Together We Grow

This week, our host Sarah is joined by Jessica Hill from 'Schools Week' but this episode is a little bit different as Jessica is interviewing Sarah.    In case you don't know our host too well, Sarah Finch is an outstanding educational leader and the CEO of The Marches Academy Trust (MAT), a multi-academy sponsor based in Shropshire, a county with significant social and economic disadvantage. With...

This week Sarah is joined by previous Executive Director for Education at Marches Academy Trust now C.E.O of the Empower Trust, Carla Whelan.   Carla Whelan has over 28 years experience in education, in a range of roles including 8 years as a headteacher and 3 years in an executive role. During her career, Carla has worked closely with key educational figures and government ministers, proving key...

This week Sarah is joined by teacher Ryan Smith. Ryan shares his journey to teaching, via retail and working in Egypt! Today Sarah ask's Ryan about his experiences in the education system, both as a student and now a teacher, and he shares with us how he inspires his students and ensures that they feel a sense a inclusivity. For more information about the Marches Academy Trust, visit our website: ...

This week Sarah is joined by female footballer and Lioness, Sue Smith. Sue Smith is one of the nation's best loved professional female footballers, who has enjoyed over two decades on the pitch for England. An equally high profile pundit, Smith has reported on some of the most exciting matches in recent years, and remains at the forefront of the sports industry. Today Sarah ask's Sue how she start...

This week Sarah is joined by Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle. Beth Tweddle is one of Britain's most successful ever gymnasts with three world gold medals in her collection, along with six European titles. Today Sarah ask's Beth how her school worked with her, to help nurture her talent, and what changes she would make to the education system. For more information about the Marches Academy Trust, visi...

This week Sarah is joined by Lee Connelly, AKA The Skinny Jean Gardener. Lee is the UK's no.1 children's gardening educator. Lee has hosted on shows such as CBBC Blue Peter, BBC Teach, BBC Radio 1 as well as appearances on ITV, Channel 4 & 5. He is also the author of 'How to get kids gardening' and host of the Sunday Times Best Gardening Podcast, The Teacher/ Parent Garden Club. Today Sarah ask's...

This week Sarah is joined by Tom Hodgkinson, Paralympic Podium Coach for the Great Britain cycling team. We chat about Tom's fascinating career, he shares the experiences that the world of sport has given him and he tells us how he would change the education system for the better. For more information about the Marches Academy Trust, visit our website:  https://www.marchesacademytrust.co.uk/ Music...

This week Sarah is joined by Jamie Edwards, CEO of Shrewsbury Town in the Community. Jamie was a professional footballer for Bristol City FC, and played semi-professionally in Australia. He has been a UEFA B License coach since 2007 and founded and managed a sports coaching company from 2005 – 2007. Shrewsbury Town in the Community creates opportunities for people to lead healthy and active lifest...

This week Sarah is joined by year 13 student Lucy Craig, one of the creators of 'Herstory', a student-led newsletter highlighting remarkable women's stories both contemporary and from history. This is the first time that we have heard from a current student on the Together We Grow podcast and Lucy provides some fascinating insights into what she likes about the education system and what she would...

This week Sarah is joined by Robert Forrester, CEO of Vertu Motors, former head boy of Sir John Talbot's school (part of the Marches Academy Trust) and a graduate of Oxford University. We chat about the ups and downs of Robert's very successful career journey, who/what influenced him growing up (in and out of school) as well as discussing what schools can be doing differently to better prepare stu...

This week Sarah is joined by Dr. Zareen Roohi Ahmed, the Founder & CEO of Gift Wellness Ltd who champion an award-winning range of natural products. The GIFT anion sanitary products range is sold across the UK and Europe, but most importantly, due to Zareen's commitment to helping women in crisis, over 4 million sanitary pads have been donated to homeless and refugee women, foodbanks and schools....

This week Sarah is joined by Dr. Sam Collins, a leading global voice on women's leadership, equality and empowerment. She is a social entrepreneur, a coach and author. Sam and her team at Aspire for Equality give women the freedom and support to change themselves and the world. Their trailblazing events spark action and their community sustains it. Aspire For Equality have worked with thousands of...

This week Sarah is joined by Dr. Ellis Crasnow all the way from LA. Dr. Crasnow is a director at the STEM³ Academy, a WASC accredited school dedicated to K–12 students who are bright, have a passion for STEM-related fields, and benefit from non-traditional learning methods. Ellis really considers the journey that young people with special needs will be on once they finish education and he works ti...

This week Sarah is joined by Branwen Jeffreys, Education Editor for BBC News. Branwen is a broadcaster and writer with a broad interest in social policy and education. She investigates the impact of various government initiatives aimed at children & young people. In 2015 she became a Governor of The Health Foundation and she is directly involved in 'REAL', the Research for Equitable Access & Learn...

Professor Michael Waters is an inspiration to many, including our host Sarah. Mick was the Director of Curriculum at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, based in London, from 2005-9. He was responsible for what British children are legally obliged to study at school via the National Curriculum. In this episode he shares his thoughts on what education could/should look like in the future a...

Welcome to the Marches Academy Trust 'Together We Grow' Podcast For more information about the Marches Academy Trust, visit our website: https://www.marchesacademytrust.co.uk/ Music - Good Love by Vendredi https://soundcloud.com/vendrediduo​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/3unfdOw​ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/HVH3G...