HFL Education

What could the latest education policy priorities mean for schools, trusts and local education partnerships? In this special bonus episode we bring you a roundtable discussion, produced in partnership with AEPA and Learn Sheffield, reflecting on a recent AEPA briefing with Sir Kevan Collins, the Department for Education’s lead non-executive director. Hosted by Stephen Betts, Chief Executive of Lea...

How can schools deliver effective SEND provision while managing growing financial pressures? With increasing numbers of pupils with complex needs in mainstream education, school leaders face a difficult balancing act: providing the right support for children while making limited budgets stretch further. In this episode of the HFL Education Business Services Podcast, Catherine Loake is joined by Sa...

Falling rolls and declining pupil numbers are putting increasing pressure on school leaders, with funding, staffing, class sizes and curriculum planning all affected.  So how can school leaders respond to falling rolls while protecting the quality of education they provide? In this episode, Catherine Loake is joined by Anne Peck, Director of Primary and Early Years Education services at HFL Educat...

Recruitment and retention remain one of the greatest challenges facing education, but attracting people into schools is only part of the solution. As the workforce evolves, school leaders must rethink how they recruit, develop and retain talented staff in a changing world of work. In part 2 of their conversation, Catherine Loake and Alex Tomkins, Headteacher of Greenside School, explore how genera...

Recruitment and retention are some of the biggest challenges facing schools, with staff shortages, rising absence and increasing workload placing significant pressure on leaders. But are schools asking the right questions, and what can leaders do differently to build a sustainable workforce for the future? In this episode, Catherine Loake is joined by Alex Tomkins, Headteacher of Greenside School,...

School complaints are a normal part of educational leadership, but what happens when a complaint becomes persistent, unreasonable or impossible to resolve? As schools face increasingly complex complaints, leaders are finding themselves spending significant amounts of time managing situations that can quickly become overwhelming. In this episode, Catherine Loake is joined by HFL Education Complaint...

As AI transforms the way we communicate, it is also changing the nature of complaints received by schools.  In this episode Catherine Loake is joined by Emma Murray, Headteacher of Camps Hill Primary School and Co-CEO of The Claxton Trust to discuss how is effecting complaint volume, tone and escalation, as well as the effect on relationships and teacher well being. Packed with real-world experien...

Catherine Loake is joined once again by Carol Bennett to explore the growing contradictions within the education system and the impact these tensions are having on school leaders. The conversation examines the increasing fragmentation across education policy and practice, from school place planning and financial accountability to inclusion, SEND provision, Ofsted, falling rolls, and the competing...

Change is a constant in school, but not all change is created equal. While curriculum developments are often embraced, changes to systems, processes, and back-office functions can prove far more challenging. In this episode, Catherine Loake, Director of Business Services at HFL Education, is joined by HR expert Hena Mahmood to explore why change can feel so difficult in school settings, and what l...

To insource or to outsource? That is the question.  In this episode, Catherine Loake, Director of Business Services at HFL Education, is joined by Jackie Keegan, Head of Financial Services, to unpack the realities behind insourcing and outsourcing in schools and trusts. Drawing on over 27 years of experience Jackie explores why there is no one-size-fits-all answer, why flexibility is key and how s...

As financial pressures across education continue to intensify, more and more schools are finding themselves approaching, or already in, deficit. In this episode, Catherine Loake, Director of Business Services at HFL Education, is joined by Lisa Holroyd, Head of Academies Finance, to explore what school leaders can do when finances become unsustainable. Together, they unpack the reality behind the...

Technology in schools can be a powerful tool, or a significant burden. In this episode, Catherine Loake, Director of Business Services at HFL Education, is joined by Zoran Dimitrijevic, Head of Technology in Schools, to explore why some schools thrive with technology while others struggle. They unpack the two critical ingredients for success: a clear strategy and governance framework, and choosing...

School leaders are under unprecedented pressure. With growing responsibilities, rising costs, and limited budgets, the challenge of delivering high-quality education while maintaining financial stability has never been greater. In this episode, Catherine Loake, Director of Business Services at HFL Education, sits down with CEO Carole Bennett to explore how school leaders can navigate the reality o...

Listen to Shammi Rahman, HFL Education’s Race Equality Adviser and Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England discuss the importance of RE for young people and bringing communities together in our special 2-parter podcast episode. HFL Education (formally Herts for Learning)  is a not-for-profit organisation providing all the services, training and resources needed to deliver a great educ...

In our first episode Shammi and Rachel about how vital RE is. Now listen to them discuss the Child Q case, race equity and advice to young people and headteachers. HFL Education (formally Herts for Learning)  is a not-for-profit organisation providing all the services, training and resources needed to deliver a great education to every child.  

For our first podcast episode of the 2022/23 academic year, HFL Primary English Advisers, Kathy Roe and Juliet McCullion discuss all things Reading Fluency with special guests from the renowned Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) .   Sarah Green is the former EEF Content Specialist for Literacy. She leads literacy in her Trust and works as Assistant Headteacher across mainstream and special secon...

At Herts for Learning we are committed to supporting and welcoming individuals from all backgrounds and lived experiences to feel connected, authentic and have a sense of belonging within our diverse community while supporting our core purpose. In this podcast we discuss  LGBTQ+ issues in schools and settings, including how teachers can implement a framework and what resources are available. We ex...

In a very special episode released to commemorate Stephen Lawrence Day on Friday 22nd April, Herts for Learning welcomes the Hon Stuart Lawrence to Ed Talks UK.  Stuart is the younger brother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack in 1993 at the age of 18. Stuart who was 16 at the time when the incident took place, now works as an educator and motivational speaker, de...

June O’Sullivan MBE , CEO, London Early Years Foundation joins Mireille MacRaild, Education Services Director - Early Years at HfL to discuss the impact of the pandemic on children’s learning and development in the EYFS and some of the innovative pedagogy used to counteract this.   June will be providing the keynote address at the HfL National Early Years Conference, Childhood development: a fresh...

Lucky Khera, HfL Lead Early Years Adviser talks with Ben Kingston Hughes to gain an insight into what experiences have shaped his pedagogical thinking and what should be considered within the curriculum that enable all children to have a really positive start to their educational journey. Ben will be delivering a thought provoking workshop, ‘ Expressions of Joy and Nurture : Creating Enriched Envi...

Rebecca Collins, HfL Senior Early Years Adviser talks with Shaddai Tembo, Lecturer in early childhood studies, about creating an inclusive curriculum, pedagogy and practice in early years settings and classes, ensuring both adults and children have access to psychologically safe spaces in which they can learn and develop. They discuss how understanding and celebrating difference can support staff,...

Michael Gray, HfL Teaching and Learning adviser (primary) talks about the importance of diverse literature in the primary classroom - especially LGBTQ+ literature - reflecting on his own experiences and the impact of section 28. Hear Michael's talk, What does diversity look like in schools?  Outcomes and impact from our Explore & Engage unit: And Tango makes three at the HfL Primary Engli...

Martin Galway, HfL Teaching and Learning adviser English (primary) talks about the importance of developing empathy and its benefits for the child, society and educational outcomes in advance of our Primary English conference, "'That's me!': Ensuring diverse representation across the Primary English curriculum" Find out more: hertsforlearning.co.uk/national-primary-english...

In this episode of Ed Talks UK, we speak with Rachel Macfarlane & Mireille MacRaild about assessment within schools & early years settings.  HFL Education (formally Herts for Learning)  is a not-for-profit organisation providing all the services, training and resources needed to deliver a great education to every child.  

We speak to Kate Mouncey, Associate Assistant Head Teacher & Director of Sixth Form at Sandringham School, about schools and environmental sustainability. This episode talks about the work Kate is doing and provides tips and advice for schools who are looking to go green. Take a look at some more resources to help your school tackle climate change by visiting hertsforlearning.co.uk/climate-act...