Magnify Matters Podcast

“Building better teaching through practice and feedback” with Teach Well

Drawing on their work across more than 900 schools, Katie Webster and Katie Roberts-Hull reflect on the realities of school improvement, from early career teaching experiences to system-wide professional learning, and what it takes to move beyond one-off professional development to something that genuinely shifts teaching.

As partners in the Magnify Sandhurst journey, they connect research to practice, exploring how modelling, feedback and sustained support build teacher confidence and create the conditions for every student to learn.

Together they explore:

  • Why calm, orderly and predictable learning environments are the foundation for effective teaching and learning.
  • What doesn’t work in professional learning, and why one-off workshops rarely lead to sustained change in practice.
  • Why teachers need to see what effective instruction looks like, not just hear the theory behind it.
  • How retrieval practice, review and full participation strengthen learning and support long-term memory.
  • Why system improvement relies on coherence, shared language and continuous learning over time.

 

Whether you’re in the classroom, leading a school or working across a system, this episode offers practical insight and a clear reminder that improving teaching is not about doing more, but about doing what works, consistently and well.

Now stay with us as we magnify what truly matters in education.

Flourising Podcast

“What schools really like to have is… clarity” with Katie Roberts-Hull – Flourishing Podcast

In this episode of the Flourishing Podcast, Danny Jaber speaks with Katie Roberts-Hull about how teachers, schools, and systems can improve teaching practice through evidence-informed professional learning, strong curriculum resources, and clear system direction.The conversation explores how success builds motivation, why teachers need clarity and shared language, and how professional learning works best when it combines the “why” of research with practical classroom strategies. Katie also discusses the importance of intellectual preparation, the role of high-quality curriculum resources like Ochre, and how system frameworks such as the Vision for Instruction and Vision for Engagement help schools align practice and strengthen equity and excellence across the system.This episode is ideal for teachers, school leaders, and education system leaders interested in improving teaching practice, professional learning, and student outcomes.

 

2025 Impact Report – Jolimont Primary School

Leading the way in high achievement

According to the recent coverage in The West Australian, Jolimont Primary is one of only two WA primary schools named among the 30 ‘high achievement’ schools in this year’s statewide NAPLAN round. What stands out: 69% of their Year 5 students made above-average progress in numeracy – the highest among all schools on the list – when compared with students of similar backgrounds and the same starting scores from Year 3. Their reading growth was also outstanding, with 62% of Year 5s achieving above-average progress.

As the West Australian puts it, these results reflect more than just test scores. The principal of Jolimont, Barbara Iffla, told The West Australian that staff were ‘delighted and proud’ that their efforts were translating into real, significant outcomes for students. For a relatively small school with a culturally diverse population, with about 410 students from Kindergarten to Year 6, this kind of high-impact, high-growth result is especially impressive.

Over the past ten years the school has created strong collaborative team processes based on trust and practice. Year level teams meet weekly to discuss and action everything from operational plans, lesson and unit planning, assessment, pedagogy and concerns. They are consistent in their delivery of whole school programs such as Prime Maths, Morphology, Letters and Sounds, Ochre Novel Studies, Talk for Writing and Seven Steps.

Their priority has been embedding classroom practices, including to challenge their most able students, with Barbara noting, ‘the biggest impact has been having our whole school staff trained by Teach Well, ensuring common practice and language throughout the school, supporting student learning and teacher impact.’

Twenty teachers from Jolimont have completed the Masterclass Series in High-Impact Instruction, with more teachers to follow in 2026. Their willingness to build capacity, implement evidence-based instructional strategies, and commit to continuous improvement

2025 Impact Report – Catholic Regional College, St Albans

St Albans is a Y7-10 school in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne that has made a strong start towards providing the best opportunities for students through high quality and consistent teaching and learning.

After a review in 2024, the leadership team set a clear plan to improve literacy and numeracy, as well as provide a more effective model of coaching to enhance teacher capacity. Staff completed the Masterclass Series in 2025, along with leadership completing the Instructional Lead Fellowship. A whole-school workshop aligning to the Masterclass Series also ensured the staff had a shared and consistent understanding to high quality teaching and learning. The Curriculum Survey conducted as part of the Instructional Lead Fellowship, with a focus on Mathematics, provided valuable information from the department on curriculum. This highlighted the need
for a focus on developing fine grained unit outlines to ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum.

Implementation of the Full Participation Principles began in the Mathematics faculty, with the Mathematics Leader facilitating professional learning and modelling explicit teaching practices and use of the Ochre slides as a base resources. Their efforts paid off. For Maths, there was a clear upward shift in achievement for Year 7 students, with the proportion of students in the highest band increasing from 24% to 37% and a reduction in the mid and lower bands. In Reading, Year 9 students at the 140 – 149 achievement band went from 6.6% in 2024 to 27% in 2025.

CRC St Albans is on an exciting journey to support all their students to achieve improved outcomes, armed with a clear plan, whole-school collaboration and evidence-based professional learning in hand.

Alumni Newsletter- Term 4 2025

Welcome back to Term 4!

We hope you had a restful break and are ready for an exciting final term filled with learning and celebration of the year’s achievements. Talking of achievements, as our 2025 Masterclasses start to wrap up, we are seeing some fantastic results and feedback from the participants and students this year. We can’t wait to share them with you in our 2025 Impact Report.

We have some incredible new courses in WA commencing in Term 1, 2026 and of course, we are offering the Masterclass Series in person and online again. Please see below for more details.

Teach Well Online Modules – new in 2026!

Teach Well is launching a new series of professional learning programs designed to support schools and teachers in curriculum design, resource implementation, and effective classroom instruction. Click here to find out more.

Teaching for Impact in Mathematics

The Teaching for Impact in Mathematics (TIM) Series provides professional learning support and resources to teachers and leaders to get the most from the Ochre Education materials. Working from a robust research and evidence base, the TIM Series supports teachers and leaders to build more high-impact instruction into their classrooms and schools, to accelerate learning for all students. Learn more here.

Instructional Lead Fellowship

The Instructional Lead Fellowship is a 3-day program for Teach Well alumni and school leaders to build their capacity to embed and sustain high-impact instruction in their school. The sessions will enhance skills in designing impactful professional learning for staff, building an effective coaching framework and strengthening guaranteed and viable curriculum to enhance student learning. In 2026 we are offering the program online and also in-person in WA. Find out when the Fellowship is running here.

Masterclass Series in High-Impact Instruction

A 9-month course supporting teachers and school leaders to build more high-impact instruction into their classrooms. Please see dates for all WA cohorts available in 2026.  Find out more here.

Getting to know Curriculum Development in Practice

This spotlight session offers a glimpse into the strategies explored in the Curriculum Development in Practice program. Hosted by Janine and Sasha, the creators of this highly successful project that has already made a significant impact on the East Coast, the spotlight session offers practical insights that will guide you in building a guaranteed and viable curriculum aligned with high-impact instructional practices.
Tuesday, 20 November 2025 – 3.30pm – 4.30pm AWST
Online – register now.

 

📚 Teach Well – Alumni Resources 🤓

Have you ordered your copy yet?

Teach Well’s Instruction and Coaching Companion is now available!
Designed with your teams in mind, the Companion offers practical, bite-sized guidance to support high-impact teaching. It’s the perfect tool for coaching sessions, PLCs, and refining your craft using the strategies from the Masterclass Series.
If you haven’t grabbed your copies yet, now’s the time. Click here to order.

Have you ever wanted a glossy poster for your classroom wall?

You asked, and we’ve finally got it happening. Our Teach Well posters are now available, at cost, in hardcopy printed format for any teachers or leaders wanting a more durable copy for the classroom or staff room wall. Order HERE and send us a picture of your poster on the wall!

Teach Well’s Essential Induction Resources for Great Teaching

Following on from the success of our Instruction and Coaching Companion, the Teach Well team have created another fantastic resource for your school.
Teach Well’s Essential Induction Resources has been developed to support schools in building and strengthening their own induction handbooks for teachers. It brings together a curated collection of posters and guides that capture the key principles and practical implementation ideas behind the high-impact instructional strategies explored in greater depth through our courses. Designed to be flexible and adaptable, this collection allows schools to select and integrate the resources most relevant to their context—whether for induction materials, professional learning documentation, or team-based planning. Download your copy now.

 

Alumni Newsletter- Term 3 2025

We hope your term 3 is off to a good start!

Just a quick reminder from us: Teach Well and Ochre Education have officially joined forces! While many of you already know, it’s worth celebrating again — this partnership brings together Teach Well’s strength in professional development with Ochre’s high-quality, freely available curriculum. Now part of the Ochre Education family, Teach Well will continue to support educators across Australia with even greater reach and impact. Together, we’re working towards a shared mission: to strengthen teaching and accelerate learning in every classroom, nationwide.

 

Congratulations to our Instructional Lead Fellowship Graduates!

A huge shoutout to the incredible educators who’ve just completed the Teach Well Instructional Lead Fellowship in Perth.
Over the past several months, these leaders have deepened their expertise in high-impact teaching and coaching practices, supported their teams, and built in more fine-grained curriculum into their subjects.
Your commitment to scaling and embedding high-impact instruction — and to the students you serve — has been inspiring. We can’t wait to see the continued impact you’ll have in your schools and communities.

 

Join our Year 3-10 East Coast Cohorts 
We are so excited for these first east coast cohorts that we are offering one free place per school when you sign up another teacher (maximum: one free place per school). Applications close on 29 August – get in quick to secure our Early Bird offer.
Download the brochure here.

 

Have you ordered your copy yet?

Teach Well’s Instruction and Coaching Companion is now available!
Designed with your teams in mind, the Companion offers practical, bite-sized guidance to support high-impact teaching. It’s the perfect tool for coaching sessions, PLCs, and refining your craft using the strategies from the Masterclass Series.
If you haven’t grabbed your copies yet, now’s the time. Click here to order.

 

Have you ever wanted a glossy poster for your classroom wall?

You asked, and we’ve finally got it happening. Our Teach Well posters are now available, at cost, in hardcopy printed format for any teachers or leaders wanting a more durable copy for the classroom or staff room wall. Order HERE and send us a picture of your poster on the wall!

 

 

📚 Teach Well – Alumni Resources 🤓

Should All Maths Teachers Use the Same Methods?
In a recent post, Craig Barton makes the case for greater method alignment within Maths departments. While teacher preference is often a sticking point, he argues that consistent methods—especially when introducing new concepts—can reduce student confusion, support long-term understanding, and make departmental planning more effective.

Read the full article here

Teach Well and Ochre Education Join Forces for Collective Impact

Teach Well and Ochre Education are joining forces to deepen our collective impact – strengthening support for educators and accelerating learning for all students, in every classroom across Australia.

Teach Well has been acquired by Ochre Education, a national not-for-profit, that supports teachers and expands student access to comprehensive high-quality curriculum through a free online library.

This marks the beginning of a collaborative partnership which promises to enhance support for evidence-informed education across the country, leveraging the mission-driven focus that defines both organisations. Bringing together Ochre Education’s comprehensive curriculum offerings with Teach Well’s expertise in professional development, will provide more educators with access to cohesive resources and support to ensure every student can reach their full potential. 

Teach Well’s role in providing rich professional learning experiences enabling the implementation of high-impact practices in every classroom remains unchanged. Teach Well will continue to operate independently under its brand – established in 2019 – ensuring continuity for its partners and existing programs. Teach Well will now incorporate programs into its offering run previously through Ochre Learning. 

Founder of Teach Well Ingrid Sealey will step down from her leadership position, with Katie Roberts-Hull (formerly CEO of Think Forward Educators) leading the organisation as Managing Director, alongside the talented Teach Well team, including General Manager, Katie Webster. As Co-CEOs, Reid Smith and Caroline Reed will support the development of the Ochre and Teach Well partnership, working alongside the Ochre Education Board. Ms Sealey will remain as a strategic adviser to both Ochre and Teach Well. 

Marking this transition, Ms Sealey noted: “In founding Teach Well in 2019, I set out to bridge the gap between research and practice — to give educators the support they need to deliver truly transformative learning experiences for every student. Over the past seven years, we’ve partnered with more than 8,000 teachers and leaders across more than 750 schools nationwide. Together, we’ve accelerated student learning at scale, and sparked new conversations about excellence in teaching and learning. I am thrilled to see this work continue as part of Ochre Education — extending our collective impact and staying true to the mission that has always guided Teach Well.”

The acquisition of Teach Well will support Ochre as a not-for-profit organisation to strengthen its ability to deliver change that has continuity and lasting impact through a sustainable funding model. As a registered social enterprise which will be wholly owned by Ochre Education, revenue from Teach Well will support Ochre Education in its mission to provide free, high-quality curriculum resources to all Australian teachers, alongside support for educators to implement the Ochre curriculum across diverse classrooms and school communities. 

“This is an exciting step for Ochre Education,” said Co-founder and Co-CEO Reid Smith. ”The combined operational strength and reach of both organisations will allow Ochre and Teach Well to help more educators to make an even bigger difference to students – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – through providing practical tools and training based on the most rigorous evidence of what really works, on what is taught, how it is taught, and how to create the conditions for schools to thrive.” Co-CEO Caroline Reed added, “through bringing together the work of Ochre and Teach Well, we are looking forward to providing even greater support to teachers and delivering even more impact across Australian schools.” 

Katie Roberts-Hull, new Managing Director of Teach Well said, “I am excited to lead the Teach Well team in this next phase of its mission-driven work, building on the impact that Ingrid Sealey and the team have driven over the last seven years, in partnership with schooling systems and hundreds of schools. Teach Well has played a vital part in supporting the work of so many school leaders and teachers committed to ensuring high-impact teaching practices in every classroom, and I am delighted to be able to work with the brilliant Teach Well team to continue to deliver this work across the country, advancing our shared goals with Reid, Caroline and the whole Ochre team.” 

For more information about this partnership and future initiatives, please visit www.ochre.org.au and www.teach-well.au

 

Click on the button below to find out more about Ochre Education.

Ochre Education

Alumni Newsletter- Term 2 2025

We hope your term 2 is off to a good start!

PRE-ORDER NOW – TEACH WELL’S INSTRUCTION AND COACHING COMPANION
Our first book is finally here! Teach Well’s Instruction and Coaching Companion is now ready for pre-order. The Companion is designed to support high-performing teams and teachers in refining their teaching craft. 120 pages of specific guidance on how to get the most from the high-impact instructional strategies in the Masterclass Series – all in bite-sized chunks ready for coaching conversations or PLC meetings. Pre-order your copies here to receive your edition hot-off-the-press in July!

 

Instructional Lead Fellowship – Online – LAST CALL!

Working from a robust research base, the program enhances skills in designing impactful professional learning for staff, building an effective coaching framework and strengthening guaranteed and viable curriculum to enhance student learning.

For the first time, we’re offering our Instructional Lead Fellowship (ILF) in an online version for our amazing alumni across the country. The ILF is a 3-day professional learning program (spaced over 4 months) for Masterclass alumni and school leaders at all levels to build their capacity to embed and sustain high-impact instruction in their school.

Apply now to spend dedicated time to:
build more guaranteed and viable curriculum into your school,
create a network of experienced alumni across high-performing schools,
identify elements of best practice from high-performing schools,
enhance your instructional coaching capacity; and
learn from the collective experience of your colleagues from other schools.

The Fellowship will commence on Thursday, 29 May. Alumni school teams are encouraged to apply to get the most out of this opportunity.

 

Solving Australia’s Maths Problem

The Grattan Institute’s Maths Guarantee report outlines a bold plan to lift maths achievement nationwide by strengthening primary teaching. With a focus on explicit instruction, targeted support, and high-impact professional learning, the strategy aims for 90% proficiency. As a member of the Advisory Group for the project, Ingrid’s had a sneak peak of the Principal’s Guide that will be released in early June – she confirms it’s a must read for school leaders.

Want to know more? We’ve invited the Grattan Institute team to join us on our Teach Well Alumni webinar (Tuesday 24th June) as we dive into the report.

Registration is free and open to all interested teachers and leaders (not just alumni). Find out more on our website.

 

Have you ever wanted a glossy poster for your classroom wall?

You asked, and we’ve finally got it happening. Our Teach Well posters are now available, at cost, in hardcopy printed format for any teachers or leaders wanting a more durable copy for the classroom or staff room wall. Order HERE and send us a picture of your poster on the wall!

 

 

📚 Teach Well – Alumni Resources 🤓

The Secret to Student Engagement

Want your students to be more engaged? Try embracing repetition! When students revisit ideas, they gain fluency, confidence, and joy. This simple shift makes learning stick and keeps students coming back for more.
Read the full article here.

7 resons the Do Now takes too long…and what you can do about it

Quick wins = smoother starts and more learning.
Is your Do Now dragging on? You’re not alone. When it’s too tricky, unclear, or open-ended, the whole thing can lose momentum. Keep it snappy with simple, time-bound tasks that link straight to the lesson.
Read the full article here

Kindness Counts: Boosting Teacher Wellbeing

Did you know a little compassion can go a long way in boosting teacher wellbeing? A new study from the University of Queensland shows that kindness and empathy aren’t just good for students — they’re a game changer for reducing burnout and building a supportive school culture.
Read the full article here