Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe

About Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe

Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner, UK-based and internationally-recognized education authors and consultants, have a lot on their minds. From best practices in classroom teaching to sustaining PD that makes an impact, they’re aware of the techniques that work, those that don’t, and the gaps that exist in education systems, within and across nations. In this podcast, they present proven strategies and interview experts from around the globe to share timely insights on K-12 trends; research-based approaches in need of greater reach; and innovative strategies to close global gaps.

Publisher

Tom Sherrington & Emma Turner

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Jun 2020

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

132 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   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-school leadership: improving attendance, strengthening behaviour and belonging, supporting SEND, working with families, sustaining improvement over several years and keeping multiple plates spinning at once. Michael also speaks openly about the pressures of inspection and accountability when headline data can lag behind the changes leaders and teachers are seeing every day, and why context, culture, and the trajectory of a school matter. Michael Chiles is an experienced senior leader and principal examiner who previously taught geography in the North West. Alongside his headship role, Michael supports teachers and leaders nationally and internationally, as well as writing literature for leading subject publishers. He enjoys walking and exploring the British countryside with his Border Collie, Daisy. His books include The CRAFT of Assessment, The Feedback Pendulum and The Sweet Spot. Follow Michael's experiences of the classroom and leadership at @m_chiles (https://x.com/m_chiles). Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specialising in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead) Emma Turner FCCT is a school improvement advisor, education consultant, trainer and author. She has almost three decades of primary teaching, headship and leadership experience across the sector, working and leading in both MATs and LAs. She works nationally and internationally on school improvement including at single school level and at scale. She has a particular interest in research informed practice in the primary phase, early career development, and CPD design. Follow Emma on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emma_turner75⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/Emma_Turner75) This podcast is sponsored by Teaching WalkThrus and produced in association with Haringey Education Partnership. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://walkthrus.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://walkthrus.co.uk/) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/⁠⁠ (https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/)

2. 

   25 Sept 2026

   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, meaningful development, and leadership that removes barriers so teachers can focus on teaching. The conversation also tackles the de-intellectualisation of teaching, asking what happens when consistency becomes prescription and teachers are reduced to simply following techniques rather than understanding principles and making informed decisions. Haili makes the case for professional agency rather than unfettered autonomy: shared mental models, playbooks and codified practices matter, but they should provide the knowledge teachers need to think, adapt and exercise judgement in their own subjects and contexts. Along the way, they explore mentoring and coaching, the importance of making expert teacher thinking visible, the value of purposeful rehearsal, and what Haili’s move from England to Australia has taught her about different education systems. Haili Hughes is a distinguished figure in the field of education, currently serving as an Associate Professor at La Trobe University and formerly the Director of Professional Development at All Saints Multi-Academy Trust. With a rich background that spans over 16 years as a teacher and leader in secondary schools, Haili has contributed significantly to UK education. Her work extends to advising on Initial Teacher Training (ITT) policy for the Department for Education (DfE) in the UK, facilitating programs like the Early Career Framework (ECF) and various National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). Haili has also authored several educational books and is a recognised speaker at educational conferences worldwide, where she shares her expertise on mentoring and teacher retention. You can subscribe to her substack for free here: https://hailihughes.substack.com/ (https://hailihughes.substack.com/) Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specialising in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead (https://twitter.com/teacherhead) ⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)Emma Turner FCCT is a school improvement advisor, education consultant, trainer and author. She has almost three decades of primary teaching, headship and leadership experience across the sector, working and leading in both MATs and LAs. She works nationally and internationally on school improvement including at single school level and at scale. She has a particular interest in research informed practice in the primary phase, early career development, and CPD design. Follow Emma on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emma_turner75⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/Emma_Turner75) This podcast is sponsored by Teaching WalkThrus and produced in association with Haringey Education Partnership. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://walkthrus.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://walkthrus.co.uk/) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/⁠⁠ (https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/)

3. 

   4 Sept 2026

   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, humane, and sustainable. The discussion explores Matt’s three domains of coaching - personal, cognitive and technical - and why effective professional development has to help teachers see the value of change, understand the thinking behind it, and actually practise the techniques that will make a difference in classrooms. Along the way, they unpack how schools can design coaching systems that are realistic for their context, from whole-staff approaches to team-based models and one-to-one support; why training sits at the heart of good coaching; and how “theory, see it, name it, do it” can help teachers move from ideas to action. As Director of Education and co-author of Coaching WalkThrus, Matt Stone shapes the strategic direction of WalkThrus’ training and support. He leads the training team, supports member schools, and oversees resource development, while providing in-school training, consultancy and coaching. Matt is a former English teacher and school leader in Wales. Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specialising in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@teacherhead (https://twitter.com/teacherhead) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/teacherhead)Emma Turner FCCT is a school improvement advisor, education consultant, trainer and author. She has almost three decades of primary teaching, headship and leadership experience across the sector, working and leading in both MATs and LAs. She works nationally and internationally on school improvement including at single school level and at scale. She has a particular interest in research informed practice in the primary phase, early career development, and CPD design. Follow Emma on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emma_turner75⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://twitter.com/Emma_Turner75) This podcast is sponsored by Teaching WalkThrus and produced in association with Haringey Education Partnership. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://walkthrus.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://walkthrus.co.uk/) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/⁠⁠ (https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/)

Who has been a guest on Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Patrick Cozier
• Bruce Robertson
• Bronwyn Ryrie Jones
• Jenny Anderson
• Shareen Wilkinson

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

94,878

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

4.7 / 5

29 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 66 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

61

Social presence

0

YouTube

85

Engagement

92

Contact Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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