In this episode I sat down with Rachel Johnson (CEO of PiXL) to discuss something she calls “the art of subtraction” - a leadership approach that challenges the instinct to keep adding more initiatives and more priorities, and instead asks: What if the most important work is deciding what to remove? What to stop? Or what to simplify?

We talked about:

For leaders who want to adopt a subtraction mindset, where should they start? How can a school or college begin identifying what is no longer serving its purpose, and what criteria should leaders use when deciding what to remove or stop?

Subtraction can sometimes feel uncomfortable for teachers and leaders. What are some of the common fears or misconceptions you’ve seen when schools begin to strip back? And how can leaders manage these sensitively and effectively?

You can find Rachel at The PiXL Club - Home or Home | Rachel Johnson

In this episode I sat down with Jim Smith and chatted about how to create a strong culture that improves outcomes. We discussed:

In this episode I spoke to Jamie Clark about how to take complex ideas, and distil them into clear visual representations, thereby minimising unnecessary load on teachers and students. In this conversation, we dig into how the principles behind information design relate to cognitive load theory and what lessons teachers can take when designing slides, worksheets or revision guides.

We discussed:

If you'd like to know more about Jamie's work and his wonderful 'One Pagers' series of books and infographics, head over to his website Jamie Clark Educational where you can see all of his work and also subscribe to his weekly DistillED evidence-informed weekly newsletter. You can also follow Jamie on Twitter/X @XpatEducator

In this episode I'm joined by Sean Harris. Sean is a national voice on education and poverty. His work explores how disadvantage shapes the lives of children and young people, and what schools can do to respond with empathy, evidence and impact. He’s also the co-author of Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools, a book that has become an important guide for educators who want to better understand these issues and make a real difference.

In this episode, we explore what poverty really looks like in our classrooms and communities, what this means for the children and families we serve, and most importantly, what practical steps we can take to make learning as accessible as possible.

We discussed the following questions:

In this episode I sat down with the wonderful Mary Myatt to talk about designing a curriculum that is rich and ambitious. Mary is a leading thinker in curriculum design, intent, and implementation. With extensive experience working with schools, leadership teams, and policy makers, Mary has dedicated her career to ensuring that education is both rigorous and enriching, for all students. She has authored several influential books on curriculum, including The Curriculum: Gallimaufry to Coherence; Back on Track: Fewer Things, Greater Depth; and Huh: Curriculum Conversations Between Subject and Senior Leaders. 

We discussed the following:

In this episode I spoke to Hywel Roberts about how we can get students bothered about their learning and get them invested in what we're teaching them. Hywel has a background in drama and creative pedagogy and has spent years helping teachers bring the curriculum to life through storytelling, imagination, and what he calls ‘botheredness’ - the art of getting students truly invested in their learning. He has authored influential books such as Oops! and Botheredness, and his work focuses on making learning meaningful, engaging and unforgettable.

In this episode we explored the following questions:

This episode is the 2nd of a special 2-part interview with Graeme Murty. Graeme is a former Premier league footballer and current Sunderland Under 21s manager. In this episode we’re going to shift our focus from developing young performers to developing adults, and from nurturing talent on the pitch to building high-performing teams off it. Graeme’s experience leading elite level coaching teams offers powerful insights for school leaders, whether you’re managing a department, a phase or an entire school. We’ll explore how leaders can cultivate collaboration, place the right people in the right roles, and create an environment where staff thrive professionally while feeling supported personally.

We discussed:

In this episode I sat down with former Premier League footballer and current Sunderland Under 21s manager Graeme Murty to explore the parallels between elite coaching and teaching, and how educators can apply these principles to their own classroom practice.

We discussed the following:

In our very first episode I sit down with our CEO at Northern Arch Learning Partnership, Tim Fisher. We discuss the vision behind our partnership and what helped shape this; how the specific makeup of our trust makes us different from others; and why our commitment to the development of people is key to our success.