What if the supports we give students could raise the bar instead of lowering it? We sit down with Alex Fairlamb, Trust Teaching and Learning Network Lead and Assistant Principal, and author of The Scaffolding Effect, to unpack how temporary, responsive scaffolds help learners move from guided practice to genuine independence without sacrificing high expectations.

We dig into scaffolding as a core part of adaptive teaching: anticipating barriers before a lesson starts, using data and recent assessments to plan, and then adjusting live through tight loops of checking for understanding. Alex explains why “scaffold up, don’t dumb down” matters for every learner, including those with SEND and EAL, and how to avoid diagnostic overshadowing by focusing on actual barriers like organisation, attendance, and gaps in prior knowledge. We challenge prescriptive routines, exploring why rigid I, we, you mandates can backfire across subjects, and how subject-specific modelling, comparative exemplars, and teacher judgement create better outcomes.

Literacy takes centre stage with practical strategies you can use tomorrow. We cover teacher-led modelled reading and reciprocal routines that turn fluent readers into strategic readers, explicit vocabulary instruction that lives inside rich texts, and writing supports that span the full process - from decoding prompts with RUSS to planning, drafting, revising, and editing with clarity. Metacognition runs through it all: narrating decisions, using “weak” nudges that provoke deeper thinking, and building automaticity so working memory is freed for higher-order tasks. Most importantly, we talk timing: fading scaffolds too late creates the illusion of learning; too early undermines confidence. The craft is knowing when and how to step back so students step up.

If you care about high expectations, smarter modelling, and literacy that sticks, this conversation brings fresh, usable ideas. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review to tell us which scaffold you’ll add or remove this week.

The education system is at breaking point. With unprecedented exclusion rates and 44,000 teachers leaving the profession last year alone, something has to change. Enter Krystian Liptrot, CEO of Life Changing Education (LCE), who's pioneering an approach so revolutionary it deserves your full attention.

When host, Andy, visited LCE's facilities in North Manchester, he was struck by something remarkable: dozens of previously disengaged students looking him in the eye, confidently saying, "Good morning." These weren't just any students, but those on the brink of permanent exclusion or who hadn't attended school for months. And yet, the atmosphere was electric with possibility.

Krystian's vision stems from personal experience and a deep reflection on our educational landscape. "We've got to change what education is," he explains, describing a three-stage model that starts with demonstrating effective pupil-facing education, moves to supporting mainstream schools through free consultancy and mental health resources, and ultimately aims to disrupt the entire sector.

What separates LCE from traditional alternative provision is their commitment to personalisation over mere differentiation. Their network includes dedicated facilities for various passions - a professional recording studio, a fully-functioning salon, multiple gyms, and an art gallery - each designed to show students they can excel. This isn't about criticising schools; it's about recognising that while current systems may work for many, they can fail others catastrophically.

The results speak volumes: over 1,000 qualifications achieved by students previously labeled "disruptive"; dramatic reductions in permanent exclusions across partner schools; and young people requesting to attend even on inset days. All built on what Krystian calls 'the kindness principle' - no raised voices, just compassion and clear expectations.

Want to witness how education can truly transform lives when reimagined from first principles? Follow Krystian's work - you'll never look at our education system the same way again.

Krystian Liptrot is the CEO of Life Changing Education, an innovative educational inclusion service that partners with mainstream schools to re-engage disaffected young learners. Under his leadership, LCE offers short-term, part-time placements that help pupils rebuild a positive relationship with education. Krystian’s work focuses not only on supporting students to overcome barriers to learning but also on strengthening the inclusion capacity of schools and local authorities across the region. His mission is clear: to create aspirational, inclusive environments where every young person has the chance to succeed.

What happens when students can decode words perfectly but can't comprehend what they're reading? Dr. Megan Dixon, a literacy expert who bridges the worlds of classroom teaching and cognitive research, unpacks this growing challenge facing schools today.

The conversation dives into what Dixon calls the "elongation of the ability range" - the widening gap in reading proficiency that teachers are encountering, particularly at secondary level. With piercing clarity, she identifies how our digital landscape has fundamentally altered how children engage with text: "Reading is a really active thing. You have to work your brain hard to engage with the text, to question your own understanding." Yet increasingly, students approach reading with the same passive consumption habits they've developed through social media.

Dixon outlines four research-backed pillars that form the foundation of reading comprehension: vocabulary depth, text structure understanding, inferencing abilities, and metacognitive monitoring. Her explanation of inferencing - distinguishing between "locally cohesive inferences" and "globally cohesive inferences" - provides teachers with a practical framework for targeted instruction beyond basic decoding skills.

Particularly valuable is Dixon's nuanced take on the role of prior knowledge in reading. Rather than simply front-loading information before reading, she advocates for "activating" students' existing knowledge and experiences, teaching them to independently extract meaning through questioning and active engagement. This approach empowers students to become independent readers capable of tackling unfamiliar texts with confidence.

The podcast concludes with practical classroom strategies focused on creating environments where students monitor their understanding and feel comfortable admitting confusion - the very behaviours that characterise proficient readers. As Dixon notes, "We need to get away from the idea that there's failing in not understanding everything the first time. That is the process of reading."

Ready to transform how you approach reading instruction in your classroom? Listen now and discover how to develop active, engaged readers who don't just decode words, but truly understand what they read.

Dr. Megan Dixon has just collaborated on the DFE's new work supporting secondary schools with reading, and is a postdoctoral research assistant who collaborates with Professor Jane Oakhill (University of Sussex) and Distinguished Professor Kate Cain (Lancaster University) on research into literacy development. A specialist in both early years and primary education, Megan also brings deep expertise in secondary literacy. She serves as the Early Years and Primary Specialist for a family of international schools and is a globally recognised educational consultant, known for her work supporting literacy development across all phases of education.