John Short Ring, Head of Senior School at Kent College Dubai, joins Russ and Phil this week to lift the lid on SMT's view of sport. John line managed Russ at King's for four years and gives us some invaluable insight in terms of fostering the relationship between you as DoS and your Deputy Head or Headteacher.

Phil reviews the PADSIS Director of Sport conference, and Russ talks us through his war stories of Royal Shrovetide Football!

On this week’s Little and Large Podcast, we are joined by Asha Riley who shares her insights on her love for ‘our subject’, the barriers girls face in school sport and exercise in general, and how we should pause for a moment from the constant adding culture of sports into an already thriving girls’ programme.

Phil and Russ are joined this week by Eton College groundsman, Harry. A keen sportsperson himself, Harry talks about how important it is to foster a great level of communication between the sport team and the ground staff. There’s also much confusion about the rules of the famous ‘Field Game’, another traditional ball game like Russ’ beloved Royal Shrovetide Football!

Phil and Russ are joined by Andrew Turner, Deputy Head (Senior). Andrew has taught in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and gives us amazing insight for those contemplating the big move.

Is it all sun, sand, and tax free dollars??

Phil and Russ spill the beans on how to get a job as a PE teacher in the independent sector. Whether that be as an ECT, head of sport, or Director of Sport, they give their insight into everything from interview technique, to tours, to writing your letter. It's job season right now!

Happy half term. X

Phil and Russ are joined this week by Michael Coles, ex Bursar of two independent schools, and former Head of Operations for a schools group with 23 schools in it.

It’s not all doom and gloom with sport being identified as the ray of light and the vehicle on which positivity can breed within the sector in these potentially dark financial times.

Lorcan O’Brien (Grammar School at Leeds) joins us for this week’s episode discussing whether the role of Director of Sport should be recognised on the Senior Management Team of a school, and of course, the recent publication of the ‘Top 200 Sports Schools’….. is it a thing? Is it sending the correct message about school sport? Do some schools need the marketing to get bums on seats?

This week's guest is Non Perfect Dad, Richard Shorter, an expert in sporting parent education. A man who works with cat. 1 football academies; independent school PE departments; and senior leaders in school environments to upskill staff to feel more confident when dealing with parents, and also to make parents feel like citizens within that sporting community. We also hear about our best and worst fixtures, as well as Phil surviving a weekend in Basel!

This week we give our key advice for when starting out as a DoS. We also discuss the best match teas out there, drunk cricket umpires, and setting off school alarms at 4.50am!