Phil Badham

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Phil Badham is an experienced teacher, speaker, and consultant.  He is the Director of Pedestal Education.

Phil is dedicated to equipping schools and colleges with the means and methods to deliver modern, engaging and creative learning experiences to students.

He is known for his practical and high-quality professional development delivered nationally and internationally, offline and online, on subjects including Metacognition, Creative Learning, Assessment, Mastery and Challenge, Digital Strategy, and Independent Learning. 

Phil is keen to ensure all technology use is tied to sound, evidence-informed pedagogy; he is a consultant for the internationally acclaimed Visible LearningPlus  programme, a longstanding and popular trainer with Osiris’ Outstanding Teacher Intervention, as well as serving as an Adobe Education Leader.

Passionate about giving students valuable experiences with technology, Phil enjoys running digital engagement projects for students of all ages to give them creative problem-solving experiences using industry standard digital applications and equipment.

Ultimately, Phil believes in delivering personalised, interactive and inspiring training, and with empathetic support for educators that has quantifiable impact.   

Recent Feedback

'I really liked the the blend of training, engagement,  community building and practice'

'Some of the models and training plans [Phil gave us] are going to be quite useful for training with ANY tool and the Adobe Express training really helped me understand what is available.'

'Phil was very professional, making the pedagogical concepts explored accessible to a range of subjects and practical to employ.'

‘Excellent. Superb. Best INSET in we've had in years’

Kim Wells MA (Cantab), PGCE, ACC is Director of Training & Research at Caterham School and has been teaching for 27 years - two decades as a Senior Leader. He has delivered school training at over 100 schools in the UK and Europe to date, and has spoken at numerous conferences  about teaching and learning.  

He is in a rare group of trainers – someone who is still in the classroom every day, and is responsible for leading teaching and learning at a whole school level.  

Kim qualified as an Executive Level 7 Coach with the Institute of Leadership & Management in 2016, and as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation in 2020. He runs the Coaching skills training programme for both HMC and ISTIP. 

Kim has been heavily involved in winning two national TES awards at Caterham, “Best Use of Technology” and “Education Initiative of the Year”.   

He is a De Bono Master Trainer in Education and guided Caterham to become the first independent school in the country to be awarded Thinking School status.  

He has also designed and led training courses on thinking with the NHS, the Foreign Office, Magistrates and the Insurance industry.  

Recent Feedback

“There can be few harder things than talking to teachers about teaching and learning. However, the response from staff was universally positive. You came across as intelligent, articulate, engaging and above all replete with practical ideas that were as relevant to experienced teachers as to new entrants to the profession. Having sat through endless disappointing Insets, it was so refreshing as a Head to begin term with staff upbeat, energised and enthused about their teaching and the pupils’ learning” 

Headteacher

“The short, sharp session was just what we needed and Kim's excellent delivery had our HoDs engaged and laughing within minutes even after a very long day. Inspirational!”

Deputy Head

"A school needs three things from an inset provider: an upbeat presentation which will make staff look forward to their own lessons, a stimulus to continue to develop practice healthily, and a set of skills, some of which can be applied immediately. Kim delivers all three with perfect reliability."

Headteacher

In addition to one off CPD days, Kim also offers long term coaching support.

Coaching is a highly effective management tool for developing both your staff and your students. It helps others to feel empowered to take ownership of a situation, and to come up with their own way forward. It is proven to increase both self confidence and resilience. 

Coaching involves asking rather than telling, eliciting rather than giving solutions, and focusing on the person rather than the topic.

Kim can help support your coaching journey in a number of ways:

• Intensive training for small groups of key staff (senior & middle leaders, professional tutors, mentors etc)
• Whole staff training on the core principles of coaching, together with practical coaching techniques to use in the classroom
• Upskilling older students to work as coaches with younger students 
• One to one coaching support for key staff (e.g. career coaching or those new to leadership roles)
• Advice for senior leaders on how to embed a coaching culture at a school

Author of three widely selling books, Claire Gadsby is an internationally renowned consultant, trainer and keynote speaker with more than 25 years of experience in education. She has worked with hundreds of schools around the world to raise achievement and believes passionately in ‘walking the talk.’ 

Claire regularly coaches teachers in the classroom to demonstrate her innovative pedagogies and approaches to assessment. A leading expert on formative assessment, time-efficient feedback and learning environments, Claire strives to improve outcomes for all learners and to help teachers to work smarter not harder.

When she is not working with teachers, Claire is busy delivering her signature ‘Radical Revision’ Programme directly to students and their parents.

Specialist Areas

• Assessment for Learning (Formative Assessment)
• Adaptive Teaching
• Marking and Feedback/ easing teacher workload 
• Outstanding teaching and learning 
• Creating active learning environments 
• Retrieval and dynamic revision 

“The team teaching lesson studies were an amazing learning opportunity to see Claire Gadsby’s AfL strategies in action – plenty of practical effective takeaways. The debrief after the lessons meant the learning stuck and the rationale behind the strategies was fully understood.”

Clare Connor, Assistant Principal

“I learned more with Claire in an hour than I did in a month on my PGCE! Thank you!” 

ECT teaching in year 4

"Claire’s first (and not last!) visit to JPS was a resounding success and enormously beneficial to all teachers and leaders at our school. The way that she explains the different strategies, with clear examples is so motivating and engaging. All of the teachers - both in the ‘team teaching’ sessions, as well as the whole-school PD sessions were absolutely brilliant. Teachers felt empowered to try out techniques in their class and were buzzing with enthusiasm. One of the real positives about Claire is that everything is research and evidence-based; this really gives her ideas context and as she has an educator’s background, direct experience too. Claire was simply inspirational during her visit to JPS. Already her adaptive teaching strategies have made an immediate impact on our school and there was so much positivity generated by her. Wherever your school is in its learning journey, I would 100% recommend Claire’s expertise and hands-on approach to using AfL in the classroom. Thank you Claire - come back soon!"

Josh Gonet, Assistant Principal, Jumeirah Primary School

 In 2011, frustrated by the current state of education I began to blog. Since then I have expressed the constraints and irritations of ordinary teachers, detailed the successes and failures of my classroom and synthesised my 15 years of teaching experienced through the lens of education research and cognitive psychology. The Learning Spy is widely recognised as one of the most influential education blogs in the UK and has won a number of awards. In February 2017, I recorded 2.5 million visitors to the site.

So, what have I done with all this influence? Well, Ofsted started listening. In 2014 I consulted on the Inspection Handbook and made a commitment to common sense and practical humanity which has resulted in lesson observation grades being scrapped and inspectors asked to ‘look at’ classroom practice and ask questions, rather than ‘look for’ preferred methodologies.

I’ve also spent a lot of time working in schools to improve the way teachers approach students’ literacy. The Secret of Literacy, urged teachers to ‘make the implicit explicit’. Teachers are highly literate but often have little idea how they are able to do what they do. Often teachers just assume students can do what they can do. Breaking down and codifying what teachers are able to do, allows them to teach reading and writing more effectively.

My new book, What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Psychology is out shortly.

What If Everything You Knew About Education Was Wrong? explores the idea that much of what happens in schools is based on unexamined assumptions. My most important insight is, contrary to our  intuitions, learning is invisible. All we can see is what students can do and from that we infer what they might have learned. But students’ performance turns out to be a very poor proxy for predicting long-term retention and the ability to transfer skills and concepts between different contexts. This simple observation is well supported by research evidence and classroom observations, but widely ignored in education. If true, many of the sacred cows of teaching are in doubt. The ways teachers teach, curriculums are organised and teachers held to account might all rest on a misapprehension of how learning happens. In the book, I suggest how we might go about rethinking education in order to realign schools with how children actually.

My most recent book, What Every Teacher Needs To Know About Psychology, co-written with Nick Rose, does exactly what the title suggests – discussing the classroom implications of the psychological principles most useful in an educational context.

As well as being a freelance writer, speaker and trainer, I am also running the English Studies modules as part of BPP University’s PGCE course.

If you’d like to know a little more about me, these two posts will give you a flavour: This is who I am and This is what I think.

I have been a maths teacher since 2004, working at Range High School in Formby, and Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton. Four years into my career I was appointed as an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST), which was a role I loved. It enabled me to focus all my attention into teaching and learning, having the privilege to work with and learn from many students and teachers in a wide variety of schools. I took a break from regular teaching in 2019 to focus on my other work.

I am the co-creator of Diagnostic Questions. This is a free website hosting the world's largest collection of high-quality maths diagnostic multiple choice questions, and helps teachers and students all around the world identify, understand and resolve key misconceptions.

I am the Head of Education at Eedi. This is the company that I co-founded that now owns Diagnostic Questions, and I am very excited about our future plans for improving teaching and learning world wide.

For 10 years I was the Secondary Maths Adviser to TES (formerly the Times Educational Supplement), the largest professional network of teachers in the world. The role involves curating and reviewing some of the amazing resources written by generous and talented maths teachers all over the world, as well as writing newsletters, and building collections. You can see some of my work here.

Since building mrbartonmaths.com in 2007, my website has been used by millions of teachers, students and parents across the world. In 2016 I gave it a much needed make-over, introducing my Topics and Rich Task sections.

I am the creator of far too many websites, including variationtheory.com, ssddproblems.com, DQaDay.com and mathsvenns.com.

I launched my Mr Barton Maths Podcast in 2015, allowing me to talk to people from the world of education who interest and inspire me, including Dylan Wiliam, Doug Lemov, Daisy Christodoulou and Dan Meyer.

My book, "How I wish I'd taught maths: Lessons learned from research, conversations with experts and 12 years of mistakes" came out in January 2018. It is published by John Catt Education Ltd, and can be bought via Amazon or directly from John Catt.

In February 2020 I released my second book, "Reflect, Expect, Check, Explain: sequences and behaviour to enable mathematical thinking in the classroom". This can be bought via Amazon or directly from John Catt.

In February 2020 I was also appointed a Visiting Fellow at the Mathematics Education Centre at the University of Loughborough.

In 2022 I started my Tips for Teachers project, which led to a website and podcast, and eventually my third book, Tips for Teachers.

I regularly run workshops, deliver keynote addresses, and work with maths departments both in the UK and overseas. For more information on this, please see the CPD section.

Most importantly of all, I am married to Kate and the father of Isaac and Jacob.

Click here to watch Craig's FREE workshop '25 Tips for Teachers': https://craigbarton.podia.com/free-workshop-25-tips-for-teachers

Bradley Busch is a Chartered Psychologist. He is one of the leading experts on how psychological research can best help students and teachers improve how they think, learn and perform. Outside of education, he works with Premiership and international footballers, as well as has helped members of Team GB win medals at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. He is the co-author of ‘The Science of Learning – 99 studies every teacher needs to know’ 

His specialist areas include:

• Cognitive Science
• The Science of Learning
• Retrieval
• Leadership
• Cognitive Load
• Metacognition
• Resilience
• Mindset
• Feedback
• Motivation

“The CPD was amazing. Very informative and fun and entertaining Brad gave practical advice and frameworks to build on and made me analyse my own practical and think about ways to improve” - Teacher

Amjad Ali is regarded as one of the most engaging and empowering voices in the fields of inclusive leadership and professional development. With his trademark humour, warmth, and clarity, Amjad brings a rare ability to translate the complexities of educational leadership into practical strategies that challenge, inspire, and stick.

Having spent over 19 years working in diverse and high-need schools — including seven years as a founding leadership team member of a new secondary school — Amjad now serves as a Trust Training and Inclusion Lead, supporting leaders, teachers, and school communities to grow cultures of equity, ambition, and sustained professional learning.

Amjad’s delivery is grounded in lived experience. He began his career as a Play Worker and then a Teaching Assistant in youth offender institutions before training as a teacher and went on to become an Advanced Skills Teacher in Teaching and Learning, and eventually training as a SENDCO and a senior leader. This journey has shaped a leadership philosophy rooted in equity, high expectations, and transformational CPD.

He has delivered keynotes, workshops and INSET to audiences across all phases of education — from early career teachers to CEOs — working with over 250 schools and 1,000s of educators across the UK and internationally. Whether in front of a room of newly qualified teachers or leading a trust-wide leadership event, Amjad’s sessions consistently receive praise for being funny, thought-provoking, energising, and immediately actionable.

A sought-after leadership speaker and CPD specialist, Amjad supports schools to try and refine their leadership approach to training and inclusion, ensuring professional development becomes embedded, evidence-informed and impactful. His mantra is simple: “What will you now try, refine and ditch.”

He also co-founded The BAMEed Network, a national grassroots organisation committed to diversifying educational leadership and ensuring equity across the system — a mission that continues to shape his work in inclusive leadership today.

Amjad tailors every session to the values, needs and ambitions of your setting — with options that include:

Keynotes for Conferences and Leadership Events
Amjad’s keynotes are consistently rated as highlights of leadership conferences and INSET days. He blends real-life insight with research-informed practice to help leaders and educators laugh, reflect, reset and move forward with clarity.

“We brought Amjad in for our trust-wide leadership event and his keynote left a lasting impression. Insightful, funny, and exactly what we needed to reframe our CPD approach.” – Senior Leader Feedback

Trust-wide and School-based CPD & INSET

Amjad works with schools to design bespoke CPD and INSET packages that combine evidence, practicality, and reflection. His delivery keeps staff engaged from start to finish, balancing pedagogical depth with inclusive strategies tailored to your setting.

Inclusive Leadership and CPD Strategy Support
Amjad supports senior leaders and CPD leads to build sustainable CPD strategies, develop leadership pipelines, and embed inclusive practice in everything from recruitment to classroom culture.

Virtual & Pre-recorded CPD
Flexible access to a range of pre-recorded sessions or bespoke recorded content for schools looking to build internal capacity and scale staff training.

• Leadership of Effective CPD
• Inclusive Leadership and Representation
• Adaptive Teaching 
• Equity, Diversity and Belonging
• Behaviour Leadership and Culture
• SEND and Differentiation
• Research-informed Pedagogy
• Stretch & Challenge in the Classroom

🔗 See Testimonials
📄   Download CPD Offer
📚  A Little Guide for Teachers: SEND in School  – 25% off with code UKAUTHR25

Wendy has over 30 years of experience in education with a wealth of knowledge across various roles including working as a English Subject Leader and Senior School Leader in secondary education, as a Senior Adviser in a Local Education Authority leading a cross county Newly Qualified teacher support programme and moderation teams in KS1 and KS2 primary assessment and moderation. 

For the past decade Wendy has also worked closely with Professor John Hattie to provide teachers across the UK and recently into Europe, with some of the world’s most impactful teacher training through the Visible Learning Plus intervention programme. 

Wendy also has several years’ experience working as an additional Ofsted inspector in secondary education which has provided the knowledge and expertise to support leaders in primary and secondary schools through school improvement partnerships, undertaking School Improvement Reviews, and through bespoke training for middle and senior leaders. 

Wendy is passionate about developing teacher and leadership skills so that collectively, teachers and leaders can maximise the outcomes for all learners, and through teachers and leaders gaining a greater understanding of how their pupils learn.

Specialist Areas

• Developing a shared and deep understanding of pedagogy, focusing on self-regulation, metacognition feedback,
• Leadership – middle and senior leadership roles, particularly for teachers new in role through bespoke training packages or 1:1 support
• Teaching Assistant training – upskilling TAs in teaching and learning techniques, for example, questioning
• School Improvement support – analysing SEF and SDPs, supporting middle leaders in subject and phase roles
• Developing Literacy in secondary education

Recent Reviews

Wendy’s clear and concise delivery has made me a more reflective middle leader. Her knowledge of good practice, leadership strategies and approaches to your developing role, subject or phase will set you well on your way to building your ‘cathedral’ and realizing your vision!

Middle Leader - Primary

I found this course engaging and interesting with excellent opportunities for reflection. The guidance and discussions offered the chance to share good practice, practical strategies and to build confidence in the full role of a middle leader.

Middle Leader - Primary

 Mark Roberts is a renowned writer, teacher and speaker.

He is the author of the bestselling books Boys Don’t Try? (2019), You Can’t Revise for GCSE English! (2020), The Boy Question (2021), You Can’t Revise for A Level English Literature! (2021) and The Behaviour Whisperer (2024). Mark also writes regularly for Tes on subjects including pedagogy, behaviour and educational research. 

Having previously worked in schools in Devon and inner-city Manchester, Mark now works as a senior leader at Carrickfergus Grammar School in Northern Ireland, as the country’s first Director of Research, a role that he combines with teaching English. 

As a speaker, Mark regularly appears at prestigious conferences and events, and on podcasts and documentaries. He works with schools and other organisations across the UK and internationally, supporting senior leaders, middle leaders and classroom teachers.

Mark's areas of expertise include:

• Improving boys' attainment
• Motivating boys to succeed
• Effective communication for improved classroom behaviour
• Developing students' study skills
• Helping students learn from failure
• Improving outcomes in English
• Enhancing academic writing
• Developing creative writing skills