Tom Sherrington

Teacherhead; pedagogy, curriculum, and Rosenshine in practice.

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Books, films, shows, and podcasts they point to — tap a source to read the passage.

Books · 6

The Hidden Lives of Learners

Graham Nuthall · 2007

The Hidden Lives of Learners, Revisited with Bennie Kara, Mind the Gap, Ep.112 (S6,E10)Tom Sherrington

Context

Tom Sherrington values this book for its forensic research and for providing a necessary challenge to simplistic views of classroom observation.

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book

The Hidden Lives of Learners in Action

The Hidden Lives of Learners, Revisited with Bennie Kara, Mind the Gap, Ep.112 (S6,E10)Tom Sherrington

Context

Tom Sherrington recommends this work for its brilliant synthesis of Nuthall’s research and contemporary pedagogical messages.

book

The Power of Teams

The Power of Teams in Schools with Sam Crome, Mind the Gap, Ep.115 (S6,E13)Tom Sherrington

Context

Tom Sherrington highlights this book as a core reference point for understanding Sam Crome's expertise in group dynamics and leadership.

book

History in Action

Scaffolding Effectively with Alex Fairlamb and Rachel Ball, Mind the Gap, Ep.116 (S6,E14)Tom Sherrington

Context

Tom Sherrington values the content and the insightful, debate-filled nature of the authors' previous appearance on the podcast.

book

The Scaffolding Effect

Scaffolding Effectively with Alex Fairlamb and Rachel Ball, Mind the Gap, Ep.116 (S6,E14)Tom Sherrington

Context

Tom Sherrington recommends this title as one of the books he reads most strongly in recent times.

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WalkThrus

Tom Sherrington · 2022

Inside Craig Barton’s 16-Book Teaching Project, Mind the Gap, Ep.117 (S6,E15)Tom Sherrington

Context

Tom Sherrington highlights this title as an example of a book that maintains consistently high sales without the typical post-release dip.

“unless it's bloody walkthroughs or whatever that's number one you know all the time never dips”

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Tom Sherrington8d

Behaviour, Belonging, and Better Schools with Michael Chiles, Mind the Gap, Ep.130 (S7,E3)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Michael Chiles, headteacher and author of several educational books, for a candid and practical conversation about what school improvement really looks like from the headteacher’s chair. Michael reflects on the work of building change with an established staff, from listening carefully to teachers and pupils before setting priorities to creating teaching labs and practice labs where staff explore classroom techniques and then rehearse them through deliberate practice. The discussion explores the realities of whole-s

Tom Sherrington22d

Keeping Great Teachers with Dr Haili Hughes, Mind the Gap, Ep.129 (S7,E2)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined once again by Dr Haili Hughes, Associate Professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne, for a wide-ranging conversation about teacher development, retention, professional identity, and the conditions that help teachers thrive. Drawing on her recent books Coaching for Adaptive Expertise and Love the One You’re With, Haili explores why retaining experienced teachers requires more than recruitment initiatives or performative wellbeing, arguing instead for cultures built on strong relationships, professional trust, meaning

Tom Sherrington1mo

Making Coaching Work in Schools with Matt Stone, Mind the Gap, Ep.128 (S7,E1)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner open a brand new season with Matt Stone, Director of Education at Teaching Walkthrus and lead author of Coaching Walkthrus, for a deeply practical conversation about what it really takes to make coaching work in schools. Matt traces his journey from secondary English teacher and senior leader and how those experiences led to him wanting to develop a coaching culture rooted in trust, shared language and genuine professional growth, moving away from high-stakes lesson observation and accountability towards something more useful, hu

Tom Sherrington1mo

Why Executive Function Matters for Every Child with Sarah Oberle, Mind the Gap, Ep.127 (S6,E25)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Dr. Sarah Oberle, primary teacher, cognitive science advocate and co-author of Executive Functions for Every K–3 Classroom, for a rich and highly practical conversation about what the science of learning means for younger children. Sarah explains why executive functions - especially working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility - are not just specialist or SEND concerns, but fundamental cognitive processes that shape how all pupils attend, transition, regulate themselves, follow instructions and engage with l

Tom Sherrington1mo

Making Every Lesson Continue to Count with Shaun Allison & Andy Tharby, Mind the Gap Ep.126 (S6,E24)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Shaun Allison and Andy Tharby from Durrington High School to revisit the enduring influence of their landmark book Making Every Lesson Count, 11 years on. Together they reflect on how the book’s six principles - challenge, explanation, modelling, practice, feedback, and questioning - emerged from real classroom and whole-school practice, and why they continue to offer such a powerful, practical language for improving teaching. Shaun and Andy discuss how their thinking has evolved over time, how the principles still

Tom Sherrington3mo

Comparative Judgement and the Future of Assessment with Daisy Christodoulou Mind the Gap Ep125 S6E23

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Daisy Christodoulou, Director of Education at No More Marking, for a fascinating conversation about assessment, comparative judgement, AI and what makes writing better. Daisy explains how comparative judgement offers a more reliable alternative to traditional rubric-based marking, why humans are often better at comparing two pieces of writing than assigning absolute grades, and how AI is now being used to support - not replace - teacher judgement. The discussion explores the promise and limitations of AI in assessin

Tom Sherrington4mo

Reclaiming the Ambitious Years with Mary Myatt, Mind the Gap, Ep.124 (S6,E22)

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 strong

Tom Sherrington4mo

Where the Magic Happens: Inside an EYFS Classroom with Dixie-Louise Dexter, Mind the Gap Ep123 S6E21

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Dixie-Louise Dexter, Assistant Head, EYFS lead and English lead, for a rich and practical exploration of what high-quality early years provision really looks like. Dixie shares how her team creates the “magic” of reception through meticulous attention to detail: a carefully planned induction process, strong relationships with families, home and preschool visits, and a learning environment shaped around each cohort’s needs. The conversation explores why wellbeing, safety and involvement come first, how “going slow” a

Tom Sherrington5mo

Teaching Through Examples: The Power of Direct Instruction with Tom Needham Mind the Gap Ep122 S6E20

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Tom Needham - teacher, school leader, and author of Engelmann’s Direct Instruction in Action - to explore what direct instruction really means. Marking the final book in the In Action series, the conversation digs into Siegfried Engelmann’s work, from the power of carefully sequenced examples and non-examples to the importance of “sameness,” big ideas, generative content, and tightly designed practice. Tom explains how direct instruction transformed his teaching of English, particularly for pupils who had struggled

Tom Sherrington5mo

Lighting the Fire: Motivation and Meaning in Teaching with Christian Mba, Mind the Gap, Ep121(S6E19)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Christian Mba, who is a vice principal, speaker, content creator, and now author of the upcoming book, Teach Like Your Heart Is On Fire. The trio engage in an uplifting conversation about purpose, passion and the moral imperative at the heart of teaching. Christian reflects on his journey into education, the teachers and mentors who shaped him, and why he wants to 'talk up' the profession at a time when its challenges can dominate the narrative. The discussion explores the importance of knowing your why, finding you

Tom Sherrington6mo

Context Matters, Especially for Inspections, Mind the Gap, Ep.120 (S6,E18)

In this episode Tom and Emma go head-to-head to discuss realities that schools face as they grapple with an ever-expanding variety of social and economic issues while simultaneously attempting to deliver quality education. Emma says, "I think we could probably agree as a profession that there are core things that are common to great classroom teaching, but in terms of school improvement, I think that needs a much more forensic, bespoke look at the genuine context of each school because there aren't shiny, transferable solutions because of the nature of the breadth of school type in our system.

Tom Sherrington6mo

What Great Coaching Does and Doesn't Look Like, Mind the Gap, Ep.119 (S6,E17)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Sarah Cottinghatt and Adam Kohlbeck to explore the craft and complexity of instructional coaching, drawing on their widely shared Coaching Cuts series on Substack. The conversation unpacks how coaching can move beyond surface-level feedback to focus on teacher decision-making and mental models, and why the most powerful coaching conversations centre on surfacing goals, comparing versions of events, and working collaboratively towards better outcomes for pupils. Through concrete examples, they illustrate how shifts i

Tom Sherrington7mo

Inside the EEF: Evidence, Impact, and Implementation with Becky Francis, Mind the Gap, Ep.118 S6E16

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation, for a rich and wide-ranging discussion about the role of evidence in improving education—and the complexities that come with it. Becky reflects on leading the government’s recent curriculum and assessment review, before unpacking how the EEF has evolved from a disruptive, research-focused organisation into a trusted, sector-facing resource used by the vast majority of schools. The conversation explores the power—and limits—of randomised controlled t

Tom Sherrington7mo

Inside Craig Barton’s 16-Book Teaching Project, Mind the Gap, Ep.117 (S6,E15)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Craig Barton - maths teacher, podcaster, and co-founder of Eedi - to discuss his ambitious new project: a series of 16 short books, each exploring a single, highly specific element of classroom practice. Drawing on three to four years spent visiting schools and observing hundreds of lessons, Craig explains the thinking behind the project and the principle that every idea included had to be seen working successfully in multiple classrooms. The conversation dives deep into practical teaching techniques, from mini whit

Tom Sherrington7mo

Scaffolding Effectively with Alex Fairlamb and Rachel Ball, Mind the Gap, Ep.116 (S6,E14)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Alex Fairlamb and Rachel Ball, co-authors of The Scaffolding Effect, to explore what scaffolding really is (and isn’t) and why it has become such a pivotal idea in the move from “differentiation” to adaptive teaching. They discuss the research roots of the term, the practical reality of “knowing–doing,” and the central challenge that scaffolds must be temporary - designed to be removed through gradual release and guided by sharp checks for understanding. The conversation digs into common pitfalls (from “impermeable

Tom Sherrington8mo

The Power of Teams in Schools with Sam Crome, Mind the Gap, Ep.115 (S6,E13)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Sam Crome, teacher, leader and author of The Power of Teams, to explore what it really takes to build teams that thrive in schools. Sam reflects on why so much leadership development is still overly individualistic, and shares the practical principles behind strong teams - belonging, alignment, purposeful operations, healthy dynamics, and deliberate development - alongside the habits that make meetings genuinely productive rather than performative. The conversation also draws on Sam’s recent move from secondary lead

Tom Sherrington8mo

Instructional Design and Educational Research with Carl Hendrick, Mind the Gap, Ep.114 (S6,E12)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner welcome back Dr Carl Hendrick - writer, researcher and relentless “research distiller” - for a wide-ranging conversation about what the educational research can (and can’t) tell us, and how ideas mutate as they travel through schools. Starting with Carl’s monthly research round-ups and emerging areas like pre-questions (“pre-trieval”), they dig into a lively debate about the replication of the original scaffolding study and what that means for teachers: why learning science is probabilistic, why single studies shouldn’t become do

Tom Sherrington9mo

Strategic Subtraction, Teaching Sprints, & Pruning with Simon Breakspear, Mind the Gap, Ep.113 S6E11

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington is joined by Dr Simon Breakspear - educational researcher, author, and system leader based in Australia - for a wide-ranging conversation about how improvement actually happens at scale. Together they explore Simon’s distinctive role working across classrooms, schools, networks, and entire systems, and why sustainable change depends less on policy mandates and more on relationships, trust, and practical tools that respect teachers’ limited bandwidth. The discussion digs into two of Simon’s best-known ideas: pruning - a disciplined approach to st

Tom Sherrington10mo

The Hidden Lives of Learners, Revisited with Bennie Kara, Mind the Gap, Ep.112 (S6,E10)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Bennie Kara - former teacher, consultant, and author of Nuthall’s Hidden Lives of Learners in Action - to explore what learning really looks like beneath the surface of the classroom. Drawing on Graham Nuthall’s seminal research, Bennie unpacks the idea of the three worlds of the classroom (the public, social, and private worlds of learning) and explains why observation alone can never tell us what pupils have actually learned. The conversation ranges across deep listening, talk and oracy, prior knowledge and experi

Tom Sherrington10mo

Continuous Provision Done Right with Jude Arkwright, Mind the Gap (Mind the Gap, Ep.111 (S6,E9)

On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined by Jude Arkwright, headteacher of St Michael’s CE, Aldbourne, to explore how a strong culture of professional trust, research-informed practice, and professional development can transform teaching and learning. Jude shares how long-term staff stability and coaching triplets have created a school where teachers openly examine the smallest instructional details in real time, and where feedback is immediate, supportive and precise. The conversation then turns to St Michael’s much-admired approach to continuous provision t

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Tom Sherrington

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