Join host, Chloe Bateman, Associate Senior Leader at Maiden Erlegh School, and our guest, Vicky Boatman, Executive Assistant to the CEO, for our brand new episode of MET Pod! Vicky discusses all things project management, sharing her key principles for managing a project effectively from conception to completion, whilst providing practical advice and tips for how to stay organised, lead team members, and work to tight timescales. Be a guest on MET Pod this year! Email metpod@maidenerleghschools....
Mar 20, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Welcome back to another episode of MET Pod! Join host, Chloe Bateman, Associate Senior Leader at Maiden Erlegh School, and our guest, Jon Peck, CEO of Maiden Erlegh Trust, for this month's episode! The growth of academisation, multil-academy trusts, and devolution have contributed to a rapidly changing educational landscape over the last 13 years - one which generates new challenges and opportunities for all those working within this sphere. Jon discusses the importance of ethical leadership in ...
Jan 01, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Welcome back to another episode of MET Pod! Join host, Chloe Bateman, and Nicola Reynolds, Teacher of French and German at Maiden Erlegh School, for this month's episode! Nicola discusses the importance of mentoring in developing new teachers and explores a range of scenarios to share her top tips and advice for mentors old and new. As an award-winning mentor herself, Nicola's practical strategies for compassionate and effective mentoring are a must-listen for anyone with mentoring or coaching r...
Nov 19, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 2
MET Pod is back for its fourth season! Join host, Chloe Bateman, and Josh Whorriskey, Head of Drama at Maiden Erlegh School, for this month's episode! Josh discusses the increasing importance of cultural capital in education and in closing the attainment gap, whilst proposing a powerful vision for its role in the holistic development of the students within our care. With a blend of theory and practical advice informed by Josh's own action research, this episode is not to be missed for those thin...
Sep 17, 2023•18 min•Season 4Ep. 1
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 ...
Apr 06, 2023•21 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Join Chloe Bateman and Rob Buck, Director of Maiden Erlegh Institute and Trust Professional Learning, for this month's episode! Rob outlines the invaluable role Maiden Erlegh Institute (MEI) plays in supporting the development of our growing Trust and shares the evolution of MEI to date. Rob discusses the inspiring and comprehensive range of professional learning opportunities on offer to Trust colleagues, those looking to get into teaching, and external stakeholders. This episode is a must for ...
Feb 28, 2023•23 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Join Andy Johnson, Executive Director of Education, and Gill Albone, Lead Teacher at the Cranbury College Hospital Teaching Service, for this month's episode! Gill shares the invaluable work of this team who tirelessly support children of all ages admitted to the Dolphin and Lion wards of the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Gill discusses their bespoke 1:1 teaching, personalised curriculums, and how the team liaise with key stakeholders to support the students' holistic and academic progress during ch...
Jan 10, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 4
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 understan...
Nov 11, 2022•16 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Join us as we chat all things metacognition with Maitrayee Bhattacharjee, Teacher of Science and ECT Mentor at Maiden Erlegh School! Maitrayee shares the science behind metacognition and why it is deserves to be part of every classroom, whilst discussing her inspiring action research project into how metacognition can be used to equip students with the skills to think about challenges they face in their everyday learning journeys. Through expertly-chosen practical examples, Maitrayee demystifies...
Oct 10, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 2
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...
Aug 31, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 1
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.
Jun 22, 2022•18 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In this month's episode of MET Pod, we discuss the challenges and pressures of headship with Paul Gibson, Headteacher at Maiden Erlegh School. Paul shares his inspiring journey and career path to headship and provides a candid insight into the unique pressures which make this role so challenging. The episode features a range of invaluable strategies to effectively manage the demands of the position and make headship a sustainable long-term career, whilst also highlighting what makes this job so ...
May 04, 2022•17 min
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 nee...
Mar 16, 2022•19 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 empowerin...
Feb 02, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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 ac...
Jan 10, 2022•19 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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...
Nov 10, 2021•17 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this week's episode of MET Pod, Laura Ashton, Geography Teacher at Maiden Erlegh School, explores the possibilities of using gesture and movement in the classroom. Laura shares the fruits of her wide-ranging research into how gesture and movement can aid students' cognition, understanding of abstract concepts, and improve recall and mastery of topics within a spiral curriculum. To find out more about this topic, take a look at some of the articles mentioned by Laura in this episode... Donnell...
Oct 04, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Season 2 of MET Pod kicks off with Matt Bell, Teacher of Music at Maiden Erlegh School! Join Matt and our host, Rob Buck, to discover the potential of introducing music technology software into the Music curriculum and embracing the diverse opportunities it can offer our students. Don't miss Matt's invaluable advice and guidance on securing funding for software, integrating music technology into the existing curriculum, and developing your own subject knowledge about this innovative and ever-exp...
Sep 06, 2021•10 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Join Charlotte Ajowole, Key Stage 2 Phase Leader at Great Hollands Primary School, for an insight into how Great Hollands have transformed their Science curriculum to create a rigorous and inspiring learning journey for students right from the moment they enter the school. In this discussion with our CEO, Mary Davies, Charlotte reflects on the importance of using scientific enquiries, creating cross-curricular links with literacy and numeracy, and ensuring learning is sequenced and based on clea...
Jun 23, 2021•10 min•Season 1Ep. 15
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 mention...
Jun 08, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 14
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 mor...
May 11, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In this week's episode of MET Pod, we are joined by Rob Buck - Assistant Headteacher at Maiden Erlegh School, Trust Lead for Careers and Destinations, the Trust Lead for Higher Ability Provision, and the Director of the Teaching School. We discuss the concept of 'personal brand' and how colleagues in a range of roles can cultivate this effectively, whatever stage they are at in their careers. Packed with insights from Rob's wealth of experiences and reflections, this episode is a must-listen for...
Apr 27, 2021•8 min•Season 1Ep. 12
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.
Mar 23, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 11
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 curric...
Mar 10, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this week's episode of MET Pod, Food Preparation & Nutrition Teacher Heather Frost discusses the unique challenges faced by teachers and students of practical subjects during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Join us to hear a range of innovative and creative strategies used by Heather and her colleagues at Maiden Erlegh Reading to bring these subjects to life during a time of restrictions and remote learning! Take a look at the Maiden Erlegh Reading Twitter page to see Heather's fantastic F...
Feb 21, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 9
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...
Feb 01, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Join us for our first ever MET Pod roundtable discussion with John Nash, Head of Design Technology, Food and Health and Social Care at Maiden Erlegh School, and Jack Winstanley, Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Maiden Erlegh Reading! We discuss the reasons behind the gap in attainment between boys and girls, the challenges this gap poses, and a range of strategies for reducing it to ensure that all our students make as much progress as possible Take a look at these resources if you are intere...
Jan 19, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Join Sarah Rae, Modern Foreign Languages Teacher at Maiden Erlegh School, to explore the potentials of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) for developing an interconnected and engaging curriculum!
Jan 04, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Join Jane Escott-New, Assistant Head at Maiden Erlegh Reading, to discover the potential of reciprocal reading strategies for developing student comprehension of complex texts! For more information check out the EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) evaluation and review: educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/reciprocal-reading/
Nov 30, 2020•14 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode of MET Pod, Headteacher of Maiden Erlegh Reading Andy Johnson, discusses the ways in which we can make the most of metacognition in the classroom to support students’ learning. Join us for this overview of the research behind metacognition and a range of practical strategies to inspire your own practice!
Nov 15, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 4
