The School Leadership Podcast

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. See the ⁠⁠latest issue of NAHT's Leadership Focus magazine⁠⁠ for more on this year's Inspiring Leadership Conference in Birmingham. Booking is now open for next year’s event – find out more about 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.