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Live Special: Reimagining Secondary Schooling for a Changing World
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 0RLℹ️Register your interest here
Related episodes:
Episode 21 - Heading Towards Hybrid? With Mark SteedEpisode 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)
CreditsHosted by Kai VacherA BSM BSS productionPost-production by Communicating for Impact
Report Research by Lauren Martin at Simply Copy
View all episodes
By Kai VacherHybrid 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 0RLℹ️Register your interest here
Related episodes:
Episode 21 - Heading Towards Hybrid? With Mark SteedEpisode 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)
CreditsHosted by Kai VacherA BSM BSS productionPost-production by Communicating for Impact
Report Research by Lauren Martin at Simply Copy