The Education Periscope

If your risk report is a dense spreadsheet that governors struggle to interpret, it may be giving the appearance of oversight without creating much real challenge or assurance. In this second episode on school risk management, John continues the conversation with Nick Websdell, Head of ERM Services at Barnett Waddingham, part of Howden. This time, the focus moves from identifying risk to reporting...

If risk management in your school lives in a long spreadsheet that only gets reviewed once a year, it probably is not helping leaders make better decisions when it matters most. In the opening episode of season two, John is joined by Nick Websdell, Head of ERM Services at Barnett Waddingham, part of Howden, for the first of a two-part series on school risk. Together they explore how schools can ma...

If your school’s marketing sounds like every other school, you’re making it hard for families to choose you. In part two of our marketing and admissions mini-series, Emily from Stickman explains how schools can create and maintain distinctive, consistent messaging that cuts through a crowded market — and stays coherent across every touchpoint, from your website and admissions journey to social med...

When pupil numbers start to feel “soft”, the risk is waiting until the next cycle confirms the problem. In part one of our two-part mini-series on marketing and admissions, we focus on the leading indicators schools often miss — and the practical routines that help marketing and admissions work as one team to improve conversion and protect retention. This episode is designed for bursars and busine...

In this episode Falling pupil numbers rarely arrive as a sudden shock. More often, it’s slow erosion masked by optimism — until decisions get forced on you. This episode gives bursars and business managers a practical, termly way to forecast pupil numbers with visible assumptions, test downside scenarios properly, and agree clear triggers so action happens early rather than late. What you’ll learn...

In this episode Most schools can point to a risk register. Fewer can point to the decisions it genuinely changes. This episode gives bursars and business managers a practical way to assess risk maturity quickly, define what “good” looks like in an independent school, and embed a simple cadence so risk stays live — not filed and forgotten. What you’ll learn How to assess your school’s risk maturity...

A short festive bonus from The Education Periscope to close out the year. We’re taking a moment to thank every listener and downloader, reflect on a few highlights from the series so far, and share what’s coming next. In this festive extra, we cover: A sincere thank you to listeners, supporters, and everyone sharing the show Key engagement highlights from recent episodes and conversations sparked...

This episode tackles a quiet but growing issue in many independent schools: everyone feels the risk levels rising – pupil numbers, fees, cyber, estates, complaints – but risk management still lives in a dusty register or an over-engineered spreadsheet. John Murphie and Elise Tonnard strip the jargon out of “business risk” for charity and non-charity schools, and show how to turn it into a simple,...

This episode tackles a familiar problem in many independent schools: every board cycle, the paper packs get thicker, the dashboards get prettier… and the big decisions still roll to “next meeting”. John Murphie and Elise Tonnard look at how to move from perfection-seeking reports to nimble, insight-led decisions that actually land within the term. They unpack how to stop “report creep”, what empow...

This episode tackles a quiet headache in many independent schools: you’re drowning in data, but starving for timely insight. John Murphie and Elise Tonnard explore how to move from gut feel and historic reports to a handful of simple, live numbers that actually change decisions. They unpack what “decision-ready” data looks like in a school context, how to avoid turning it into a giant IT project,...

This opening episode sets out why static, once-a-year strategies no longer cut it in the independent school sector. John Murphie and Elise Tonnard unpack what “agile strategy” really looks like in a school context: short feedback loops, digestible data, live risk conversations and plans you actually use between meetings. You’ll leave with a handful of simple moves to turn that glossy strategy docu...