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Frank and Stan Chats
By Frank Norris and Stan JohnsonEducation
Frank and Stan Chats episodes
- Frank and Stan Chat No.171
We've been trying to secure a slot to have the brilliant Sameena Choudry back as a guest and she certainly didn't disappoint. In a week when there was the Coroner's verdict on the Headteacher at Caversham Primary School, the lack of strong leadership emanating from the Covid Inquiry, a Prime Minister trying to say that Rwanda is a safe country when only a few months ago Supreme Couty judges determined that it wasn't, PISA findings and a troubling UNESCO report on appalling increase in levels of child poverty in recent years it was a tough ask to find just three things to chat about. We ended up with four!
1. Ruth Perry
2. Child Poverty levels in the UK
3. Recruitment and retention of teachers and leaders
4. Why local support is often the most effective
It is an interesting and at times troubling chat. We are fortunate to have guests like Sameena joining us. We will try to secure a date for her to return in 2024.
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33 min - Frank and Stan Chat No. 170Sir David Carter was a guest on Frank and Stan Chat in September 2022 and we were delighted to welcome him back to find out what has caught his eye this week? The chat considers The Elgin Marbles and what it says about leadership. Also enables us all to reflect on the tricky meeting with a parent/carer and how best to deal with it. David then shares his clear view on the Minimum Service Standards that are likely to hit a wall of protest. Frank then considers the value, or not, of the bursary system that is trying to attract new teachers to the profession, and keeping them. The chat ends with consideration of the state of Music education and the important role of Centrepoint. It's a belting chat with humour and positivity as well as some criticism. We hope you enjoy it. We did!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41 min - Frank and Stan Chat No. 170Sir David Carter was a guest on Frank and Stan Chat in September 2022 and we were delighted to welcome him back to find out what has caught his eye this week? The chat considers The Elgin Marbles and what it says about leadership. Also enables us all to reflect on the tricky meeting with a parent/carer and how best to deal with it. David then shares his clear view on the Minimum Service Standards that are likely to hit a wall of protest. Frank then considers the value, or not, of the bursary system that is trying to attract new teachers to the profession, and keeping them. The chat ends with consideration of the state of Music education and the important role of Centrepoint. It's a belting chat with humour and positivity as well as some criticism. We hope you enjoy it. We did!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41 min - Frank and Stan Chat No. 169
This week the chat tries not get in a tail spin over a variety of Ofsted issues. Meena Wood is a former HMI, Principal, local authority adviser, author and public speaker and a strong critic of the current inspection arrangements. During the chat she explains how differently other countries inspect their schools and wonders why there is not a greater focus on this. Stan considers why Maintained Nurseries achieve such a high Ofsted outcome compared to other phases. The comments made by HMCI on Women's Hour about the social contract between school and parents/carers, Caversham PS and the general sense that 'It's not me, it's you' (the current Schools Week headline) are considered. The chat ends positively and we hope it is helpful and informative. Please tell us it is isn't. We need to know.
Point of correction. In the video Meena suggests HMCI is a Civil Servant. This is correct but she is appointed by the King she can only be dismissed by him.
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35 min - Frank and Stan Chat No. 168It is great to have weekly chats with colleagues who know each other well and feel safe chatting about things. There is a higher level of trust and respect. This is certainly the case for this week's chat with Stephen McMullan. Stephen worked with Frank as one of the most senior colleagues at the Coop Academies Trust when Frank was CEO there. He became a Senior HMI with Ofsted and then followed in Stan's footsteps as a senior officer at Wakefield MBC. The chat covers a recent report from the Youth Endowment Trust that suggested some young people were scared to attend school and the worrying reasons. Stan considers his recent contact with his GP surgery and why effective leadership is so important and Frank considers the outcomes a recent evaluation he undertook of the latest batch of MAT Summary Evaluations by Ofsted. The chat ends with a discussion about The Hungry Caterpillar and a video of Stephen reading this to his Wakefield colleagues when he left the Council earlier this year. We are delighted to reveal that we have a copy of that video and it is at the end of our chat. Enjoy!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 min - Frank and Stan Chat No. 168It is great to have weekly chats with colleagues who know each other well and feel safe chatting about things. There is a higher level of trust and respect. This is certainly the case for this week's chat with Stephen McMullan. Stephen worked with Frank as one of the most senior colleagues at the Coop Academies Trust when Frank was CEO there. He became a Senior HMI with Ofsted and then followed in Stan's footsteps as a senior officer at Wakefield MBC. The chat covers a recent report from the Youth Endowment Trust that suggested some young people were scared to attend school and the worrying reasons. Stan considers his recent contact with his GP surgery and why effective leadership is so important and Frank considers the outcomes a recent evaluation he undertook of the latest batch of MAT Summary Evaluations by Ofsted. The chat ends with a discussion about The Hungry Caterpillar and a video of Stephen reading this to his Wakefield colleagues when he left the Council earlier this year. We are delighted to reveal that we have a copy of that video and it is at the end of our chat. Enjoy!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 min - Frank and Stan Chat No. 167
Every week we usually have a great guest drawn from a range of roles involved in education. But, this week we have excelled ourselves by having as our guest Prof Andy Hargreaves, the visiting Professor at University of Ottawa, Research Professor at Boston College, an elected member of the US National Academy of Education and current adviser to the First Minister of Scotland. In addition he has published over 30 books and has eight outstanding writing awards. He is ranked 15th by Education Week (US) with the most influence on the US education policy debate.
The discussion focuses on Andy's most recently published book 'Leadership from the Middle' which looks at the topic from many different angles and includes fascinating perspectives on autonomy and 'top down' approaches. Andy, also considers the main themes from his soon to be published collaboration with longtime friend Dennis Shirley called 'The Age of Identity'.
It is a highly enjoyable chat for Frank and Stan and we hope it provides interest, insight and a chance to reflect on some crucial leadership issues.
Enjoy....we did!
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39 min - Frank and Stan Chat No. 166A few months ago Frank met Dave McPartlin at a glitzy event in Blackpool. Dave, Headteacher at Flakefleet Primary School in Fleetwood has recently spoken out publicly about the current Ofsted arrangements and how these were impacting on his wellbeing as well as other senior leaders. He mentioned some work he was proud of at his school so we decided to record this week's Frank and Stan Chat in the school's new community cafe. The chat explains why the cafe is important to the school's community and how it was funded (spoiler alert: No school funds were used in the making of the cafe). He also gives an insight how he feels about his leadership role and we all consider the chaos that appears to have been at No.10 during Covid. We all consider the terrible events that are taking place in Gaza and how teachers must try to navigate their way through this with their pupils.
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30 min - Frank and Stan Chat No. 165Carolyn Eyre is a nationally recognised expert on safeguarding. She returns to Frank and Stan Chat to discuss what's caught her eye this week but also to explain the significant changes in statutory and non-statutory arrangements that come into place before the end of 2023. Nearly all of the proposed changes were completely new to Frank (what's new, we hear you cry!). If you are a trustee, governor, senior leader in a trust, school or setting this chat is well worth watching/listening to. Frank also offers deep respect for brilliantly talented and committed staff who stick with a school despite poor Ofsted gradings and Carolyn reflects on a new non-plastic poppy. So, lots of variety and we hope interest for you all. Enjoy!
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42 min - Frank and Stan Chat No.164It is always a pleasure to have guests on Frank and Stan Chat who feel relaxed and willing to be open and honest. Lisa Fathers, Director of Education and Partnerships at Bright Futures Educational Trust, fits that bill. The chat covers mathematics for Primary Schools, what the Shadow Secretary of State for Education may have meant when she suggested more regular inspections on the most important issues, the importance of political awareness but maintaining impartiality, brushing teeth and why being honest about a lack of knowledge or an error of judgement are important features of effective leadership. A great 30 minutes or so. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did in making the video/podcast.
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29 min
About Frank and Stan Chats
From the publisher's feed
Frank Norris and Stan Johnson have been friends since 1995. Both have had successful and lengthy careers in education. Frank was a very senior HMI with Ofsted for 11 years and was the CEO of the Coop…
Academies Trust for 6 years. Stan was seconded to Ofsted for a year and then returned to headship before working as a senior adviser with Lancashire LA. He has latterly led a successful education consultancy in the North West. Prior to Covid-19, the two gents would meet in Manchester for a pint or two but the pandemic put an end to that. On 1 May 2020, they recorded their first video chat as a way of recording their emotions and reactions to the pandemic. After putting the video on Youtube as a safe place to store it they realised that some followers began to appear. Now, with nearly 180 episodes and having chatted to Professors, CEOs, journalists, teachers, former HMI, education thinkers and Frank's Key Stage 1 leading daughter they have a loyal following and a rapidly increasing number of viewers. The reach of the Frank and Stan Chat stretches from Bogota to Ottawa to Greece and their first Live Edition was recorded in front of nearly 200 Headteachers in York. The Chats are not undertaken to attract followers or for financial reward (nothing is received and nothing will be received). It is a way of airing views on education matters between two professional friends with a focus on leadership. We are honoured to be invited to host the weekly chats on the Leader-connect website www.leader-connect.co.uk. The chats helped the gents get through the pandemic and they are delighted that they have been enjoyed by others and appear to have helped in developing leadership thought and actions. If you fancy being a guest then just reach out. We never post a video unless the guest is comfortable with it. So, it is a relatively risk-free environment. Thank you. Frank and Stan. PS. We were honoured to be identified as one of the Top 50 education and leadership podcasts in THE WORLD!!! We can't believe it, but it appears to be true.
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