Education Matters

Lucy and Hannah are back on The Hannah and Lucy Show with the episode teachers have been quietly nodding along to since the last bell of summer term rang, Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't . Recorded in that strange, sun-baked, brain-fried week between the end of exams and the actual holidays, this one takes on everything the summer term throws at teachers, parents and pupils alike, and as...

Paul Hazzard and John Gibbs co-host Teaching Matters. The first story explores Richard Adams and Fiona Harvey's report in The Guardian that our school estate, much of it built well past its intended lifespan, simply isn't ready for the extremes we're now living through. Paul and John talk through the astonishing case of Matford Brook Academy in Exeter, a brand new school demolished before a single...

John and Paul examine three stories that shed light on crucial matters in education. John and Paul trace Gareth Southgate's claim that boys need to be taught differently from girls back through generations of changing attitudes, from segregated school entrances to suppressed aspirations for girls, before asking the harder question. Are differences between boys and girls down to nature, nurture...

What does it really mean to teach adaptively? Not as a buzzword, not as a policy tick-box, but as a living, breathing practice that changes outcomes for real children in real classrooms? That's the question at the heart of our conversation with Andrew Young . Paul is joined by Andrew Young , social sciences teacher, co-director of a Teaching School Hub in York, and author of Adaptive Teaching:...

What happens when the systems meant to protect children aren't talking to each other, the consequences aren't landing, and teachers are left holding responsibilities that stretch far beyond the classroom? Hannah Wilson and Lucy Neuburger don't pull their punches on this one. The trigger for this episode is a Home Office report revealing that police wrote off thousands of crimes last year, includin...

This week on Teaching Matters we explore why young people are leaving school with strong exam results but without the practical life skills they need for adulthood. The panel tackles a damning government review by former minister Alan Milburn. The report suggests that institutions built to support young people are no longer fit for purpose, leaving too many school leavers as NEETs (not in employme...

This week Hannah & Lucy explore the human side of the classroom, the joy of the school holidays and the profound impact of early childhood nurture on lifelong brain development. Teaching is a demanding profession that frequently takes a toll on health and personal lives. Hannah shares her recent battle with tonsillitis and the realities of maintaining business as usual when you are a single mu...

What happens to a school's best ideas when its top teachers walk out the door? This week on Teaching Matters, host Paul Hazzard and his dazzling, sharp-witted panel, the discerning Dr Shauna McGill and the wise John Gibbs , tackle one of the biggest headaches plaguing modern education, staff turnover and the loss of institutional memory. Inspired by David Tuck ’s provocative article in the TES...

Double-jobbing as hosts and panellists Paul and John battle tech demons to explore Online abuse of teachers a ‘growing professional risk’, finds SSTA The Lingering ‘Learning Styles’ Myth Girls are falling behind boys in AI confidence A shocking new survey highlights the dramatic rise of digital abuse targeting school staff, ranging from fake online profiles to malicious deepfakes. Most schools rem...

Freedom of speech. Three words that can empty a staffroom, derail a GCSE lesson and, apparently, start a national news story. Hannah and Lucy wade into one of the most contested questions in education right now: what does free speech actually mean in a classroom, who gets to define it and why has a GCSE Citizenship textbook ended up making headlines in the press? A Pearson Edexcel revision guide,...

What does it actually take to protect children's wellbeing in a world where smartphones reach primary school age? Rachel Harper , principal of St. Patrick's National School in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, has spent three years finding out. The answer it turns out is simpler and more effective, than expected. Rachel tells the story behind It Takes a Village, a community initiative that began as...

What does a school leader actually learn from a five-minute classroom drop-in? Should canteens be doing more to feed children well and are 45% of parents really more stressed about GCSEs than their own kids? This week on Teaching Matters , host Paul Hazzard is joined by the experienced and forthright John Gibbs and Dr Shauna McGill for a wide-ranging conversation that covers school leadership, foo...

Hannah & Lucy bring their experience to a pressing questions facing schools today: what does it actually mean to teach morals, values and self-discipline to young people in 2026, and who is really responsible for doing so? As usual it’s a candid look back at how things have been since the last show. Hannah shares a striking story from teaching a group of Yr10s who refused to wait for an escort...

An in-depth conversation between three experienced professionals, Sam , John and Paul , that explores the complex nature of discipline and behaviour in schools, emphasising the importance of relationships, understanding individual needs and fostering self-discipline among students. Sam , John and Paul share insights on behaviour management, the role of love and respect and practical strategies for...

Join Lucy and Hannah as they catch up on recent adventures, chat about their upcoming trip to Vegas and delve into the serious topic of teachers losing their jobs due to misconduct. This episode balances lighthearted travel stories with a critical look at accountability and integrity in the teaching profession. The show explores accountability in education and safeguarding protocols. Chapters 00:0...

Join us as ⁠ Joanna Povall , principal of ‏Wales International School⁠, shares her journey from Manchester to the UAE, her leadership philosophy centered on kindness and practical strategies for fostering a compassionate school culture. Discover how her 'CHASE' framework and authentic modelling of kindness are transforming her school environment and her book is 'taking the world by kin...

In this week's episode John, Shauna and Paul explore the influence of social media influencers on students, the role of humour in teaching and how schools can better align with students' life goals. Our experts discuss strategies for addressing contentious issues, the importance of relationship-building and the impact of school culture. Key Topics Influence of social media influencers on s...

John Gibbs talks to actor and teacher David Houston. https://dramaimpact.com/actor/

📌What happens when schools are asked to do more … with less? 📌And what happens when trust between schools and society begins to fray? In this sharp, thought-provoking episode of Education Matters, host Paul Hazzard is joined by the ever-insightful John Gibbs for a wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversation on some of the most pressing issues facing education today. From sixth-form funding p...

What does it really feel like to lead a school through inspection? Anne Anderson, principal of New-Bridge Integrated College, in Loughbrickland, tells Paul all about it in this episode of Education Matters. Together they explore leadership under pressure, the evolving inspection landscape and the reality behind the headlines. Anne, Principal of Newbridge Integrated College in Northern Ireland, bri...

Paul Hazzard is joined by Dr Shauna McGill and John Gibbs for a sharp and thoughtful discussion across bold issues in education: What if... setting by ability was banned in schools? https://www.tes.com/magazine/leadership/tips-techniques/what-if-setting-ability-was-banned-schools Enrichment is a vital ingredient that gives school its full flavour https://schoolsweek.co.uk/enrichment-is-a-vital-ing...

Join Dr. Shauna McGill in a profound conversation with educator and author Dr. Richard Bustin as they dismantle the traditional "content-delivery" model of education. Drawing on Richard’s book, What Are We Teaching? Powerful Knowledge and a Capabilities Curriculum, this episode moves beyond the "knowledge vs. skills" binary to ask a more urgent question: How can what we teach t...

Education is changing quickly. Childhood looks different. Reading habits are shifting and even the structure of GCSE mathematics is under debate. Paul Hazzard is joined by education experts John Gibbs and Shane Leaning for a wide-ranging discussion about resilience, literacy and curriculum reform, and what these changes mean for teachers, schools and learners. A familiar question starts the conver...

Join Lucy and Hannah freshly back from their trip to Dublin. Share in their adventures. But remember much that happened in Dublin is staying in Dublin ... till next time. Beyond that they explore the importance of media literacy, empathy and open conversations in education. Tonight specifically they look at how we teach children in times of world crises. 🔸 The importance of media literacy and mis...

In this week's Teaching Matters, panellists, Dr Shauna McGill , Lucy Neuburger , John Gibbs and host, Paul Hazzard explore the English language proficiency of Swedish young people, the implications of zero tolerance policies in schools and the declining appeal of the teaching profession. The panel discusses cultural perceptions of language learning, the mental health impacts of punitive school...