FLOURISHING EDUCATION - SAFER AND BRAVER SPACE(S) TO BE AND BECOME WELL TOGETHER

Today, I talk with Ava Shabnum Hasan , LSE graduate and former teacher who worked in several state and independent schools in England and Asia, including Merchant Taylors' Prep School and Harrow International School Bangkok. Former SENDCo and Senior Leader she founded Mentally Well Schools in 2019. We talk about the importance of compassion and self-compassion as well as giving our young people th...

This week, on the Flourishing Education podcast, I talk to the amazing Aidan Sloane , Head of Skills, Apprenticeships, Employer Engagement at Belfast Metropolitan College. We discuss how the FIRST choice is always the RIGHT choice for young people and how there is not just one determined straight path: GCSE, A-levels and degree/higher degrees (in the UK) but that people should be encouraged to fin...

In this episode, I interview the amazing Naomi Fisher , Clinical Psychologist.  We talk about her book Changing our Minds and how it brings together research, theory and practice on learning. Naomi looks at education through a psychological lens and tells us how there are other ways to learn. School is not the only way to become educated.

This week I talk with Nathan McGurl , Founder of The Study Buddy which Nathan created to support his child when he was revising for his GCSE. We discuss the importance of developing skills for the future of our young people.

In this episode, I speak with Claire Fitter, previously a secondary school teacher for nearly 10 years and who is now home educating her two daughters. She tells me what home educating is (and is not) and her amazing journey.

This week, I share another powerful conversation with Toni Pettitt , who is founder and director of Branching Out Forest School & Social Forestry. We discuss the what 'Forest School and Social Forestry are, their benefits and most importantly why we should keep investing in children and young people's outdoor experiences.

In this episode, the wonderful Sally Fox , Headteacher of a Pool Church of England primary school in West Yorkshire talks to me about her big why and why she believes in personalising education not standardising it. and helps me realise that what I want the most for my children and our young people (and myself) is to find meaning and fulfilment in life. I am sure you will find this conversation wi...

This week, I talk with the wonderful Dr Ian Cunningham who chairs the Governing Body of SML College . He created Self Managed Learning in the 1970’s and was the first person to be awarded a PhD in Management Learning from the University of Lancaster. He has published six books and over 120 articles and papers in areas such as education, learning, leadership and organisational change. In this episo...

This episode was so transformative for me and I am so grateful to Stu Evans - Headteacher at PRU New Leaf inclusion Centre for his insights and knowledge. He showed me my unconscious biases and reminded me that all behaviour is communication. A very timely and powerful conversation.

Tis week I speak with the wonderful Komal Shah , Educational consultant creating a more harmonious world by shifting outdated educational paradigms through consciousness. It was a fascinating discussion talking about Komal's journey through the 'mainstream system', her frustrations which led her to write her new book, a nonfiction book that speaks to educational leaders, teachers, and parents who...

This week I talk to TJ Jutla Managing Director of QTS - Quality Teacher Suppliers who is inspiring change in education and & challenging The Status Quo. Enjoy!

This week I had a wonderful and joyful conversation with Ros Wilson about the importance of talk. With over 55 years experience in education, including 27 years in schools, ten years in senior management positions and 14 years in advisory and inspection work. She has taught in primary, middle and secondary schools in England and overseas and has a wide experience in teaching and advising on raisin...

This week, I talk with the wonderful Matt Barnes .  Matt describes himself as a son, a spouse, a dad, an entrepreneur, and an active community member. Over the last 10-years, he has coached thousands of parents on how to grow their children into “self-directed learners for the 21st Century.” His kids have been educated in public, private, hybrid, virtual, and homeschool structures over the la...

This week I speak with Olly Newton - Executive Director of The Edge Foundation . Olly oversees Edge’s work on research, policy and Edge Future Learning. He is passionate about connecting researchers, policy makers and practitioners to learn from each other. Olly chairs several of Edge’s networks and often speaks at events – feel free to email him or connect on Twitter @UkEdgePolicy if you would li...

Victoria is a primary school headteacher in the North West of England, a post she has held for nine years. She is a mum of two teenagers. In her spare time she is a British Army reservist and also lectures on the MA programme in Educational Leadership (previously at Chester University and currently at Liverpool Hope). In addition, she has completed two MAs (in Equality & Diversity and Educatio...

This week, I have an amazing conversation with Phil Sharrock , former headteacher who has a passion for the well-being and empowerment of children, staff and the whole community in order to facilitate rapid improvement. He prides himself on being different and challenging the norms of what is perceived to be right for all schools. He argues strongly that all schools are individual and their n...

This week I talk with a colleague at the University of Bristol, Imogen Moore who is Associate Professor in Law, lead on education and innovation and development.  We talk about the blogpost we wrote together ahead of yesterday's symposium on staff wellbeing organised by Advance HE. We talk about the need for a holistic approach to wellbeing in Higher Education (and in all settings) which requ...

This week I speak with Nicole Webb , journalist, writer and speaker. Nicole spent 20 years in Australia television as a reporter, producer and presenter. She's recently returned to Sydney after nearly a decade abroad in Hong Kong and China.  We talk about her book China Blond, which you can buy here . Through her wonderful experience Nicole shows us how stepping outside of our comfort zone, n...

This week, I speak with Maxine Houghton , who is Advisory Teacher for SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) at Somerset County Council. Maxine tells us what she thinks we all need to cope with lockdown and beyond and provides us with very good advice and tips for parents, teachers and young people.  

Today I speak with the talented Megan Norton , an intercultural training consultant, facilitator, and researcher focused on supporting cross-cultural families. and we discuss what we can learn from her experience of being and working with Third Culture Kids (TCK). Such a powerful conversation again! Megan's expertise as an intercultural trainer combined with her experience in international educati...

This week I speak with the amazingly talented Briony May from Briony Bakes , semi-finalist of the Great British Bake off 2018 (GBBO) and winner of the Great Christmas Bake off 2019 and now presenter  - Food Unwrapped, Channel 4. Briony shares her story, how she got from language teacher to TV presenter and what her recipe for life and success is. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I lov...

Cette semaine - c'est un programme en français avec la merveilleuse Elisabeth Allier . Nous parlons de notre rencontre en 2011, comment elle a découvert la pleine conscience et nous partageons des conseils et des idées sur comment améliorer et développer notre bien-être. Bonne écoute!

This week I share my conversation with Marjo Kyllönen, Head of Development Services, City of Helsinki. We talk about the Finnish Education system and what we (as UK teachers, educators and parents) can learn from the changes and the work they have done over the last 20 years. I learned so much and really loved our conversation. You can find Marjo Kyllönen on Linkedin

In this episode, I talk to Professor Basia Spalek about staff wellbeing (mainly in Higher Education) but this applies to all settings. We talk about what we can do to change the system and to make sure that we create a flourishing education where both students AND staff can flourish. Professor Spalek is the founder and director of Mental Wellbeing Services You can follow her on Twitter @MentalWell...

Today I talk with Dr Peter Gray , research professor at Boston College, is author of  Free to Learn (Basic Books) and  Psychology (Worth Publishers, a college textbook now in its 8th edition). We talk about self-directed education and how we foster curiosity in our young people. He has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropolog...