>
Pioneering the exploration of how we learn

Roving Reporter

2025 


Learnus visited the University of Surrey at the invitation of Emily Farran, Professor in Developmental Psychology, Director of the Cognition, Genes and Developmental Variability lab.

Emily is Principle Investigator of a new research project called "Make Space; the value of spatial reasoning for mathematics" which has just been launched. Spatial reasoning has the potential to reinvigorate the way we teach children ALL kinds of subjects in the curriculum, and improve mathematical understanding, attitudes, inclusion and attainment. Spatial reasoning is the ability to understand the spatial properties of objects such as their size and location, and to visualise objects and problems in the mind. We are here to discover more about this important project.

2025


Learnus visited Everton Free School and Football College, member of the People's Learning Trust. Everton Free School is a unique school delivering an innovative, personalised supported by local stakeholders and partners from Further and Higher Education and which offers a range of accredited programmes tailored to the abilities and interests of young people.

The School's main focus is the support of young people who do not currently attend school or are at risk of being excluded.  It caters for young people aged 13-16 and offers an alternative education pathway to those where traditional methods in mainstream schools have failed. The results are very impressive.

2024


Learnus visits Trinity College, University of Cambridge to meet the eminent academic, Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, British clinical psychologist, professor of developmental psychopathology and Director of the Autism Research Centre.

Sir Simon is a world expert on Autism.  He lectures all over the world and has written a number of bestselling books on Autism including "The Pattern Seekers", "The Essential Difference" , "Zero Degrees of Empathy" and "Mindblindness".

In this interview, Sir Simon discusses his early experiences with autistic children and how he has dedicated his life ever since to research into autism,  In 1997 he founded the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Cambridge and has been director of the centre ever since.

Spectrum News has described the work of Baron-Cohen on theory of mind as "a landmark study". The Lancet described him as "a man with extraordinary knowledge, but his passionate advocacy for a more tolerant, diverse society, where difference is respected and cultivated, reveals a very human side to his science".

2024


Learnus visits Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust at the invitation of Ashley Winters, its Director of Primary Education, to hear his plans for embracing educational neuroscience within their schools in the future.

2024


Learnus' Roving Reporter Team visited Kingswood Prep School to learn about their successful Science of Learning programme introduced to the school by Dr Rebecca Torrance-Jenkins, Head of Science.  The Kingswood Science of Learning programme incorporates three strands - educational neuroscience, educational research and cognitive psychology.  Content is informed by research findings and further supported by impact now being reported by teachers and school leaders. Dr Torrance-Jenkins is also a member of the Learnus Council.

2024


Learnus visits the Attention, Brain & Cognitive Development (ABCD) lab in Oxford, invited by its Principal Investigator, Professor Gaia Scerif. The ABCD Lab is part of University of Oxford's Experimental Psychology Division. Their work focuses on: Academic Development & Learning Difficulties Attention
Brain Imaging Brain Systems, Childhood & Adolescence (3-18 years) Cognition & Information Processing Learning Memory.

2023

Learnus visits The Blakemore Lab, University of Cambridge at the invitation of its Principal Investigator, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. She holds Honorary Professorships at UCL, London, UK and at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She is leader of the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Group. Her group's research focuses on the development of social cognition and decision making in the human adolescent brain, and adolescent mental health. Her group runs behavioural studies in schools and in the lab, as well as neuroimaging studies, with adolescents and young adults.

2022


Learnus visits the Toddler Lab, at the invitation of Professor Denis Mareschal, Director. This is the world's first dedicated centre where researchers use cutting-edge wearable tech to see how toddlers' brains develop.

2021


Learnus visits the Centre for Attention Learning and Memory (CALM) lab at the University of Cambridge at the invitation of Dr Duncan Astle, one of the principal investigators, to learn about their work.