Curriculum and Lesson
Planning

We used to encourage teachers to think of their classrooms as laboratories in which you could experiment with what worked to make it work even better. But what if we think of teachers not as scientists but as inventors? Ian Gilbert explores with the help of James Lovelock.

Seven-minute read

What can we learn from a school where the teachers don't teach and the students can learn what, how, when and if they want to learn? We can hear parts of Twitter exploding from here! Ian Gilbert tells us more.

Ten-minute read

Here are ten provocative questions Ian Gilbert has drawn from his best-selling book, The Working Class, that can form part of any school's discussion when it comes to 'closing that gap.

Five-minute read

Long-time Associate Will Ryan explores how it is that some of the best primary practice can be found in schools in some of our most challenging socio-economic areas - and what we can learn from them.

Seven-minute read

Associate, author and primary teacher Mark Creasy shares how he used Thunks as a vital tool to keep children engaged and learning during lockdown.

Ten-minute read

Highlights from an online conversation with EYFS guru Ruth Swailes on helping schools ensure the best possible start for all their children.

Ten-minute watch

We asked Jonathan Lear and Mark Creasy how to create resilient, independent learners in our primary classrooms. This is what they suggested.

50-minute watch

What 8Way thinking is, where it came from and how it can be used to make even the most dismal-appearing of subject matters fascinating.

Ten-minute read

Associate, author of The Monkey Proof Box and innovative primary teacher Jonathan Lear explains how his school came to terms with effective and inclusive assessment across the whole curriculum.

Ten-minute read

Join Ian Gilbert as he battles with the distinction between thinking and learning and whether getting children's brains to hurt is what the education system is actually about.

Ten-minute read

Independent Thinking Associate David Hodgson continues his brief exploration of neurodiversity, identifying four skills that will benefit all students

Ten-minute read

Senior English lecturer and long-time Independent Thinking Associate Martin Illingworth offers some suggestions to help bring alive the teaching of poetry in our schools.

Five-minute read