Episode 45: Emma McCrea on transforming education, one curriculum at a time

In the latest episode of Heads & Tales, Henry Faber is joined by Emma McCrea , Head of Curriculum at Oak National Academy . Emma is a powerhouse in the education sector, recognised for dedication to evidence-informed teaching and transformative curriculum design. From her early days as a teacher to now leading the development of curriculum across all subjects and phases, Emma has been at the vanguard of what effective teaching looks like today.

Amongst other strings to her bow, Emma is also an acclaimed author, with her book Making Every Maths Lesson Count offering valuable insights for educators in all settings. Emma's career reflects an untiring commitment to ensuring that teaching is grounded in research, accessible for educators and, crucially, life-changing for students.

??? Episode highlights

• Emma reflects on whether the fact that she doesn't currently have a mentor is detrimental or not, going on to discuss mentors she turned to earlier in her career.
• She shares a remarkable anecdote about having to repeat Year 6 and how it became the catalyst for her passion for curriculum innovation.
• Emma goes into some of the toughest moments of her teaching career, including a troublesome Year 8 class that turned into an overwhelmingly positive experience.
• She shares a game-changing tip for teachers known as the "Famous Five" strategy that addresses classroom engagement and punctuality.
• Her tongue-in-cheek book recommendation is of course her own, Making Every Maths Lesson Count, but goes on to discuss further suggestions for those in the sector.

Heads & Tales is a podcast series from mentoring company Oppidan Education where leaders from the world of education are asked the same seven questions.

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