What does it take for schools to achieve elite outcomes while serving disadvantaged communities?

In this episode of the #EdVance Podcast, Alex Crossman, Executive Head Teacher, London Academy of Excellence, discusses how belief, culture and clarity shape high performance.

Alex shares lessons from leading one of England’s highest-performing schools, explaining why clarity of purpose matters, how leaders balance ambition with care, and what schools often misunderstand about pressure and excellence.

He also reflects on what enables young people to thrive at the highest levels, why belief and agency matter as much as attainment, and how schools balance rigour with wellbeing, character and fairness.

What does it take to build high-performance schools in one of the world’s most competitive education systems, and why does culture matter so much?

In this episode of the EdVance Podcast, Simon O’Connor, Headmaster of Harrow International School Dubai, reflects on more than a decade of school leadership in the UAE and what sustains strong performance over time.

Simon explains why school culture, defined through shared values and daily behaviours, underpins consistency, quality and trust. He shares how high expectations, staff wellbeing and leadership responsibility shape schools that remain strong even in transient, international communities.

The conversation examines leadership in Dubai’s private school system, the role of inspection and accountability, and how schools can prepare students for an uncertain future without compromising their focus on fundamentals.

What will it take to address Africa’s learning crisis, and why does progress depend on getting the basics right?

In this episode of the EdVance Podcast, Rapelang Rabana, Co-CEO of Imagine Worldwide, reflects on what teachers and systems across Africa are facing, and why foundational literacy and numeracy remain essential for sustained progress.

She explains the difference between schooling and learning, and why millions of children attend school without achieving basic mastery. Rapelang also shares how carefully designed technology can support personalised feedback at scale, even in settings without electricity, internet access or trained teachers.

The conversation reinforces a clear message. Strong learning foundations must come before advanced tools, including artificial intelligence and robotics.

What does it take to design education reforms that actually work, especially at the scale of millions? And how do leaders stay focused when the system is crowded with competing priorities and complexity? In this episode of the EdVance podcast, Kruti Bharucha, Founder and CEO of Peepul, shares why every effective intervention begins with clarity.

She reflects on the simple discipline of knowing what you want to change, why it matters, and how to keep decisions anchored in the classroom. From improving student engagement to working closely with government, Kruti shares what she has learnt about strengthening public education systems, supporting teachers, and building trust at scale. She also speaks about the challenges, the lessons, and the mindset needed to move a system forward. This is an honest conversation for people who care about public education and understand that real change requires focus, patience, and clarity of purpose.

What does it take to keep education going when a country faces conflict? How do school leaders stay steady, support their teams and protect learning when nothing feels certain?In this episode, Zoya Lytvyn, Founder of Osvitoria and a leading education voice in Ukraine, shares her journey and the work that has helped millions of children and teachers continue learning during the war.

Zoya speaks about leadership in crisis, the courage shown by teachers across Ukraine, and the focus that has kept schools operating. She reflects on the mindset needed to lead through fear and uncertainty, the value of community, and the need to protect your own energy so you can support others. This conversation also looks at the future of education in Ukraine, the reforms already underway, and the lessons school leaders around the world can draw from Ukraine’s resilience.

What helps some education systems improve while others fall behind? In this new EdVance episode, Professor Fernando M. Reimers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education explains how high performing systems plan for the future through futures thinking, balance global citizenship with national identity, and use AI to support teachers and reduce workload. He shares how collaboration between governments, schools, and communities builds trust and drives steady improvement. From empowering teachers to creating flexible curricula, Prof. Fernando sets out what makes lasting progress possible.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Futures thinking for system leadership
• Balancing national identity with global citizenship
• AI that supports teachers
• Collaboration across education systems

If you want to learn what strong systems do well, this episode is for you.

How do schools close persistent learning gaps and raise student outcomes year after year?In this episode of the EdVance Podcast, Chancey Anderson Tauer, Co-Founder and CEO of Prodeo Academy in Minnesota.

She explains how her schools improve results for underserved students through data-driven decisions, consistent expectations and coaching that strengthens teaching practice. Chancey shows how evidence shapes every choice, from lesson planning to recruitment, and how clear routines and feedback sustain progress across classrooms. She also discusses the realities of leading charter schools with limited funding and how her team maintains performance under pressure.

In this episode, Lil Bremermann Richard, Group CEO of Oxford International Education Group, shares about how universities can stay useful in a time shaped by technology and new expectations from students.

Lil shares her own journey in leadership, including the challenges of working in male-dominated spaces and what she has learnt about perseverance, equality, and the importance of building strong networks.

For Lil, institutions must be willing to embrace change, adopt new tools, and prepare learners for a world where strengths like creativity, teamwork, and emotional intelligence matter more than ever.

When Leticia Lyle opened Camino School in São Paulo, she was not just starting a school. She was building a path - one where relationships, values and learning all held equal weight.

In this episode of the EdVance Podcast, Leticia reflects on what the world can learn from Brazil’s classrooms. Her story is as much about courage as it is about design. From opening Camino just days before the pandemic to shaping a curriculum where social-emotional learning sits alongside academic rigour, she shows that education can be both deeply human and highly practical.

She also speaks about the hard choices leaders must make. It looks at what it means to hold on to your principles when the model is tested, how to balance the demands of budgets and rules with the deeper work of care and connection, and how to ensure that everyone feels seen. This episode provides answers to some of the hardest questions school leaders face today.

What does it take to build a movement that opens the school gates for millions of girls?

In this episode, we are joined by Lucy Lake, Director of Global Engagement, Yidan Prize Foundation. For more than 30 years, Lucy has worked to remove the barriers that keep girls out of school and to support young women to step into leadership.

She shares her journey from starting as a volunteer in Zimbabwe to leading an organisation that has helped over 7 million young people through education. Along the way, she speaks openly about the difficult choices she faced, the risks she took, and the lessons she learned about resilience and leadership. Lucy also talks about fundraising as something deeper than raising money.

For her, it is about fairness, sharing resources, and staying true to the girls whose futures depend on education. She shows how a culture of accountability and trust can make change possible even in the hardest of times.This is a conversation for leaders who want to understand what lasting impact really looks like.