More Than Flags and Rainbows: Part Two – From Foundations to Implementation

Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Author

Kieran Mackle
July 28, 2025

More Than Flags and Rainbows: Part Two – From Foundations to Implementation

Good Morning!

This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education (Episode 238), I continue my conversation with Ian Timbrell — and this time, we’re moving from theory to practice. In Part One, we explored the foundations of meaningful LGBTQ+ inclusion in education. In Part Two, we ask: how do we move from good intentions to real, lasting change?

Ian and I dive into what successful implementation looks like in schools and classrooms. We discuss:

  • What makes inclusion meaningful rather than performative

  • The difference between school-level vision and classroom-level action

  • How we can support staff confidence while respecting professional boundaries

  • Why leadership and modelling matter more than most people realise

If you’re thinking about how to embed inclusion authentically in your setting, this episode is packed with honest reflection, practical insight, and ideas that can actually work.

More Than Flags and Rainbows: Part Two – From Foundations to Implementation by Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Episode 238: In this second part of our conversation with Ian Timbrell, Thinking Deeply about Primary Education shifts from theory to action.

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Visual Summary

Tickets are on sale for the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education Conference in Cardiff. Join us for a day of professional learning in aid of a great cause. September 27th, 2025 - 8:30am to 2:30pm. Click on the image to get your tickets!

Huge thank you to everyone who shared the post last week and across the academic year. You’ve helped more teachers and educators think deeply about their craft and it is hugely appreciated. As a thank you, lets go for our first milestone celebration. We’ve managed to go 11 weeks in a row since the newsletter reboot, so let’s go for a 10-minute CPD session on the topic of your collective choosing. To suggest a topic, reply to this email with your choice and I’ll collate the responses and aim to get something ready for the start of August.

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.