In this episode, we explore the art of decision-making, the importance of ‘botheredness’, the dynamics of people-pleasing, and much more. Join us to hear unique insight for school leaders from Olympic gold medal-winning rower Ben Hunt-Davis, NAHT president Rachel Younger, Hywel Roberts, Astrid Korin and Maggie Farrar, and others. They spoke to the School Leadership Podcast at the Inspiring Leadership Conference 2025. Held in June at the ICC Birmingham, this annual conference offers school leader...
Jun 24, 2025•49 min
The removal of performance-related pay in 2024 marked a turning point in how schools approach teacher appraisal. But why was performance-related pay a problem in schools? What does the research actually tell us? And what do teachers really need for meaningful professional growth? Gareth Conyard, director of education at the Teacher Development Trust (TDT), and Andrea Bean, its research and evaluation manager, answer these questions and more in this conversation with NAHT assistant general secret...
Jun 03, 2025•41 min
How do you keep your school’s IT systems and data safe? From ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ backups and the cloud to patching, passwords and multi-factor authentication, this episode looks at some of the most common cybersecurity concerns – and some of their solutions. With the UK’s schools and trusts increasingly reliant on digital technology for a range of functions, robust procedures are vital to protect against damage and cyberattacks. Here, Matthew Setchell, chief technology officer at Concero, shares hi...
Apr 25, 2025•45 min
In this episode, former Metropolitan Police hostage and crisis negotiator Nicky Perfect shares strategies to help school leaders deal with difficult everyday situations by improving communication with pupils, parents and colleagues when emotions are running high. Using lessons learned confronting the extremes of human behaviour, Nicky talks about what to say – and what not to say, explains the importance of a ‘really good listen’ and shares powerful tools that can help you communicate better, de...
Apr 01, 2025•31 min
Plans to change the way schools in England will be inspected were unveiled by Ofsted earlier this month. These would see schools graded on a five-step scale across a wider range of individual areas – from ‘exemplary’ to ‘causing concern’, with a separate assessment of whether safeguarding standards are met. Here, NAHT's general secretary Paul Whiteman and assistant general secretary James Bowen address some of the issues the proposals raise – from ‘monitoring’, ‘sub-judgements’ and ‘stuck school...
Feb 19, 2025•37 min
Published in December and currently making its way through parliament, the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would bring about changes to laws affecting safeguarding and schools. The bill includes new rules on branded uniforms, an end to automatic academisation for schools judged to be ‘causing concern’, free breakfast clubs in state-funded primaries and a unique identifier for all children. Join NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen as he takes a closer look at the plans...
Jan 28, 2025•23 min
What does being a leader in a primary or secondary school today really involve? How does the role vary across the UK? And how can we make it more sustainable? In this episode of NAHT’s podcast, Professor Toby Greany of the University of Nottingham and Dr Tom Perry of the University of Warwick are joined by NAHT’s assistant general secretary James Bowen in a conversation addressing these questions and more. Researching Sustainable School Leadership is an ongoing project looking at the realities o...
Dec 19, 2024•34 min
A little more than four months on since the general election, NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman reflects on working with the new government so far, why politicians must rebuild trust among school leaders and what social partnership in policymaking means in practice. He’s joined in conversation for this episode of NAHT’s School Leadership Podcast by NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.
Nov 26, 2024•19 min
From ditching performance targets to allowing teachers time off – hear how a multi-academy trust is overhauling its policies in a bid to tackle workload and improve the well-being of its teaching staff. Jonny Uttley, chief executive officer at The Education Alliance – a trust based in the East Riding of Yorkshire – speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about the need for accountability reform, their workload charter and the steps they’re taking to reduce teaching tasks, boost re...
Oct 15, 2024•35 min
What does a really good school staff absence insurance policy look like? How can schools support staff well-being and lower absenteeism? What does having an ethical approach to school absence provision mean? In this coffee-break edition of the School Leadership Podcast, you’ll hear Holly Harding, chief operating officer of the non-profit Education Mutual, answer these questions and explore the benefits of NAHT Wellness and Protect for NAHT members and their schools. Find out more at www.naht.o...
Sep 24, 2024•20 min
Whether it's synthetic phonics, the curriculum or school inspection, how are our education policies actually made? Why do they often fail the sector they are intended to serve? And how can we make sure the people actually delivering education to children in schools have a say in what's decided? This episode examines the state of education policymaking in England and how we could improve it. NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen is joined by Nansi Ellis, an education policy consultant and ...
Sep 16, 2024•53 min
Where do you start to if you want to diversify the primary curriculum? Based on her experience as a primary head teacher, Sarah Wordlaw shares ideas and insight for all school leaders, along with a message for the new government, which has just announced it’ll soon be embarking on an independent review of curriculum and assessment. Sarah Wordlaw is the author of Time to Shake Up the Primary Curriculum: A step-by-step guide to creating a global, diverse and inclusive school . She’s in conversatio...
Jul 24, 2024•20 min
With the 4 July 2024 general election approaching, the School Leadership Podcast explores NAHT’s manifesto for education For Their Future with the union’s general secretary Paul Whiteman and assistant general secretary James Bowen. They talk through NAHT’s key education priorities of recruitment and retention, SEND and school buildings, and explain why our next government needs to fix these crises and rebuild its relationship with the sector as part of a longer-term plan for change within the sc...
Jun 26, 2024•20 min
What can we learn from the world’s top-performing school systems? Join Geoff Masters, CEO of the Australian Council for Educational Research, and NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen as they discuss the findings of research into the world’s highest-performing systems, including their approaches to assessment. Professor Geoff Masters’ research Building a world-class learning system: Insights from some top-performing school systems is the result of a multi-year study of five jurisdictions ...
May 13, 2024•34 min
Liz Robinson, CEO of multi-academy trust and charity Big Education, believes there’s a significant gap between what national professional qualifications (NPQs) cover and what school leaders really need in order to be equipped with the knowledge and skills for their role. Here, she speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about Big Education’s Rethinking Leadership report What else? What next? What if? that looks at what is missing from leadership development provision in England an...
Apr 09, 2024•34 min
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 director, speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about why he thinks it’s time we leave b...
Mar 06, 2024•41 min
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 thoughts on why this unique conference and its speakers have such a powerful impact on the school lead...
Feb 15, 2024•19 min
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 executive Sinéad Mc Brearty shares her thoughts on the findings and their implications with NAHT as...
Dec 20, 2023•37 min
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 NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen....
Nov 21, 2023•35 min
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 dynamics, time and child enjoyment have a role to play? Hear Tom Harbour, founder of the charity Learning ...
Sep 15, 2023•31 min
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’s the issue with using the term ‘vulnerable’? And what steps can school leaders take to support dis...
Aug 11, 2023•18 min
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 Farrar, Bedfordshire Schools Trust CEO Alan Lee and NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen in a serie...
Jul 27, 2023•29 min
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 the School Leadership Podcast, you'll hear Dave Smith, head of partnerships and events at the British ...
Jun 05, 2023•40 min
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.
May 11, 2023•24 min
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 maternity/paternity leave, the MPTP Project carries out research, provides case studies, and runs coaching a...
Mar 07, 2023•36 min
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 role of the teachers’ pay review body.
Feb 10, 2023•26 min
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 collaboration between primary and secondary schools ....
Jan 11, 2023•47 min
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 Sustainability and Climate Change Unit.
Nov 29, 2022•25 min
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 higher reporting rates, and what the school needs to address next. Laura is a teacher with 15 years’ expe...
Oct 17, 2022•29 min
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 Tes, Alex is the author of Closing the Writing Gap and The Confident Teacher blog....
Sep 13, 2022•34 min
