Key Voices

Key Voices #85 - Combining teaching with parenthood with Emma Sheppard

This week we talk to Emma Sheppard founder of the Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher Project. Emma tells me about why she set up the project, and its mission to empower teachers to engage with professional development while on parental leave if they want to.

Key Voices #84 - Changing the story on school exclusion with The Difference

This week we talk to Jamie Rogers, Head of Recruitment and Community at The Difference, and Hammad Ali, Senior Leader at The Pendlebury Centre in Stockport - part of the second cohort of Difference Leaders.  They explain what The Difference aims to do, why and how they both got involved, and we hear from Hammad’s first-hand experiences as a Difference Leader. We consider how wellbeing, inclusion and managing behaviour are especially important in all schools at the moment as pupils deal with the anxieties and challenges posed by COVID-19. Jamie and Hammad dispel some of the myths around Alternative Provision and share their view on what mainstream education could learn from the expertise found in AP.

 

We finish by looking to the future and thinking about how approaches such as those promoted by The Difference can help lower exclusion rates and improve outcomes for vulnerable pupils. 

 

You can learn more about the work of The Difference here

As mentioned in the podcast, applications for cohort 3 open on 5th November, but you can register your interest in applying here

Key Voices #83 - Focussing on reading with Alex Quigley

This week we talk to Alex Quigley, author of both ‘The Reading Gap’ and ‘The Vocabulary Gap’. Alex speaks in more detail about these “gaps” and the impact they are having on our education system.

Key Voices #82 - Social and emotional learning and the new normal with the Centre for Education and Youth

This week we talk to Will Millard, Head of Engagement at The Centre for Education and Youth (CFEY). We start by attempting to define social and emotional learning (SEL), emphasising its increased importance in a post-COVID world. We discuss the evidence linking SEL to improved academic outcomes and consider issues such as parental involvement and how cultural differences impact the teaching of SEL. 

Key Voices #81 - Research into the challenges of school business management during COVID-19

This week we talk to Nicola West Jones, Head of Market Research at The Key, and Stephen Morales, CEO at the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL), about The Key's latest research examining how the role of the school business professional (SBP) has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. 

 

We dig into the findings around changes to working hours and wellbeing. We also examine how many SBPs felt the focus of their work had shifted to spend more time on health and safety, and premise management. We hear about what SBP’s thought about the advice they received from the government, local authorities and their trusts (where relevant) and where else they might be going to for support. Looking to the future, we share some recommendations for schools, national and local government and professional bodies and training providers. We end by appreciating the heroic work done by school business professionals serving in our schools. 

 

You can download a free copy of The Key’s report  ‘The challenges of school business management during COVID-19’ here. 

 

You can also read more about the research in this blog. 

Key Voices #80 - Recognising the teaching profession with The Chartered College of Teaching

“We’ve been speaking out about [issues that affect the sector] in a way that is always respectful, always calm. Nevertheless, we’ll quite often have cut through and we’re hearing back from government and HMCI, so we know that our voice is being heard” 

This week we talk to Professor Dame Alison Peacock, CEO, and Cat Scutt, Director of Education and Research, from the Chartered College of Teaching. We learn more about the purpose of the College and the benefits of membership. Given the fierce debates around education in recent months, we consider the role of the College as an independent, evidence-informed voice of the profession. 

Dame Alison also explains the College’s #FutureofTeaching campaign and the establishment of the Education Exchange to share learning and ideas about this on a global scale. Cat tells us about some of the work that has been done to support schools responding to Covid-19 including their research, adapting their professional development offer and to challenging the Prime Minister. We also hear more about the training and resources they have made available more widely (links below).

You can get involved in the conversation about the future of teaching at the Education Exchange.

The College’s research summary on catch up and remote learning is here. 

You can access the online courses that were mentioned below:  

Leadership of Education Technology in Schools here

Using Technology in Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning here 

Key Voices #79 - Examining the National Tutoring Programme with MyTutor, Action Tutoring and Nesta

“This is all about making tutoring a tool of schools rather than an add on.”

 

This week we speak to James Grant, Co-Founder and Managing Director of MyTutor, Susannah Hardyman, Founder and CEO of Action Tutoring and Jed Cinnamon Senior Programme Manager at Nesta, about the National Tutoring Programme and its proposed role in helping students “catch -up” learning lost as result of COVID-19.  

 

Jed covers the principles behind the programme, timelines schools should be aware of and how the provision of support via academic mentors and tuition partners will work. Suzannah and James both run tutoring organisations that were involved in this summer’s pilot programme. They explain how each of their organisations works collaboratively with schools to make tutoring effective and simple to co-ordinate. We also hear more about the impact tutoring can have on the motivation and academic performance of young people, and the different ways they source, train and support their tutors. We end by considering the future role for tutoring in the education sector. 

 

You can read more about the National Tutoring Programme here 

 

You can learn more about the work of MyTutor here and Action Tutoring here

Key Voices #78 - How have schools coped with COVID-19? with Edurio

“When you are dealing with emotional uncertainty between the DfE guidance and the staff you are responsible for, you become a sponge of emotion.”

This week we talk to Ernest Jenavs, Founder of Edurio, and Nicola West Jones, Head of Market Research at The Key who joins us to share some of the insights she has picked up from her conversations with school leaders over the last 6 months.

Our conversation covers findings from Edurio’s survey of pupils, parents and staff conducted over the summer, looking into how English schools responded to COVID-19. This research sought to better understand the experiences of these three groups, when it comes to learning, community, leadership and wellbeing during partial school closure,and to help schools learn for the future. We dig into topics like pupil anxiety, the role of parents in education and the challenges faced by school leaders. We also shine a light on the great work many schools have done to communicate frequently and honestly with their communities. 

You can read Edurio’s report in full here. 

Key Voices #77 - Mental health and the return to school with Tana Macpherson-Smith

“I am working with a lot of children who are already thinking to themselves it will be impossible for them to go back to school...“

This week we talk to Tana Macpherson-Smith, Founder of Clear Minds about how children might be feeling about the return to school. Tana shares some practical ideas for whole-school approaches to mental health and wellbeing, as well as how teachers can identify and monitor individual pupils who may be struggling. 

With an alarming 50% of all adult mental health illness being already set in place by the age of 14, Tana talks about the importance of good mental health to a child’s development and shares the way she explains mental health to pupils. 

Key Voices #76 - Rehumanising headship with Darren Morgan

"If you are a school teacher, school leader, headteacher, whoever you are - you have to accept that sometimes you'll go home and not everything has been done."

 

This week we talk to Darren Morgan, Headteacher at Kings Road Primary School in Trafford. Darren explains his career path to headship, the school improvement journey he and his team have been on at his current school and how he has developed team spirit and staff morale. 

We also discuss how Darren adapted his working practices during lockdown and how he achieved a work-life balance that worked for him. We also consider some of the challenges of headship and the stress that it brings, and think about ways headteachers can feel more supported in their role. 

You can get more information about Kings Road Primary here