NEW! Adaptive teaching explained
Matt Bromley hosts a panel discussion in which guests define what adaptive teaching is and offer insights to help teachers to know when they should adapt their teaching, how they can adapt teaching, and who they should be adapting it for. Te panel also discusses the importance of using adaptive teaching to maintain high expectations in the classroom and in order to ensure that our ambitious curriculum is accessible for all students regardless of background or need.
NEW! Navigating the 2025/26 academic year
The year ahead promises complexity – but also opportunity. In this episode of the National College podcast, education journalist, author and advisor Matt Bromley joins Eleanor Adams to explore how school leaders and teachers can thrive amidst change. From balancing strategic vision with day-to-day demands, to managing workload, embedding inclusive teaching and harnessing AI, this discussion offers practical insights and aspirational thinking to help shape – not just survive – the future of education.
You can also access the podcast via the National College website.
Navigating curriculum planning
In this podcast of the National College podcast, education expert Matt Bromley explores how schools can navigate curriculum planning during times of change. He unpacks the impact of government reforms and Ofsted updates, offering practical strategies for long-term planning and inclusivity. Matt also introduces five key factors for curriculum audits and outlines ways to balance ambition with accessibility. With clear advice on staff development and agile leadership, this episode of our podcast series is a ‘must listen’ for senior leaders seeking to shape tomorrow’s classrooms.
You can also access the podcast via the National College website where members can download a number of related resources including a curriculum audit tool.
Celebrating the 100th episode of the award-winning SecEd Podcast
Launched in early 2020, the SecEd Podcast has been on air for five years and to mark episode 100 podcast co-hosts Pete Henshaw and Matt Bromley reveal the top 10 most listened to episodes – interspersed with clips and highlights from each one. Themes include oracy education, senior and middle leadership, quality first teaching, classroom management, Pupil Premium, inclusion and SEN, and much, much more. Matt and Pete also pick their own favourite episodes from the last five years.
Navigating the new ITTECF
This podcast, hosted by Matt Bromley, discusses teacher training and induction, offering practical advice for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) and their mentors, including around the new Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF).
Research-informed schools
This episode looks at what it means to be a research-informed school and how schools can use research to improve teaching, learning, and student outcomes. Host Matt Bromley talks to three experienced and research-engaged educators about what kind of research it is best for schools to use – and how we can know that any particular piece of research is valid and trustworthy.
Building school culture
In this episode of the award-winning SecEd Podcast, hosted by Matt Bromley, we discuss ideas for how we can build a positive and inspiring whole-school culture which is inclusive of all, drives high standards, and sustainable in the long-term.
Teaching exam classes
In this episode of the award-winning SecEd Podcast, hosted by Matt Bromley, we look at how to teach examination classes in the secondary school. We explore teaching course content, building exam habits, teaching exam techniques, supporting wellbeing, and planning revision.
The effective deployment of teaching assistants
In this episode of the SecEd Podcast, hosted by Matt Bromley, we offer practical ideas, tips and examples for the effective use of teaching assistants (TAs) in the secondary school classroom.
Classroom behaviour
In this episode of the SecEd Podcast, hosted by Matt Bromley, we offer practical tips for secondary teaching staff to help you manage behaviour effectively in your classrooms, including tangible strategies for your ‘in the moment’ behaviour toolkit.
Matt Bromley and co-author Andy Griffith are interviewed by Ben and Steve on their Edufuturists podcast
Making the most of Pupil Premium funding
In this episode we discuss excellent Pupil Premium practice and offer practical tips and ideas for how schools and teachers can support their most disadvantaged pupils, including a focus on attendance, Pupil Premium strategies, and effective interventions.
A leadership survival guide
This episode looks at how school leaders – especially headteachers – can thrive and survive in their role, including wellbeing and work/life balance advice, tips for leading from the front, handling the biggest challenges of leadership, and advice for those new to leadership roles.
How to create a questioning classroom
In this episode of the SecEd podcast, Matt Bromley swaps the host’s chair for that of guest and is interviewed by Pete Henshaw about using questioning in the classroom.
How to conduct subject reviews
This episode of the award-winning SecEd podcast, hosted by Matt Bromley, focuses on subject and curriculum reviews – or “deep dives” – in the secondary school, asking what they are, how we can conduct them effectively without burdening staff, and what information we can and cannot expect to gather accurately.
The Working Classroom
In the latest episode of the Open Circle podcast, Tim Roe chats to Matt Bromley and Andy Griffith about their forthcoming book, The Working Classroom. Listen via Soundcloud below.
Flexible working in schools
This episode offers practical tips and insights about how secondary schools can plan and implement flexible working practices to boost teacher recruitment and retention
How to develop students’ literacy skills
This episode of the award-winning SecEd podcast, hosted by Matt Bromley, looks at how we can best develop the literacy skills of our students, offering whole-school, cross-curricular and classroom-specific ideas, interventions and tips.
How to be an effective form tutor
Classroom routines
This episode looks at how to embed high-impact routines into your classroom and your teaching. We ask which routines or learning habits are the most successful and how can they be established in order to make teaching and learning more efficient and effective.
Curriculum design – part 1
Matt Bromley is interviewed by Pete Henshaw, editor of SecEd Magazine, about his book, School & College Curriculum Design, and shares steps 1, 2 and 3 of his curriculum design process: agree the vision, set the destination, and assess the starting points.
You can listen to all SecEd’s podcasts via their website, or download them from your usual podcast service including iTunes and Spotify. The podcast players embedded on this page come courtesy of Spotify.
Curriculum design – part 2
Matt Bromley is interviewed by Pete Henshaw, editor of SecEd Magazine, about his book, School & College Curriculum Design, and shares steps 4, 5 and 6 of his curriculum design process: identify the waypoints, define excellence, and diminish disadvantage. This podcast, like the first part, is available via your usual podcast service including iTunes and Spotify.
Curriculum design – part 3
Pete Henshaw, editor of SecEd, welcomes back expert Matt Bromley to discuss effective curriculum implementation and how we can best evaluate our curriculum impact…
Effective lesson planning
This podcast considers effective lesson-planning in the secondary school, offering practical advice and ideas for teachers as well as subject and curriculum leaders. Topics include curriculum-sequencing, the non-negotiables, your end-points, tackling misconceptions, and much more.
Effective school governance
This podcast considers what good governance looks like in the secondary school, how school leaders and governors can work together productively, and how schools can support their governors to be effective.
Budgets and finances
With soaring costs and real-terms funding cuts, balancing the books has become one of the biggest challenges facing schools today. This podcast offers practical advice for effective school financial management during the cost of living crisis.
Back to school – a leadership checklist
Are you ready for the new school year? This podcast offers a practical checklist for senior leaders working in secondary schools to help you prepare for the autumn term and beyond. Our experts discuss the common ‘new year’ tasks that school leaders need to consider as well as common problems at this time of year and how to respond.
Running an effective transition from Year 6 to Year 7
This podcast looks at how we can support pupils as they make the transition from primary to secondary school. The discussion features two secondary schools and two of their feeder primaries. We consider common transition challenges and solutions with lots of tried and tested ideas for transition.
Making a success of extra-curricular activities
This podcast considers extra-curricular activities and what effective provision looks like across the secondary school, including common challenges, staffing, quality-control, and ensuring equitable access.
Teacher performance management and appraisal
This podcast looks at how senior and middle leaders can ensure that teacher appraisal and performance management processes are fair and effective, including what they should involve, how objectives should be set, and much more…
Helping students cope with exam anxiety
This podcast focuses on how we can help students to prepare for their examinations (including GCSEs and A levels) and support them to handle the anxiety and stress that exams season can often bring.
Preparing students for post-16 success
This podcast considers the key elements of the transition from key stage 4 to 5. We offer practical tips for how we can prepare students, both academically and pastorally, for the big step-up to post-16 study.
Parental engagement
This podcast discusses the tenets of effective parent/carer engagement work for secondary schools, offering advice, tips, ideas and best practice for building effective relationships.
The future of digital learning in schools
This podcast looks at how digital learning in schools is evolving in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and what it will look like in the months and years to come – with lots of ideas, examples and suggestions for effective practice.
School improvement
This podcast offers practical advice and ideas for effective school improvement practices and processes, including guidance from four experienced secondary school leaders who discuss their common priorities and areas of focus, core principles, vision and values and much more besides…
Marking and feedback
In this podcast, three experienced teachers offer a range of tips, ideas and advice for effective marking, feedback and assessment practices in the classroom. Themes include workload reduction, in-class marking, whole-class feedback, specific techniques & more…
Transition of Year 7 pupils
This podcast considers how we can ensure a smooth start to secondary school for our year 7 pupils. Our expert panels discuss general best practice ideas and approaches as well as specific advice for this September and a Covid-affected transition…
In this episode, Matt Bromley interviews colleagues from four secondary schools to find out how we can ensure an effective transition of pupils from year 6 into year 7.
Teaching pupils with SEN
In this podcast, Matt and his guests consider what effective teaching for SEN students looks like in the mainstream secondary school classroom, offering practical advice for teachers and school leaders on pedagogy, interventions, the graduated approach among many other areas.
Developing metacognition and self-regulation
In this podcast, Matt Bromley interviews Jackie Beere and Kevin Piper about metacognition and self-regulation. The panel define their terms and discuss ways to help students develop metacognitive skills in order to support their wellbeing, and their learning and progress. They debate whether metacognition can be taught as a transferable skill or if it is domain-specific, and discuss the importance of a teacher modelling different learning strategies. The podcast offers a number of practical ideas and tips for teaching staff.
Pupil Premium best practice
The discussion in this podcast looks at the impact the Pupil Premium has had over the last 10 years on closing the attainment gap. The panel discuss the causes of academic disadvantage and explore some solutions for schools, including tackling the vocabulary gap, improving quality first teaching, and putting in place targeted interventions and support.
Teacher workload
Matt talks to headteacher Phil Denton, head of English Chloe Testa, and education trainer Peter Radford about teacher workload. They discuss the impact burn-out can have on teachers’ wellbeing, as well as the consequences of low teacher retention and explore possible solutions. The conversation also touches upon the importance of school culture, explaining that often it’s the nature of the work teachers are asked to do that causes anxiety. Guests argue that teachers should be afforded autonomy when it comes to planning and assessment. They discuss the impact Covid-19 has had on workload and what schools might learn about flexible working.
The Forgotten Third
Matt interviews former headteacher David Birch about his work on the Forgotten Third project which was an independent Commission of Inquiry set up in October 2018 to look into how to improve the prospects of those students who do not achieve at least a grade 4 standard pass in GCSE English and maths at the end of 12 years of schooling. Young people who fall below this bar pay a high price in terms of reduced prospects in progression to further and higher education and to careers. The Commission focused specifically on how we can do better for these young people in respect of English, though many of its observations could also be applied to maths.
Literacy, numeracy, and digital skills development
Matt is in the interviewer’s chair to ask assistant headteacher Zoe Evans about her work on developing literacy, numeracy and digital competency skills for pupils at a school in North Wales.
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