NetSupport Radio

In this episode, I chat to Georgina Durrant about common barriers in reading and writing and how we can overcome these, as well as the importance of play and how it can be used to boost reading and writing. 

Georgina is the Director of Cheshire SEN Tutor LTD and founded the award-winning SEN Resources Blog to share activities, advice and recommendations for parents and teachers of children with special educational needs and disabilities. She hosts the Twinkl Resources' Special Educational Needs podcast, 'SEND in the experts with Georgina Durrant' – and her new book ‘How to Boost Reading and Writing Through Play’ is out on 21st November 2022.

You can connect with Georgina on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and on Facebook. 

You can also check out her website and podcast.

You can follow me (Kat Cauchi) on Twitter at @ReallyschoolK.

Check out #OPIP and #OfPrimaryImportance for more content. If you are interested on coming on the show or have a topic suggestion, send me a DM! 

Welcome back to Of Primary Importance! 

In this podcast series we are exploring all things EYFS and primary with different topics and special guests each fortnight.  

In this episode, I am joined by Ellise Hayward to talk about ‘Empowering students with physical disabilities.’ Ellise is a motivational speaker, AAC mentor, and an advocate for SEND and Inclusion. She is currently studying Health & Social Care at College. Ellise has cerebral palsy and is passionate about sharing her experiences to raise awareness and empower others with physical disabilities. 

“My name is Ellise and I happen to have cerebral palsy. I’ve always been very accepting of my disability, always try to look on the positive side, and always try my best in everything. I’m a strong-minded person and do anything I want to do. My disability isn’t a barrier, I’ll always find a way, I’m forever pushing myself to be the best version of myself. Even though it might take me longer, I get there eventually. I’m a motivational speaker and an AAC mentor. I speak to schools, colleges and universities about my life and my own personal experiences. I’m very passionate about spreading awareness of cerebral palsy and inclusive behaviours. In the last year, I have spoken to University of London and University of Plymouth students who are training to be Speech and Language Therapists and SENDCos. I was also a guest speaker at the Somerset SENCo conference in 2019. I have given whole school staff online CPD sessions.”

Here are some of the questions I asked Ellise: 

• You have had quite an amazing communication journey, could you tell us about that? 
• What were your experiences like at school?
• How did your family feel about your education?
• You are at college now, how does your education experience differ now?
• What have been some of your challenges growing up and how have you overcome them?
• You are very passionate about speaking about your cerebral palsy
• could you tell us why you are so passionate about this and who you work with on this?
• Ellise, you are so inspirational and have achieved so much- what have been some of your highlights?
•  You have always been determined to not let anything stop you, so I'm wondering what are your ambitions and what is next for you?
•  What are your top tips for someone working with a student with a physical disability?
• What would you want someone with a physical disability to hear right now?    

You can follow Ellise on Twitter at @Ellise_Hayward_ and on LinkedIn at  Ellise Hayward.  You can also check out her flow page for more ways to get in touch and to see her motivational videos. 

You can follow me (Kat Cauchi) on Twitter at @ReallyschoolK 

Check out #OPIP and #OfPrimaryImportance for more content.  If you are interested on coming on the show or have a topic suggestion, send me a DM!   

Kat Cauchi is the Product Manager of ReallySchool and the Editor of R.I.S.E. Magazine. 

She is also a former Primary School Teacher, Member of the Global Equality Collective,Technocamps GiST Role Model, and Global Ed

Welcome to another episode of Insights with NetSupport. In this episode, we were delighted to have the opportunity to interview someone who has been pivotal in supporting many educators across the country with their teaching of Computing. A founder of one of the UK’s longest running Twitter chats all focused on the teaching of Computing, #caschat, Andy Colley has had a broad experience in his career within education. 

A former school IT technician and subsequently teacher of Computing and now Director of Computing at Laurus Cheadle Hulme school in the Northwest of England, Andy’s been a CAS Master Teacher, Teaching and Learning Lead Practitioner, Advanced Skills Teacher and much more, including hosting the popular Learning Dust podcast with friend of NetSupport and ANME (Association of Network Managers in Education) Ambassador, Dave Leonard. 

We were delighted to get the opportunity to quiz Andy on many aspects of the role of Computing within education, both from secondary and primary school perspectives. We covered lots of topics including:

1. What tips would you offer to somebody new to role of Head of Computing?
2. What do you see as being the difference between being a subject teacher and a subject leader? What advice would you give your earlier career self?
3. Leading Computing at secondary is different to leading Computing at primary. What do you see those differences as being and what would you say the key focuses should be for each?
4. Can you share any resources that you think would be useful, plus any people/blogs you would recommend following on social media?  
5. Are there any paid-for resources that you would recommend utilising?
6. Network managers often express concern over children coding programs that can create executables. Do you have any advice on how to balance their security concerns, particularly as students develop their skills and use more technical software at a level that can facilitate curriculum whilst ensuring security?

Running through Andy’s answers like a pattern through a stick of rock was his core desire to both improve pupil outcomes and support colleagues in their work, whilst keeping approaches grounded in evidence-informed practice. What was particularly noteworthy of Andy’s responses was how much of what he shared was just solid advice, regardless of whether you are leading on Computing or any other subject, such was its applicable nature. 

References: 
 
As part of the conversation, Andy shared lots of great people to follow, websites to visit and resources to check out, books to read and tools to use. Check them out here:
 
@LearningDust
@ITBadger
@MrARobbins
@clcsimon
@tsuiallen
@rcoultart
@baggiepr
@lessonhacker
National Centre for Computing Education
@adamboxer1
http://code-it.co.uk/ 
https://edublocks.org/
https://replit.com/
https://replit.com/@MrAColley
https://quizizz.com/
Middle Leadership Mastery

In this episode of Insights with NetSupport, I was delighted to spend some time talking with the Headteacher of Brighton Hill Community School, Chris Edwards. 

In his sixth year as Headteacher at the school, the number of students on the roll has more than doubled from 502 to 1205. His successful leadership has seen wide-ranging developments and improvements so, with this in mind and the school’s successful growth and perception in the local community, we thought it would be great to ask Chris to share some of his insights into school leadership. 

With the new academic year looming, we took the approach of Chris sharing his insights into leadership and asked him to offer advice for those new to leadership posts, whether that be new to leadership or new to Headship – and we weren’t disappointed!

He spends time ‘talking up the job’ and how headship is the ‘best job in the world’. He also suggests some things you should consider within the first 60 days of your job and some actions you can take from those activities with examples. 

Chris’ positivity is infectious, and in his responses, he shares many helpful insights we are certain will be great takeaways for all listeners, not just those moving into school leadership. 

From conversations about lessons and leadership in sports, to the importance of developing a sense of belonging and community, dealing with difficult parents and difficult conversations, plus some of his favourite edtech tools to help both his job as a school leader and ensure consistency of access for staff and students, there are plenty of great takeaways for educators seeking to learn from the experiences of a successful school leader. 

You can follow Chris on social media at @ChrisEdwardsUK and his school can be found @BrightonHillSch.

References:
Owen Eastwood - Belonging
David Brailsford – Marginal Gains
Vic Goddard – The Best Job In The World
Bill Walsh – San Francisco 49ers
John Amaechi – The Promises of Giants
Century TECH
Prezi
Performance Learning

Danny Bauer is the host of the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast -- globally ranked in the TOP 0.5% of all shows. His mission is "to connect, grow, and mentor every school leader who wants to level up."

Welcome to another episode of Product Insights with NetSupport! 

In this episode of Product Insights with NetSupport, we grab the opportunity to catch up with NetSupport’s Technical Support Manager, Andy Earp, to talk about our popular product NetSupport Manager, and how it can be used to support unattended devices.  

A popular use for NetSupport Manager is to use it to support unattended devices, particularly in the corporate space. From ATMs to cash registers to factory floor robots to jukeboxes in restaurants, NetSupport Manager can save time and money, as well as promote efficiency by using it to maintain and support unattended devices. Yes, of course, it can be used to support devices being used by colleagues across your business too, but there are many pieces of technology, such as your servers, which can also benefit from being managed remotely using our fantastic remote management solution. 

 In this conversation, we got to ask Andy: 

1. What sorts of unattended devices do our clients use NetSupport Manager to manage?  

2. What sort of help can NetSupport Manager provide to managers who need to maintain unattended devices?  

3. What feedback have our customers shared about how useful NetSupport Manager is when maintaining unattended devices? 

Tune in to learn more about how NetSupport Manager can help you and your team reap the benefits of its use. 

Check out the video version here!

Welcome back to Of Primary Importance!

In this podcast series we are exploring all things EYFS and primary with different topics and special guests each fortnight. 

In this episode, we are joined by Hari Neocleous. Hari is a Chess Teacher and Primary Maths Intervention Specialist. She regularly writes for Cherubs Magazine and is currently studying dyscalculia at university. 

In this episode we discussed ‘The Charm of Chess’

Here are some of the questions I asked Hari:

You are really passionate about chess, where does this passion come from and how did it start for you?

Is there still a gender gap in chess?

Chess is steeped in history, could you tell us a bit more about that?

There are lots of ways chess can be linked to the curriculum, can you give some examples of how you have linked it in?

• You mentioned before you had lots of interesting discussions happen while exploring chess with pupils, can you give us some examples of those kind of conversations?
• What impact has the COVID pandemic had on chess?
• 
  
• How can schools go about introducing chess?
• What exciting things have been happening in the chess world?
• How can schools support staff with teaching chess? Would you recommend involving parents and if so, how would you include them?
• 
  
• How would you recommend people get in touch with you and where would you recommend they access resources?

You can follow Hari on Twitter at @hari_neo21 and on Instagram at @the_maths_nuts

You can also check out Chess in Schools and Communities for free lessons and resources! 

You can follow me (Kat Cauchi) on Twitter at @ReallyschoolK

Check out #OPIP and #OfPrimaryImportance for more content 

If you are interested on coming on the show or have a topic suggestion, send me a DM!  

Kat Cauchi is the product manager of ReallySchool and the editor of R.I.S.E. Magazine.

She is also a former primary school teacher, member of the Global Equality Collective,  Technocamps  GiST role model, and Global EdTech author.   

Welcome back to Of Primary Importance!

In this podcast series we are exploring all things EYFS and primary with different topics and special guests each fortnight. 

In this episode, we are joined by Liz Rumsey. Liz qualified as a teacher 11 years ago. Before that, she was a training manager for a large banking organisation. She moved from mainstream primary schools 6 years ago to join Tute and develop alternative provision for primary students. Her role has since developed and, in conjunction with developing and teaching lessons for students, she also has the responsibility of SEND lead teacher across all 5 Key Stages. This role enables me to work collaboratively with students, parents, schools and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to ensure that all individual requirements are met.

In this episode we discussed ‘The role of tutoring in filling gaps in education.’

Here are some of the questions I asked Liz:

• Why did you choose to work at Tute and how did you make that move?
• What can you tell us about the pupils that use Tute?
• Is it more common for pupils with SEND or SEMH to access the provision? If so why do you think that is?
• You mentioned previously that Tute can be used as an alternative provision for any primary student, can you explain how that works?
• How does the Tute programme work and what is the pupil experience like?
• What are the benefits of pupils using Tute and are there any additional benefits specific to pupils with SEND or SEMH?
• Tute’s lessons are online, how do you feel this impacts on pupils learning and engagement?
• What are the challenges with lessons being online?
• What are your favourite lessons to teach?

You can follow Tute education on Twitter at @tuteeducation on Instagram at @tute_education_limited on Facebook at tute.education.limited/.

You can also check out their YouTube Channel and website. 

You can follow me (Kat Cauchi) on Twitter at @ReallyschoolK

Check out #OPIP and #OfPrimaryImportance for more content 

If you are interested on coming on the show or have a topic suggestion, send me a DM!  

Kat Cauchi is the product manager of ReallySchool and the editor of R.I.S.E. Magazine.

She is also a former primary school teacher, member of the Global Equality Collective,  Technocamps  GiST role model, and Global EdTech author.   

In this episode, we are joined by Behaviour and Education Expert Adele Bates. Adele empowers school leaders and teachers to support pupils with behavioural needs and SEMH to thrive within their education. She’s an International Keynote Speaker, a featured Expert on ‘Teenagers and Behaviour’ for BBC Radio 4, the Author of ‘Miss, I don't Give A Sh*t- Engaging with Challenging Behaviour in Schools,’ and is a fully funded International Researcher in Finland, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica on Behaviour & Inclusion, alongside 20 years of teaching experience!

Adele: “I’ve had juice poured on my head, been whacked by a skateboard – and have taught a year 7 pupil who has experienced severe trauma, how to read their first ever word…”

In this episode we discuss engaging with challenging behaviour and why bridging the gap between alternative provision and mainstream schools is so important.  

Here are some of the questions I asked Adele:

• You wrote the book, 'Miss I don't give a sh*t: Engaging with challenging behaviour in schools'  can you give us an overview of the book and why you decided to write it?
• All of this comes from the fact that you love working with the most vulnerable pupils. Where does this passion come from?
• One size doesn’t fit all and there is no ‘one way’ to do behaviour, but you do have some tried and tested approaches for managing behaviour, tell me about how you have developed those?
• When you have been engaging with schools in managing challenging behaviour, what have been some of the common misconceptions you have experienced about behaviour. You mentioned in an interview published on your website that during your teaching career a headteacher told you that you were doing ‘too much pastoral’ which made you understandably angry why do you think that pastoral care can so often be sidelined and what changes do you want to see in schools to improve this?
•  You said in an ideal world it wouldn’t just be down to experts you wouldn’t need to be an expert in behaviour because it would be woven into the school’s ethos and pedagogy, how can schools be supported to become more confident in managing challenging behaviour? 

You can follow Adele on Twitter at @AdeleBatesZ and on LinkedIn at Adele Bates.  You can also check out her website  and YouTube channel for free tips and resources.  Adele’s book is available to purchase in all your usual book stores/online libraries. 

You can follow me (Kat Cauchi) on Twitter at @ReallyschoolK

Check out #OPIP and #OfPrimaryImportance for more content.  If you are interested on coming on the show or have a topic suggestion, send me a DM!  

Welcome back to Insights with NetSupport! In this episode, Al Kingsley speaks to Charlie Rosier of Babbu, as they explore technology in early years education.