What happens when we combine evidence-informed practice, high quality coaching and specific models for reference? You get transformation at scale.

In this episode of Magnify Matters, host Tim Edwards sits down with educator, author and podcast host Ollie Lovell, now Director of StepLab Australia - a powerful platform helping teachers embed better practice, every day.

StepLab is one of the key partners of Magnify Sandhurst, supporting over 120 teachers and leaders in our first wave of professional development. Together, Tim and Ollie explore how instructional coaching, aligned teaching techniques, and a deep understanding of how learning works can transform teacher development; not by doing more, but by doing what matters most.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Ollie turned his passion for education research into a globally recognised podcast
• What makes StepLab different from typical professional development
• Why instructional coaching leads to lasting, teacher-led change
• The science behind StepLab’s model
• How the partnership is helping to build sustainable, system-wide improvement in Catholic Education Sandhurst
• What it really means to empower teachers - not just support them

Whether you are in the classroom, leading a team, or shaping education strategy, this conversation offers practical insight into the future of professional learning — one deliberate step at a time.

Now stay with us as we magnify what truly matters.

Mentioned in this episode

• Magnify Sandhurst
• Catholic Education Sandhurst
• ERRR Podcast
• Ollie Lovell
• StepLab
• The science behind Steplab: how it includes all 14 mechanisms of effective PD

Ollie Lovell is a Melbourne-based educator with over a decade of classroom and leadership experience. He’s the host of the Education Research Reading Room podcast (2M+ downloads), and the author of Cognitive Load Theory in Action, Tools for Teachers, and The Classroom Management Handbook. As Director of StepLab Australia, Ollie is helping school systems across the country translate evidence into practice — one teacher at a time.

Catholic Education Sandhurst rolled out Magnify Sandhurst, an evidence-informed, science of learning school improvement initiative, to its 51 Catholic schools across the Sandhurst Diocese at the beginning of 2025. Magnify Sandhurst focuses on how the brain learns, how literacy is effectively taught, uses a low variance, knowledge-rich curriculum and the creation of positive classrooms. Our practice is calm, predictable, and repeatable to maximise learning time in all classrooms. Magnify Sandhurst is deliberately bold and wide-ranging, generating whole-of-system improvement.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 56 Catholic schools across Central and North Eastern Victoria, educating 19,750 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story.

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This podcast is proudly produced by Catholic Education Sandhurst.

Before we teach, we need to understand how people learn — and why it matters more than ever.

In this episode of Magnify Matters, host Tim Edwards, Assistant Director Learning and Teaching at Catholic Education Sandhurst, speaks with renowned cognitive neuroscientist and educator Jared Cooney Horvath to explore how understanding the science of learning can empower teachers and transform classrooms.

Jared’s work sits at the intersection of brain science and education - and his message is clear: the art of teaching is at its best when informed by the science of learning.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why relationships are not an “add-on”, they are education.
• What brain science reveals about learning, memory and classroom connection.
• How teacher agency and curriculum design work hand in hand.
• Why learning must come before creativity and critical thinking.
• The cognitive cost of multitasking.
• And the guiding principles from Jared’s bestselling book ‘Stop Talking, Start Influencing’.

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, school leader or someone curious about the future of learning, this conversation will reframe how you see teaching, students and yourself.

So with that, let’s dive in — and magnify what matters most.

Mentioned in this episode

• Magnify Sandhurst
• Catholic Education Sandhurst
• LME Global
• Stop Talking, Start Influencing

Dr Jared Cooney Horvath is a cognitive neuroscientist and educator with expertise in human learning, memory, and brain stimulation. He is the co-founder of LME Global, a company dedicated to bringing the Science of Learning to schools and learning communities worldwide. Jared has published four books, including the bestseller 'Stop Talking, Start Influencing', and has been featured in The New York Times, WIRED, and The Economist. Jared is passionate about bridging the gap between laboratory research and classroom practice, helping teachers and students achieve better outcomes through applied brain science.

Catholic Education Sandhurst rolled out Magnify Sandhurst, an evidence-informed, science of learning school improvement initiative, to its 51 Catholic schools across the Sandhurst Diocese at the beginning of 2025. Magnify Sandhurst focuses on how the brain learns, how literacy is effectively taught, uses a low variance, knowledge-rich curriculum and the creation of positive classrooms. Our practice is calm, predictable, and repeatable to maximise learning time in all classrooms. Magnify Sandhurst is deliberately bold and wide-ranging, generating whole-of-system improvement.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 56 Catholic schools across Central and North Eastern Victoria, educating 19,750 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story.

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on

This podcast is proudly produced by Catholic Education Sandhurst.

Every great story has a beginning, and this one started with a single question: how can we do better for every student, in every classroom, every day?

In this very first episode of Magnify Matters, we take you behind the scenes of Magnify Sandhurst — a bold, system-wide intervention designed to strengthen teacher practice, improve learner growth and create more equitable outcomes for all students across Sandhurst Diocese.

Catholic Education Sandhurst Executive Director Kate Fogarty and Assistant Director: Learning & Teaching Tim Edwards, join host Kimberley Furness to share how a simple conversation about literacy sparked a movement that now includes world-class partners, research-backed frameworks, and over 2,800 educators working together in solidarity.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why a trip to Cambridge led to bold thinking back home.
• What happened when 60+ literacy programs were reduced to one aligned approach.
• How the science of learning, structured literacy and behavioural clarity came together.
• Why equity, access and teacher agency were at the centre of every decision.
• How Magnify Sandhurst is setting a new standard for rural and regional education.

Whether you’re an educator, a parent, or someone curious about what’s possible when schools work together with purpose, stay with us as we magnify what truly matters.

Mentioned in this episode

• Magnify Sandhurst
• Catholic Education Sandhurst

Catholic Education Sandhurst rolled out Magnify Sandhurst, an evidence-informed, science of learning school improvement initiative, to its 51 Catholic schools across the Sandhurst Diocese at the beginning of 2025. Magnify Sandhurst focuses on how the brain learns, how literacy is effectively taught, uses a low variance, knowledge-rich curriculum and the creation of positive classrooms. Our practice is calm, predictable, and repeatable to maximise learning time in all classrooms. Magnify Sandhurst is deliberately bold and wide-ranging, generating whole-of-system improvement.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 56 Catholic schools across Central and North Eastern Victoria, educating 19,750 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story.

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.