Educator’s Corner

In the UK, 14% of young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). This is among the highest rates in Europe. The media often stigmatises these people as lazy, entitled and lacking motivation. But give them a chance to be heard, and they will reveal that there are far more nuanced reasons why there are so many young NEETs.

In this episode, Kai speaks with Shuab Gamote, researcher, policy advisor, and co-author (alongside Peter Hyman) of two landmark reports published in the last 12 months: Inside the Mind of a 16-Year-Old and Inside the Mind of a Young NEET. 

Drawing on deep listening exercises with more than 400 young people across the UK, Shuab challenges common stereotypes about youth ambition, explores the systemic "snakes" blocking progression, and shares practical insights for school leaders seeking to foster supportive environments that build confidence and create lasting ladders of opportunity.

Tune in to discover:

• Why over 90% of young NEETs actively want to work—and why blaming young people misses the structural issues

• How the "rejection economy", automated job recruitment, and competitive application processes damage confidence

• The nuanced impact of social media and why a countrywide ban on social media for under-16s is necessary

• How schools can prevent the post-16 "cliff edge" by creating lifelong communities and starting career conversations from Year 7

• Lessons from the Netherlands' vocational education model, where only 4% of young people are not in education, employment or training

  
  

About Our Guest

Shuab Gamote is a researcher and policy advisor specialising in youth transitions, social mobility, and educational policy. Co-authoring major research reports alongside Peter Hyman, Shuab has conducted extensive field research and "deep listening" conversations with hundreds of young people across the UK. He is currently working on the Commission on Boys in Education and building its Youth Expert Board.

In this episode, Shuab and Kai weigh in on:

01:51 Radical vs. deep listening: Hearing what young people want

03:56 Debunking the "snowflake" myth

05:30 How Gen Z experiences are shifting across age cohorts

10:11 Why the term "NEET" works politically, but fails individually

12:00 Identifying the "snakes" in youth progression: Transition failures, trauma, and the paradox of gaining work experience16:26 What 1,000+ conversations revealed about social media

23:35 Banning social media vs. investing in third spaces for youth

25:14 Fixing the post-16 cliff edge with career guidance and communities

33:13 How a 4% NEET rate is achieved in The Netherlands with vocational pathways

36:45 How to leave every young person’s cup overflowing with confidence

Resources

Inside the Mind of a Young NEET Report

Inside the Mind of a 16-Year-Old Report

Commission on Boys in Education

KaiPod News

Keep the conversation going with KaiPod News — a monthly newsletter from Kai Vacher sharing insights, stories, and strategies from education leaders around the world. Subscribe here.

Related episodes

Episode 26 — Why 50% of Secondary School Students Have Stopped Trying and How We Can Fix It | With Jenny Anderson

Episode 18 —  How to Develop Empathy as a Teacher or School Leader | In Conversation with Ed Kirwan

Episode 15 — Is It Time to Phase Out GCSEs? A Conversation with Will Goldsmith

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact

How do you know when you’re ready to lead a school? What does an effective leadership transition look like during those first few months? And how do new school leaders manage the unique isolation of a role where the buck stops with them?

In this episode, Kai talks to Natasha Hilton, Principal of Nord Anglia International School in New York. Fresh into her very first headship, Natasha shares her honest impressions from the role so far - from the pivotal mindset shift required to move from middle leadership to whole-school governance and overcoming imposter syndrome to why building a multi-layered support network is vital for school leaders.

Tune in to discover:

• The exact moment Natasha realised she was ready to step into school leadership

• How to handle the initial wave of imposter syndrome that comes with headship when you can’t confide in colleagues 

• What "servant leadership" looks like and why it forms the bedrock of a healthy school culture

• How structured support and onboarding ease the transition for international school leaders

  
  

About Our Guest

Natasha Hilton is the Principal of Nord Anglia International School in New York. With extensive international teaching and leadership experience across London, Muscat, Doha, and now New York, Natasha has spent years working alongside leadership teams to drive school improvement before taking up her first headship. She is an advocate for authentic, community-driven leadership and professional mentorship among educators globally.

In this episode, Natasha and Kai weigh in on:

03:21 How do you know you're ready to run a school?

06:40 Overcoming imposter syndrome and the loneliness of headship

09:09 What servant leadership actually means

12:34 Getting the most out of the first 100 days

16:22 What excites Natasha most about growing NAIS New York

19:16 Why parents in New York choose British international education

22:52 Creating local, regional, and global networks in your new community

31:38 Best practices in international school onboarding and transition support

Resources

Nord Anglia International School New York

WomenEd

KaiPod News

Keep the conversation going with KaiPod News — a monthly newsletter from Kai Vacher sharing insights, stories, and strategies from education leaders around the world. Subscribe here.

Related episodes

Episode 23 — Is Kindness the Key to Effective School Leadership? In Conversation with Joanna Povall | In Conversation with Joanna Povall

Episode 9 — How to Use Data to Boost Student Wellbeing and Belonging | In Conversation with Matthew Savage

Episode 7 — Team Coaching: What It Is, What It Is Not, and How It Can Combat Burnout | In Conversation with Linda Berlot

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact

What makes a good school? From a leader’s perspective it may be outstanding inspection reports and exam results. But now that parents can generate a list of comparable schools in seconds, these quality signals aren’t enough.

Parents want to know what life at the school is really like and whether it fully meets their children’s needs. But what does that mean in practice?

Selina Boyd, International Director at The Good Schools Guide, joins us to examine this question. Drawing on 40+ years of independent school reviews,  Selina explores what parents are really looking for when choosing a school, why senior leadership visibility is vital, how hybrid and online learning options are shifting, and why exporting British educational quality matters far more than exporting a brand name.

Tune in to discover:

• What parents mean when they say they want a school where their child can "flourish"

• Why reports and exam results only tell a fraction of a school's story

• The critical role of headteacher visibility and authentic parent engagement

• Why online and hybrid schooling are undergoing a perception shift

  
  

About Our Guest 

Selina Boyd is the International Director at The Good Schools Guide, a trusted, independent voice that has helped parents navigate school choices for over 40 years. Selina works directly with families, school leaders, and international education networks to help parents understand the spirit, character, and lived reality of schools across the globe.

In this episode, Selina and Kai weigh in on:

02:45 How schools feature in the Good Schools Guide (and why you can't buy your way in)

06:02 What does a "good school" look like from a parent's perspective?

12:13 "Spidey senses" vs. qualitative research: Accurately evaluating school culture

16:48 The limitations of inspection reports and exam results

20:30 How senior leaders can effectively demonstrate school quality

25:07 Why online and hybrid education is a shift, not just a trend

33:25 The accreditation gap in international education

37:03 Exporting British quality vs. exporting British brand names

44:37 How school leaders can effectively engage parents

Resources

The Good Schools Guide

ISC Research International School Reports

High Performance Learning (Prof. Deborah Eyre)

KaiPod News

Keep the conversation going with KaiPod News — a monthly newsletter from Kai Vacher sharing insights, stories, and strategies from education leaders around the world. Subscribe here.

Related episodes

Episode 29 — Beyond School Improvement | In Conversation with Professor Deborah Eyre

Episode 24 — Inside the UK's Fastest Growing School | In Conversation with Hugh Viney

Episode 11 — 4 Simple Ways to Support Staff Wellbeing in Schools | In Conversation with Mark Leppard

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact

What makes a good school leader? How do you know when you’re ready for headship? And how can schools develop their existing talent to grow their own future leaders?

With UNESCO predicting a global shortage of 44 million teachers by 2030, schools around the world are seeking new ways to fill vacancies. One increasingly popular approach is to invest in internal staff development and trainee pathways. But is this a realistic, sustainable response to the teacher recruitment crisis?

In this episode, Kai talks to John Woodberry, joint Founder and Director of Red Dragon Education. Together, they explore practical strategies for preparing for headship, developing internal talent, overcoming hurdles in leadership transitions, and boosting teacher retention.

Tune in to discover:

• How aspiring leaders can navigate the jump to headship

• Strategies for surviving and thriving during the first 100 days of headship

• Why "growing your own" teachers and leaders is essential for staff retention

• The financial and cultural benefits of upskilling local staff 

• Why professional growth is a tide that lifts the entire profession

  
  

About Our Guest 

John Woodberry is an international educator and joint founder of Red Dragon Education, an organisation that supports teachers and school leaders globally in gaining formal qualifications, including IPGCEs and QTS pathways. Having spent years working in international school setups in Shanghai, John now partners with bilingual and international schools across Southeast Asia and beyond to help them retain, train, and develop teaching talent.

In this episode, John and Kai weigh in on:

00:00 A 44 million teacher deficit

06:51 Knowing when you're ready for school leadership

10:51 Why school context and vision matter more than prestige

14:11 Navigating the first 100 days of leadership

19:20 Overcoming the isolation of headship through global networks

23:59 How growing your own teachers supports retention

26:04 Practical steps to fund and implement IPGCE and QTS

30:36 How upskilling existing staff saves thousands in fees

33:17 How to take the first step toward internal teacher development

Resources

Red Dragon Education

COBIS (Council of British International Schools) Recruitment Research

UNESCO Global Teacher Shortage Report

KaiPod News

Keep the conversation going with KaiPod News — a monthly newsletter from Kai Vacher sharing insights, stories, and strategies from education leaders around the world. Subscribe here.

Related episodes

Episode 29 — Beyond School Improvement | In Conversation with Professor Deborah Eyre

Episode 18 — How to Develop Empathy as a Teacher or School Leader | In Conversation with Ed Kirwan

Episode 11 — 4 Simple Ways to Support Staff Wellbeing in Schools | In Conversation with Mark Leppard

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact

Welcome to Educator’s Corner—the podcast connecting you with inspiring educators from around the globe.

In a world of quick answers, we take the time to stay curious just a little longer. Join us for thoughtful conversations on the biggest issues, challenges, and opportunities shaping our schools and communities today. Perfect for your commute, cook time, or daily walk.

Keep the conversation going between episodes by subscribing to KaiPod News here.

If the global teacher shortage means candidates hold all the cards, why are schools still recruiting like it’s 2010?

In this bonus clip from episode 28 of the Educator's Corner podcast, Kai Vacher and his panel of experts turn the recruitment model upside down. If teachers are building powerful personal brands and becoming influencers, schools can no longer rely on their reputation to attract top talent. They have to sell their story in a medium that appeals to young professionals.

Love this clip? Catch the full episode.

Dive deeper into salary negotiations, family package trends, and how top schools are navigating the 44-million teacher shortfall.

👉 Watch/Listen to the Full Episode Here: https://youtu.be/cu6fRZd637I

Experts featured:

Leisa Grace Wilson (Editorial Director, Teach Middle East Magazine)

Laura Rigney (Director of School Services, Teacher Horizons)

Mark Leppard MBE (Headmaster, British School Al Khubairat)

#TeacherRecruitment #InternationalSchools #EducationLeadership #SchoolMarketing #EdChat #GenZTeachers

What does effective online pedagogy involve? How can hybrid schools deliver quality education in practical subjects like Art and Design? What key lessons can we learn from Higher Education when designing hybrid schools?

Following the previous live episode on the Reimagining Secondary Schooling for a Changing World, Kai Vacher and Mark Steed return for a Question Time special. Taking questions you shared, they tackle the practical, financial, and pedagogical realities of shifting towards a hybrid school model.

From addressing the lingering "bad rap" of pandemic-era online learning to reimagining structural school design and slashing international recruitment costs, Kai and Mark explore how flexing into hybrid can maximise our most valuable resource: the time teachers spend interacting with students.

Tune in to discover:

• Why modern online pedagogy is a leap ahead of "emergency Zoom" learning.

• How hybrid structures can drastically reduce school operation and staffing costs.

• The blueprint for designing collaborative school spaces that prioritise well-being.

• How schools can leverage VR and AI tutors to protect teacher contact time.

• What hybrid and online leaders must do to build trust in this new schooling model.

About Our Guest

A regular guest on the show, Mark Steed is the Director and Consultant at Steed Education, which specialises in educational consultancy support for Schools Groups, U.K. independent schools, and English-speaking international schools. Read more about Mark here.

In this episode, Mark and Kai weigh in on:

01:02 Does the "bad reputation" of online learning stem from a lack of peer interaction?

04:01 Do online lessons during the school day require additional physical staffing?

06:31 What do practical subjects like Art & Design look like in a hybrid model?

11:12 How do you decide what deserves face-to-face time vs. what goes online?

16:20 The shift to "One-to-Many" super-teachers and the rise of AI tutoring

19:36 How can hybrid designs intentionally nurture well-being and belonging?

22:15 Solutions for UK schools battling VAT pressures and low-uptake A-level courses

27:54 What quality assurance kitemarks will build trust in hybrid models?

32:41 What can we learn from Higher Education’s hybrid struggles?

37:30 Why are we trapped in subject blocks and closing schools for half the year?

41:22 Invitation to Reimagining Secondary Schooling 2027 London Conference

Resources

Reimagining Secondary Schooling 2026 Report — Steed Education

What do higher education students want from online learning? (2023) — McKinsey

KaiPod News

Keep the conversation going with KaiPod News — a monthly newsletter from Kai Vacher sharing insights, stories, and strategies from education leaders around the world. Subscribe here.

Save the Date

Join Mark and Kai in person at the Reimagining Secondary Schooling conference

🗓️Tuesday 19 January 2027

📍Pearson Education, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL

ℹ️ Register your interest here

Related episodes:

Episode 24 - Inside the UK's fastest growing school (with Hugh Viney)

Episode 26 - Why 50% of Secondary School Students Have Stopped Trying (with Jenny Anderson)

Episode 30 - Reimagining Secondary Schooling for a Changing World (with Mark Steed)

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact

Report Research by Lauren Martin at Simply Copy

With thanks to everyone who submitted questions for this episode: Christina Astin, Simon Luxford-Moore, Suzanne Rodgers, Neelam Aamir, Elizabeth Asenso-Agyemang, Rufus Sanders, Trevor Rowell, and Peter Derby-Crook.

Hybrid schooling is more than just an emergency fix for a rainy day.

For many educators and families, online learning still carries the heavy baggage of the pandemic. It was seen as a means of survival rather than a promising new model. But as regional conflicts and extreme weather events force schools to close at short notice, is it time to move beyond the "emergency zoom" and embrace a more sophisticated, hybrid model of education?

In this special live episode, Kai Vacher is joined by educational consultant Mark Steed. Together, they reflect on their recent Reimagining Secondary Schooling conference and discuss why hybrid learning is not just a crisis response or a trend, but a fundamental shift in how we approach teaching and learning.

Tune in to discover:

• Why hybrid is a credible response to the attendance and recruitment crises

• How decoupling learning from childcare can lead to better school design

• Why online teaching is a skill set that requires its own training

• How remote teaching is enabling schools to recruit talent from around the world

About Our Guest

Mark Steed is the Director and Consultant at Steed Education, which specialises in educational consultancy support for Schools Groups, U.K. independent schools, and English-speaking international schools. Read more about Mark here.

In this episode, Mark and Kai weigh in on:

01:51 Mark’s 20-year journey into educational technology and disruptive models

04:56 Takeaways from the Reimagining Secondary Schooling 2026 conference

06:07 Why hybrid schooling is here to stay: Factors driving school redesign

08:32 Why online learning still has a bad reputation and how we can fix it

10:08 The difference between "Home Learning" and "Hybrid Schooling"

13:41 Case Study: The 6-year evolution of blended learning at British School Salalah

15:05 Why teacher training must include online pedagogy as an annual requirement

21:54 Dealing with "Rainy Day" school closures through hybrid readiness

24:54 How to respond to the rise of the "Digital Nomad" teacher

30:26 Why schools must invest in R&D now to survive.

Resources

Reimagining Secondary Schooling 2026 Report — Steed Education

Ian Yorston on the future of education — Steed Education, YouTubeSelina Boyd on the future of education — Steed Education, YouTube

KaiPod News

Keep the conversation going with KaiPod News — a monthly newsletter from Kai Vacher sharing insights, stories, and strategies from education leaders around the world. Subscribe here.

Save the Date

Join Mark and Kai in person at the Reimagining Secondary Schooling conference

🗓️ Tuesday 19 January 2027

📍 Pearson Education, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL

ℹ️ Register your interest here

Related episodes:

Episode 21 - Heading Towards Hybrid? With Mark Steed

Episode 24 - Inside the UK's fastest growing school (with Hugh Viney)

Episode 26 - Why 50% of Secondary School Students Have Stopped Trying (with Jenny Anderson)

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact
Report Research by Lauren Martin at Simply Copy

For nearly half a century, the school improvement model has been the gold standard for educational quality. But in a fast-changing, complex world, is a checklist for general competence enough to prepare students for the future?

In this episode, Kai sits down with Professor Deborah Eyre to challenge the traditional inspection paradigm. Together, they explore how schools can shift from a deficit-based compliance model to a trust-based system of world-class excellence.

Tune into this episode to discover:

• Why the current school inspection model takes the joy out of education

• How to move from "Good" to "World Class" for every single learner

• The power of aligned autonomy in professional development

• Why the UK suffers from educational short-termism and how to fix it

About Our Guest

Professor Deborah Eyre is a global education leader, researcher, and the founder of High Performance Learning (HPL). A pioneer in the field of gifted and talented education, Deborah has spent her career helping schools worldwide move beyond median competence to achieve genuine excellence. Her latest work marks the 10th anniversary of HPL, offering a roadmap for schools to redesign their approach to focus on quality and capability instead of compliance.

In this episode, Deborah and Kai weigh in on:

02:46 Why school improvement has had its day

08:36 How school inspection turns professionals into technicians

11:22 What happens when the Ofsted grade trumps a school’s vision

15:46 How to guarantee success for all, not just the few

21:54 A case study in HPL: Wales International School

24:53 Education with students, not to them

28:49 Building a trust-based accountability framework

38:09 The problem of political short-termism in education

43:49 First steps for leaders: Moving toward aligned autonomy

46:16 Why we must never underestimate a child

Resources

High Performance Learning: How to Become a World Class School (10th Anniversary Edition) — Professor Deborah Eyre

High Performance Learning — Founded by Prof Deborah Eyre 

The Centre for Education Action Research — Founded by Simon O’Connor

Does School Kill Creativity? (2007) — Sir Ken Robinson, TED

A New Approach to Look Beyond Academic Learning (2021) —Andreas Schleicher, OECD

Oman Across the Ages Museum

What is Social Mobility (2025) — The Sutton Trust

KaiPod News

Keep the conversation going with KaiPod News — a monthly newsletter from Kai Vacher sharing insights, stories, and strategies from education leaders around the world. Subscribe here.

Related episodes:

Episode 23 — Is Kindness the Key to Effective Leadership (with Joanna Povall)

Episode 12 — Beyond Ofsted, Curriculum Reform and AI (with Lord Jim Knight)

Episode 11 — 4 Simple Ways to Support Staff Wellbeing in Schools (with Mark Leppard)

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact
Recorded at Story Ninety-Four, Oxford

UNESCO estimates that by 2030, we will need an additional 44 million teachers globally. With teacher recruitment challenges reported in state, private and international schools worldwide, the balance of power is shifting. 

How can schools attract and retain quality staff in such a challenging market? 

In this episode, Kai welcomes Leisa Grace Wilson (Teach Middle East), Laura Rigney (Teacher Horizons), and Mark Leppard MBE (British School Al Khubairat) to dissect the global teacher recruitment crisis. 

Together, this power panel explores:

• The changing dynamics of salary negotiation
• The rise of the Gen Z teacher who demands flexibility
• The potential of hybrid learning for hard-to-fill positions
• The importance of safer recruitment in a desperate market

About Our Guests 

Leisa Grace Wilson is the Editorial Director for Teach Middle East Magazine, schoolfinder.ae and host of the Teach Middle East podcast, known for connecting and empowering educators across the region. 

Laura Rigney is the Director of School Services at Teacher Horizons. A former maths teacher, she has spent over eight years recruiting teachers and leaders for schools worldwide. 

Mark Leppard MBE is the Headmaster at the British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi. A veteran education leader in the Middle East, Mark offers a top-tier school's perspective on maintaining quality amidst teacher shortages.

In this episode, experts weigh in on:

03:58 Is it really a teacher’s market? 

05:16 The view from a top-tier international school 

07:45 What today’s candidates are negotiating (and getting) 

11:02 Salary disparities and the stepping stone trend 

14:29 What Gen Z teachers look for in schools 

17:03 Why salary transparency breeds trust 

19:36 Are family packages shrinking? 

22:55 The dealbreakers: Age caps, visas, and compliance 

25:25 Remote teachers for hard-to-fill roles 

30:21 Raising the bar on safer recruitment 

37:41 The rise of the TikTok Teacher 

40:29 Tips for teachers looking to make a career move 

Resources

British International Schools Safeguarding Coalition 

How the world’s best-performing school systems come out on top - McKinsey & Company (2007)

Overseas regulatory reform updates - COBIS

KaiPod News

Keep the conversation going with KaiPod News — a fortnightly newsletter from Kai Vacher sharing insights, stories, and strategies from education leaders around the world. Subscribe here.

Related episodes:

Episode 19 — Beyond the Myths: Your Guide to International Teaching (with Laura Rigney)

Episode 16 — Your guide to teaching in the UAE (with Leisa Grace Wilson)

Episode 11 — 4 Simple Ways to Support Staff Wellbeing in Schools (with Mark Leppard)

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact