How is writing like a game of chess? What difference does improved writing make, and how can teachers be supported to achieve this? Is reading the key to good writing? And do Erasmus’s 500-year-old teachings on writing still apply today? Teacher and author Alex Quigley answers these questions and many more in this conversation with NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen.

As well as writing for the Tes, Alex is the author of Closing the Writing Gap and The Confident Teacher blog.

Effective assessment remains one of the most crucial aspects of high-quality teaching and learning. In this episode, three school leaders speak to NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen about their involvement in a lead assessor support programme and the positive outcomes they are seeing in their schools.   

NAHT is working with the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors to encourage every school to have a lead assessor. Find out more about its lead assessor support programme and how NAHT members can register for a discounted place here.

This episode of NAHT’s School Leadership Podcast brings you conversations with some of the key speakers at Inspiring Leadership Conference 2022, which took place in Birmingham last month. You’ll hear Dave Coplin, Steve Munby, Marie-Claire Bretherton and Ed Balls share honest and through-provoking reflections on what makes a great leader, and much more, in a series of interviews recorded during the conference.

History teacher and coach Sam Moinet speaks to the School Leadership Podcast about his experiences in the classroom and of the mental health challenges faced by a forgotten majority of students in schools. He explains why expressions like ‘just think positive’ can be problematic, why we need to move from a reactive to a preventative model and how coaching can improve mental health. Plus there’s a quick coaching exercise to try for yourself. 

Sam set up Student Breakthrough after he witnessed how coaching helps students with attitudes to school, anxiety, confidence, personal growth, exams and relationships with family and friends – so they can become more confident, happy and successful.

Husham Khan, author of the best-selling book Financial Intelligence for School Business Leaders, speaks to NAHT’s Natalie Arnett about the pressures facing finances in schools, new ways to tackle them and the changing nature of the school business leader (SBL) role – and how the role is vital for dealing with some of the challenges ahead, including soaring energy costs and cybersecurity.

Along with exploring many of the new financial concepts outlined in his book, which schools and trusts can use to enable more informed and effective decision-making, such as the ‘pandemic ratio’, Husham also talks about the importance of considering emotional as well as financial intelligence as part of holistic budget planning in schools.

Former secretary of state for education and cabinet minister Ed Balls reflects on his experiences of – and views on – leadership in this April 2022 episode of NAHT's School Leadership Podcast. Hear him speak with NAHT director of policy James Bowen about his time as education secretary and his memories of working for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at pivotal political moments. Ed is a keynote speaker at this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference, which takes place on 28 and 29 June in Birmingham.

Hear former secretary of state for education and cabinet minister Ed Balls reflect on his experiences of – and views on – leadership in this April 2022 episode of NAHT's School Leadership Podcast. He talks to NAHT’s James Bowen about his time as education secretary and his memories of working for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at pivotal political moments. Ed is a keynote speaker at this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference, which takes place on 28 and 29 June in Birmingham. 

What is the best way to ventilate a classroom, what do you need to know about CO2 monitors and are air-cleaning machines worth the investment? NAHT’s James Bowen puts these key questions and more to the scientists involved in a critical research project looking at the effectiveness of ventilation and air purifiers in classrooms. 

Professor Mark Mon-Williams, chair in cognitive psychology at the University of Leeds and professor of psychology at the Bradford Institute of Health Research, and mechanical engineer Catherine Noakes, professor of environmental engineering for buildings at the University of Leeds, are currently involved in a trial involving 30 primary classrooms to help our understanding of how air-cleaning technologies can help reduce the build-up of covid particles, as well as how they could have advantages in the longer term too.

As part of LGBT+ History Month in 2022, hear Dominic Arnall, chief executive at LGBT+ young people's charity Just Like Us, in conversation with NAHT’s Natalie Arnett about the role schools play in empowering young people to champion LGBT+ equality, and how the charity can help schools do this.

Plus, there’s more on school mottos – you'll hear from Chilton Primary School in Oxfordshire about their motto and why it was chosen.

For more about Just Like Us, including resources and lesson plans, talks and School Diversity Week, see justlikeus.org.

In this episode, Tes editor Jon Severs talks to NAHT’s James Bowen about tackling covid guidance, teachers on Twitter and Tes being a voice the profession can trust.

Plus, following on from last month’s episode, we have more on school mottos.