The Headteacher Update Podcast

This episode looks at using instructional coaching as part of your school's approach to staff CPD and improving teaching and learning. Three experts discuss what instructional is and its core principles. We ask how we can best launch and develop this approach in our schools and how it can be used to enhance teachers' knowledge and understanding of pedagogy while complementing whole-school CPD. We...

This episode looks at how primary schools can best support the education and development of pupils who use English as an additional language (EAL), including refugee children. The podcast features three experts and opens with each guest offering their three tenets of best practice for EAL. We discuss what primary school leaders can do to ensure effective whole-school provision for EAL pupils, incl...

This episode looks at best practice for delivering phonics programmes and teaching early reading in the primary school. Two experts discuss how phonics supports early reading and what the high-quality teaching of early reading looks like in practice. We ask w hat a high-quality phonics programme should offer schools and how we can ensure maximum impact with the scheme we are using. How can we move...

This episode offers crucial advice and lots of practical tips to help primary school headteachers – especially those new to post – to survive and thrive in the top job. We speak with three experienced school leaders who draw on their experiences and the ups and downs of their careers to offer their tips, ideas, and advice to others. We ask what our guests wish somebody had told them during the ear...

This episode of the podcast considers how school leaders can successfully navigate difficult conversations that often need to take place with staff, parents and others. We discuss common types of "difficult conversation", some general principles for how to handle these discussions, and how we can best prepare ourselves and others for these conversations. We discuss the crucial role that school and...

This episode discusses simple and effective ways of conducting high-impact self-evaluation in order to support and drive school improvement. Three primary school leaders discuss their tenets of best practice for effective self-evaluation. We talk about t he self-evaluation cycle, what it should look like, and how it fits into the wider process of school improvement. The panel includes a practising...

This episode advises primary schools on how to engage with the different statutory and non-statutory agencies working to support pupils, especially our most vulnerable. From local authorities, safeguarding, mental health and Early Help services, to community out-reach, mentoring support and more, we consider the range of bodies that schools need to engage with. We discuss how to create partnership...

This episode identifies key aspects of effective and purposeful curriculum assessment and evaluation in primary schools, including ensuring it is not onerous for teachers and meeting Ofsted expectations. The discussion involves three experienced primary school leaders who offer us their tenets of best practice for how we can ensure our curriculum is high-quality and working for our pupils. How do...

This episode discusses how to be an effective school leader in challenging and difficult circumstances – both the expected and the unexpected. Our experts consider how to lead and manage these situations, sharing their tenets of effective leadership under pressure, their own experiences, and lessons learnt. We ask how leaders stay calm, decisive, and people-centred when times are tough. We also lo...

This episode is packed full of advice, ideas, and tips for delivering effective and impactful outdoor learning in the primary school. Our expert panel kick off by discussing nine tenets of best practice in delivering outdoor and nature-based learning in schools. We also talk about the benefits that outdoor learning can bring, including the skills it can help pupils to develop. With lots of ideas f...

This episode focuses on the use of coaching and mentoring approaches to support the development of teaching staff in schools. Our experts discuss the differences between coaching and mentoring, with some examples of what each approach entails and sets out to achieve, as well as what they look like in practice. We ask how headteachers can get started with introducing coaching or mentoring as part o...

This episode looks at how primary schools can boost pupil attendance, including tackling persistent absenteeism and supporting families. Three experts discuss the current trends and challenges in primary school attendance, including the legacy of Covid. We identify and discuss the main barriers to attendance – including anxiety, school avoidance, SEMH needs, problems with punctuality, poverty and...

This podcast considers what effective middle leadership looks like in the primary school, including subject leadership, handling Ofsted's subject deep dives, and strategic middle leadership. Our experts consider the traits of effective middle leaders and how we can support our staff to develop these skills. We focus especially on subject leadership, including how middle leaders can ensure they are...

This episode considers how primary schools can balance their budgets, raise funds, and make the most of limited financial resources. Two school finance experts discuss tips, ideas, and advice, including tenets of best practice in optimising your school's budget and for effective financial management. We discuss challenges including rising energy and National Insurance costs, and falling pupil roll...

This podcast discusses effective appraisal and performance management practice in primary schools. Three experienced school leaders discuss principles of effective appraisal systems, including elements of a successful appraisal and tips for setting objectives. How can we place CPD at the heart of performance management and make the process collegiate/collaborative? How can we identify a teacher's...

This episode tackles Ofsted inspections, offering practical advice for primary schools to help you thrive when the inspectors call. Two experienced headteachers offer tips and ideas, big and small, for handling Ofsted from start to finish. We tackle subject deep dives, explaining how they are working in practice and how we can prepare without adding to workload, including tips for subject/middle l...

This episode considers the consequences that poverty has for children and their education and offers practical ideas for how primary schools can address these. We look at the national picture of child poverty, causes and impact, and the barriers it creates to education and school. Our experts offer key principles for how we can work to counteract the impact of disadvantage in schools and a wealth...

This episode considers effective parent/carer engagement and asks how we can create parent-friendly schools. Our experts offer principles for effective parental engagement and discuss how schools can get parents/carers on board, how we can build positive relationships, and tips for headteachers new in post. We talk school gates, bacon sandwiches, and ideas for how we can make our schools more "par...

This episode looks at supporting pupils as they make the transition from primary to secondary school. We chat with two secondary schools and two feeder primaries about common transition challenges and solutions. We look at when transition work should begin, what the process looks like, engaging with parents, identifying pupils who may struggle, and supporting vulnerable pupils. We discuss tried an...

This episode takes a practical look at how primary schools can support vulnerable pupils, including looked after children and those living with trauma and adverse childhood experiences. We ask what form ACEs and trauma can take, what impact they have, and what being a trauma-informed school involves. We consider therapeutic approaches and how to create calming classroom environments. We discuss: m...

What is the best way to teach pupils to read and how can teachers ensure every child leaves primary school a fluent reader? This episode considers the components of effective whole-school reading (and literacy) strategies. The podcast is packed with teaching tips and techniques as well as whole-school ideas to engage pupils and boost reading skills. We discuss: early years & early reading work, re...

This episode considers what outstanding governance looks like in the primary school, how to be a great governor, and how school leaders and governors can work together effectively. We ask how headteachers can foster strong, professional relationships with governors, and vice-versa. We advise new headteachers how they might begin to build working relationships with governors, including questions to...

This two-part episode offers advice and tips for good safeguarding practice and how we can keep children safe. In part two, we chat to three colleagues working in primary schools about their safeguarding work, examples of best practice, and useful ideas. They discuss current trends, effective safeguarding principles, and how to ensure a culture of "it could happen here". Themes include SEND, Covid...

This two-part episode offers advice/tips for good safeguarding practice in schools. In part one, safeguarding expert Elizabeth Rose speaks about current safeguarding trends and how schools can respond. Themes include the consequences of Covid-19 for safeguarding, safety of children outside school, the growing trend of online safety challenges at primary level – including peer-on-peer incidents, so...

This episode asks what great school improvement practice and processes look like and how to ensure self-evaluation work in schools is effective. We discuss the key tenets of school improvement, including change management, culture and ethos. We ask what a cycle of improvement should look like and how headteachers new in post might begin this work, including building relationships, winning hearts a...