NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman gives his analysis of the current dispute over pay for teachers and school leaders, and explains why the government must act now to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis facing the sector.

In this conversation with NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen, he addresses the impact of strike action, the ongoing negotiation with the education secretary and the role of the teachers’ pay review body.

Experienced school leader and education advisor Dave Harris talks about what good school transition looks like, why it’s the elephant in the room and how it can improve outcomes. You’ll also hear NAHT’s director of policy James Bowen and senior policy advisor Sarah Hannafin share their views on this topic.

Dave Harris is the author of Independent Thinking on Transition: Fostering better collaboration between primary and secondary schools.

How can schools help tackle climate change? Are solar panels, heat pumps and retrofitting realistic solutions – particularly for older school buildings? And what exactly is the government’s plan to help schools reduce their carbon footprint?

NAHT director of policy James Bowen puts school leaders’ key concerns to Sharon McHale, a project director in the Department for Education’s new Sustainability and Climate Change Unit.

Hear Laura Morris, head of religious studies and citizenship at a secondary school in Manchester, reflect honestly on her school’s anti-racist journey over the past two years.

In this conversation with NAHT senior equalities officer Natalie Arnett, Laura talks through the challenges faced and the changes the school made. She explains what’s having the biggest impact, why she welcomes current higher reporting rates, and what the school needs to address next.

Laura is a teacher with 15 years’ experience who has additional whole school responsibilities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) and anti-discrimination. You can read her blog at diverseeducators.co.uk and her Anti-Racist Action Report at missmorrismanc.co.uk. 

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.