ASCL Leadership Podcast

This month’s conversations with General Secretary Geoff Barton include:

1. Emma Knights, CEO, National Governance Association: on good governance via governors and trustees, and the role of headteachers as governors

2. Carol Jones, Chair, the Leading Women’s Alliance: on the mission to bring more women into headship and available support for them

3. Paul Dix, Executive Director, Pivotal Education: on simplifying behaviour rules, retaining humanity, and building consistency across staff

4. Charly Young, CEO, and Aiseosa Eweka-Okera, Young Ambassador, The Girls Network: on the role of the Girls Networking in raising the aspirations of young females by providing role-models and mentors

5. Sian Hampton, CEO, and Lee Miveld, Head of Alternative Provision, Archway Learning Trust, Nottinghamshire: on stepping from headship to executive leadership, what a commitment to 100% inclusion means in practice, and giving support to all young people against chaotic, often violent backgrounds

6. Malcolm Trobe, ASCL NPQEL Programme Director and Consultant: on early lessons from the NPQEL about the opportunities and challenges of executive leadership

In this special edition of the podcast, General Secretary Geoff Barton joins ASCL NI Regional Officer Robert Wilson to meet government officials and tour three Belfast schools in conversation with their principals:

• Jacqueline Magennis, Priory Integrated College

• Nicola Connery, Strathearn School

• Amanda McNamee, Lagan College

In our conversations we talk about issues familiar to school and college leaders across the UK: funding, the challenges of leadership, whole-school literacy, and how leaders help young people from all backgrounds to achieve their best.

In the latest 'Leaders Reading' podcast, Geoff Barton talks to Lee Elliot Major about his book 'Social Mobility and its Enemies' (Pelican)

ASCL Leadership Podcast, November 2018

In this month’s podcast, General Secretary Geoff Barton talks to …

1. Julian Drinkall, CEO, Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): On ways that governance can support academy principals

2. Tracy Crowder, Headteacher, Monkseaton High School, North Tyneside: On the joys and challenges of leading a school in a coastal community

3. Brian Anderson, Headteacher, Springhead Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent: On working with the Royal Shakespeare Company to place Shakespeare at the core of the primary curriculum

4. Helen Pinnington, Headteacher, St Edmunds Catholic High School, Whiston, Knowsley: On the joy of being a new headteacher serving a challenging community

5. Leanne Griffiths, Executive Principal, Gorse Academies Trust: Secondary Education: On receiving the Pearson Teaching Award for Secondary Leader of the Year

6. Janie McManus, Strategic Director for Scrutiny, Education Scotland: On how Scotland’s inspection system aims to enhance schools’ self-evaluation

7. Billy Burke, Headteacher, Renfrew High School, western Scotland, and newly-elected President of School Leaders Scotland: On educational priorities in Scotland and the theme for his presidential year

8. Jenny Langley, Principal, Great Academy Ashton, Tameside: On leadership in a challenging context and using staff development to improve teaching

9. Stephen Morales, Chief Executive, Institute of School Business Leadership: On professional standards for school business leaders and career development

10. Fred Jarvis, Former General Secretary, National Union of Teachers, and recipient of Pearson Lifetime Achievement Award: Perspectives on the teaching profession, past and present, and his educational optimism

In this month’s podcast, general secretary Geoff Barton speaks to:

• Amanda Spielman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector: on Ofsted’s plans for a revised inspection focus

• Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education, Royal Shakespeare Company: on a large survey of young people shows how they see the arts as an essential part of their education

• Sam Sims, Centre for Education Improvement Science at UCL institute for Education: on research evidence into teacher recruitment around pay versus workload

• Sarah Balaam, Headteacher in Bridlington, North Yorkshire: on the impact of widespread unconditional offers given to students in her school

• Mike Buchanan, newly-appointed chief executive, HMC: on his priorities and that of the organisation that represents many leading independent schools

• Rachael Warwick, Executive Head in Oxfordshire, and new ASCL Vice-President: on her leadership style and plans for the future

• Roy Blatchford, former adviser to David Laws: on ‘The Forgotten Third’, our commission of inquiry into what we can do for the 190,000 GCSE pupils who leave school without the ‘dignity’ of a standard pass in English

Former ASCL General Secretary Brian Lightman talks to Geoff Barton about his book, 'Lessons Learned: A Life in Education'

A: Voices from the ‘Worth Less?’ headteacher march to Downing Street, 28/9/18:

• Jules White, Tanbridge House School and Worth Less? organiser

• Kelly Head, Springfield Infant School, Ipswich

• Vic Goddard, Passmores Academy, Harlow

• Sarah Jones, Roman Hall Primary School, Andover

• Lucy St John, Herne Infant School, Kent

• Jacqui Spinks, St Alphege Infant School, Whitstable

• Jenny Ashley-Jones, Reculver Primary School, Herne Bay

• Robin Bevan, Southend High School for Boys, Southend

• Rae Snape, The Spinney Primary School, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge

• Jacques Szemalikowski, Hampstead School, London

• Nathan Golbey, St Andrew’s Primary, Horsham

B: Stepping into Senior Leadership:

• Jamie Clayton, Assistant Principal (Teaching & Learning), Kensington Aldridge Academy, London

C: Education Past, Present & Future:

• Lord (Kenneth Baker), Education Secretary 1986-89, introducing the National Curriculum, Ofsted and performance tables; co-founder of the Baker Dearing Trust

Geoff Barton, ASCL General Secretary, talks to Melissa Benn about her book ‘Life Lessons: The Case for a National Education Service’.

In this episode, General Secretary Geoff Barton talks to:

1. Dr Karen Edge, Reader in Educational Leadership and Pro Vice Provost (International) at University College London: on international perspectives into teacher retention

2. Simon Partington, Principal, Renshaw College, Leyland: on inclusive post-16 provision and ethical leadership

3. Nick Burnham, Principal, Cardinal Newman College, Preston: on the distinctive ethos of a Roman Catholic sixth form college

4. Lis Smith, Principal and CEO, Preston’s College, Preston: on FE funding challenges and the development of T-levels

5. Pat Sowa, former headteacher and founder of Starfish: on her campaign to help schools and colleges better support children’s mental health needs

6. Steve Rollett, ASCL Accountability Specialist: on Ofsted’s curriculum focus and possible future direction

7. Duncan Baldwin, Deputy Director of Policy: on why Progress 8 doesn’t tell the whole story of school performance

For the June 2018 leadership podcast, ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton talks to:

1. Alex Beard, author of Natural Born Learners: on the lessons we can learn from overseas

2. Rachel Wyles, Headteacher, Priory Ruskin Academy, Grantham: on the importance of a broad and balanced curriculum

3. Emma Harkins, Headteacher, Huntingtower Primary Academy: on the advantages of being part of a multi-academy trust

4. Brian Janes, Headteacher, Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy, Stockton-on-Tees: on the benefits of working alongside an executive headteacher

5. Michael Laidler, Headteacher, Acklam Grange School: on stepping up to become Head of School

6. Michael Randal, Deputy headteacher of a school in Wiltshire: on the reality of real-term funding cuts

7. Lucy, Head of School, North Tyneside: on the reality of real-term funding cuts

8. Kiran Gill, Chief Executive, The Difference: on putting inclusion at the heart of all teacher training

9. Marcel, Year7: on having to stop playing the trumpet because of spending cuts