Playful Pedagogies: Critical thinking, Creativity, Constructing Meaning

Xin Xu, Laura Seymour and Cressida Ryan discuss the NESTL project and its co-created toolkit for more neurodivergent-inclusive teaching and learning. How can higher education create more neurodivergent-inclusive teaching and learning? In this episode, Laura Molway talks with Dr Xin Xu, Dr Laura Seymour and Dr Cressida Ryan about the NESTL (Neurodivergent Education for Students, Teaching & Learning) project. They discuss how neurodivergent students and staff helped co-create a practical toolkit through workshops, focus groups, interviews and feedback. The conversation introduces four areas for action - awareness and understanding; teaching practice, space and materials; assessment and feedback; and adjustment and support - and four forces of change: individual, communal, institutional and sector-wide. The guests also reflect on co-creation, making resources usable, and starting with one small change that educators can try, reflect on and build on. Learn more about the NESTL project and toolkit: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/project/neurodivergent-education-for-students-teaching-learning-nestl/ Read the Deanery Digest, “How to support neurodivergent-inclusive teaching and learning?” https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/how-to-support-neurodivergent-inclusive-teaching-and-learning/ Find out about Dr Seymour’s project focussed on examples of Neurodivergent folk in European writings from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries here: https://www.earlymodernneurodivergence.com/ Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

Languages specialist Eowyn Crisfield talks about her involvement in a project with Coventry City Ethnic Minority Achievement Service to create a languages policy for the city’s schools School language policy - do you have one? In this episode Hamish Chalmers talks with language specialist Dr Eowyn Crisfield about why language policies are central to inclusion, and how the Coventry Language Policy for schools is being developed. Grounded in both research and reality, the collaborative process Coventry Ethnic Minority Achievement Services (EMAS) has engaged in will provide a strong policy base for widening participation in languages and ensuring all students are supported to see themselves as language users, language learners, and language experts.   Learn more about the project at Eowyn’s website: https://ocme.uk/blog/coventry-language-policy  Read about the project at the Languages Gateway website: https://www.thelanguagesgateway.uk/blog/4-june-2026-why-school-language-policy-matters-lessons-from-the-coventry-project/   And learn about similar work Eowyn did on the Island of Jersey: https://www.gov.je/Education/Schools/ChildLearning/pages/languagepolicyjerseyeducation.aspx   Explore the WoLLoW resources that Eowyn references: https://theworldoflanguages.co.uk    Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/  Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc 

Exploring the hopes and aspirations of British Pakistani and Bangladeshi families toward elite higher education. In this special edition of the Oxford Education Deanery podcast, Dr Stephanie Nowack is joined by Mitu Khan and Sadaf Yasir to explore how hope towards higher education is collective, intergenerational, and relational. The podcast draws on research from the Oxford Hope Project, led by Dr Aliya Khalid (PI), Dr Stephanie Nowack, Dr Md Sahariar Rahman, Nadia Talukder. It explores how British Pakistani and Bangladeshi students and their families hope and aspire towards higher education amidst precarity. In the podcast, the speakers explore how family, culture, and community shape aspirations towards elite universities like Oxford. Beginning with powerful personal stories of migration, sacrifice, and intergenerational hope, the conversation unfolds into a deeper examination of why highly capable British Pakistani and Bangladeshi students remain underrepresented in top universities. Challenging deficit narratives such as ‘hard to reach’, the episode reframes aspiration as collective, relational, and deeply rooted in family life. It also considers how universities can move beyond outreach to build genuine, reciprocal relationships with communities. Moving from personal testimony to institutional reflection, the episode offers a powerful and hopeful vision: one where universities listen more closely, engage more meaningfully, and create inclusive pathways. To find out more about the Oxford Hope Project, please visit the following links: Project Page: Developing a Socially Sensitive Research Approach to Higher Education Aspirations: Exploring the Hopes and Aspirations of British Sixth Form Students of Pakistani and Bangladeshi Heritage The Daily Star (of Bangladesh) Newspaper – ‘Hope is like an art’ Project Video – Overview of the research project and its aims Deanery Digest – Plain language summary of the research Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

Teachers love using songs with foreign language learners. But do songs help with learning a new language? We explore the evidence. Singing songs with young learners is a classroom technique beloved by many teachers, especially languages teachers. Many teachers say that songs offer something special to the job of learning a new language, and that singing songs can improve foreign language learning outcomes. In this podcast Dr Cate Hamilton talks about her research exploring these assumptions. She describes her journey through the literature, which revealed poor theorising and a lack of well conducted studies that would help us to interpret claims about the educational effects of singing songs. Then, she tells us about her own primary research, which she hopes will add more robust evidence to the to the body of literature to help teachers make informed choices about their practice. Cate conducted her research while a Master’s and Doctoral researcher at Oxford, and has just been awarded the prestigious Doctoral Thesis Award 2025 by the British Educational Research Association (BERA) for her thesis “Investigating the effects of whole-class singing activities on linguistic outcomes of young foreign language learners in English primary schools.” Read Cate’s Deanery Digests about her research here https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/deanery-digests/?keywords=Hamilton&digest_phase=&digest_subject=&digest_theme= Read Cate’s journal papers for more detailed information about her research: Hamilton, C., Schulz, J., Chalmers, H., & Murphy, V.A. (2024). Investigating the substantive linguistic effects of using songs for teaching second or foreign languages to preschool, primary and secondary school learners: a systematic review of intervention research. System, 124(103350). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103350 Hamilton, C. & Murphy, V.A. (2023) Folk pedagogy? Investigating how and why UK early years and primary teachers use songs with young learners, Education 3-13. DOI: 10.1080/03004279.2023.2168132 Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

Exploring how play-based pedagogies can deepen thinking, spark creativity, and help children construct meaning. In this special extended edition of the Oxford Education Deanery podcast, Professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek joins Dr Faidra Faitaki and Jasen Booton to explore how playful pedagogies can transform education. Beginning with a light-hearted exchange about climbing trees and jumping in puddles, the conversation unfolds into a compelling discussion of “active, playful learning” (or guided play) — a research-informed approach grounded in how brains learn best: actively, meaningfully, socially, iteratively, and with joy. Challenging the divide between play and more traditional approaches, the speakers reflect on classroom practice, bilingualism, inclusion, creativity, and the urgent need to rethink schooling in an age of rapid technological change. Moving beyond the classroom to playful public spaces and global initiatives, the episode offers a hopeful vision of education that nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and confident, connected citizens for the future. Find out more about the Playful Pedagogies event, and book your ticket at https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/event/playful-pedagogies-critical-thinking-creativity-constructing-meaning/ Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

In conversation with Dr Julia Badger and assistant headteacher Simon Fox about new research that explores definitions of bullying and coins a new, complimentary, term: counter connecting. About 40% of children and young people are exposed to bullying, but this rate has been reported to be as high as 69% for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Sadly, bullying involvement (either as a perpetrator and/or as a victim) can lead to detrimental effects on mental health in the short- and/or long-term and can be heightened for children with SEND who often experience bullying involvement more intensely or who cannot fully comprehend the situation or emotion. Although reducing bullying in schools has been a public health priority for years, there is still no standardised or universally accepted definition of bullying and the definitions used, are often not inclusive of the experiences of children with SEND. Our conversation explores research that aimed to develop a usable definition of bullying for researchers and school staff that can be applied not only to mainstream school and typically developing children but also to those with SEND, neurodivergence or attending special schools. The episode is accompanied by a Deanery Digest, which can be downloaded from the Oxford Education Deanery website: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/bullying-or-counter-connecting/ Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

Priya Tah from the Rees Centre discusses a study that focuses on the experiences of Black and Asian kinship carers. Priya explains the challenges that racially minoritised kinship carers face and the implications of the study for policy and practice. More than one in five of the 120,000 kinship children in England live with minority ethnic kinship carers. However, little is known about their experiences. In this episode, Priya Tah speaks with Laura Molway about a study commissioned by Kinship and funded by the KPMG Foundation to better understand the experiences, needs, and challenges of Black and Asian kinship carers in England. Evidence suggests that while Black and Asian kinship carers face similar barriers to other kinship families such as a lack of financial support, they also deal with specific challenges, including cultural stigma, systemic racism and limited access to support and tailored services. Priya identifies several areas where improvements in kinship care support could be made, including in awareness, statutory rights, housing, support for special educational needs and disabilities, and the cultural competence of services. The episode is accompanied by a Deanery Digest, which can be downloaded from the Oxford Education Deanery website: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/raised-by-relatives-kinship-carers-from-black-and-asian-communities/ Learn more about the study discussed in this episode by reading the Raised by Relatives report Learn more about the Kinship charity here: https://kinship.org.uk/ Priya also mentions Families in Harmony, which is a UK-based organisation founded to serve Black African, Caribbean and dual heritage kinship carers. You can find out more here: https://familiesinharmony.org.uk/ Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

David Schley from the charity Sense About Science discusses a series of guides to help teachers become confident questioners in the face of claims about new educational initiatives. Schools, teachers and parents are regularly introduced to new measures designed to improve education. However, education is a zero-sum game. The introduction of a new initiative inevitably comes at the expense of something else, be that time, effort, another part of the curriculum, or money. It is important to understand whether adopting a new educational initiative is worth it. In this episode, David Schley of the charity Sense About Science talks with Hamish Chalmers about an initiative to provide educators with key questions to ask when faced with decision about whether to adopt a new educational initiative. The episode is accompanied by a Questioning Guide for teachers, which can be downloaded from the Oxford Education Deanery website. Download a copy of the questioner’s guide: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/resources/ Learn more about Sense About Science: https://senseaboutscience.org Learn more about the confident questioners initiative and see guides from other areas: https://senseaboutscience.org/ask-for-evidence/questioning-guides/ Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

Professor Kathy Sylva OBE speaks to Engagement and Partnerships Lead Joe Bullough about research which she was co-investigator for, which points to the benefits of coaching as part of Early Years' Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The 'Expert and Mentors' programme, which was funded by the Department for Education's £180 million Early Years' Recovery initiative, provided on-site coaching for up to six hours per term to Early Years' settings, with a focus on improving the way the setting supported personal, social, and emotional development (PSED) and communication and language skills. The evaluation, involving 400 settings, showed significant positive impacts on practitioners' confidence and skill in both PSED and (to a lesser degree, though still significant gains) in communication and language. However, it did not find any effect on retention of staff, which was a secondary focus of the investigation. Qualitative findings also highlighted the transformative impact of coaching for practitioners and managers—but, interestingly, also pointed to the most significant benefits for coaches and experts involved. The research finds on-site coaching as a tried and tested, low-cost method to "lift" practice, as part of an effective CPD programme. However, it also makes the case for further longitudinal work, linked to learning outcomes, to make more comprehensive assessments of the longer-term impact of such programmes on children's actual development. A Digest (plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here:https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/the-benefits-of-coaching-as-part-of-early-years-continuing-professional-development-cpd/ Subscribe to the Oxford Education Deanery's mailing list: https://eepurl.com/iAtDik Subscribe to the Oxford Education Deanery's podcast: https://podfollow.com/deanery-digests/view Read the full report, which this episdode and digest are based on: Ecorys UK and Sylva, K., (2025) Evaluation of the Early Years Experts and Mentors programme, UK Government: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e42d3ad052ace7e89776c1/Evaluation_of_the_Early_Years_Experts_and_Mentors_programme.pdf Speaker Bios Professor Kathy Sylva OBE Professor Kathy Sylva is Honorary Research Fellow and Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. She has conducted large-scale studies on the effects of early education and care on children’s development and has led several RCTs to evaluate parenting interventions. She has been specialist adviser to Parliamentary Select Committees and currently advises Ofsted, and the Education Endowment Foundation. Kathy is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Academy of Social Sciences, the British Psychological Society, and recipient of the British Educational Research Association’s Nisbett Award in 2014. She received an OBE for services to children and families in 2008 and has honorary doctorates from the Open University, Oxford Brookes, the University of Gothenburg and the University of Jvyaskyla. https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/person/kathy-sylva/ Joe Bullough Joe Bullough is the Engagement and Partnerships Lead at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. He leads school partnerships under the Oxford Internship Scheme (PGCE), and, with the co-directors, drives the development of the Oxford Education Deanery —a platform for exchange between school teachers in practice and researchers at Oxford. He also provides advisory support to the directors on wider partnership matters. Prior to his role at the Department of Education, Joe managed partnerships and engagement for the Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE) Programme—a £40 million, UK Aid-funded progamme focused on improving learning outcomes and education systems around the world. Prior to that, he worked for UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO). https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/person/joseph-bullough/

Dr Nici Simms discusses her research exploring the different ways clinician-educators experience and understand assessment. Assessment in the field of health professions, such as medicine, is of critical importance because it has implications for the public; for example, certification of health professionals as equipped for patient care. However, within health professions, little attention is paid towards the many health professionals who are involved in assessment – most of which are unlikely to have formal educational qualifications. In this episode, Dr Nici Simms discusses findings from interviews with clinician-educators responsible for assessment in undergraduate medical programmes and identifies four key levels at which they engage with and make sense of assessment in their work. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/deanery-digest/what-do-clinician-educators-really-think-about-assessment/ Nici’s Socials: Twitter @DanicaAnneSims @OxfordMMEd, LinkedIn Danica (Nici) Simms Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkdxpy7LmNcFLujTOHXPmFwlUOUtYSFBOMklHRUhJMzhPRU9GRTJGRDFWQyQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl