Their focus is on the interaction of writing and reading - how it is imperative that we treat them as distinct disciplines, but how they can be used alongside each other to create a feedback loop that raises literacy levels across the board. As usual, stay to the end for some practical reflections on classroom implementation. Sam and Nicola come from different ends of the educational phases in England, as secondary and primary specialists respectively. They are passionate about exploring concepts and methods that can be used up and down the key stages, and developing an appreciation of how the two phases can interact with each other more effectively. Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

    26 min
  8. The writing framework unpacked (2): Why speaking is foundational to writing

    Mar 10

    The writing framework unpacked (2): Why speaking is foundational to writing

    Nicola Romaine and Sam Denno are back to explore the DfE's writing framework. During this episode they dig into the section entitled "The development from spoken language to written language" and contemplate speaking as the foundation to the discipline of writing. As a secondary teacher, Sam has a host of questions to pose to his primary school counterpart. Will Nicola have all the answers? Join us for this insightful and practical reflection on the writing framework, which aims to present big concepts in a bitesize manner. Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

    23 min
  9. The writing framework unpacked (1): Have we undervalued writing?

    Feb 24

    The writing framework unpacked (1): Have we undervalued writing?

    Join Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine as they delve into the DfE's Writing Framework 2025 and tackle the section "why writing matters". Sam asks Nicola how important writing is when ranked alongside reading and they ponder what schools should prioritise. This is the first episode in a series about the Writing Framework in which we seek to provide bitesize insights and offer practical advice for embedding good writing practice into the classroom, across both primary and secondary phases. Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

    16 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Join Sam Denno (National Education Lead for Secondary English at Twinkl) and other English specialists as they hold forth on educational updates and offer professional development tips for educators working in the world of primary and secondary English. Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

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