Category Archives: Oxford Ed Chat

32. Vocabulary and oracy strategies for the KS3 classroom



Helen PrinceGuarav Dubay

Helen Prince and Gaurav Dubay discuss the crucial role vocabulary and oracy strategies play in the Key Stage 3 classroom. They highlight the importance of focusing on talk and vocabulary to help students rehearse written outcomes before taking the next step and moving onto writing. They discuss drama, fluency, modelling and reducing cognitive load with oral rehearsal.

Helen Prince is an English Advisor, author of Oxford University Press’s Get It Right: Boost Your Vocabulary workbooks, and CEO of ChatterStars. Helen tweets at @prince_helen

Gaurav Dubay is Head of English at an inner-city grammar school in Birmingham, one of our Pioneer Schools for Oxford Smart Quest. Gaurav tweets at @GauravDubay3

Further reading and support:

View transcript


31. African Kingdoms: Enrich your KS3 History curriculum




Aaron WilkesKatie Amery

Aaron Wilkes, Katie Amery and Teni Gogo discuss how effective teaching of African Kingdoms can enrich your Key Stage 3 curriculum.  

What do students gain from studying African Kingdoms at KS3? How has historical scholarship on African Kingdoms changed in recent years? What is the impact of new research on how we should teach the topic?  

 

Aaron, Katie and Teni answer these questions and offer advice to teachers thinking of introducing West African Kingdoms into their curriculum.  

 

Aaron Wilkes has over 20 years’ experience working in schools as a teacher, department, and faculty leader. He also works with the PGCE History trainees at the University of Warwick. In addition to the classroom, Aaron is also one of the leading history authors in school publishing and his KS3 History series, now in fourth edition and published by Oxford University Press, is currently the best-selling KS3 History textbook series/online package in the UK. Aaron is also Series Editor/co-author of OUP’s NEW KS3 Depth Studies: The British Empire, African Kingdoms, Fight for Rights, and Migration Nation. He is the Series Editor/co-author of OUP’s KS4 History textbooks which match the AQA and Edexcel GCSE History specification and is involved with the BBC as an Educational Consultant for their Bitesize and Teach series.   

Aaron tweets at @WilkesHistory   

 

Katie Amery has more than 15 years’ experience working in schools as a History and Politics teacher and department leader. She is also currently the subject lead for History Initial Teacher Training at Liverpool Hope University. Katie is passionate about curriculum diversity and working with fellow historians to promote cutting-edge thinking including with Toby Green. She is a keen blogger @educationalimposters

Katie tweets at @KatieAmery

 

Teni Gogo is a History Teacher who has spent much of her career exploring medieval African Kingdoms and Black British History. She is currently a Postgraduate student at the University of Oxford as an Action Research Fellow for the Empire, Migration and Belonging Project.  

Teni tweets at @tenigogo_

 

The publisher would also like to thank Professor Anne Haour and Toby Green for their valuable input into this project. 

  

Further reading and support:  

·         83% of schools surveyed report having made substantial changes to their Key Stage 3 curriculum in recent years to address issues of inclusivity and diversity. Read the Historical Association Secondary Survey   

·         Sign up for free samples and updates on OUP’s new KS3 History Depth Study series

Special offer:  

We’re offering UK schools 10% discount on all four of the KS3 Depth Study student books – British Empire, African Kingdoms, Fight for Rights in Modern Britain, and Migration Nation. Terms & conditions:  

·         Offer valid for UK customers only  

·         Offer valid from 31st January to 30th April 2023  

·         Offer only applies to orders placed using promotional code “KS3HISTORY”  

·         Offer is only available on print KS3 History Depth Studies and excludes KS3 History Depth Study Kerboodle Books.  

·         Pre-order here

View Transcript


30. British Empire: Enrich your KS3 History curriculum with OUP’s new Depth Study



 

alt=Aaron-Wilkes

Aaron Wilkes and Shalina Patel discuss how effective teaching of the British Empire can enrich your Key Stage 3 curriculum. What do students gain from studying the British Empire? How has historical scholarship on the British Empire changed in recent years? What is the impact of new research on how we should teach the topic?

Aaron and Shalina answer these questions and offer advice to teachers concerned about teaching sensitive or potentially contentious topics as part of studying the British Empire, for example Partition.

Aaron Wilkes has over 20 years’ experience working in schools as a teacher, department, and faculty leader. He also works with the PGCE History trainees at the University of Warwick. In addition to the classroom, Aaron is also one of the leading history authors in school publishing and the series which bears his name (KS3 History by Aaron Wilkes), published by Oxford University Press, is currently one of the best-selling KS3 History textbook series/online packages in the UK. Aaron is also Series Editor/co-author of OUP’s NEW KS3 Depth Studies: British Empire, African Kingdoms, Fight for Rights, and Migration Nation. He is the Series Editor/co-author of OUP’s KS4 History textbooks which match the AQA and Edexcel GCSE History specification, and is involved with the BBC as an Educational Consultant for their Bitesize and Teach series. Aaron tweets at @WilkesHistory

Shalina Patel has over 13 years of experience in the classroom and is former Head of History and currently Head of Teaching and Learning and leader of the ITT programme at Claremont High School Academy in London. In 2018 Shalina won the Silver Pearson Teaching Award for Outstanding Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School and in 2021 won the GG2 Inspire Award. She has been featured in publications such as the Guardian and The Times and on programmes like Radio 4’s Three Pounds in my Pocket, BBC Woman’s Hour and BBC’s Teach Me A Lesson podcast. Shalina showcases her passion for hidden histories via @thehistorycorridor Instagram account and her first book will be published in 2023/4. Shalina tweets at @Ms_PatelHistory

Sign up for free samples and updates on OUP’s new
KS3 History Depth Studies

Special offer – Pre-order here

We’re offering UK schools 10% discount on all British Depth Study textbooks – British Empire, African Kingdoms, Fight for Rights, and Migration Nation. Terms & conditions:
• Offer valid for UK customers only
• Offer valid from 31st January to 30th April 2023
• Offer only applies to orders placed using promotional code “KS3HISTORY”
• Offer is only available on print KS3 History Depth Studies and excludes KS3 History Depth Study Kerboodle Books.

Further reading and support:
83% of schools surveyed report having made substantial changes to their Key Stage 3 curriculum in recent years to address issues of inclusivity and diversity. Read the Historical Association Secondary Survey 


29: Engaging Every Learner: Identity and the Science Classroom



 

Lynda Charlesworth

Genevieve Bent

Lamorna Newcombe

In this episode we welcome Genevieve Bent, Assistant Principal leading Sixth Form and former Head of Science at the Harris Federation, and Lynda Charlesworth, Head of Science at Camden School for Girls.Genevieve and Lynda talk to Lamorna Newcombe, Science Publisher at Oxford University Press, about the importance of identity in engaging students in their learning, and the impact of the strategies they are using in the science classroom.

Our speakers take a research-based approach to discussing the influence of science capital, culturally responsive teaching, and diversity and inclusion on learner identity. They also share some exciting ideas for increasing engagement and representation in STEM studies, activities and careers provision.

Further reading and support:

  • Every student needs to feel valued in order to succeed and learner identity is one of the key pillars of the Oxford Smart Curriculum Service. Find out more and read the curriculum direction paper.
  • Read our 10 top tips for starting a STEM club in your school on the Oxford Education Blog.
  • It is important that all learners can see themselves and people like them in the science narrative. Students need to know that they can use or do science as part of their life, where science becomes part of their identity. Read more on curriculum narratives in science on the Oxford Education Blog.

28: Supporting teachers in Wales with reading



Rob Randel In this episode of Oxford Ed Chat, we welcome Andrea Quincey and special guest Rob Randal to discuss how we can support the teaching of reading in Wales.

We look at the current context of reading instruction in Wales and explore the science of reading before going on to discuss Rob’s experiences of using a phonics programme in his school.

We talk about the many aspects involved in teaching children to read including the importance of routine and repetition, and why matched decodable books matter. We also cover the challenges of transition and supporting children at Secondary school.

Andrea Quincey is Director of Primary Literacy at Oxford University Press. She has worked in educational publishing – with a focus on primary literacy – for over 20 years and has contributed to some of the UK’s most popular literacy programmes, most notably the award-winning Project X series. In her current role she manages a market-leading product portfolio that, as well as Project X, includes the globally renowned Oxford Reading Tree and the highly effective Read Write Inc. programmes.

Rob Randel has been a primary teacher in south Wales for 16 years. Having promoted high quality and evidence-informed early reading instruction for several years, he has a wealth of experience in advising school leaders and teachers about the science of reading, and how they can best evaluate their current provision. Since 2021, he has been a committee member of the Reading Reform Foundation and an advisory group member to the International Foundation of Early Reading Instruction. Rob tweets at @robrandel

Further support available from OUP:


20. Numicon Big Ideas: supporting secondary transition in maths



Louise Pennington

In this episode of Oxford Ed Chat, we welcome Louise Pennington and Adam Gaskell to chat about supporting secondary transition in maths. Louise and Adam discuss removing barriers to maths learning, the benefits of using manipulatives and the meaning of mastery. 

Louise Pennington is Professional Development lead for Oxford University Press, previous teacher, specialist maths teacher and local authority SEND Team lead working with both primary and secondary schools, students and parents. She is a Numicon Author and vice-chair of the Mathematical Association’s joint primary group. Louise tweets at @pdLouiseP 

Adam Gaskell is Head of Mathematics at a Leicestershire secondary school, NPQML and NCETM Mastery Advocate. Adam tweets at @MrGTeach 

Numicon Big Ideas helps upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 students learn and explore maths while building their confidence.

Further reading and support:


18. Essential Letters and Sounds: getting all children to read well, quickly



In this episode of Oxford Ed Chat, we welcome Caroline Derby, Tara Dodson and Katie Press to chat about Essential Letters and Sounds, a new DfE validated phonics programme developed by Knowledge Schools Trust English Hub and published by Oxford University Press. 

Caroline Derby is Head of Phonics and Early Literacy publishing at Oxford University Press. She has been a children’s and educational publisher for many years, specialising in primary literacy. She is also vice-chair of governors at a nursery school in Oxford. 

Tara Dodson has many years of experience in supporting schools across London as Reading Lead and developing CPD programmes for phonics and early reading. She is the English Hub Lead for the Knowledge Schools Trust English Hub. 

Katie Press is a specialist English teacher, supporting schools in developing their phonics practice and modelling high quality phonics and early reading teaching. She is the English Lead for the Knowledge Schools Trust Primaries and a Literacy Specialist for the KST English Hub. 

Further reading and support:

  • Find out more about Essential Letters and Sounds.
  • Is ELS the right SSP programme for your school? Watch our on-demand webinar where Tara and Katie are joined by Debbie James, Tanya Freeman and Lauren Heawood. They discuss why they chose the programme, how they’ve implemented it in their schools, what the successes and challenges have been, and how their pupils are getting on.