Curriculum Thinking: International Perspectives with Lucy Crehan

Good Morning!

This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Kieran is joined by Lucy Crehan, author of CleverLands and an international education consultant. Together they examine the curriculum in the north of Ireland, the review currently underway, and what other systems might learn from it. The conversation moves from first principles of curriculum construction to the realities of teacher autonomy, and sets those ideas against international comparisons to test what travels and what does not.

If you are interested in how systems evolve, this episode offers both context and practical takeaways. We look at how clarity, coherence and professional trust interact, how subject teams can make better choices within national frameworks, and why local history and politics matter more than most policy documents admit. Whether your focus is classroom practice or school leadership, there is plenty here to challenge assumptions and sharpen decision making.

A link to “wherever you get your podcasts”…

YouTube Audio

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Links to Recommendations

Lucycrehan.com

CleverLands - Lucy Crehan

Northern Irish Curriculum - CCEA

TDaPE Conference Cymru - TDaPE

TDaPE Conference

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The Story of Mathematics

The Story of Mathematics provides the structure, resources, and embedded professional development to build teacher confidence and unlock deep mathematical understanding in every lesson. Grounded in how children learn, it gives teachers practical tools that lift effectiveness, reduce workload and sharpen thinking. If maths is working for every student in your school, keep going. If you want to make it even stronger, reply to this email and I’ll show you the tools hundreds of teachers are using to be the best version of themselves this year.

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That’s all for this week. Let us know if you enjoyed any of the recommendations or have any questions via the comments section wherever you listen or by replying to this email.

Until next time, thanks for listening.