The School Leadership Podcast

It is more than two decades since academies were first introduced to the English education system, and around half of all state-funded pupils now attend one. Yet, in its new report 20 Years of Muddling Through , think-tank EDSK argues not only that the language around academisation has become too politicised, but that the system itself is unsustainable. Here, Tom Richmond, EDSK’s founder and direc...

The Inspiring Leadership Conference is back in Birmingham this June for its tenth year, with another uplifting programme of speakers and sessions specifically for school leaders. Among the many new faces this year – the line-up already includes Sir Andrew Strauss and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu – will be one familiar one, Jane Creasy, who’s back to lead the annual two-day event. Hear Jane share her th...

Content warning: please note this podcast episode mentions suicide. Loneliness, stress, not-fit-for-purpose inspections and burnout: Education Support’s latest research into the well-being of education staff reveals a stark picture of the day-to-day life of the people who work in the sector. The charity released the findings of its seventh Teacher Wellbeing Index in November 2023 . Here, its chief...

Could AI reduce workload by cutting the time teachers spend on marking and lesson planning – is it a time-saver or time-waster? What are ‘hallucinations’ and why should educators be aware of them? And what about its use by students? In this episode of the School Leadership Podcast, former teacher, author and director of education at No More Marking Daisy Christodoulou MBE shares her insights with...

Research suggests that by age 11, a disadvantaged child is on average nine months behind their peers in English and Maths – and that only 14% of this is related to what happens at school, while 49% is related to what happens at home. But what can schools do differently to engage parents? How can they find out what the barriers facing the most disengaged families really are? And how do power dynami...

NAHT supports the social model of disability, which shifts the focus away from individuals, and onto the societal barriers that ‘disable’ people. Through this approach the focus is on trying to remove those barriers, to ensure equality for disabled people. But what does this model mean in practice? What about the language we use – what’s the difference between ‘disabled’ and ‘impairment’, and what...

From demystifying mindfulness to rethinking resilience, hear thought-provoking conversations with key speakers at this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference, which took place at the ICC in Birmingham last month. Best-selling author and former Twitter Europe vice president Bruce Daisley is one of the UK's most influential voices on fixing work. Here, he joins educator and consultant Maggie Far...

How can schools decide what education technology (edtech) to invest in? Has the edtech agenda been overrun by technologists – and if so, how can it be reclaimed? And what about AI? Hear edtech experts discuss these issues and more, along with a new Edtech Leadership Briefing Paper aimed at helping school leaders make informed, data-driven decisions about their ICT investment. In this episode of th...

In this special episode of the School Leadership Podcast, NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman talks about the upcoming industrial action ballot and what it means for school leaders.

What does life-friendly leadership look like in schools? And why do so many women aged 30 to 39 – more than any other group – leave teaching every year? Emma Sheppard, founder of the MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher (MPTP) Project, explores these questions and more in this conversation with NAHT’s senior equalities officer Natalie Arnett. Along with networking and support for teachers on maternit...

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman gives his analysis of the current dispute over pay for teachers and school leaders, and explains why the government must act now to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis facing the sector. In this conversation with NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen, he addresses the impact of strike action, the ongoing negotiation with the education secretary and the...

Experienced school leader and education advisor Dave Harris talks about what good school transition looks like, why it’s the elephant in the room and how it can improve outcomes. You’ll also hear NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen and senior policy advisor Sarah Hannafin share their views on this topic. Dave Harris is the author of Independent Thinking on Transition: Fostering better collaborat...

How can schools help tackle climate change? Are solar panels, heat pumps and retrofitting realistic solutions – particularly for older school buildings? And what exactly is the government’s plan to help schools reduce their carbon footprint? NAHT director of policy James Bowen puts school leaders’ key concerns to Sharon McHale, a project director in the Department for Education’s new Sustainabilit...

Hear Laura Morris, head of religious studies and citizenship at a secondary school in Manchester, reflect honestly on her school’s anti-racist journey over the past two years. In this conversation with NAHT senior equalities officer Natalie Arnett, Laura talks through the challenges faced and the changes the school made. She explains what’s having the biggest impact, why she welcomes current highe...

How is writing like a game of chess? What difference does improved writing make, and how can teachers be supported to achieve this? Is reading the key to good writing? And do Erasmus’s 500-year-old teachings on writing still apply today? Teacher and author Alex Quigley answers these questions and many more in this conversation with NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen. As well as writing for the...

Effective assessment remains one of the most crucial aspects of high-quality teaching and learning. In this episode, three school leaders speak to NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen about their involvement in a lead assessor support programme and the positive outcomes they are seeing in their schools.    NAHT is working with the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors to encourag...

This episode of NAHT’s School Leadership Podcast brings you conversations with some of the key speakers at Inspiring Leadership Conference 2022, which took place in Birmingham last month. You’ll hear Dave Coplin, Steve Munby, Marie-Claire Bretherton and Ed Balls share honest and through-provoking reflections on what makes a great leader, and much more, in a series of interviews recorded during the...

History teacher and coach Sam Moinet speaks to the School Leadership Podcast about his experiences in the classroom and of the mental health challenges faced by a forgotten majority of students in schools. He explains why expressions like ‘just think positive’ can be problematic, why we need to move from a reactive to a preventative model and how coaching can improve mental health. Plus there’s a...

Husham Khan, author of the best-selling book Financial Intelligence for School Business Leaders, speaks to NAHT’s Natalie Arnett about the pressures facing finances in schools, new ways to tackle them and the changing nature of the school business leader (SBL) role – and how the role is vital for dealing with some of the challenges ahead, including soaring energy costs and cybersecurity. Along wit...

Former secretary of state for education and cabinet minister Ed Balls reflects on his experiences of – and views on – leadership in this April 2022 episode of NAHT 's School Leadership Podcast. Hear him speak with NAHT director of policy James Bowen about his time as education secretary and his memories of working for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at pivotal political moments. Ed is a keynote speake...

What is the best way to ventilate a classroom, what do you need to know about CO2 monitors and are air-cleaning machines worth the investment? NAHT’s James Bowen puts these key questions and more to the scientists involved in a critical research project looking at the effectiveness of ventilation and air purifiers in classrooms.  Professor Mark Mon-Williams, chair in cognitive psychology at t...

As part of LGBT+ History Month in 2022, hear Dominic Arnall, chief executive at LGBT+ young people's charity Just Like Us , in conversation with NAHT’s Natalie Arnett about the role schools play in empowering young people to champion LGBT+ equality, and how the charity can help schools do this. Plus, there’s more on school mottos – you'll hear from Chilton Primary School in Oxfordshire about their...

In this episode, Tes editor Jon Severs talks to NAHT’s James Bowen about tackling covid guidance, teachers on Twitter and Tes being a voice the profession can trust. Plus, following on from last month’s episode, we have more on school mottos.

What does this autumn’s budget really mean for school spending? Will schools be better off in 2022, and beyond? And what will changes in the funding formula mean for head teachers? Luke Sibieta, an economist specialising in education policy at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, answers these questions and more in this conversation with NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen. Plus: what’s your school...

In this episode, hear primary head teacher and director of Educating for Equality Sabrina Edwards talk about her work supporting leaders on their journey to embedding anti-racism and gender equality in their schools, and the role schools can play in bringing about long-lasting and sustainable change in the world.