Teaching Primary Children Where They Are | A Conversation with Emma Turner

In this essential episode for school leaders, Shane explores primary education leadership with Emma Turner, a primary education expert with over 25 years of experience in school leadership development. Emma challenges the common practice of applying secondary-focused approaches to primary settings, sharing practical school leadership strategies that respect how young children actually learn. This conversation offers valuable education leadership training for international school leaders who want to improve their understanding of age-appropriate pedagogy and effective transition processes between educational phases.

Emma discusses why primary education often defaults to "secondary light" approaches and shares innovative school improvement strategies that create "academically seductive" learning environments. From managing the flexibility of primary school days to building better understanding between phases, this episode provides actionable education leadership skills for heads, principals, and teacher leadership development coordinators. Whether you're leading organisational change in schools or developing school leadership programmes, Emma's insights on the "brackish water" approach to transitions and cross-phase collaboration will enhance your school culture change initiatives.

Connect with Emma

• Podcast: "Mind the Gap" with Tom Sherrington - youtube.com/c/MindtheGapwithTomEmma
• Books: amazon.com/stores/author/B0839NHR9P
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/emma-l-turner

Episode Partners

Teacher Development Trust

International Curriculum Association

Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.