The Headteacher Update Podcast

In this episode we ask two experienced school leaders one simple question – What makes a great headteacher? – and see where the conversation goes. Our two guests enjoy a wide-ranging discussion about what a great headteacher looks like from the perspective of each of the key stakeholders in the school community – pupils, staff, parents and others. The pupil lens: We talk kindness and honesty, but...

In this episode we discuss how we can improve the quality of teaching across the primary school, with practical advice and insights for school leaders. We begin by discussing the role of the curriculum in improving teaching quality, including the importance of inclusion and oracy. We focus too on the importance of planning teaching and learning – both short-term action planning and longer-term pla...

In the midst of a teacher retention crisis, this episode asks how primary schools can keep hold of their teaching staff, especially their early career teachers. With more than 114,000 teachers having quit teaching for reasons other than retirement in the last three years, our expert panel discuss general principles for creating a school environment that encourages teachers to want to stay. We talk...

This episode considers what an inclusive primary school looks like and how we can create a culture of inclusion that enables every pupil to thrive regardless of starting points. We interview two experienced educators and discuss how we can support all learners, no matter their background and barriers to learning. We talk about how to create the right ethos and culture of belonging and family in ou...

In this episode, we discuss how primary schools can maximise the impact of our staff team to deliver excellent SEND provision, with our panel offering a range of innovative ideas and approaches. Our three experienced guests begin their discussion with nine quick ideas and go on to develop these during the podcast, considering how the impact of our SEND staffing can be optimised to ensure we suppor...

This episode dissects the revised Ofsted inspection framework, setting out actions that school leaders can take now to prepare and offering expert insights and tips. Our panel has extensive experience of Ofsted inspection, and they break down the key changes that schools should be focused on and how best we can respond. We highlight key aspects of the revised framework, including the implications...

This episode offers advice for school leaders on how they can handle parental complaints, including de-escalation tips and dealing with vexatious complaints. With NAHT research showing a rise in parental complaints and vexatious complaints, this episode is packed full of useful tips and practical advice for school leaders. Our three experienced panellists describe what they are seeing on the groun...

This episode looks at environmental work across the primary school, including how we can reduce our carbon emissions and integrate climate education into the curriculum. We look at where school leaders can begin when it comes to reducing carbon emissions across the primary school, including creating a Climate Action Plan and ideas for some quick wins. Our guests include experts from the National E...

This episode looks at a range of routines, systems and protocols that can help you to create a calm and efficient primary school environment – with lots of practical ideas to adapt and adopt. Our panel of school leaders discuss a range of evidence-based ideas for useful school routines that help the school day to run smoothly – whether that be in the classroom, corridors or playground. We look spe...

This podcast discusses the retirement choices open to school leaders and headteachers, tips for effective pension planning as well as the implications of early and phased retirement options. We speak with two experts from Wesleyan Financial Services to discuss principles of effective retirement planning and what headteachers need to think about and plan for. We focus on the provisions within the T...

This episode offers advice, ideas and examples for effective library provision in the primary school, including tips for whole-school literacy support. We meet with two primary school professionals and an expert from the National Literacy Trust to get their view of what makes for excellent primary school library provision. We discuss how to create a thriving school library provision when space and...

This episode describes ideas and advice for identifying and supporting pupils with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in the primary school classroom. SLCN are now the most common need for the 1.2 million pupils who are on SEN Support in England's schools – and the evidence tells us that there will be many more who are going undiagnosed. The podcast features two SENCOs and a speech an...

In this episode we discuss leadership succession planning and how primary schools can spot, develop and nurture the school leaders (and headteachers) of tomorrow. Across two halves, the podcast speaks to four school leaders to find out how they spot, encourage and develop potential leaders in their schools and trusts. We ask how we can talent-spot these leaders – what kind of leadership traits and...

With the numbers of pupils with SEN rising year-on-year, this episode offers advice for primary school leadership teams (especially SENCOs) about the effective management of SEN across the primary school. Our expert panel begin by offering their principles of best practice for managing SEN. We then discuss h ow can school leaders can best support their SENCOs and what SENCO need in order to be eff...

In this episode we discuss how to deliver excellent and high-quality school food on a budget in your primary school. We chat with two headteachers and the founder of the Chefs in Schools charity to explore ideas and options for how schools can deliver quality food experiences for pupils. We ask how we can work with families to improve packed lunches and also discuss how we can raise money via our...

In this episode we take a deep dive into the different roles and models of executive school leadership, looking at best practice and how executive leaders can best support individual schools. Our panel of experts ask what different executive leadership roles exist and what purpose they serve; we consider the different structures and models of executive leadership, too. We discuss how executive lea...

In this episode we look at the recruitment and retention of teachers in the primary school, including how to attract the best teachers and ideas and tips for how to keep hold of them. The podcast features three experienced school leaders who begin their discussion by each offering their three core principles of best practice for effective recruitment and retention. We then consider how we might go...

This episode focuses on how we can teach oracy and speaking skills in the primary school, with practical tips, ideas, resources and advice. Our expert panel discuss what oracy is, why it matters, and the impact we have seen on pupils' speaking skills since Covid. We look at how we can teach oracy in the classroom and across the curriculum, including practical activities for the explicit teaching o...

In this episode three school leaders discuss effective behaviour management strategies and approaches in the primary school. We ask how we can build a culture that supports consistent behaviour management across the school. Furthermore, what does an impactful behaviour policy look like and how should it be applied in practice to ensure consistency in classrooms, corridors and playgrounds? The pane...

In this episode we discuss how headteachers can "market" their primary schools effectively – not least to prospective parents and their wider communities. Pupil rolls are due to fall notably in the coming years, meaning that promoting our school's ethos, culture and educational track record will become ever more important – especially for small primary schools. But how do we go about doing this we...

This episode looks at how schools and school leaders can lead change and make sure new approaches, interventions or improvement practices have the biggest possible impact. Inspired by the publication of the Education Endowment Foundation's updated implementation guidance – Putting Evidence to Work – the podcast features advice, examples, and ideas from three experienced school leaders. The EEF's n...

In this episode we discuss a range of ideas and strategies for how primary schools can support the good mental health and wellbeing of their pupils. We chat to three guests who work in three different schools. We hear their tenets of good practice when it comes to supporting good pupil wellbeing in school before discussing what wellbeing challenges they are seeing on the ground and at the chalkfac...

In this episode we discuss tips, ideas, and strategies for protecting the wellbeing of headteachers – and other school staff – during Ofsted inspections. Our guest is Paul K Ainsworth, who has held director of school improvement roles in four multi-academy trusts in the last nine years and in that time has experienced more than 40 Ofsted inspections. We get Paul's practical insights – both small i...

In this episode, three schools talk about the impact of the cost of living crisis and their work to support Pupil Premium and disadvantaged pupils. Our guests identify their key tenets of effective Pupil Premium practice and talk about specific approaches they are using in their schools. We delve into a range of strategies and ideas for addressing the consequences of poverty in the primary school,...

This episode looks at the effective deployment of our teaching assistants in the primary school classroom, offering advice for whole-school practice and individual teaching and lessons. We ask how teaching assistants can enhance pupils' outcomes and support inclusion and how teachers and teaching assistants can communicate and work together effectively. We discuss school systems and structures tha...