The Independent School Podcast with Juliet Corbett

As highlighted in my round-up of the 2022 Bursaries and Partnerships Conference, hosted by HMC, AGBIS and IDPE , I'm so pleased to see that school partnerships are stepping into the spotlight in the educational sector.  In this episode, I'm joined by the fantastic Graeme Lawrie MBE, Partnerships Director at ACS International Schools, who has a wealth of experience in this area. We discus...

This is a question I'm frequently asked, so I have dedicated an episode to delve into the answers... The common concern I hear is that schools are massively busy and having a comprehensive strategic plan will give staff even more to do. In this episode, I demonstrate how it can actually be the opposite - developing a strategic plan which flows down into everyday activities is the best way to...

In this episode I'm joined by the inspirational Ali Henderson, CEO, Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation.  We explore the current impact and future plans of the RNCSF and dive into the valuable experience that Ali has gained through her career, with her vision and mission to broaden access to education. References and Resources Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation Impa...

In this episode, I'm joined by the brilliant Kate Jillings, Co-Founder of community management software ToucanTech, which was created for school development teams. We explore future-proofing your school community (whether this be alumni, parents, donors or former staff) and the increasing importance of creating a permanent online ‘home’ in a post-Covid era. References and Resources Toucan Tec...

Are you shooting for the stars or only focusing on goals that you can confidently say you've achieved after a 5-year strategic plan? 'Vision' is often seen as a buzzword that can be interpreted in many ways... some people are inspired by big aims whilst others can feel overwhelmed by sky-high thinking.  In this episode, I take a look at two ways in which you can create the mindset n...

We're all watching Putin's invasion of Ukraine with horror and compassion for those directly impacted. In my role as a school strategist, I support leaders to both secure their school’s future and help build a more equal and just world.  Because of these values, I will be sharing a mini-series of special podcast episodes to help you navigate the wider impact this crisis will have on your...

In this episode of The Independent School Podcast, I'm joined by Philip Britton MBE, Head of Foundation, Bolton School. We discuss the importance of adopting a strategic approach to school leadership, which starts with connecting all of your school’s activities to its vision – an articulation of the positive difference the school seeks to make for the world.   We also talk about what strategi...

Strategy is all about deciding what to do and what not to do. I often come across schools who pride themselves in doing things really well BUT they haven't been asking themselves about WHAT to do in the absence of an embedded strategy, which sometimes means they're doing the wrong things, albeit really well. In this episode, I explore why that's a problem and how to fix it.   Refere...

We're seeing a welcome rise in partnerships between independent and state schools, and there are a wealth of opportunities for schools to continue to explore. In this episode, I'm joined by John Smith, Director of Partnerships at Royal Grammar School Newcastle and we discuss the work they've been doing with partnerships, his vision for the future and the benefits of independent scho...

We're all watching Putin's invasion of Ukraine with horror and compassion for those directly impacted. In my role as a school strategist, I support leaders to both secure their school’s future and help build a more equal and just world.  Because of these values, I will be sharing a mini-series of special podcast episodes to help you navigate the wider impact this crisis will have on your...

In this episode I'm joined by the brilliant Guy Ayling - Head Master of Mount Kelly in Tavistock. We take an in-depth look at how Mount Kelly has responded to the crisis in Ukraine so far, in the hope of generating conversations around the role independent schools can play in supporting their community both locally and internationally. We explore how leaders can inspire their network to respo...

We're all watching Putin's invasion of Ukraine with horror and compassion for those directly impacted. In my role as a school strategist, I support leaders to both secure their school’s future and help build a more equal and just world.  Because of these values, I will be sharing a mini-series of special podcast episodes to help you navigate the wider impact this crisis will have on your...

We've all thought: I wish I'd known that about myself earlier! Maybe it's something to do with our values, the way we work best or the types of people we like to spend time with. Do you think we can help the young people in our schools arrive at a place of self-knowledge faster, or do you think we all have to go on that journey ourselves? Join me for this brilliant interview with Em...

We're all watching Putin's invasion of Ukraine with horror and compassion for those directly impacted. In my role as a school strategist, I support leaders to both secure their school’s future and help build a more equal and just world.  Because of these values, I will be sharing a mini-series of special podcast episodes to help you navigate the wider impact this crisis will have on your...

Join me in this episode for a round-up of the Bursaries and Partnerships Conference on 8th March 2022, hosted by HMC, AGBIS and IDPE. I walk you through some of the themes that emerged from the conference and leave you with my main takeaway: We all have to start this journey somewhere. Don't give up - keep learning, keep sharing and together we'll make an impact. References and Resources...

We're all watching Putin's invasion of Ukraine with horror and compassion for those directly impacted. In my role as a school strategist, I support leaders to both secure their school’s future and help build a more equal and just world.  Because of these values, I will be sharing a mini-series of special podcast episodes to help you navigate the wider impact this crisis will have on your...

We're all watching Putin's invasion of Ukraine with horror and compassion for those directly impacted. In my role as a school strategist, I support leaders to both secure their school’s future and help build a more equal and just world.  Because of these values, I will be sharing a mini-series of special podcast episodes to help you navigate the wider impact this crisis will have on your...

As we had the Bursaries and Partnerships Conference run by HMC, AGBIS and IDPE in London earlier this week, I thought it would be apt to re-share one of my most popular episodes around the topic. In this episode, I talk to Emily Clarke, Director of Development at Highgate School, about fundraising for community partnerships. Expanding on previous episodes about the building blocks of bursary strat...

No one can tell you what your strategy should be, but there are critical components all strategies must have to be robust. In this episode, I walk you through the four critical components that make a good strategy. I also signpost you to lots of other episodes if you want to explore each area further. References and Resources 029: What's your vision? 055: Vision: Why it matters which mountain...

In this episode, I discuss USPs (Unique Selling Points) which are features of your school that makes it stand out from the crowd. In such a competitive marketplace, identifying your school's USP is highly beneficial. I start by detailing the key components of a good USP and the pain points that many schools encounter when trying to define theirs. I then discuss the value of USPs and why they...

In this episode, I strip away the jargon surrounding strategy and discuss what it actually is at its core. I share five statements that I believe summarise a good strategy and share key questions that all effective strategies will answer. Discussions around strategy can often be confusing or overwhelming, the questions below should help you cut through the jargon and make your discussions more str...

In this episode, I discuss how you can interrogate your school's strategy to ensure it is disputable. Most people may think that a strategy should be accepted by all and so aim to please everyone with it. However, I often see ones that try to do too much and end up not making the tough decisions. One way you can ensure your strategy is addressing the tough issues, is to ask if anyone would di...

In this episode, I dive into divergent thinking.  Divergent thinking is a stage in the strategic thinking process where you are intentionally creating lots of ideas without judgement. Many schools want to harness innovation and encourage creativity and this is a great tool to utilise for this.  I  start by discussing how you can create an environment for divergent thinking to thrive and have narro...

In this episode, I am joined by Susie Baker, Director of Waynflete Office, Magdalen College School, Oxford. We discuss a whole range of fundraising issues around bursaries and particularly focus on the shift from fundraising for immediate bursaries to endowment fundraising. Susie has raised £3 million to build a sixth form centre and is now working towards an impressive goal of £15 million, specif...

In this episode I discuss the implications of not having a strategy.  Having a strategy will tell you where to place your focus, what you're going to do and what you're not going to do.   A strategic void often occurs when either there is a lack of strategy altogether or when there is a strategy but lacks focus and direction. More and more schools now realise that strategic plans are ess...