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Recently published research* highlighted that school pupils who identify as LGBTQ+ have lower feelings of safety than those who identify as heterosexual. What can school and trust leaders do to change this?
This is the question we explored in a recent webinar, which you can now listen to in this podcast. Our guests were Evie Cryer, LGBTQ+ advocate for staff and pupils across the Oasis Community Learning trust, and Jo Brassington, educator, author and co-founder of the Pride & Progress podcast.
We talk about:
Evie and Jo’s roles and how they influence and support schools to become safer spaces for all pupils Practical advice and strategies to help school and trust leaders reflect on their own safeguarding provisionHow schools and trusts can equip their staff to support pupils who identify as LGBTQ+… and much moreYou’ll find Jo’s podcast and links to more resources that Jo mentions, here.
If you’re a member of The Key, you can use our resources to help you make school a safe space for all pupils, including our gender and LGBTQ+ inclusivity whole school and curriculum audits.
*The Pupil Safeguarding Review, published in January 2023 by Edurio and The Key, highlighted that among school pupils in years 9 to 13, children who identified as LGBTQ+ typically had lower feelings of safety than those who identified as heterosexual. View the reports here.
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This week we talk to Sir Dan Moynihan, CEO of the Harris Federation about leading the trust through a major cyber attack last year. We also talk about some of the systems that underpin the Harris Federation’s school improvement and efficiency models, as well as hearing Sir Dan’s reflection on the role of the CEO.
We talk about:
How the cyber attack happen and how the story unfolded including how they got support to negotiate with the hackers How prevalent such attacks are and how all schools should assume they will be targeted The challenges the team at Harris faced and the support they got to recover including how the precautions they had taken had allowed them to open safely with all IT systems downSir Dan’s own experience of being in charge during such a difficult time Additional steps the trust is taking to protect itself in future How Harris uses a team of subject specialists to support school improvement on the ground as part of its turnaround processHow they have managed to find efficiencies through centralisation and simplificationThe need to retain agility even as the organisation becomes larger and the importance of feedback from the schools about the central services they provide. The role the CEO has in constantly articulating the vision and mission of the organisation, recruiting talent, enabling action and dealing with difficult problemsYou can get more detail about The Harris Federation’s experience of a cyber attack here.
You can learn more about The Harris Federation here.
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This week we talk to Shaun Brown, Programmes Director at The Difference and Mohamed Abdallah, Head of The Difference Inclusive Leadership Course about their pioneering inclusive leadership training. We discuss the theory that underpins the learning and how to overcome some of the barriers schools can face when being truly inclusive in their approach.
We talk about:
Mohamed and Shaun’s experiences in mainstream and alternative provisionWhat The Difference does as an organisation Why the inclusive leadership course exists and how it is different from other training available The theory that underpins the course and an understanding that all pupils have wellbeing, learning and safeguarding needs How behaviour practice and behaviour systems should ideally fit together and alignSome of the ways in which participants have implemented strategies from the course and the impact it has had on their schools How the pandemic may have provided an opportunity for schools to rethink their approach to behaviour and inclusionYou can find out more about The Difference here and the Inclusive Leadership Course here.
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This week we talk to Mandy Coalter, Founder of Talent Architects about her recent paper on the role trusts can play in making schools great places to work. She also explains how policymakers should consider trusts more when making policy that impacts the education workforce. Mandy also talks about how schools and trusts are broadening their understanding of what can be achieved for pupils when you take a strategic approach to recruiting, retaining and developing your people.
We talk about:
Mandy’s career and why she founded Talent Architects How trusts can create additional capacity for school improvementThe role policymakers can have in shaping the sector and how they need people with education expertise to help them make the best policy The vital role trust and school leaders play in shaping the culture in their own schools and trusts, and building their employer brand The need for more joined-up thinking in education policy so improvements in one area are not cancelled out by changes in anotherThe changing role of HR professionals and how transformative they can be when they work right at the heart of an organisation Why education can be slower to change employment practice than other industries Practical ways to become an employer of choice HR issues on the horizon for trust leaders and how to balance day to day issues with longer term strategic plansYou can read Mandy’s original paper for the Confederation of School Trusts here.
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This week we talk to Iona Jackson, Head of Research at Edurio and Anna Menzel, a university student who got involved with Edurio’s research when she was still at school. We hear about what they discovered during the course of their surveys and their thoughts about what makes a difference to pupil well-being. Anna also shares her insights into being there for her friends as a “first responder” to their problems and her reflections on mental health while at school.
We talk about:
Why Edurio decided to design and run the survey How Anna got involved with Edurio in the first place and how she inspired one of the questions in the survey The main findings of the survey, including what it tells us about how well, safe, happy, lonely pupils are feeling and how that changes depending on various student and school characteristics Some of the factors that might be driving pupils to feel more stressed and anxious Edurio’s finding that a higher proportion of pupils are now feeling lonely and who they go to for supportSome of the challenges of balancing growing older and building resilience with unhelpful and negative stress The importance of the role of the first responder and how schools can support pupils in these roles, and indeed all pupils, to listen to their friends when they need them“Looking back at my exams now that I’m out of school… they always felt like the be-all and end-all and they never were.”
You can download Edurio’s Pupil Learning Experience and Well-being Review
here
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This week we talk to Asma Maqsood-Shah, Principal at High Hazel’s Academy in Sheffield and part of United Learning Academy Trust, about how she overcame her doubts about introducing flexible working at her school and how creating a flexible culture contributed hugely to the school’s improvement journey. We discuss the initial issues the school faced, how they adopted flexible working and what some of the benefits have been.
We talk about:
Asma’s background and career to dateThe school’s history, context and issues with staff turnover, absence and moraleWhy Asma was initially concerned about encouraging flexible working amongst her staff The importance of developing a rationale around flexible working and a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to flexible working requestsHow flexible working fitted into work the school was doing to improve alignment, engagement and leadership Some of the challenges Asma and her team overcame around cost, articulating equity of access The benefits and improvements staff, pupils and parents have seen as a result of adopting a culture of flexible working What further developments there might be in the futureYou can learn more about the benefits, practicalities and how to overcome the challenges associated with flexible working here and here
WomenEd also have a range of case studies on how to make flexible working work.
You can watch the original Teaching Vacancies webinar referenced in the introduction here. You can also check out the Teaching Vacancies service here - which makes it easy for you to search for and post jobs that are flex friendly.
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This week we talk to Hannah Stolton, Chief Executive at Governors for Schools and Nisadha Bandhara, Chair of Governors at Webster Primary School in Manchester. We discuss what makes a good governor, trends in governor recruitment and Nisadha’s own experience taking over the chair at her school. Hannah and Nisadha also share advice for prospective governors and make the case for volunteering.
We talk about
The work of Governors for Schools Nisadha’s experiences of governor recruitment and becoming Chair of a Single Academy Trust Governors for Schools’ new ‘All Pupils Every Ambition’ campaign The skills Nisadha has brought to the role and what she has learned from being a governor The kinds of skills governing boards are looking for in new recruits How Covid-19 has impacted governor recruitment The benefits and challenges of remote governance Advice from prospective governorsYou can see some of the work going on at Webster Primary on their instagram page here
You can sign up to Governors for Schools Webinars here and learn more about the ‘All Pupils Every Ambition’ campaign here
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This week speak to Adele Bates, behaviour and education specialist, keynote speaker and author. We talk about her ideas around behaviour and her new book ‘Miss, I don’t give a s**t: Engaging with challenging behaviour in schools.’ Adele talks about the importance of finding your own authentic way to ‘do’ behaviour, shares a range of tools and techniques for those working in schools to add to their “toolbox” and considers some powerful ways schools can develop their whole school behaviour policy.
We talk about:
Adele’s surprisingly long and varied teaching career Why Adele decided to focus on behaviour and her work in alternative provision Adele’s advice for being authentic in your approach to managing behaviour Why Adele wrote her book and the thinking behind its eye-catching title How Adele got to understand some of the reasons behaviour can become a barrier to learning The difference between a behaviour policy on paper and understanding how it works in practice, and the need to involve all stakeholders in drafting a policy The importance of senior leaders hearing pupil voice and understanding the experience of pupils who struggle with their behaviour Some practical tips for managing difficult classesYou can learn more about Adele’s work here
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This week we talk to Tom Harbour, CEO of Learning with Parents about how schools can make engaging parents in their children’s learning inclusive. Tom tells us why he was motivated to set up an organisation focussed on parental engagement. Tom shares what he has learned about how to break down all possible barriers and help every parent access ways to support their children at school.
We talk about:
Why Tom set up Learning with Parents and how it has developedThe various different strands to Learning with Parents’ work What Tom and his team have learnt about effective pupil engagement, with a particular focus on how to make activities fully inclusive Tom’s reflections on how schools and parents can best work together to support learning What Tom thinks the impact of partial school closures has been on parental engagementYou can learn more about Learning with Parents here.
*You can read the original report from The Joseph Rowntree Foundation that Tom quotes here.
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This week we talk to Andy Mellor, Strategic Lead for the Carnegie Centre of Excellence in Mental Health in Schools based at Leeds Beckett University, and the National Wellbeing Director for Schools Advisory Service about mental health and wellbeing. We discuss the emerging role of the senior mental health lead and the various aspects of this role and associated training. We also consider the need for whole-school preventative approaches, as well as support for those most acutely affected by mental health difficulties. Andy also shares some successful strategies from his own time as a headteacher.
We talk about:
Andy’s own long career working in and with schools The changing landscape with regard to volume and complexity of mental health need Andy’s advice for serving headteachers based on his experienceThe links Andy has observed between schools that have a strong wellbeing approach and sustained school improvement The role of senior mental health leads and what their training might involveThe full range of areas the senior mental health lead could be having an impact on, and the importance of that person either being on the SLT or having good access to those who areSome of the ways in which Andy improved pupil engagement and outcomes using a wellbeing informed approach Different training and support options available for senior mental health leads including a free communityHow schools might think about the mental health of their staff and the importance of school leaders prioritising their own mental health and wellbeingYou can sign up to the free senior mental health lead community Andy mentions here.
“I think school leaders are past masters at making bad situations work but schools are currently on their knees. If you combine all of this with decreasing funding levels and increased responsibility, it feels like we are coming close to a breaking point.”
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This week we speak to Sarah Dove, Director of Phoenix Education Consultancy about her diverse experience of supporting children outside of mainstream schooling in a variety of different contexts. We discuss what prompted Sarah to write her book ‘Behaving together in the Classroom’. Sarah shares what she’s seen change in the last 20 years of working in education, the changes she’d like to see in the future and what she learnt from conducting her own surveys into pupils' experiences of remote learning.
We talk about:
The different types of settings Sarah has worked in Sarah’s collaborative and curious approach to behaviour The importance of thinking about different ways to respond to challenging behaviour, rather than repeating the same tactics What has changed about the way alternative provision and mainstream interactHow social media has brought more behavioural issues inside the school gates What further change is needed to make sure alternative provision and mainstream can work together in the most effective way for the child What Sarah found out from surveying pupils about their experiences of lockdown and their feelings about returning to school Sarah’s thoughts on the importance of listening to pupil voiceThe report from the Centre for Social Justice Sarah mentions can be found here.
You can find free to download resources on Sarah’s website here and more about her book here.
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This week we speak to Claire Oatway, a Leadership and Strategy Consultant, and Sam Smith, Headteacher at Stoke Damerel Primary Academy about some work they did together to imagine the future of schooling. Claire created an immersive representation of what a completely AI and technology enabled school could look like. This was then passed on to Sam and her team, who used it as a jumping off point for thinking more about how they could prepare their pupils for the future, and embrace technology in their curriculum and practices.
We talk about:
Sam and Claire’s backgrounds and past experiencesHow their partnership came about How Claire created an immersive vision for the future of education for Sam and her team to respond toThe importance of giving children at primary school a better understanding of STEAM careers What a fully AI/ tech enabled school environment could look like without teachers and what that tells us about the highest value work teachers can actually be doing in schools Why and how school leaders can think bigger and differently about education if it is augmented by technologySam’s reflections about her school’s experience of remote learning and how the school evolved their offering over timeThe potential for tech to support personalised learning for children who need additional support and other likely near term developments in EdTechThe original presentation Claire delivered at Sam’s school is here.
You can read about Claire’s work in this area here and you can contact her directly via LinkedIn to learn more.
The television programme Sam mentions can be watched on catch-up here.
You can find out more about Sam’s school here.
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This week we talk to Mike Foster, Assistant Head at Thorntree Academy in Middlesbrough, Tom Hooper, Founder and CEO of Third Space Learning and Baz Ramaiah, an associate at The Centre For Education and Youth (CFEY). We hear more about CFEY’s report ‘A Space for Maths: Exploring the need for maths tutoring and the potential role of Third Space Learning’, the importance of early maths achievement and getting children confident with numeracy. Mike tells us about his school’s experience of using Third Space Learning and we discuss what makes for a really effective maths tutoring intervention.
We talk about:
Mike’s school and the community it serves The case for early intervention building strong maths skills early The findings of the ‘A Space for Maths’ report and how teaching and learning numeracy differs from literacy The difference tutoring can make to pupils The impact of the pandemic on maths skills and the issues with parental support for maths home learning How difficulties with and anxiety about maths can become intergenerational The potential economic impacts of a lack of maths ability Mike’s maths catch-up focus at school - vocabulary and application of mathematical skills Why Mike wanted a tutoring intervention and what he was hoping to gain from itThe importance of a tutoring solution that is responsive and aligns with what is going on in class teaching How Third Space designed their solution to make cost-effective, high-quality, one-to-one tuition available to pupils in need The impact good quality tutoring can have on pupilsYou can find the report from CFEY ‘A Space for Maths’ here.
You can find the Third Space Learning impact report here and read about other schools’ experiences here.
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This week we talk to Nav Sanghara, CEO of The Woodland Academy Trust and Alice Gregson, Chief Operating Officer at Forum Strategy about Forum Strategy’s recent publication ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion amongst Academy Trust CEOs’. We discuss why the research was conducted and the challenges that persist when it comes to tackling the lack of diversity at senior levels within trusts. We also delve into some of the more positive findings emerging from the research, and discuss the recommendations and potential solutions raised in the report.
We talk about:
Alice and Nav’s careers and backgroundsWhy Forum Strategy wanted to conduct the research Some of the positive findings that denote a level of progress on this issueThe more challenging findings from the report and the work still to be done, particularly around data collection Some of Nav’s experiences as a senior leader within a trustThe importance of inclusive practices as well as having diverse teamsThe fear of using the wrong language being a barrier to people getting involved in the important work of diversity & inclusion and ways to address this How a consistent approach to diversity data collection across all the characteristics would help progress this work Some potential solutions, including the need for organisations to have a long-term strategic plan that tackles all aspects of this agenda across all relevant policies and activities, but recognising that this will take time and sustained effortYou can download the report from Forum Strategy here
You can learn more about the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s nine protected characteristics here
If you would like to get in touch with Alice or Nav, or have any questions or feedback on the podcast, please email [email protected]
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This week we speak to Professor Becky Allen, Co-Founder of Teacher Tapp, Ben White, Assistant Headteacher of a secondary school in Kent and Matthew Evans, Headteacher of a secondary school in Gloucestershire, about a book they wrote together entitled, ‘The Next Big Thing in School Improvement’. We discuss the main themes of the book, namely: the complexity of the school system, the limits of our knowledge and the problems that arise when an approach to school improvement (that might well be effective in some contexts) becomes a generalised “fad” and actually has limited impact.
We talk about:
How the three authors met and why they decided to write a book together on this topic What it means when we say schools are “complex” systems and why they are difficult to improveSome of the important things about learning and education that we just don’t know yet and may never knowAdvice for headteachers contemplating school improvement The limits of the education system as it has currently been designed and what some of the potential options could be for overcoming themThe group’s thoughts on the current focus on curriculum How each of our guests thinks education research, time and funding could be spent to tackle some of the challenges they have identified around school improvement Activities they have each participated in as part of past school improvement fads that they now regretYou can order Becky, Ben and Matthew’s book here
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This week we talk to Katy Pinchess, Headteacher at Bentley Church of England Primary School about her school’s approach to reading. Katy shares how they have used a digital tool (Lexplore) that uses artificial intelligence and eye-tracking technology to dig further into exactly what children find challenging about reading. We also talk about other ways in which Katy has built a strong reading culture at her school, discuss briefly her recent experience of an Ofsted inspection and hear her observations of how pupils are adjusting to being back in school.
We talk about:
Reading as a focus across the school What using the digital tool adds to the school’s approach to teaching reading How administering reading assessments works and how the results are used to support pupils progress The school’s context and the importance of reading across the curriculum How using the digital tool has supported parental engagement with readingThe impact of Covid-19 on pupil’s academic resilienceHow the team at Bentley have applied a ’back to basics’ approach this term to support pupils back into the classroom.You can learn more about Bentley Church of England Primary School here
More information about Lexplore is available here
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This week we talk to Anna Trethewey, Head of Strategy and Andrew Cook, HMI and Regional Director North West, both from Ofsted about Ofsted’s rapid evidence review into peer-on-peer sexual abuse. We talk about how the review was conducted, the findings that emerged and how schools can start to take steps to respond to this issue. We also discuss the nature of the challenge in more detail and the importance of taking a deep and considered approach to building a safe and inclusive culture. We also touch on the role that governors can play in supporting schools with this work.
We talk about:
How Ofsted worked to produce a high impact report that conveyed the scale of the problem at speedThe pivotal importance of pupil experience and testimony to this review and how organising single-sex discussion groups proved to be a valuable way to capture views during the school visits How problematic sexual behaviour seems to have become almost normalised and the need to be more clear about thresholds and really defining what behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable for young people Why inclusive language and strong role modelling can play such a key part in establishing a positive school culture The link between RSHE and PSHE provision and pupils’ experiences Some of the changes already resulting from the review’s publication How hard it can be for schools to navigate behaviour that happens online or out of school premisesHow governors can support school leadership teams with this workYou can read the full review from Ofsted here.
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This week we talk to Dr Helen Edwards, Co-Founder of Tapestry about changes happening in the Early Years (the new Early Years Framework and updated Development Matters). Helen shares some really useful tips for governors visiting the EYFS. We also reflect on the impact of the pandemic and the opportunity it presented for those working in the early years to embrace technology, particularly as a way to maintain the connection between their setting and home, and consider what the future might look like.
We talk about:
The changes to the EYFS Framework, Development Matters and Early Learning Goals and what these mean in practiceHow to be a curious governor when visiting the EYFS and some good questions to askSome of the ways in which settings and Edtech providers had to adapt during the pandemicThe importance of achieving a balance around use of technology in the Early Years and balancing the workload associated with recording and reporting The role EdTech can play in CPD, especially in a nursery setting where there will be limited time and budgetWhat is special about working in the Early YearsYou can learn more about Tapestry here
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“Heck! The reason this job is so hard is not just because we believe it to be so, but because a lot of the expectations of what headteachers have to do day-to-day... are implicitly demanding of a very high stage of adult ego development.”
This week we speak to Dr Neil Gilbride, Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Gloucestershire. We discuss his research into School Principals at Different Stages of Adult Ego Development: Their Sense-Making Capabilities and How Others Experience Them. Neil tells us about why and how he conducted the research, what it tells us about leadership in a school setting and the particular challenges school leaders face.
We talk about:
Neil’s career and background Why he chose to undertake the research and the possible implications the findings might haveWhat the ‘ego’ is, what it does and how it develops according to Loevinger’s model of the 8 stages of adult ego development More details about the 3 stages of ego development the study focuses on What the research shows us about how difficult it is to be a leader in a school setting What constitutes a ‘wicked’ problem as opposed to a ‘tame’ problemWhy it is important to understand education leadership and its challenges first, before working out what we can learn from other sectorsHow he designed the study and carried it out What kind of scaffolding leaders might need to help them sense-make more effectively and the impact stress can have on someone’s sense-making abilities Role of experience and experiences in leadership development Neil’s plans for further researchYou can read Neil’s paper here it includes full details of Loevinger’s model of adult ego development
You can learn more about his international project Getting Heads Together here
“Some people described the headteacher who was “individualist” as magical. They could just seem to put their finger on the problem and they think it is some kind of divine intervention, and it isn’t. Actually the way they make sense of the problem incorporated so many different perspectives and views that by the time they got there everyone felt they’d been heard and everyone could see where the headteacher was coming from.”
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This week we talk to Kat Howard, Head of Professional Learning at David Ross Education Trust Teaching School Hub, Author and Founder of Litdrive. We talk about some of the key themes of Kat’s books: Stop Talking About Wellbeing and Symbiosis. We also talk about some of the lessons that can be learned from remote learning for both teaching and flexibility in schools, and how to have meaningful conversations about curriculum development.
We talk about:
Why we should stop talking about wellbeingSome of Kat’s observations coming from another sector outside education The opportunities the pandemic has presented to do things differently such as; Engaging in more CPDCollaborating more easilyWorking more flexiblyUsing remote learning as a chance to watch other teachers and really honing in on certain aspects of teachingKat’s approach to blogging and writing books How Kat chose to use time while on maternity leave to participate in and deliver CPDThe vital role curriculum can play in engaging pupils and staffHow to have successful curriculum conversations Adapting your curriculum to support catch upHere is the blog Kat mentioned about how she writes books and blogs
You can learn more about Litdrive, the organisation Kat founded, here
You can learn more about the Maternity Paternity Teacher Project here or listen to the Key Voices episode with its founder here
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