The School Run

What if school had taught us that everyone wants to feel like they matter and that confidence often comes from trusting yourself, embracing vulnerability and understanding that life rarely follows a straight path? In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane chats with Jackie Handy — leadership and culture specialist, speaker, soon-to-be published author of The Matter Model, and founder of Runw...

What if school had taught us that confidence isn’t about having all the answers, but about finding your voice, staying curious and having the courage to do what feels right? In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane chats with Jack Mellor — CEO of Personnel Checks (PC Group), parent to a two-year-old, and someone she has worked alongside through Little Voices for many years. Jack shares his...

What if school had taught us that life, learning and careers don’t have to follow a straight line? In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane chats with Arthur Moore — award-winning professional maths tutor, qualified secondary school teacher and founder of an online tutoring business. Arthur shares his journey from school, to Microsoft, to Teach First, to teaching in the UK and Thailand, and...

From Shy Girl to Leadership Coach: Gina Cole on Confidence, NLP & Finding Your Voice What does confidence really mean? And what do you wish school had taught you about emotions, self-belief, vulnerability and finding your own voice? In this inspiring episode of The School Run Podcast: Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by Gina Cole, strategic organisational development consultant, founder...

From Schoolgirl to Police Superintendent: Andrea Quinton on Leadership, Confidence & Unexpected Career Paths What did you think you’d be when you left school? And what happens when life takes you somewhere completely different? In this inspiring episode of The School Run Podcast: Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by Andrea Quinton, former Police Superintendent, leadership coach and founde...

In this inspiring episode of The School Run with Jane, Jane chats with Kelly Cox, Head of School Partnerships at Wavelength, an education technology platform helping young people access maths in a more personalised, confidence-building way. Kelly’s story is anything but ordinary. After attending 15 different schools, moving across the UK and beyond, becoming the first in her family to go to univer...

In this episode of The School Run Podcast: Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane chats with Anne-Marie Martin; founder and franchisor of Diddi Dance, newly appointed CEO of the Children’s Activities Association, marathon finisher, charity fundraiser and passionate advocate for collaboration, inclusion and raising standards across the children’s activity sector. Anne-Marie shares her inspiring journey f...

What does confidence really mean? And what do we wish school had taught us about life, resilience and being ourselves? In this inspiring episode of The School Run with Jane: Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by long-time friend, fellow franchisor and founder of The Creation Station — Sarah Cressall OBE. Sarah shares her remarkable journey from growing up in the North West of England to bu...

In this heartfelt episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane is joined by Lynsey Clarke— wife, mum of two, chartered surveyor, and now trainee naturopathic nutritionist, naturopath and homeopath. Lynsey shares how she followed the traditional path from school to university and into a secure professional career, only to realise later in life that security and success do not always equal passion or pur...

What if the most important lessons in life… were never taught in school? In this very special episode of The School Run Podcast, we do something we’ve never done before in over three and a half years—no guest, no interview… just a real, raw and honest life update. Jane hands the mic over to Liv—co-founder of the podcast—who shares what life has really been like since stepping away from the show an...

In this episode of The School Run, Jane is joined by the multi-talented Sarah Dover, professional singer, teacher, and performer whose journey from a 10-year-old history-making chorister to a "weddings and events extraordinaire" is nothing short of inspiring. Jane and Sarah share a unique bond; not only did Sarah teach for Little Voices, but they both trained under the same renowned vocal coach, J...

What do you wish school had taught you about understanding yourself? In this episode of The School Run, Jane is joined by Jayne Marie Pooley (Jaynee), a marketing expert of 30 years now Creative Therapist and Little Voices Principal. Jaynee shares her incredible journey from being inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s son to navigating a terrifying family health crisis that led her back to her true passion...

What does it mean to be a "Child Champion"? In this week’s episode of The School Run, Jane is joined by the world-renowned safeguarding consultant, Ann-Marie Christian. From her early days as a foster sister to her 30-year career as a registered social worker and international consultant, Ann-Marie shares her deeply personal journey of advocacy. Together, they discuss the evolution of child protec...

There’s a Genius in Every Child: Rethinking Education, Confidence & Life Skills with Aatif Hassan, Dukes Education What if the child who struggles in school today is actually sitting on their greatest strength? In this powerful episode of The School Run, Jane sits down with education leader and founder of Dukes Education, Aatif, to explore what education gets right… and what it’s still missing. Fr...

What if the life you really want is waiting on the other side of courage? In this episode of The School Run with Jane – Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by leadership coach and aviation specialist Sam Sloan, Director of 123 People Development and Resilient Pilot. Sam has spent over two decades developing people, leaders and teams: first through a successful career in retail leadership an...

What do music, drama, confidence, education and lifelong learning all have in common? Connection. In this episode of The School Run with Jane – Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by the wonderful Susan Bisatt — highly respected soprano, educator, vocal specialist, former Principal of Little Voices Stockport, and recently retired lecturer in Primary Music at Manchester Metropolitan Universi...

In this powerful return episode of The School Run with Jane – Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined once again by Wendy Gardner, speaker, author and passionate advocate for helping women stop waiting for life to start and begin truly living it. If you listened to Wendy’s first appearance on the podcast in Episode 109, you’ll already know just how honest, wise and deeply human she is. This tim...

In this episode, Jane is joined by Caron Kelly, Principal of Little Voices West Kent and Southend-on-Sea, for a heartfelt conversation about confidence, creativity, teaching and what it really means to help children feel seen. Caron shares her journey from a childhood filled with music and performance, to teaching, motherhood, franchise ownership and building a business that changes children’s liv...

What happens when you bring together charity, people and community? In this episode, Jane sits down with Jo Reeder — experienced communicator, fundraiser and senior leader — for a conversation about belonging, confidence, career twists, and the power of connections that count. Jo shares what school felt like in the 80s, how being boxed into “teacher, nurse or office job” didn’t reflect her gifts,...

What if confidence isn’t something you’re born with… but something you build? In this episode of The School Run with Jane: Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by Sally Walker; career and executive coach, cultural intelligence & intercultural trainer, guest lecturer and author. Sally shares the “lightbulb moment” that changed everything: being tasked with running a redundancy programme early...

In this episode Jane speaks with Julie Armstrong about all things confidence. Julie is the Principal of Little Voices Peterborough . @littlevoicespeterborough Podcasts for us are all about learning and sharing, of course free to listen to. We have some small costs to cover so if you would like to buy us a virtual cup of tea /coffee when we are planning them out please click here https://www.buymea...

What if confidence isn’t something you’re born with but something you build, moment by moment? In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane is joined by the warm, wise and wonderfully grounded Angie Gopalt — osteopath, yoga teacher, speaker and co-host of Too Young For This, Too Old For That. This is a deep, honest conversation about: ​What school never taught us about confidence, reflection an...

In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane welcomes Annie — actor, teacher, podcaster and creative collaborator — for a powerful conversation about confidence, creativity, and finding your voice when life doesn’t follow a straight line. This episode also marks a gentle shift for the podcast. While Liv will always be the heart and co-creator of The School Run, she’s now flourishing in the worl...

In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane is joined by singer, West End performer, and Little Voices Principal Rosa O’Reilly, for an honest, inspiring conversation about confidence, creativity, and running your own race. Rosa shares her journey from being a shy child who loved performing behind closed doors, to starring in major West End productions including We Will Rock You, Les Misérables...

In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane is joined by Heather Rhodes, founder of Highgrove Education, to explore one big question: Is the education system really preparing young people for the future they’re stepping into? Jane and Heather first met at the House of Lords, and this conversation continues that discussion — diving into online education, confidence, entrepreneurship, and why le...