With the education sector facing an unprecedented recruitment and retention crisis, former head of science Jagdeep Pabla felt it was time to celebrate the often-unseen work of school leaders who create cultures where people can thrive over long and fulfilling careers in the classroom. By ‘holding a mirror up to those changing the narrative’, she set out to recognise the practices that are sustaining and strengthening the profession.

What began as a simple LinkedIn post has grown into the National Education Diversity Awards. These awards will shine a light on the people and practices transforming education by recognising inclusive and sustainable school cultures that champion flexible working and create space for every voice – particularly those historically underrepresented in the classroom, staffroom and boardroom. Here, Jagdeep speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about her story and the awards.

NAHT is one of several organisations endorsing the awards. Find out more at nationaleducationdiversityawards.com.

Head teacher Patrick Cozier talks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about the calm approach to school leadership he has developed over 24 years as a school leader.

Patrick explores the importance of acknowledging the feelings that come with school leadership, coping with paranoia, maintaining optimism, leading your own way, and much more – sharing an approach that helped him evolve from being a new school leader who was petrified of the job to someone who really enjoys what they do.

Calm Leadership: Staying grounded, staying in control and staying the course is available from Crown House Publishing and other booksellers.

For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine ⁠⁠⁠Leadership Focus⁠⁠⁠.

Join Rowena Hicks, an experienced teacher and deputy head, as she shares her experience of burnout – a challenge faced by so many school leaders. You’ll hear Rowena talk about the role of self-reflection, core competencies, micro changes and psychological safety, and offer practical suggestions for schools to transform their approach to burnout and bring about better outcomes for students.

Rowena is facilitating NAHT’s Make Time for What Matters webinar, which takes place from 9.30am to midday on Thursday 6 February 2026.

For more about Rowena’s work, see rowenahicks.com, where you can also learn more about her podcast, Beat Teacher Burnout!

For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine ⁠⁠Leadership Focus⁠⁠.

Four years ago, Carr Mill Primary School in St Helens, Merseyside, embarked on a new whole-school approach to mental health that has delivered some remarkable results.

Overcoming hurdles such as low attendance, limited aspirations and a lack of trust among families, the school has experienced a 75% decrease in referrals to tier three mental health services, improved attendance, fewer persistent absences, and much more. Its approach earned the school the Pupil Mental Health Initiative of the Year award in the 2025 Tes Schools Awards.

But what does a whole-school approach to mental health look like in practice? From embedding ‘botheredness’ and curriculum time to sing-alongs, social media and staff training, Carr Mill Primary’s deputy head teacher for pastoral and inclusion Katie Alexander shares the school’s journey with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.

For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine, ⁠Leadership Focus⁠.

In the wake of the tragic death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 from an allergic reaction to sesame seeds in the dough of a baguette, her parents founded the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. It campaigned for changes to food labelling laws and works to raise awareness about food allergies. In October 2021, Natasha’s Law was implemented in the UK, requiring full labelling of ingredients on all prepacked food.

In this episode, Natasha’s mother, Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, joins NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen to discuss the free training and resources available for schools through the foundation's Allergy School programme. She also highlights simple steps that school leaders can take to support students with allergies.

To learn more visit allergyschool.org.uk.

For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine, Leadership Focus.

How can you effectively manage conflict? What qualities define great leadership? In what ways should schools implement artificial intelligence? In this episode, you'll hear insights from Chris Packham CBE, Jaz Ampaw-Farr, Darren Coxon, Liz Robinson and Jill Berry as they explore these questions and discuss issues central to education and leadership.

This is the second of our special episodes bringing you conversations from this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference. Find out more about the Inspiring Leadership Conference in 2026.

For more insightful and engaging discussions on key issues in education and school leadership, explore NAHT’s online magazine Leadership Focus.

If you’d like updates on school news and education policy sent straight to your phone, join NAHT on WhatsApp. Make sure you click the bell icon in the top right corner so you’re notified when we send a message.

In this episode, we explore the art of decision-making, the importance of ‘botheredness’, the dynamics of people-pleasing, and much more. Join us to hear unique insight for school leaders from Olympic gold medal-winning rower Ben Hunt-Davis, NAHT president Rachel Younger, Hywel Roberts, Astrid Korin and Maggie Farrar, and others.

They spoke to the School Leadership Podcast at the Inspiring Leadership Conference 2025. Held in June at the ICC Birmingham, this annual conference offers school leaders professional development, leadership insights and practical strategies to inspire school improvement.

Find out more about the Inspiring Leadership Conference in 2026.

The removal of performance-related pay in 2024 marked a turning point in how schools approach teacher appraisal. But why was performance-related pay a problem in schools? What does the research actually tell us? And what do teachers really need for meaningful professional growth?

Gareth Conyard, director of education at the Teacher Development Trust (TDT), and Andrea Bean, its research and evaluation manager, answer these questions and more in this conversation with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.

The TDT’s new research report offers school leaders clear, evidence-based recommendations for designing developmental appraisal systems in schools, with a one-page guide created specifically for school leaders. Find out more.

School leaders who are interested in taking part in a forum to discuss the challenges and opportunities around teacher appraisal are invited to join a TDT-led session taking place from 9.30am to 11am on Thursday 19 June 2025. Register here.

How do you keep your school’s IT systems and data safe? From ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ backups and the cloud to patching, passwords and multi-factor authentication, this episode looks at some of the most common cybersecurity concerns – and some of their solutions.

With the UK’s schools and trusts increasingly reliant on digital technology for a range of functions, robust procedures are vital to protect against damage and cyberattacks. Here, Matthew Setchell, chief technology officer at Concero, shares his expertise, tips and ‘non-negotiables’ with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.

NAHT members can find out more about Concero’s work at naht.org.uk/concero-education-technology.

In this episode, former Metropolitan Police hostage and crisis negotiator Nicky Perfect shares strategies to help school leaders deal with difficult everyday situations by improving communication with pupils, parents and colleagues when emotions are running high.

Using lessons learned confronting the extremes of human behaviour, Nicky talks about what to say – and what not to say, explains the importance of a ‘really good listen’ and shares powerful tools that can help you communicate better, defuse conflict and negotiate effectively. Hear her in conversation with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.

Nicky will be a keynote speaker at this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference, which takes place on 12 and 13 June in Birmingham. She is one of a line-up that includes naturalist Chris Packham and Olympic gold medallist Ben Hunt-Davis, who will all be there to share their stories and strategies with school leaders. Find out more.