The School Leadership Podcast: Recent Episodes
theleadershippodcast
Director of Policy at NAHT and NAHT Edge Director, James Bowen interviews the leading voices in education covering the topics at the heart of leadership and learning.
What is professional supervision, and why are more school leaders turning to it for support?
In this episode in NAHT’s podcast series, James Bowen, NAHT assistant general secretary, speaks to Faye McGuinness, director of programmes at Education Support, about the role of professional supervision and the charity’s programme for school leaders.
They discuss the challenges school leaders bring to supervision sessions, from safeguarding concerns and difficult relationships to workload, school finances and inspections. They also explore how having a confidential space for reflection can help school leaders navigate these issues and the growing complexities of the role.
You can find out more about Education Support’s supervisionprogramme at educationsupport.org.uk/supervision.
What does a culture of belonging really look like in schools – and where should leaders begin? In this episode of NAHT’s School Leadership Podcast, we’re joined by Hannah Wilson, founder of Belonging Effect and a leading voice in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).
From ensuring adults’ experiences align with what we want for pupils to rethinking how schools communicate with their staff, this conversation offers practical insights and honest reflection for school leaders.
Hannah Wilson is the founder, director and lead trainer at Belonging Effect and led a workshop session at the Inspiring Leadership Conference earlier this month.
If you’re an NAHT member and are interested in the Amplifying Diverse Voices session on Tuesday 7 July, email policy@naht.org.uk. This is a unique opportunity bringing together NAHT’s networks in one space that will explore whose voices are heard in our profession, whose are missing and how we can work together to ensure all voices are not just included, but influential. Led by Bennie Kara and Hannah Wilson, it will offer a supportive space to reflect, build confidence, and develop practical approaches to allyship, advocacy and inclusive leadership.
Learn more about Belonging Effect’s DEIB calendar.
Hannah’s book, A Little Guide for Teachers: Cultivating Belonging in Schools, is available now.
Follow Hannah Wilson on LinkedIn.
For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine Leadership Focus.
Experienced school leader Joanna Povall speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about the transformative power of kind leadership.
Sharing some candid reflections, she talks about how being honest, embracing feedback and recognising that ‘not everybody is like you’ can build trust, strengthen teams and create an inclusive school culture where everyone thrives.
Joanna’s book Kind Leadership: Leading schools with empathy, honesty and impact is available from Crown House.
For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine Leadership Focus.
Following Ofsted’s consultation on its new inspection framework in early 2025, and its limited rollout later last year, the new framework has been fully in place for school inspections across England since January 2026.
Throughout this period, NAHT has consistently challenged the framework and highlighted the risks it poses to school leaders. Working both publicly and behind the scenes, the union has secured several important improvements – but significant concerns remain.
In this episode, NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman discusses the impact of the new inspection framework so far, some of the challenges school leaders are experiencing, and NAHT’s ongoing work with Ofsted and the government to secure a fairer, safer system.
Find out more about NAHT’s campaign on inspection reform.
See NAHT's advice for school leaders around the new inspection framework.
For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine Leadership Focus.
Recent research suggests that nearly three million schoolchildren in the UK have experienced hygiene poverty in the past year. This means everyday essentials such as shampoo, toothpaste and laundry detergent have become unaffordable for their families.
The consequences are significant: hygiene poverty can affect confidence and the ability to learn, and in some cases lead to children avoiding school altogether. And while the wider causes of hygiene poverty require systemic solutions, we’re increasingly seeing school staff stepping in to support students and their families.
In this episode, Sam Wass, director of the Institute for the Science of Early Years at the University of East London, and Gemma Humphreys, senior campaigns manager at smol, join NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen to explore how schools can recognise and respond to this issue. They discuss what to say (and what not to say), handling peer comments, protecting a child’s dignity, and how to have sensitive conversations with compassion and confidence.
The new smol hygiene poverty resource for school staff is available at smol.com/teacherresource.
With the education sector facing an unprecedented recruitment and retention crisis, former head of science Jagdeep Pabla felt it was time to celebrate the often-unseen work of school leaders who create cultures where people can thrive over long and fulfilling careers in the classroom. By ‘holding a mirror up to those changing the narrative’, she set out to recognise the practices that are sustaining and strengthening the profession.
What began as a simple LinkedIn post has grown into the National Education Diversity Awards. These awards will shine a light on the people and practices transforming education by recognising inclusive and sustainable school cultures that champion flexible working and create space for every voice – particularly those historically underrepresented in the classroom, staffroom and boardroom. Here, Jagdeep speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about her story and the awards.
NAHT is one of several organisations endorsing the awards. Find out more at nationaleducationdiversityawards.com.
Head teacher Patrick Cozier talks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about the calm approach to school leadership he has developed over 24 years as a school leader.
Patrick explores the importance of acknowledging the feelings that come with school leadership, coping with paranoia, maintaining optimism, leading your own way, and much more – sharing an approach that helped him evolve from being a new school leader who was petrified of the job to someone who really enjoys what they do.
Calm Leadership: Staying grounded, staying in control and staying the course is available from Crown House Publishing and other booksellers.
For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine Leadership Focus.
Join Rowena Hicks, an experienced teacher and deputy head, as she shares her experience of burnout – a challenge faced by so many school leaders. You’ll hear Rowena talk about the role of self-reflection, core competencies, micro changes and psychological safety, and offer practical suggestions for schools to transform their approach to burnout and bring about better outcomes for students.
Rowena is facilitating NAHT’s Make Time for What Matters webinar, which takes place from 9.30am to midday on Thursday 6 February 2026.
For more about Rowena’s work, see rowenahicks.com, where you can also learn more about her podcast, Beat Teacher Burnout!
For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine Leadership Focus.
Four years ago, Carr Mill Primary School in St Helens, Merseyside, embarked on a new whole-school approach to mental health that has delivered some remarkable results.
Overcoming hurdles such as low attendance, limited aspirations and a lack of trust among families, the school has experienced a 75% decrease in referrals to tier three mental health services, improved attendance, fewer persistent absences, and much more. Its approach earned the school the Pupil Mental Health Initiative of the Year award in the 2025 Tes Schools Awards.
But what does a whole-school approach to mental health look like in practice? From embedding ‘botheredness’ and curriculum time to sing-alongs, social media and staff training, Carr Mill Primary’s deputy head teacher for pastoral and inclusion Katie Alexander shares the school’s journey with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine, Leadership Focus.
In the wake of the tragic death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 from an allergic reaction to sesame seeds in the dough of a baguette, her parents founded the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. It campaigned for changes to food labelling laws and works to raise awareness about food allergies. In October 2021, Natasha’s Law was implemented in the UK, requiring full labelling of ingredients on all prepacked food.
In this episode, Natasha’s mother, Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, joins NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen to discuss the free training and resources available for schools through the foundation's Allergy School programme. She also highlights simple steps that school leaders can take to support students with allergies.
To learn more visit allergyschool.org.uk.
For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine, Leadership Focus.
How can you effectively manage conflict? What qualities define great leadership? In what ways should schools implement artificial intelligence? In this episode, you'll hear insights from Chris Packham CBE, Jaz Ampaw-Farr, Darren Coxon, Liz Robinson and Jill Berry as they explore these questions and discuss issues central to education and leadership.
This is the second of our special episodes bringing you conversations from this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference. Find out more about the Inspiring Leadership Conference in 2026.
For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine Leadership Focus.
If you’d like updates on school news and education policy sent straight to your phone, join NAHT on WhatsApp. Make sure you click the bell icon in the top right corner so you’re notified when we send a message.
In this episode, we explore the art of decision-making, the importance of ‘botheredness’, the dynamics of people-pleasing, and much more. Join us to hear unique insight for school leaders from Olympic gold medal-winning rower Ben Hunt-Davis, NAHT president Rachel Younger, Hywel Roberts, Astrid Korin and Maggie Farrar, and others.
They spoke to the School Leadership Podcast at the Inspiring Leadership Conference 2025. Held in June at the ICC Birmingham, this annual conference offers school leaders professional development, leadership insights and practical strategies to inspire school improvement.
Find out more about the Inspiring Leadership Conference in 2026.
The removal of performance-related pay in 2024 marked a turning point in how schools approach teacher appraisal. But why was performance-related pay a problem in schools? What does the research actually tell us? And what do teachers really need for meaningful professional growth?
Gareth Conyard, director of education at the Teacher Development Trust (TDT), and Andrea Bean, its research and evaluation manager, answer these questions and more in this conversation with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
The TDT’s new research report offers school leaders clear, evidence-based recommendations for designing developmental appraisal systems in schools, with a one-page guide created specifically for school leaders. Find out more.
School leaders who are interested in taking part in a forum to discuss the challenges and opportunities around teacher appraisal are invited to join a TDT-led session taking place from 9.30am to 11am on Thursday 19 June 2025. Register here.
How do you keep your school’s IT systems and data safe? From ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ backups and the cloud to patching, passwords and multi-factor authentication, this episode looks at some of the most common cybersecurity concerns – and some of their solutions.
With the UK’s schools and trusts increasingly reliant on digital technology for a range of functions, robust procedures are vital to protect against damage and cyberattacks. Here, Matthew Setchell, chief technology officer at Concero, shares his expertise, tips and ‘non-negotiables’ with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
NAHT members can find out more about Concero’s work at naht.org.uk/concero-education-technology.
In this episode, former Metropolitan Police hostage and crisis negotiator Nicky Perfect shares strategies to help school leaders deal with difficult everyday situations by improving communication with pupils, parents and colleagues when emotions are running high.
Using lessons learned confronting the extremes of human behaviour, Nicky talks about what to say – and what not to say, explains the importance of a ‘really good listen’ and shares powerful tools that can help you communicate better, defuse conflict and negotiate effectively. Hear her in conversation with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
Nicky will be a keynote speaker at this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference, which takes place on 12 and 13 June in Birmingham. She is one of a line-up that includes naturalist Chris Packham and Olympic gold medallist Ben Hunt-Davis, who will all be there to share their stories and strategies with school leaders. Find out more.
Plans to change the way schools in England will be inspected were unveiled by Ofsted earlier this month. These would see schools graded on a five-step scale across a wider range of individual areas – from ‘exemplary’ to ‘causing concern’, with a separate assessment of whether safeguarding standards are met.
Here, NAHT's general secretary Paul Whiteman and assistant general secretary James Bowen address some of the issues the proposals raise – from ‘monitoring’, ‘sub-judgements’ and ‘stuck schools’ to the realities of a traffic-light system and the lack of quantitative questions in Ofsted’s consultation.
NAHT believes the plans would replicate the worst aspects of the current system while doing little to reduce the pressure school leaders are under, and there’s a way to provide clearer information for parents and schools without resorting to grades.
Ofsted’s consultation is open until 28 April 2025. See NAHT’s guidance for NAHT members on completing Ofsted’s consultation.
For more education news and debate, join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, BlueSky or X.
Published in December and currently making its way through parliament, the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would bring about changes to laws affecting safeguarding and schools.
The bill includes new rules on branded uniforms, an end to automatic academisation for schools judged to be ‘causing concern’, free breakfast clubs in state-funded primaries and a unique identifier for all children.
Join NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen as he takes a closer look at the plans and what they would mean for school leaders.
See NAHT’s briefing on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
What does being a leader in a primary or secondary school today really involve? How does the role vary across the UK? And how can we make it more sustainable?
In this episode of NAHT’s podcast, Professor Toby Greany of the University of Nottingham and Dr Tom Perry of the University of Warwick are joined by NAHT’s assistant general secretary James Bowen in a conversation addressing these questions and more.
Researching Sustainable School Leadership is an ongoing project looking at the realities of school leadership in the UK today and how the role can be made more sustainable. Find out more about the project at sustainableschoolleadership.uk.
The project’s current survey exploring the experiences of all head teachers, middle leaders and senior leaders is running until the end of January 2025 – take part at sustainableschoolleadership.uk/leadership-survey.
A little more than four months on since the general election, NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman reflects on working with the new government so far, why politicians must rebuild trust among school leaders and what social partnership in policymaking means in practice.
He’s joined in conversation for this episode of NAHT’s School Leadership Podcast by NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
From ditching performance targets to allowing teachers time off – hear how a multi-academy trust is overhauling its policies in a bid to tackle workload and improve the well-being of its teaching staff.
Jonny Uttley, chief executive officer at The Education Alliance – a trust based in the East Riding of Yorkshire – speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about the need for accountability reform, their workload charter and the steps they’re taking to reduce teaching tasks, boost retention and bring about improvements for staff and students.
What does a really good school staff absence insurance policy look like? How can schools support staff well-being and lower absenteeism? What does having an ethical approach to school absence provision mean?
In this coffee-break edition of the School Leadership Podcast, you’ll hear Holly Harding, chief operating officer of the non-profit Education Mutual, answer these questions and explore the benefits of NAHT Wellness and Protect for NAHT members and their schools.
Find out more at www.naht.org.uk/NAHT-Wellness-and-Protect.
Whether it's synthetic phonics, the curriculum or school inspection, how are our education policies actually made? Why do they often fail the sector they are intended to serve? And how can we make sure the people actually delivering education to children in schools have a say in what's decided?
This episode examines the state of education policymaking in England and how we could improve it. NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen is joined by Nansi Ellis, an education policy consultant and former assistant general secretary at the National Education Union, and Gareth Conyard, co-CEO of the Teacher Development Trust and a former Department for Education senior civil servant. Their book Improving Education Policy Together: How it’s made, implemented, and can be done better, published by Routledge, is available now.
Where do you start to if you want to diversify the primary curriculum? Based on her experience as a primary head teacher, Sarah Wordlaw shares ideas and insight for all school leaders, along with a message for the new government, which has just announced it’ll soon be embarking on an independent review of curriculum and assessment.
Sarah Wordlaw is the author of Time to Shake Up the Primary Curriculum: A step-by-step guide to creating a global, diverse and inclusive school. She’s in conversation with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen for this episode of the School Leadership Podcast.
With the 4 July 2024 general election approaching, the School Leadership Podcast explores NAHT’s manifesto for education For Their Future with the union’s general secretary Paul Whiteman and assistant general secretary James Bowen.
They talk through NAHT’s key education priorities of recruitment and retention, SEND and school buildings, and explain why our next government needs to fix these crises and rebuild its relationship with the sector as part of a longer-term plan for change within the school system.
What can we learn from the world’s top-performing school systems? Join Geoff Masters, CEO of the Australian Council for Educational Research, and NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen as they discuss the findings of research into the world’s highest-performing systems, including their approaches to assessment.
Professor Geoff Masters’ research Building a world-class learning system: Insights from some top-performing school systems is the result of a multi-year study of five jurisdictions – British Columbia, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong and South Korea – that have long performed well on the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and how they have been rethinking and reforming their school systems.
Liz Robinson, CEO of multi-academy trust and charity Big Education, believes there’s a significant gap between what national professional qualifications (NPQs) cover and what school leaders really need in order to be equipped with the knowledge and skills for their role.
Here, she speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about Big Education’s Rethinking Leadership report What else? What next? What if? that looks at what is missing from leadership development provision in England and what we can do to close this gap.
It is more than two decades since academies were first introduced to the English education system, and around half of all state-funded pupils now attend one. Yet, in its new report 20 Years of Muddling Through, think-tank EDSK argues not only that the language around academisation has become too politicised, but that the system itself is unsustainable.
Here, Tom Richmond, EDSK’s founder and director, speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about why he thinks it’s time we leave behind the political baggage and build a coherent, collaborative and transparent system based on the principle of ‘one set of rules for everyone’, allowing teachers and leaders to devote their energy to improving teaching and learning.
The Inspiring Leadership Conference is back in Birmingham this June for its tenth year, with another uplifting programme of speakers and sessions specifically for school leaders.
Among the many new faces this year – the line-up already includes Sir Andrew Strauss and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu – will be one familiar one, Jane Creasy, who’s back to lead the annual two-day event.
Hear Jane share her thoughts on why this unique conference and its speakers have such a powerful impact on the school leaders who take part.
The episode also features a 10% discount code (valid until 29 February 2024). Find out more and book your place at the Inspiring Leadership Conference in 2024.
Content warning: please note this podcast episode mentions suicide.
Loneliness, stress, not-fit-for-purpose inspections and burnout: Education Support’s latest research into the well-being of education staff reveals a stark picture of the day-to-day life of the people who work in the sector.
The charity released the findings of its seventh Teacher Wellbeing Index in November 2023. Here, its chief executive Sinéad Mc Brearty shares her thoughts on the findings and their implications with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
NAHT members can access a dedicated, confidential counselling and support helpline provided by Education Support on 0800 917 4055. Open 24/7, it is staffed by qualified counsellors offering emotional and practical support.
Could AI reduce workload by cutting the time teachers spend on marking and lesson planning – is it a time-saver or time-waster? What are ‘hallucinations’ and why should educators be aware of them? And what about its use by students?
In this episode of the School Leadership Podcast, former teacher, author and director of education at No More Marking Daisy Christodoulou MBE shares her insights with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
Research suggests that by age 11, a disadvantaged child is on average nine months behind their peers in English and Maths – and that only 14% of this is related to what happens at school, while 49% is related to what happens at home.
But what can schools do differently to engage parents? How can they find out what the barriers facing the most disengaged families really are? And how do power dynamics, time and child enjoyment have a role to play?
Hear Tom Harbour, founder of the charity Learning with Parents, discuss these questions and more with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
Learning with Parents was set up to help all families have positive learning interactions together. Find out more at learningwithparents.com.
NAHT supports the social model of disability, which shifts the focus away from individuals, and onto the societal barriers that ‘disable’ people. Through this approach the focus is on trying to remove those barriers, to ensure equality for disabled people.
But what does this model mean in practice? What about the language we use – what’s the difference between ‘disabled’ and ‘impairment’, and what’s the issue with using the term ‘vulnerable’? And what steps can school leaders take to support disabled staff?
Join Emma Kosmin, from the TUC's equalities and strategy department, in conversation with NAHT senior equalities officer Natalie Arnett.
Find out more about reasonable adjustments disability passports and the model workplace policy.
Read NAHT’s equality, diversity and inclusion statements.
From demystifying mindfulness to rethinking resilience, hear thought-provoking conversations with key speakers at this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference, which took place at the ICC in Birmingham last month.
Best-selling author and former Twitter Europe vice president Bruce Daisley is one of the UK's most influential voices on fixing work. Here, he joins educator and consultant Maggie Farrar, Bedfordshire Schools Trust CEO Alan Lee and NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen in a series of interviews for the School Leadership Podcast.
Booking is now open for next year’s event: find out more about the Inspiring Leadership Conference 2024.
How can schools decide what education technology (edtech) to invest in? Has the edtech agenda been overrun by technologists – and if so, how can it be reclaimed? And what about AI? Hear edtech experts discuss these issues and more, along with a new Edtech Leadership Briefing Paper aimed at helping school leaders make informed, data-driven decisions about their ICT investment.
In this episode of the School Leadership Podcast, you'll hear Dave Smith, head of partnerships and events at the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), Gavin Hawkins, chair of the board of management at NAACE (the Education Technology Association), and NAHT Life member and edtech consultant David Whyley in conversation with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
In this special episode of the School Leadership Podcast, NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman talks about the upcoming industrial action ballot and what it means for school leaders.
What does life-friendly leadership look like in schools? And why do so many women aged 30 to 39 – more than any other group – leave teaching every year? Emma Sheppard, founder of the MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher (MPTP) Project, explores these questions and more in this conversation with NAHT’s senior equalities officer Natalie Arnett.
Along with networking and support for teachers on maternity/paternity leave, the MPTP Project carries out research, provides case studies, and runs coaching and training sessions for teachers and leaders. It aims to influence organisations to be more equal and inclusive, and to make teaching and schools more life-friendly – find out more at www.mtpt.org.uk. Its book, A Guide to Teaching, Parenting and Creating Family Friendly Schools, is available now.
NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman gives his analysis of the current dispute over pay for teachers and school leaders, and explains why the government must act now to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis facing the sector.
In this conversation with NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen, he addresses the impact of strike action, the ongoing negotiation with the education secretary and the role of the teachers’ pay review body.
Experienced school leader and education advisor Dave Harris talks about what good school transition looks like, why it’s the elephant in the room and how it can improve outcomes. You’ll also hear NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen and senior policy advisor Sarah Hannafin share their views on this topic.
Dave Harris is the author of Independent Thinking on Transition: Fostering better collaboration between primary and secondary schools.
How can schools help tackle climate change? Are solar panels, heat pumps and retrofitting realistic solutions – particularly for older school buildings? And what exactly is the government’s plan to help schools reduce their carbon footprint?
NAHT director of policy James Bowen puts school leaders’ key concerns to Sharon McHale, a project director in the Department for Education’s new Sustainability and Climate Change Unit.
Hear Laura Morris, head of religious studies and citizenship at a secondary school in Manchester, reflect honestly on her school’s anti-racist journey over the past two years.
In this conversation with NAHT senior equalities officer Natalie Arnett, Laura talks through the challenges faced and the changes the school made. She explains what’s having the biggest impact, why she welcomes current higher reporting rates, and what the school needs to address next.
Laura is a teacher with 15 years’ experience who has additional whole school responsibilities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) and anti-discrimination. You can read her blog at diverseeducators.co.uk and her Anti-Racist Action Report at missmorrismanc.co.uk.
How is writing like a game of chess? What difference does improved writing make, and how can teachers be supported to achieve this? Is reading the key to good writing? And do Erasmus’s 500-year-old teachings on writing still apply today? Teacher and author Alex Quigley answers these questions and many more in this conversation with NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen.
As well as writing for the Tes, Alex is the author of Closing the Writing Gap and The Confident Teacher blog.
Effective assessment remains one of the most crucial aspects of high-quality teaching and learning. In this episode, three school leaders speak to NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen about their involvement in a lead assessor support programme and the positive outcomes they are seeing in their schools.
NAHT is working with the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors to encourage every school to have a lead assessor. Find out more about its lead assessor support programme and how NAHT members can register for a discounted place here.
This episode of NAHT’s School Leadership Podcast brings you conversations with some of the key speakers at Inspiring Leadership Conference 2022, which took place in Birmingham last month. You’ll hear Dave Coplin, Steve Munby, Marie-Claire Bretherton and Ed Balls share honest and through-provoking reflections on what makes a great leader, and much more, in a series of interviews recorded during the conference.
History teacher and coach Sam Moinet speaks to the School Leadership Podcast about his experiences in the classroom and of the mental health challenges faced by a forgotten majority of students in schools. He explains why expressions like ‘just think positive’ can be problematic, why we need to move from a reactive to a preventative model and how coaching can improve mental health. Plus there’s a quick coaching exercise to try for yourself.
Sam set up Student Breakthrough after he witnessed how coaching helps students with attitudes to school, anxiety, confidence, personal growth, exams and relationships with family and friends – so they can become more confident, happy and successful.
Husham Khan, author of the best-selling book Financial Intelligence for School Business Leaders, speaks to NAHT’s Natalie Arnett about the pressures facing finances in schools, new ways to tackle them and the changing nature of the school business leader (SBL) role – and how the role is vital for dealing with some of the challenges ahead, including soaring energy costs and cybersecurity.
Along with exploring many of the new financial concepts outlined in his book, which schools and trusts can use to enable more informed and effective decision-making, such as the ‘pandemic ratio’, Husham also talks about the importance of considering emotional as well as financial intelligence as part of holistic budget planning in schools.
Husham is leading a workshop at NAHT’s School Business Leaders’ Conference on 7 July around financial intelligence in schools – listen for a discount code to use when booking a place.
Former secretary of state for education and cabinet minister Ed Balls reflects on his experiences of – and views on – leadership in this April 2022 episode of NAHT's School Leadership Podcast. Hear him speak with NAHT director of policy James Bowen about his time as education secretary and his memories of working for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at pivotal political moments. Ed is a keynote speaker at this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference, which takes place on 28 and 29 June in Birmingham.
What is the best way to ventilate a classroom, what do you need to know about CO2 monitors and are air-cleaning machines worth the investment? NAHT’s James Bowen puts these key questions and more to the scientists involved in a critical research project looking at the effectiveness of ventilation and air purifiers in classrooms.
Professor Mark Mon-Williams, chair in cognitive psychology at the University of Leeds and professor of psychology at the Bradford Institute of Health Research, and mechanical engineer Catherine Noakes, professor of environmental engineering for buildings at the University of Leeds, are currently involved in a trial involving 30 primary classrooms to help our understanding of how air-cleaning technologies can help reduce the build-up of covid particles, as well as how they could have advantages in the longer term too.
As part of LGBT+ History Month in 2022, hear Dominic Arnall, chief executive at LGBT+ young people's charity Just Like Us, in conversation with NAHT’s Natalie Arnett about the role schools play in empowering young people to champion LGBT+ equality, and how the charity can help schools do this.
Plus, there’s more on school mottos – you'll hear from Chilton Primary School in Oxfordshire about their motto and why it was chosen.
For more about Just Like Us, including resources and lesson plans, talks and School Diversity Week, see justlikeus.org.
In this episode, Tes editor Jon Severs talks to NAHT’s James Bowen about tackling covid guidance, teachers on Twitter and Tes being a voice the profession can trust.
Plus, following on from last month’s episode, we have more on school mottos.
What does this autumn’s budget really mean for school spending? Will schools be better off in 2022, and beyond? And what will changes in the funding formula mean for head teachers? Luke Sibieta, an economist specialising in education policy at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, answers these questions and more in this conversation with NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen.
Plus: what’s your school’s motto, and why was it chosen? You’ll hear a head teacher talk about her school’s motto and what it means for them, and find out how to get in touch to share – and celebrate – your own school’s motto.
In this episode, hear primary head teacher and director of Educating for Equality Sabrina Edwards talk about her work supporting leaders on their journey to embedding anti-racism and gender equality in their schools, and the role schools can play in bringing about long-lasting and sustainable change in the world.
Geraldine Trotman, Black History Patron for Wales, reflects on the contribution of her lifelong friend, champion of multiculturalism and Wales' first Black head teacher Betty Campbell.
Betty was born in Butetown, Cardiff, in 1934. She qualified as a teacher in the 1960s and later became head teacher at Butetown’s Mount Stuart Primary School, where she made sure her pupils learned about the positive contribution made to British society by people of colour.
In this episode, you’ll hear conversations that reflect on student and staff experiences of discrimination and explore how school leaders can take steps to understand and promote the equalities agenda in their schools. Michelle De Leon, founder and CEO of World Afro Day, talks to NAHT’s Natalie Arnett about why she set up the Big Hair Assembly and how schools can get involved, before Iona Jackson, head of research at Edurio, outlines the key findings of a survey looking at the experiences of 16,500 school staff members around equality, diversity and inclusion.
In March 2020, head teacher Alan Garnett decided to start a weekly column for a local paper chronicling the experiences of his school community as it responded to the pandemic. He ended up writing the diary for a whole year, and his articles have now been turned into a book, A Headteacher's Diary: Making it up as we go Along – Trying to lead a school through a pandemic.
Here, Alan shares some of his observations – talking honestly about how stressful it was reacting to last-minute announcements, and explaining why he wanted to tell the stories of “remarkable people doing remarkable things”, as they did in so many school communities across the country.
What does research say about the science of learning, and what does it mean for school leaders? In a conversation that takes in his experience of working with Manchester United and Olympic athletes, plus the impact of high expectations, lack of sleep and mobile phones, registered psychologist Brad Busch talks to NAHT’s James Bowen about how we can start to make sense of the wide range of educational research that exists.
Brad is a co-author of The Science of Learning: 77 Studies That Every Teacher Needs to Know. You can see 30 summaries from the book free at blog.innerdrive.co.uk/studies, and for more about Brad’s work, see www.innerdrive.co.uk.
In this episode, you'll hear two perspectives on children's speech and language. Speech and language therapist Anna Sellers, who works with children in schools, and Derek Munn, director of policy and public affairs at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, talk about the impact of the pandemic – both negative and positive – on services for young people. They also share their thoughts on what school leaders can do to help tackle the challenges that lie ahead around speech and language support in schools.
Find out more about the work of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: www.rcslt.org.
Former Olympic swimmer Steve Parry is the co-founder of Total Swimming Academies and believes every child should have the opportunity to learn and enjoy swimming. Recent figures show a worrying number of children leaving primary school not knowing how to swim. Steve outlines Total Swimming Academies' campaign to invest in school facilities to ensure school pools remain viable while helping to maximise their value to the surrounding community.
Find out more about Total Swimming Academies and the £1million School Pool Legacy Fund to improve school pool facilities: https://www.totalswimming.co.uk/school-pool-legacy-fund
Football Beyond Borders is an education and social inclusion charity which transforms the outcomes for disadvantaged young people who are passionate about football but disengaged at school. In this episode, James Bowen speaks to co-founder and director, Jack Reynolds about the work the charity is doing with supporting young people’s academic and social and emotional learning as they transition to adulthood.
After a year that has seen school leaders “carrying the community” as they steer schools through the pandemic, Sinéad Mc Brearty, CEO of Education Support, speaks with NAHT’s James Bowen about the importance of compassion, connection and showing up in your best shape. Education Support is a UK charity dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of education staff.
Closing gaps, inclusivity and redressing imbalance wherever it may be is at the very core of the Global Equality Collective (GEC). Co-CEO and founder of the GEC, Nic Ponsford talks to James Bowen about the new GEC app which helps organisations track, monitor and embed diversity and inclusion into their day-to-day practices and behaviours. Nic discusses the core functions of the app and the work being done in schools to champion equality and inclusion.
Oak National Academy is the online classroom made for teachers by teachers. Created in April 2020 as a rapid response to the coronavirus outbreak, Oak Academy offers pre-recorded video lessons as well as quizzes, worksheets and creative activities to support remote learning. In this episode, principal at Oak National Academy, Matt Hood talks about how the online classroom came about, the important role remote learning has played throughout this year and considers what remote learning might look like post-pandemic.
One of the unavoidable effects of the pandemic has meant that we have been forced to almost renegotiate our relationship with outdoor spaces. For leaders, it's meant careful management of school grounds and for some children outside of school, lockdowns have resulted in a new dynamic where access to the great outdoors has either been severely limited or denied altogether.
Jim Whittaker, chair of the Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres, talks to James Bowen about health, well-being, learning and the importance of outdoor spaces.
When the national lockdown took place earlier this year, many schools quickly turned to technology to bridge the gap and continue learning outside of the school gates. In this episode, director of NAHT policy, James Bowen speaks to author, public speaker and managing director of NetSupport, Al Kingsley about the future of technology to support learning. We also consider the challenges blended and remote learning can cause, including addressing the digital divide and ensuring students are safe online.
Campaigner, activist and speaker; Natasha Devon MBE talks to James Bowen about the relationship between exam stress and mental health in children and young people. Natasha also talks about the impact the pandemic and lockdown have had on young people’s anxiety levels.
The past few months have been a rapidly changing picture for schools which hasn’t always been easy to interpret and then act on. It’s been our aim all along to bring as much clarity to school leaders as possible. In this month’s podcast episode, director of policy and NAHT Edge, James Bowen answers your most frequently asked questions about planning for a full return to school this September.
How can we minimise infection in schools and in the wider community? How can we protect the most at-risk groups? Should staff be wearing PPE? How often should surfaces be wiped down in classrooms?
Dr Matt Butler answers your most pressing questions about the covid-19 pandemic and outlines some practical steps you can take to keep staff and children safe.
In this episode, NAHT head of policy James Bowen talks to education author and former teacher Daisy Christodoulou about technology in schools.
We consider what the next big ed-tech development is likely to be, whether we should ban mobile devices in schools and why ed-tech hasn’t yet had the transformative impact on education that it has long promised.
Professor Sonia Blandford is one of the country's foremost experts on improving the education and aspirations of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
She is the founder and CEO of the award winning educational charity Achievement for All, which provides programmes to improve outcomes for children and young people aged two to 19 years. She is also a visiting professor of education and social enterprise at UCL Institute of Education and the author of numerous books on education.
Edge Director, James Bowen spent some time with Sonia to see if it's possible to change attitudes and outcomes around this perennial challenge.
We hear from Andy Wolfe, deputy chief education officer for the Church of England, about why it’s time to rethink resilience and what it means for school leaders. Andy oversees leadership development through the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership.
It's the much awaited second part of our chart with Matthew Purves from Ofsted. Matthew gets into the specifics of what the new framework means for schools and what they'll be expecting of subject leaders.
There's also an illuminating conversation with Julie Kelly, the Headteacher at West Meon Church of England Primary School on what it's really like to run a small school. With 60% of teachers in small schools leading three or more subjects, what will the implications from the deep dives?
To find out more about our work on small schools and the research we've been conducting, please go to www.NAHT.org.uk
Deep dives and cultural capital. Ofsted is always an intense talking point and both this and next month, the School Leadership Podcast will keep you fully up to speed with what's expected and any new protocols.
Earlier this term we saw the launch of an entirely new inspection framework and NAHT members have already begun to experience these new style inspections. Already we have seen teachers and school leaders taking to social media to share their early experiences and debate some of the phrases being used within the lexicon of inspection.
Our Director of Policy James Bowen met with Ofsted’s deputy director for schools, Matthew Purves and goes further into what you can expect from this latest framework.
This month, we’re talking about climate change and how schools are supporting their pupils to take an active interest in one of the most pressing issues facing the world today.
Our guests are a Headteacher and NAHT member whose school has already started taking action to reduce its own carbon footprint, and from a member of the house of lords who is leading a campaign encouraging schools and pupils to pledge to take their own action to tackle climate change.
School exclusions is an issue right at the top of the government’s agenda currently, and it’s no wonder why. After a period of steady decline in the number of pupils being excluded from school, in recent years we have begun to see a worrying reversal in that trend.
The government’s own data suggests the rate of exclusions is rising to almost 7,000 a year in England, the equivalent of more than 35 permanent exclusions every school day.
Rising rates of exclusion not only have a significant impact on the individuals and schools concerned, but it also has a long-term impact on society too.
Research has shown that every cohort of permanently excluded pupils will go on to cost the state an extra £2.1billion in education, health, benefits and criminal justice costs.
A new education charity, The Difference, founded by former teacher Kiran Gill is determined to do something about this alarming trend.
Through their 2 year ‘Difference Leader’ programme, the charity offers existing leaders in mainstream schools the opportunity to work for two years in an Alternative Provision setting. Throughout the programme leaders benefit not only from gaining experience in AP but also from an intensive accredited training programme. Their hope is that some of this new community of leaders will then return to mainstream schools so that they can share and cascade their knowledge with the ultimate aim of reducing school exclusion.
Our Director of Policy and NAHT Edge Director, James Bowen, meets with Kiran and her colleague Shaun Brown to find out more about the charity’s work and the impact it has.
We discuss a difficult, but vitally important topic – childhood bereavement.
Shockingly, around 1 in 29 children will be bereaved of a parent or sibling during their time at school and of course many more will experience bereavement of other family members or friends. Yet, if you’re like most other teachers and school leaders, you have probably received very little, if any, training on this sensitive topic. Our guest this month is Emma Muirhead from the charity Winston’s Wish.
How effective is the professional development in your school?
Are you confident that the CPD your teachers are engaging in is having a positive impact on outcomes for pupils?
In this episode we talk about the professional learning of teachers, and consider what school leaders can do to ensure that CPD in their school is of the highest quality.
David Weston is the founder and Chief Executive of the Teacher Development Trust and one of the authors of ‘Unleashing Great Teaching’ – a new book that shines a light on the secrets of effective teacher development.
As a profession, we've become accustomed to seeing school leaders, teachers and pupils becoming unexpected stars of the small screen. Documentaries like Educating Essex and Educating Manchester have proven to be unexpected ratings winners and have given viewers an insight into modern-day schooling along the way.
You'll get to hear about one particular school community in London that may just be about to find itself becoming the star of the big screen, as we speak to the makers of a new film, ‘H is for Harry’.
H is for Harry is a coming of age story about Harry, a charismatic 11-year old boy who arrives at secondary school in suburban London unable to read or write. With the help of Sophie, his extremely dedicated teacher, and the unfailing support of his father, he struggles to overcome the illiteracy ingrained across generations of his family.
James Bowen, Edge Director, has an enlightening conversation with the film's co Directors and the Headteacher of the school where the film was made.
The Shared Headship network is run by a group of committed school leaders who aspire to be head teachers one day in the future. Their aim is straightforward: to support and encourage more school leaders to consider the idea of shared school leadership.
James Bowen, the Edge Director got some time with two of the leaders behind this exciting project to find out more about their work. Lucy Helan is the co-founder of the network and an Assistant Vice-Principal in London. Amy Brookes is an Assistant Principal, also based in London.
There's also a chance to hear from the co - Headteachers of a Junior school on Hayling Island.
Earlier this year, Edge Director James Bowen joined a panel at the inaugural Edtech Podcast festival in London to discuss the vital issue of teacher workload. In this month’s podcast you will get to hear that debate in full.
As you will hear, James is joined on the panel by journalist and founder of Teacher Tapp, Laura McInerney; Ross Morrison McGill, better known to some by his Twitter handle, Teacher Toolkit; and also Rory McGrath, Deputy Head for the New Wave Federation.
Rob Webster is this months guest and is an Associate Professor at the UCL Institute of Education. Rob has worked on a number of research projects focusing on the use and impact of teaching assistants, including the ground-breaking Deployment and Impact of Support Staff project and its follow-up study, the Effective Deployment of TAs project. He is also the author of two acclaimed books on the same topic.
Edge Director, James Bowen spoke with Rob to find out more about his work and the implications for schools
Once again this year we will bring you influential and interesting guests from the world of education. Whether it’s leadership experts, subject specialists, policy makers or education commentators, we hope you will continue to find the podcast both engaging and thought provoking.
We start the year with a special double episode. In the first half we’ll hear about an exciting new project that is aiming to gain insights into the lives of teachers through the use of a smartphone app. And in the second half we speak to journalist and school governor Fiona Millar about her new book, which examines how the 1988 education reform act fundamentally transformed the school system.
Jill is the former Head of Dame Alice Harpur School in Bedford. Since leaving headship in 2010, she has worked as an Associate for the National College for Teaching and Leadership, carried out a range of educational consultancy work, and completed a part-time Doctorate in Education. In her new book, ‘Making the Leap: Moving from Deputy to Head’, Jill offers practical advice on how to take the ultimate step in school leadership.
James talks to Jill and in an extensive two part interview picks up some fascinating observations and pointers.
This month, our podcast is brought to you in partnership with our friends at ‘Speakers for Schools’ and in this episode we’ll speak with some very interesting and high profile guests who work closely with the charity.
You'll hear from Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, writer, journalist and campaigner Fiona Millar and the Executive Director of Speakers for Schools, Ashley Hodges.
NAHT is a professional association and union for schools leaders. NAHT Edge is the part of our association aimed specifically at aspirational middle leaders. To discover more about the benefits of being an NAHT Edge or NAHT member, go online to nahtedge.org.uk/join or www.naht.org.uk/join. You can follow us on Twitter @NAHTEdge and @NAHTnews.
Our guest is Professor Sonia Blandford. Sonia is the Chief Executive of education charity Achievement for All and the author of the book, ‘Born to Fail’.
No-one in the UK is better placed than Sonia Blandford to write about the experience of working class pupils in our schools. She grew up on the Allied Estate in Hounslow and was the first member of her family to pursue education beyond the age of 14 and was also the first to attend university.
She is responsible for setting up the award-winning Achievement for All organisation, which has worked with thousands of schools to help close the attainment gap. Her new book, Born to Fail tackles head-on issues such as how and why education has often failed to deliver for disadvantaged pupils; the importance of self-belief, action and confidence; and how the Early Years is the crucial time to build success from the start.
Education adviser, writer and speaker - that's Mary Myatt. Hear Mary talk fluidly about high challenge / low threat, the often difficult subject of underperformance and the core message of her book.
She'll be in conversation with NAHT Edge Director James Bowen
We are also running our member referral scheme over Easter. Listen in for a great way to bolster resources in your school and how it's possible to pick up a free place on one of our CPD courses.
A quick steer on what you can expect from the podcast very soon; thanks for subscribing!
This year in the podcast, we are looking forward to bringing you some of the most influential and interesting voices from the world of education, and this first episode is no exception. Our special guest this month is Dr Becky Allen.
Becky is well known to many school leaders and teachers through her work at Education Datalab. In this interview our Edge director, James Bowen, covers a range of topics with Becky ranging from Ofsted to teacher workload.
At the end of last year Becky announced she would be leaving Education Datalab to move onto a new role at the Institute of Education; we find out more.
In this podcast we hear from Dame Alison Peacock on how the Chartered College of Teaching as it comes up for its one year anniversary. Edge director James Bowen caught up with Alison to find out how things had moved on for the organisation over the last 12 months and to find out whether her early ambitions for the College had been realised.
You'll also hear some insight from the NAHT's new General Secretary Paul Whiteman.
In this first podcast of the new school year we discuss effective literacy teaching, and find out what the evidence really tells us about this crucial topic. We also have a funding update following the Secretary of State’s announcement of additional money for schools earlier this summer.
Earlier this year the Education Endowment Foundation released two reports highlighting a range of practical, evidenced-based recommendations for the teaching of literacy in primary schools. NAHT Edge Edge director James Bowen spoke with Sir Kevan Collins and Tom Martell from the EEF and Rosendale Primary School Headteacher, Kate Atkins to find out more about the key messages form the reports.
In this episode we focus on the crucial role middle leaders play in school improvement. We hear from a panel of middle leaders who reflect on what they most enjoy about their role, the challenges they face and what advice they would offer to others. We also have an interview with a leading thinker on school leadership, Andy Buck, who offers his advice on how middle leaders can make a real difference in their schools.
This month’s podcast is a maths special. We’ll get to grips with big ideas such as mastery and fluency, and also discuss the government’s proposed times tables checks for primary-aged pupils. There's also a look at your obligations to data protection, how that's changing and the best way to stay compliant.
Professor Mike Askew is our special guest Mike has worked in education for almost 40 years. He has taught at all levels, including teacher professional development, and led research projects throughout the world. He has written numerous books and articles on the subject of maths teaching. Edge director James Bowen chats with Mike.
Nicky Morgan was the secretary of state for education up until July of last year. In this episode we ask her what it’s really like to be the minister in charge of education, what she feels was her most significant achievement and whether she has any regrets about her time in office. We also hear from James Toop, the CEO of education charity ‘Ambition School Leadership’ about how they are supporting leadership development in schools.
Hello and Happy New Year. Welcome to the latest school leadership podcast brought to you by NAHT Edge and NAHT.
In this first episode of 2017 we find out more about Comparative Judgement, an alternative way of assessing pupils’ writing and ask whether it could form part of a long-term solution when it comes to primary assessment.
We also have an Early Years update for you from the NAHT team with some positive news on funding.
Amanda Spielman succeeded Sir Michael Wilshaw as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector at the start of the year. Prior to becoming the new Ofsted chief, Amanda was chair of Ofqual and she was also a founding member of the leadership team at Ark Schools.
NAHT Edge director, James Bowen, met with Amanda at the Ofsted Headquarters in central London.
It's a very Merry Christmas from us here at NAHT and NAHT Edge, we're joined by Lewis Iwu, Director of the Fair Education Alliance. Lewis tells James Bowen about work being done to address the achievement gap and the role of character education in schools.
NAHT Policy Adviser Sarah Hannafin picks over the impact being felt by Progress 8 and Ebacc.
You'll also hear some great news about our collaboration with Focus Education and get a chance to book on some fine courses for middle leaders.
Join all that up with details on our assessment in practice course and you have the trailblazing Leadership Podcast.
James Bowen hears from author, former Head teacher and Ofsted inspector Pie to get his views on the current English primary curriculum. Find out what he would do if he were Secretary of State for Education. Pie is one of the leading experts in the field of English and there's some superb insight in this month's podcast. Also, the roundtable discussion picks over our current assessment campaign with NAHT Edge Director James Bowen, NAHT General Secretary Russell Hobby and Director of Representation and Advice Paul Whiteman. You'll get the latest news on our next conference for aspiring Heads in both London and Manchester and details on how to join either NAHT or NAHT Edge.
James Bowen, Director of NAHT Edge helps to launch this brand new, sector - leading podcast with an exclusive chat with the newly appointed CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching. Alison speaks candidly about what motivates her, the events in the past that helped to shape her opinions and the future direction of the college. Russell Hobby, General Secretary of the NAHT and Valentine Mulholland, Head of Policy pick over the proposals for grammar schools in our regular roundtable discussion and there's news of our next conference on special schools, specialist and alternative provision conference.