Dr Kathy Weston

Roxana Pomplun, who has recently passed her PhD viva, is our Researcher of the Month for June 2025. Her research focuses on how a group of younger adolescents (11-13 years old) interact with algorithmically curated social media like TikTok and YouTube Shorts during this critical stage of brain development. Through interviews with 19 participants, Roxana uncovered these young people's complex perceptions of the emotional impacts of algorithmically curated feeds, and explored the self-regulating strategies that they subconsciously use to manage their social media use. Learn about her fascinating findings here.

Educator and social scientist joins us to chat about his new book Masculinities in Schools, which aims to help schools and teachers grow their confidence in exploring masculinities with young people. We know that teachers are struggling with issues and conversations around masculinities. How do we discuss problem areas associated with masculinities, without demonising the young men we are engaging with? How do we create safe spaces for young people to discuss and challenge their masculinities together? If you feel confused about where to start, tune in to find out more. 

What does it mean to be a good enough parent in a world full of pressure, perfectionism and parenting ideals? In this warm conversation, Dr Cassie Rhodes is joined by clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr Tara Porter to explore the messy, complex and rewarding reality of parenting. Drawing on her new book, Good Enough: A Framework for Modern Parents, Dr Porter shares reflections from over 30 years as a clinical psychologist and her own experiences as a mother of three, unpacking the core principles of good enough parenting, connection, balanced expectations and the courage to let go.

Sensory needs are being recognised as a vital part of learning, development and engagement within the classroom. Kim, an occupational therapist, with 20 year's experience supporting sensory needs, talks through how teachers might identify sensory needs and how to use sensory tools effectively in the classroom.

Our latest Researcher of the Month, Dr Victoria Goodyear, is challenging policymakers and educators to move past simple smartphone bans in schools. In this thought-provoking interview, she shares the latest findings from her NIHR-funded SMART Schools Study, which reveals that restrictive phone policies alone do not improve adolescent mental health or reduce overall phone use. Dr Goodyear calls for a rights-based, education-led approach, empowering young people with the skills, agency and support they need to navigate digital spaces safely and meaningfully.

We chat to one of the world's leading experts on men, masculinities, gender, and violence prevention. In this wide-ranging interview, Professor Michael Flood shares decades of insight into how we can foster healthier relationships, challenge gender stereotypes, and meaningfully prevent violence against women and girls. Drawing on extensive scholarship and frontline advocacy, Professor Flood offers evidence-based, practical advice for educators and parents, capturing key messages and actionable guidance for supporting boys and young men to grow into respectful, responsible and resilient adults.

Thinking about talking to children if you or a close loved one has been diagnosed with a serious illness may feel very difficult and it’s completely understandable to want to protect them from pain. However, we know that being open and honest is important for their mental health. Professor Louise Dalton joins us to chat about her work on this important issue, one which touches many families. It also contains advice for schools supporting pupils.

Ellie Softley, Head of Education at Everyone's Invited, talks to us about a new programme of work with UK primary schools, which the organisation is running in conjunction with researchers from the University of Surrey. Tune in for numerous tips which will help parents or educators navigate potentially challenging conversations with children and teens about issues surround misogyny. Please note that this interview contains adult themes and isn't suitable for younger ears.

Ever wanted to know how important adventurous play is in young children's development? April's Researchers of the Month, Dr Kathryn Hesketh and Professor Helen Dodd, chat to us about new findings from a new national survey of play in preschool-aged children. Find out more about the benefits of adventurous play for both mental and physical health, learn some surprising gendered findings around how very young boys and girls play, and get some top tips about how we can help to facilitate adventurous play (even if the thought of letting our children climb higher in that tree gives us butterflies and a racing heart). Professor Dodd and Dr Hesketh also tell us about some exciting new projects that they are embarking on.

Spoiler alert: This interview discusses events and themes from the hit Netflix show, Adolescence. In this informal and informative chat, Dr Weston talks with Dr Elly Hanson, a clinical psychologist who focuses on tackling abuse and online harms. The conversation focuses on themes that have emerged from the show, immediate impressions from the programme, and provides some actions that parents and educators can take to help children and teens navigate the digital world and potentially harmful gender expectations.

We are often asked by both families and teachers about how best to support young people in the event that a loved one is seriously ill. Here, Professor Victoria Cooper shares her expertise in this area, offering tips for both parents and school staff. She also highlights the work of Hope Support Services, a UK charity which helps young people aged five to twenty five when a loved one has a serious illness.

In this interview, Suzanne Graham, Professor of Language and Education at the University of Reading, and Alison Porter, Associate Professor at the University of Southampton and chair of the Research in Primary Languages network, chat about the benefits of learning foreign languages at primary school. Tune in to find out about the links between language learning, empathy and creativity, and explore key strategies that educators can use to maintain children’s motivation to learn. Professor Graham and Professor Porter talk about their many fascinating projects and highlight a fantastic resource pack and MOOC (massive open online course) which they are currently working on for primary school teachers.

Our researcher of the month, Professor Judy Hutchings OBE, joins Dr Cassie Rhodes to talk about the results of a large trial analysing the efficacy of the KiVa anti-bullying programme in the UK. The trial involved 11,000 children and 118 primary schools and it has shown that a significant improvement in social dynamics in primary schools and a 13% reduction in bullying. This is a fantastic episode for any primary school educators who want to learn more about this effective intervention and how to implement it in your schools.

In this interview, Dr Gemma Goldenberg talks about her fantastic new book Taking Action on Distraction: The definitive guide to improving attention and focus in the Early Years and Key Stage One, which is published today (27th February 2025). Do you want to learn more about creating an effective and calmer learning environment? Dr Goldenberg helps us to understand more about how attention works and chats about how teachers can work positively with all children in early years and primary settings to improve their focus and concentration. Discover accessible insights from research, practical classroom tips and reflective questions to discuss with children and colleagues. These tips are aimed mainly at educators, but can also be applied in family life.

More than 130,000 women and girls living in England and Wales have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). Despite the practice being illegal in the UK, 60,000 girls every year are at risk. Globally, every nine seconds, a girl is at risk. This interview educates listeners about FGM and its significant and long-lasting impacts. Valerie talks with empathy and personal insight, offering practical advice for school staff seeking to protect and educate those in their care from this extremely harmful practice.

February's researcher of the month, Dr Kim Sylwander, joins Dr Cassie Rhodes to chat about her new paper, "There is No Right Age! The Search for Age-Appropriate Ways to Support Children’s Digital Lives and Rights". Dr Sylwander talks about the importance of considering each individual child's capacity, maturity levels and understanding of digital issues before giving them access to certain digital devices or content, and offers parents some great advice about opening up discussions about children's rights online and critical thinking. A thought-provoking conversation which also explores the need for us all to consider the evidence before making decisions.

Professor Paul Ramchandani, Lego Professor of Play in Education, Development and Learning at the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, chats to us about different kinds of play, why play is so vital to children's development and wellbeing, and why all parents and carers should be considering their children's 'play diet'.

Relatively little work has focused on why we are motivated to learn words. In this interview, our researchers of the month talk to Dr Cassie Rhodes about the findings of their new study, which assessed whether children and teens experience a sense of intrinsic reward from word learning. They discuss how these findings might be useful in designing interventions focusing on vocabulary learning and reading, and talk about ongoing research into why some children, such as those with dyslexia or developmental language disorder, might struggle with word learning, and what role intrinsic reward plays.

Homework has a key role to play in strengthening memory, building attainment and helping students to develop transferable, life-long study skills. If done right, regular, good-quality homework has the potential to bridge achievement gaps and help all students become successful, confident learners. Experienced teacher, Dr Jovita Castelino, talks to us about her new book, The Homework Conundrum, providing advice and tips for teachers about how to set effective homework, build a strong homework culture, support students and use rewards and sanctions that work. For parents, she outlines how we can help children to understand the benefits of homework, support homework focus and encourage them to see how advantageous it can be to take control of their own learning.

Dr Isabel Morales-Muñoz chats about her fascinating work which investigates what role sleep problems in very early childhood have in the development of later mental health problems. Very few babies and toddlers sleep through the night all of the time, so Dr Morales-Muñoz chats about what might be normative developmentally, and what might indicate a problem that could benefit from intervention. Learn about the potential links between poor sleep and later ADHD diagnosis and find out about the links between sleep during pregnancy and children's later sleep patterns.