Key Voices

This week we talk to Diana Osagie, ex-headteacher, coach and leadership specialist . We talk about Diana’s experiences of headship and the work she is doing to support female leaders thrive.  Finally, Diana shares some super practical advice for new headteachers and the governing bodies supporting them.  We talk about: The fact that no-one teaches school leaders to be leaders Some of the lessons Diana learned from her time in headship Diana’s thoughts about why and how women lead differently  The power of coaching  Covid-19 and how to manage and empower your team in a crisis  Very practical advice for new heads  How governors can support new headteachers  You can register for the free 3 day Transformational Leadership Challenge we discuss (starting on Monday 13th September) here  You can learn more about Diana and her work here

This week we talk to Sir Jon Coles, CEO of United Learning. Jon shares his thoughts on this year’s exam arrangements and what could happen next year. As well as, why it is so hard to make good policy and how he feels the pandemic has really emphasised the benefits of being part of a large trust.    We talk about :  This year’s exam results and what they could mean for future cohorts The various options for next year’s exams and the considerations that would need to be made depending on which way forward is chosen How to close the gap between those who make policy and those who implement it  Jon’s time in the civil service and his thoughts on exactly why it is so hard to make successful policy  How additional capacity made Jon’s trust more resilient during the pandemic  Establishing remote teaching during the pandemic  The most powerful ways technology can make a difference in education    You can learn more about United Learning here

This week we talk to Steve and Paula Kenning, Managing Directors of  Aspirations Academy Trust, and Ian Livingstone CBE, a games industry veteran, who is working with the trust to found a new academy in Bournemouth - the Livingstone Academy. We talk about the principles underpinning the work of the Aspirations Academy Trust and hear about how Steve and Paula have worked with Ian to found a different and exciting new school.    We talk about:  Steve and Paula’s experiences building a trust and developing their educational philosophy  Ian’s background, the work he has done on improving the quality of digital education and why he wants young people to move from being in the passenger seat as users of technology, into the driving seat where they are creating it The central focus the trust has on making education exciting, engaging, practical and interdisciplinary  How the plan for the school came about and some of the innovative ways they plan to work in terms of curriculum, leadership and use of digital to

This week we talk to Iona Jackson, Head of Research at Edurio and Amy Ferguson, Deputy Headteacher of an Independent Special School. We discuss Edurio’s recent research report on Equality, diversity and inclusion among school staff. Iona tells us about the report’s main findings and Amy shares her reflections, and suggestions as to what schools can do practically to become more inclusive.     We talk about:  What the terms equality, diversity and inclusion actually mean  The main findings of the report: notably how less than half  of respondents felt their school was diverse and that white staff, men and staff without a disability reported feeling more confident that staff are treated equally than their peers The impact that bias, either conscious or unconscious, can have in schools  How to close the perception gap between a leadership team who feels they are adequately addressing equality, diversity and inclusion, and a staff that feel differently  The importance of involving staff and getting honest

This week we talk to Kaley Foran, Lead Content Editor and Nicola West-Jones, Head of Market Research at The Key. We talk about the continuing challenges thrown up by COVID-19 and how schools have been tackling them, as well as thinking about what issues are on the horizon. We also consider how different governance has been during another extraordinary period for schools.    We talk about:  Learnings from lockdown  School leaders’ impressive ability to make the right decisions for their pupils and their communities  The changing role of the DfE against a potentially more confident and empowered generation of school leaders Focus topics for September: preparing for Ofsted, addressing sexism and sexual abuse in schools, wellbeing, curriculum and CPD The experience for governors in this period of largely remote meetings  The future of school funding Some of the findings from our recent survey on schools’ plans for catch-up activity

“It’s the best thing you can do for the relationship between staff and students. Do it with the students, don’t assume for them… try asking the students what they want and finding a compromise that works from both perspectives.”    This week Key Voices has been taken over by students at Townley Grammar School. They share their thoughts about their school changing its hair policy and talk passionately about the difference it has made to them and their peers. They also interview Desmond Deehan, CEO of Odyssey Trust for Education, which Townley Grammar is part of, about the decision-making process the trust took to change their hair policy. They also ask about why he wanted to start a dialogue with other schools, and what further plans there are to examine bias and inequality across their uniform policy.    We talk about:  What changing the hair policy at school has meant to the girls and their peers  The negative impact having restrictive hair rules has, particularly on students from diverse backgrounds a

This week we talk to Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton, Head of Education & Youth, (she/her) and Katherine Fowler, Content Editor at The Key (she/her) about being in an LGBTQ+ inclusive school. We talk about the importance of high-quality age-appropriate Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) as well as making sure that you embed gender and LGBTQ+ inclusivity throughout your curriculum.    We talk about:  The changes to RSHE and how schools can respond in an age-appropriate way and deal with any opposition from the local community  Why it is important for all young people, but particularly those who identify as LGBTQ+ or think they might,  to experience a curriculum that represents them and the relationships they seek  The responsibilities of governing boards and how they can support school leaders on this agenda  The importance of training for teachers to feel confident when talking to students about gender, sexuality and identity, and tackling biphobic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist language 

This week we talk to Major Pat Burgess, MBE, The Armour Centre Bovington and Sara White, Principal at Bovington Academy (part of The Aspirations Academy Trust). Major Pat has been delivering mindfulness sessions to pupils at Bovington Academy to help them deal with anxiety and prepare for their transition to secondary school. We hear about how the army and the school work in partnership and the benefits of applying mindfulness techniques in a school setting.    We talk about:  Bovington Academy’s context and high mobility (circa 70%) Their experience of the pandemic, with many children attending the school during partial closures  How transferable Major Pat found the mindfulness training he does with his colleagues to a school setting  The high levels of anxiety experienced by pupils and the need to help them cope with difficult situations they might encounter Why transition to secondary school is challenging for pupils, particularly this year  Other ways in which the army supports the school  The im

This week we speak to Sarah Baker, CEO, Alison Bingham, Director of Development and Rachel Watson, Associate Principal and Director of Education and Achievement from TEAM Education Trust, in the final instalment of our series of podcasts covering their first year as a trust. We talk about what they feel they have learned and achieved,  their plans for further development and Sarah shares her top tips for first time CEO’s.    We talk about:  The resilience and adaptability of their staff during the pandemic How proud they are of what has been achieved this year  What their first year as a trust might have looked like without challenges raised by COVID-19  The importance of building strong relationships across a trust  What Sarah has learned in her first year as a CEO, including delegation and trying to let go of her inner perfectionist  The importance of work-life balance for all staff, especially for the central team as role models for the other staff  How to work towards becoming an employer of choi

This week we speak to David Chapman, Vice Principal at Aston University Engineering Academy (AUEA) about his experiences running careers information advice and guidance at the longest-running University Technical College (UTC) in the country. We talk about how he met some of the challenges of running a careers programme during COVID-19 and the importance of contextualising learning and involving parents in the careers process.    We talk about:  The purpose of UTCs and the history and context of AUEA  David’s own career journey  The impact of the pandemic on delivery of careers information advice and guidance in schools  The remote offering that David developed at AUEA Whether the english system asks young people to specialise or decide about careers too early  How David is planning to compare what students think they might want to do on entry with their destination data to understand more about the impact of AUEA’s careers work Some of the challenges other UTCs have faced with regard to recruiting s

This week we speak to James Page, CEO of Haringey Education Partnership (HEP). HEP is a not-for-profit, schools-led school improvement company established by Haringey schools in partnership with the local authority. We talk about what education partnerships do and how HEP helps local schools work together in a high challenge, high support, high trust environment for the good of all pupils.  We also hear about some of the recent work HEP has been doing on school improvement, curriculum and BAME achievement.     We talk about:  How being genuinely schools-led is central to the way HEP works  Haringey and the challenges schools serving the borough face  How they are working as a family of schools on curriculum development  The focus HEP have had over the past 4 years and continue to develop around Black Carribean and BAME achievement   How, as a school partnership HEP resources and approaches school improvement differently  The importance of keeping school improvement on the agenda even during the early

This week we speak to Shaun Paskin, Partnerships Manager for the Midlands at Governors for Schools, Linda Unternahrer, Lead Content Editor at The Key and Gulshan Kayembe, Education Consultant about remote governance. We discuss what we have all learned from doing governance remotely during the pandemic and think about how going forward, a blended approach might actually allow those involved with governance to innovate and fulfil their roles more effectively.    We talk about:  The roles and responsibilities of governors and wide range of complex issues they get involved with  The importance of governors understanding a school’s context and being able to talk to pupils and staff to better triangulate what they hear from the leadership team How governors can work collectively to enable some governors to carry out their role remotely  How specific roles, such as safeguarding link governor or Chair are better carried out by governors that can easily visit the school  Remote governance as a good way to incr

This week we talk to Gareth Conyard, Deputy Director of the Developing Teachers and Leaders Division of the Department for Education, and Jacqueline Gilbert, Deputy Head at Park View Community School about the Early Career Framework (ECF). We hear from Jacqueline about her experiences as lead mentor for a group of Early Career Teachers (ECTs) as part of the early roll-out.  We learn more about why the ECF is being introduced and how it works in practice for schools.    We talk about:  The rationale for the introduction of the ECF and how it will work  How it is different from previous NQT induction  Why Jacqueline and her school got involved in the early roll-out of the framework  How Jacqueline found being a mentor and her thoughts about her ECTs’ experience of the programme  How Jacqueline found juggling being a mentor alongside class commitments and the positive impact working with the ECTs  had on her own practice  The fact that the ECF provides a very supportive and consistent experience which is

This week we talk to Viv Grant, Founder of Integrity Coaching and Colette Morris, Headteacher at Christ Church Primary School. Viv has created a programme called Race, Identity and School Leadership and Christ Church Primary are participating in it.  Colette and her staff have been working with Viv to explore their own racial identities, bring about long-lasting change and impact whole school leadership, learning, policy and practice with regards to race equality.   We talk about: The history of work that has been going on in schools regarding race and how this conversation is now starting to broaden out and involve more schools The importance of understanding your own racial identity and how you view the world before rushing to antiracist “action” Why school leaders and their staff should become experts in the racial context of their schools and should seek to understand the conversations that take place both in school and outside school about race The need for teachers to understand and be comfortable

This week we talk to Paul Ainsworth, School Improvement Director at Infinity Academies Trust. Paul talks to us about the philosophy that sits behind his book No Silver Bullets: Day In, Day Out School Improvement. He focuses on the importance of incremental and sustained improvement rather than magic ideas to revolutionise how schools work. We also talk about Paul’s career to date, his role as a system leader and how multi academy trusts can be an effective vehicle for school improvement.    We talk about: Paul’s diverse school leadership experience Why Paul wanted to write a book that captured his school improvement “playbook”  What Paul means by “day in, day out improvement” i.e. small regular improvements rather than trying to find that mythical silver bullet or quick fix Why it can be beneficial to work on and with existing systems rather than replacing them  Some of Paul’s techniques for conducting school improvement work across a trust  Why Paul finds working as a system leader and having an impa

This week we talk to Dr. Victoria Carr, Headteacher at Woodlands Primary School. Victoria tells us about her current role, as well as her previous diverse teaching experiences, and how she balances work and study with being a parent and an army reservist. We also talk about some of the issues around using social media as a school leader and her thoughts about what might change as a result of the pandemic.    We talk about:  Victoria’s current school, its improvement journey and her recent experience of Ofsted The fascinating career journey Victoria has been on, including stints setting up a school in Kenya and teaching soldiers in Germany  The academic study Victoria has done alongside her job and how she balances a demanding school leadership role with significant external commitments and being a single parent to two teenage children  The relationship Victoria has with her governing body Victoria’s thoughts on how schools can flex to support teacher parents  Victoria’s experiences of the opportunitie

This week we talk to David Weston, CEO at the Teacher Development Trust about his recent report reviewing the evidence around the impact teacher working conditions have on other aspects of a school.  David explains how teacher working conditions link to effective CPD and tentatively to school improvement and better pupil outcomes. David also tells us about how the findings of the research reviewed in the report, underpin the Teacher Development Trusts (TDT) curriculum for their NPQs and ultimately, how schools can make sure both their teachers and pupils continue to thrive and learn.    We talk about:  The new options and opportunities the pandemic has unlocked for staff CPD The introduction this September of a suite of new National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), the Early Career Framework and the emphasis on CPD from government   How the right kinds of collaboration and professional development will actually help teachers cope with the complex demands of returning to face-to-face teaching  What th

This week we talk to Maria Brosnan, an educational leadership and well-being specialist. We discuss in some detail what happens in the body when we experience stress, plus Maria shares some practical techniques that can help us manage our response. We also consider coaching as a way of resolving issues, the importance of sleep and the ongoing impact of anxiety linked to the pandemic.    We talk about:  Maria’s background in well-being and her work in schools Why school staff can sometimes find it hard to practice genuine self-care The physiology of what happens to our bodies when we react to stress The different biological ways men and women respond to stress The impact of chronic stress and anxiety, and a demonstration of a technique for self-regulation  How to take a holistic approach to your well-being  Why coaching can be an effective tool for feeling more in control of your life How Maria’s work has changed since the pandemic and how she is currently supporting school leaders, including with he

“Schools are about communities of humans coming together in real-time to talk to each other and to build relationships. We might have learned a bit more about how we can learn efficiently and effectively, but ultimately it is still about those relationships and being available to those people - learning with them, learning for them and learning from them.”   This week we talk to Derek Peaple, Former Headteacher at Park House School,  Head of Education at SafeToNet and Director of Operations at Aspire 2Be about his career in teaching and headship. He shares his thoughts on how although school leadership itself has evolved, the role of the headteacher at the centre of the community has remained constant. We also hear more about how he developed computing and sport specialisms in his school.    We talk about:  Derek’s route into headship and his passion for leadership  How he has seen the role of headteacher change throughout his career  and how he’s built a team of specialists around him over the years W

“79% of schools want clear proof the solution works, but only 8% trust the claims made by the suppliers*, so there is this big trust issue.”  *Teacher Tapp Survey December 2019    This week we talk to Michael Foreshaw, Founder and CEO, EdTech Impact about how he is helping schools make more granular comparisons of EdTech products before they buy, and helping EdTech suppliers focus more deeply on the impact of what they do.  We discuss the changes resulting from the pandemic and think about the future ways in which the EdTech sector might develop.    We talk about:  How Michael started his career as an IT technician in school and has gone on to develop two education businesses Why a platform like EdTech Impact is needed and how it serves suppliers and schools The importance of context and relevance when buying EdTech products and how EdTech Impact developed its “schools like mine” function Challenges around understanding the evidence of what works in EdTech What kind of new products are being launche