The Literacy Lounge

The Literacy Company

The Literacy Lounge is an educational podcast made for primary school teachers, focussing on delivering high quality, friendly English advice. Brought to you by expert and passionate literacy consultants with a wealth of experience, both inside and outside the classroom. Join us as we share first hand tips, advice and practical solutions that will support your experience of teaching English. Whether you are battling with full moon behaviour or weather related distractions, we have been there and are ready to share our tales!

  1. 6d ago

    Curriculum Assessment Review – Key Takeaways from the BESA Conference

    Welcome back to Season 2 of The Literacy Lounge. Last episode, we heard from director Linda Neill about how a love of reading has shaped her life, her career and the values behind The Literacy Company. In this episode, Linda joins us again, but this time we turn our attention to the Curriculum Assessment Review and the key messages from the BESA Curriculum Conference, where Linda was invited to be a panellist. Together, we unpick the big questions raised at the conference, what they mean for English teaching and how schools can respond with clarity and confidence. Things we chat about in this episode: Curriculum purpose: Are we teaching grammar for meaning or for labels?How could a refined curriculum strengthen the focus on using and applying grammar rather than identifying theoretical constructs by name? Mastery and depth: Does the curriculum allow time to secure foundations?The CAR review highlights the need for secure foundations and mastery of key concepts. What elements of the current English curriculum might be inhibiting depth of understanding? Assessment and accountability: Does it measure what truly matters?The CAR suggests amending the KS2 GPS test to retain some elements while adding new tasks to assess writing composition. What would be the benefit of this blended approach? Transition and continuity: How do we support pupils moving into KS3?The CAR identifies insecure core knowledge and skills at transition as a key contributor to attainment gaps for socio‑disadvantaged pupils. What could positively impact this transition and strengthen core knowledge? So, grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy The Literacy Lounge. Any questions or podcast topic suggestions please email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online@theliteracycompany.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pathways Literacy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support enquiry form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠X⁠ The opinions shared by our presenters and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or positions of The Literacy Company.

  2. Oct 7

    Director Spotlight - Turning Pages, Changing Paths: A reading journey in life and work

    Welcome back to Season 2 of The Literacy Lounge. Last season, we heard from Cath Richardson, one of the founders of The Literacy Company, who shared her journey, her career highlights and the powerful role books have played throughout her life. In this episode, we are joined by Linda Neill, co‑founder and director of the company, who is here to share her own story. Earlier this year, Linda delivered a version of this talk to a room full of local businesswomen at the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce as part of their commitment to the National Year of Reading. The impact was profound. Over 100 attendees were captivated as Linda shared her reading journey, and the conversations that followed were inspiring — a reminder of how a love of reading can unite women from all walks of life. It is a pleasure to now share that story with a wider audience and welcome Linda to The Literacy Lounge. Things we chat about in this episode: Do you have early memories of school and learning to read and write?Is there a book from your school years that inspired you?How did other forms of text shape your early reading identity?What highlights or stories can you share from your teaching career, and were there any books that influenced those moments?What made you take the leap into consultancy?What kind of work did you do for the local authority, and how did it shape your ideas and practice?Where did the idea to set up The Literacy Company come from?What were the early days of the company like, including the texts that shaped your early units?How has the company and your role changed over the years, including your favourite Pathways book?What do you think the future of teaching English holds?What are your current favourite reads, and have your tastes in literature changed? Any questions or podcast topic suggestions please email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online@theliteracycompany.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pathways Literacy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support enquiry form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ The opinions shared by our presenters and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or positions of The Literacy Company.

  3. Sep 9

    Handling transition from Reception to Year 1

    Welcome back to Season 2 of The Literacy Lounge. Whether you are listening on your commute or winding down with a hot drink after school, we hope these episodes continue to be useful, reassuring and easy to dip in and out of whenever you need them. In this episode, we continue our back‑to‑school theme by focusing on one of the trickiest transitions in primary education: the move from Reception to Year 1. We have touched on this in several conversations with Louise and promised a standalone episode - so here it is! Louise joins us once again to share her knowledge and experience, offering practical guidance for teachers navigating this transition right now. Things we chat about in this episode: Why the transition between Reception and Year 1 can feel so tough for pupils and teachers What provision should look like in a Year 1 classroom, especially when teachers are told to 'do continuous provision' but are unsure what that means What else teachers can do to ease the Autumn term for pupils How to support parental understanding and expectations around the differences between the two curriculums What Louise found most effective when supporting this transition The one thing teachers could do that would make the biggest difference We hope this episode gives you clarity, confidence and a few practical ideas to help pupils settle smoothly into Year 1.We would love to hear your own tips and advice too. So, grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy The Literacy Lounge. Any questions or podcast topic suggestions please email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online@theliteracycompany.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pathways Literacy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support enquiry form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ The opinions shared by our presenters and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or positions of The Literacy Company.

  4. Aug 26

    Back to school survival tips

    Welcome to Season 2 of The Literacy Lounge. We are so pleased with the response to our first season and cannot wait to keep chatting with you all. Whether you are listening on your commute or winding down with a hot drink after school, we hope these episodes continue to be useful, reassuring and easy to dip in and out of whenever you need them. In this episode, we are heading back to school. Those six weeks (which never actually feel like six weeks) have flown by in a blur of family time, catch ups with friends and tackling the never‑ending life admin list. You have your back‑to‑school haircut, your new stationery and your freshly printed name labels for your new class. You have also forgotten how to teach, cannot remember what the start of term looks like and are quietly panicking about whether your classroom is ready. Do not worry, Louise and I have got you covered. We will be sharing some back‑to‑school survival tips along with a few amusing tales of September chaos. Things we chat about in this episode: What September was really like for us as teachers The best and worst parts of the new term Tips for teachers starting their very first job The random advice we were given (including the classic “don’t smile until Christmas”) September INSET days from both a consultant and teacher perspective Our own funny tales and some favourites from the team and the internet Thanks for joining us. We hope this episode helps you feel a little more prepared, a little more reassured and a lot more ready to take on September. So, grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy The Literacy Lounge. Any questions or podcast topic suggestions please email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online@theliteracycompany.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pathways Literacy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support enquiry form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | The opinions shared by our presenters and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or positions of The Literacy Company.

  5. Jul 1

    Why is spelling holding my pupils back?

    In this episode, we tackle a topic that so many schools find challenging: spelling. Thank you for joining us for another episode of The Literacy Lounge. If you are enjoying the pod, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a five‑star review to help us reach even more teachers. We want these episodes to be short, practical snippets you can listen to whenever it suits you and return to whenever you need a refresher. Lynne joins us again, following her brilliant appearance in our handwriting episode. If you missed that one, it is well worth going back to listen. Today’s conversation links closely to handwriting as we explore spelling, a skill that often holds pupils back from meeting the expected standard. With the Writing Framework placing such importance on transcription, we dig deeper into what strong spelling looks like and how teachers can support pupils effectively. Things we chat about in this episode: The key indicators of a confident speller What schools find most difficult when teaching spelling The importance of strong phonics foundations What teachers should be marking and what pupils should be correcting The role of spelling tests and spelling lists What an effective spelling session looks like What progression in spelling should look like across the school A huge thank you to Lynne for sharing her expertise. If you missed her earlier episode on handwriting, make sure you go back and give it a listen. And with that, we wrap up Season 1 of The Literacy Lounge. Thank you for listening, sharing, subscribing and being part of our growing community. We cannot wait to bring you more conversations, more practical guidance and more literacy love in Season 2. So, grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy The Literacy Lounge. Any questions or podcast topic suggestions please email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online@theliteracycompany.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pathways Literacy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support enquiry form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram | Facebook | X The opinions shared by our presenters and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or positions of The Literacy Company.

  6. Jun 18

    How do we build on early writing skills

    In this episode, we continue our exploration of sentence development by moving beyond the early building blocks and into the next stage of pupils’ writing journeys. Following on from our previous conversation with Lynne about early writing skills and securing a strong understanding of what a sentence is, we now look at what happens next. How do pupils move from writing a series of connected sentences to crafting paragraphs and coherent pieces of writing? Lynne joins us to share her insights from the Writing Framework and from the briefings she delivered earlier in the year. Together, we unpick what pupils find tricky in lower KS2, what teachers should be focusing on, and how we can build the secure structures pupils need as they move towards upper KS2 and beyond. Things we chat about in this episode: What pupils often find challenging when they move into Year 3 What teachers should be focusing on in lower KS2 How to support pupils who are struggling with sentence development How to help pupils make the move from sentences to paragraphs, which is essential for coherent writing and composition The final pieces of the puzzle pupils need in order to be ready for secondary school Thank you to Lynne for joining us. If you missed Part 1, make sure you go back and listen to our conversation with Louise about early writing skills and securing the foundations. Thanks for joining us. We hope this episode helps you feel confident about supporting pupils as they move from simple sentences to structured, meaningful writing. So, grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy The Literacy Lounge. Any questions or podcast topic suggestions please email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online@theliteracycompany.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pathways Literacy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support enquiry form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The opinions shared by our presenters and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or positions of The Literacy Company.

  7. Jun 3

    How do we develop early writing skills

    In this episode, we explore how pupils develop early writing skills and what teachers can do to build strong foundations from the very start. With the writing framework and the curriculum and assessment review in mind, we begin in the early years, looking closely at the essential pre‑writing skills children need before they ever pick up a pencil with purpose. From there, we move into Year 1 and Year 2 to consider how these foundations grow into confident sentence construction. Louise joins us with her wealth of EYFS knowledge and her experience weaving foundational skills through our updated writing units. Things we chat about in this episode: The growing concern that pupils are being rushed into writing before they are ready, and what those essential pre‑writing skills actually are What the next steps look like once pupils are ready to begin sentence development, from early Year 1 into Year 2 Where pupils typically get stuck and why What teachers can do to support pupils who need more time or targeted guidance What we ideally want pupils to be able to do before they move into KS2 We wrap up with thanks to Louise and a look ahead to Part 2, where Lynne will guide us through the next stages of sentence development. We hope this episode helps you feel clearer about the building blocks of early writing and how to support pupils as they move from mark making to meaningful sentences. So, grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy The Literacy Lounge. Any questions or podcast topic suggestions please email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online@theliteracycompany.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pathways Literacy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support enquiry form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The opinions shared by our presenters and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or positions of The Literacy Company.

  8. May 15

    How to make secure end of year judgements at Y6

    In this episode, we continue our two part series on making secure end of year judgements. After focusing on EYFS in Part 1, we now turn our attention to Year 6 and what teachers should be looking for as pupils reach the end of their primary journey. It is now the summer term and thoughts are shifting towards final judgements and whether pupils are working at the expected standard. For Year 6 teachers who are part of the moderation process, these decisions often come earlier than in other year groups, which means evidence gathering can feel particularly pressing. Allison joins us to help unpick what secure judgements look like, how to approach evidence, and what strong progress should look like at this point in the year. Things we chat about in this episode: Following on from progress made in the spring term, what development should we expect to see in the summer How to approach making a judgement about a piece of writing Where the difficulties often lie and which elements teachers find hardest to evidence or judge How we can support pupils to meet the expected standard The key differences between the standards What to consider when pupils are working at PKS So, grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy The Literacy Lounge. Any questions or podcast topic suggestions please email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online@theliteracycompany.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pathways Literacy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support enquiry form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The opinions shared by our presenters and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or positions of The Literacy Company.

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About

The Literacy Lounge is an educational podcast made for primary school teachers, focussing on delivering high quality, friendly English advice. Brought to you by expert and passionate literacy consultants with a wealth of experience, both inside and outside the classroom. Join us as we share first hand tips, advice and practical solutions that will support your experience of teaching English. Whether you are battling with full moon behaviour or weather related distractions, we have been there and are ready to share our tales!

Information

  • Creator
    The Literacy Company
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Literacy Company
  • Show Website
    The Literacy Lounge