The School Should Be Podcast

This was a difficult episode to title. Effectively it is two friends, two educators, one Muslim and one Jewish, coming together in a safe space to talk about how we are feeling amidst the rise of Islamophobia, antisemitism, the war on Gaza, the awful pictures and videos we are seeing day in and day out on social media and the utter feeling of helplessness watching an entire people suffer beyond belief.

I met Penny through Social Media and have so much respect and love for Penny's work in the anti-racism space. I have so much to learn from Penny as do all of us. This is the first of a short series of episodes that we will be recording navigating our understanding of antisemitism, islamophobia. Of course we've had plenty of conversations about this, but Penny was one of the first people I reached out to after the Oct. 7th attack on Israel. We checked in on one another and ever since, we've had much needed, safe and heartwarming conversations to somehow deal with the dread that fills our hearts every day. We hope this podcast provides the same for you.

Please support much needed aid for Palestinian families here: https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch

About Penny:

Penny Rabiger is an ex-teacher who was one of the founding members of The Key for School Leaders and has worked with education start-ups, charities and social enterprises since 2007. She is a school governor and co-founder of the national race equity charity The BAMEed Network. Penny is Lead Coach on the Anti-Racist School Award at the Centre for Race, Education and Decoloniality, Leeds Beckett University, where she is also completing her PhD.

In this episode of the BHS takeover, Jasmine, Ellie and Kareena talk all things GCSEs, from choosing your options, to what different GCSEs entail, along with workload, revision and managing expectations in years 10 and 11. A must listen for students choosing their options or students who have just started their GCSE courses.

*if you are a student and you are concerned about your wellbeing and mental health, please get in touch with your teachers at school or a trusted adult. For wellbeing and mental health advice, please visit: mind.org.uk

Jasmine, Ellie and Kareena are back to answer your questions with their tips and thoughts on navigating friendships and peer pressure at secondary school.

Listen in as they share their reassuring thoughts and wisdom on something we all think about on day one of year 7: friendship.

*if you are a student and you are concerned about your wellbeing and mental health, please get in touch with your teachers at school or speak to a trusted adult. For mental health support online, please visit: mind.org.uk

Jasmine, Ellie and Kareena, Sixth Form Students at Beaconsfield High School have taken over the School Should Be episode to help students navigate revision and wellbeing!

Sharing their thoughts, advice and wisdom after successfully completing their GCSEs and now on their A level journey, they reached out to students in years 7-10 to ask what questions and concerns do they have about their wellbeing at secondary school. Over the next few episodes, join them as they answer a range of questions and share their thoughts to get students through a very critical period of time: exams.

Tune in for some brilliant advice, plus they'll make you laugh along the way too.

Jasmine is a Politics Ambassador. She is currently studying A level History, English Literature and Politics. Ellie is an Economics Ambassador and currently studying A level Maths, Economics and Psychology. Kareena is a Philosophy and Ethics Ambassador and currently studying A level English Literature, Philosophy and Ethics and Psychology.

*if you are a student and you are concerned about your wellbeing and mental health, please get in touch with your teachers at school or a trusted adult. For wellbeing and mental health advice, please visit: mind.org.uk

The last few months have been challenging beyond belief and navigating conversations about Gaza, Israel and Palestine have been particularly challenging for schools. What we are seeing on social media and the news is nothing ever of us thought we would bear witness too, and the global and political climate is causing an overwhelming sense of anxiety, grief and uncertainty. As ever, young people need a forum to have these conversations and we have seen schools navigate the situation in Israel-Palestine very differently with very diverse responses. Some have chosen not to say or do anything at all, and some have strategically and thoughtfully navigated teaching, learning and conversations about it from the outset.

For teachers and schools concerned about the complexities and management of these conversations, this thought-provoking, candid and extremely valuable discussion with Sanum Khan and Jehan Al-Azzawi, will most definitely act as a guide and safe space to navigate conversations, teaching and learning about Israel-Palestine in secondary schools.

Jehan Al-Azzawi is a Transition Teacher and teacher of Global Citizenship based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Jehan is also an active trade unionist, holding elected positions at both local and national level in the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS). Jehan is a board member of the Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators (SAMEE). Before becoming a teacher, Jehan was an academic. She holds a BA(Hons) in Politics, an MA in International Relations (University of London), a PhD in Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies and an MSc in Transformative Learning & Teaching (University of Edinburgh).

Sanum is an assistant head at a secondary school in the south east of England. Her subjects are RE and PSHCE. As an AHT, she oversees and leads on student personal development as well as staff wellbeing. She regularly delivers CPD on DEI and has recently written for SecEd and book reviews for Schools Week. She also works closely with Facing History and Ourselves UK and sincerely believes in education that nurtures reflection and critical engagement.

David Church, former senior leader, LGBT+ Education Consultant and Director of QueerEd, joins me, 20 years on from the repeal of Section 28, to talk about how teachers can create safe environments for LGBT+ students and all students to have difficult conversations amidst a growing concerns about media narratives, social media and the overwhelming impact these can have on schools.

David tells me how schools can talk to parents, carers, studentsn and why it is important we create environments in schools which are safe for every student to thrive and be themselves.

Bennie Kara, former Deputy Headteacher in the UK, Co-founder of DiverseEd an award-nominated diversity, inclusion and equity training and development consultancy talks to me about moving beyond book lists and how schools can diversify their curriculums. Bennie speaks to me about diversity within the context of whole-school culture and as an integral process to supporting every student and member of staff.

Get in touch with Bennie via LinkedIn or X to support your organisation with EDI and she shares a range of resources for schools on her social media platforms too.

X: https://twitter.com/benniekara?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-kara-fcct-frsa-45ab67150/

This episode is a special one, one where I sit down with my grandad (Nanaba) and learn as much as I can about his story. He was born in Kisumu, Kenya in 1935, went to school in Nairobi and Mbale and he has never visited the country where his own parents were born: India. He took a trip to a newly formed Pakistan before marriage in 1960 and then he left behind his life in Africa to build a life in England in the 1970s. In and amongst so many things he tells me about, it makes me think the only thing that makes me Pakistani then is the Radcliffe Line…

For me, and maybe for many South Asians, listening to my Grandad makes me emotional: so much adversity, (limited) joy, education, opportunities and experiences were wholly conditioned by Colonial rule and Empire. Equally, I know he would not necessarily share my perspective; he has always been a positive force for good, light-hearted, fun loving and someone I am and will always be in awe of.

I hope many can listen and enjoy his narrative and story; it is beautifully ordinary and I am fascinated by his candid and calm approach to life under Colonial rule, living through war, partition, independence and migration. Some of the dates and details are hazy and mismatched, this only adds to the authenticity and truth of his lived experiences.

I'm sure his reflection on teenage life, experiences at school and his advice for young people will resonate...his story tells me that although our lived experiences can be so different, we are all more alike than we know...if only we intentionally connect, converse and create a culture where we can embrace our stories and the stories we are surrounded by.

More than a podcast, I am so happy, so so happy, that I have this recording as a piece of my history; a piece that my children can listen to, ask questions of and in time, I hope, find more answers too.

Be kind...after all, he is my Nanaba!

Edgar is a year 13 student at Dr Challoner's Grammar School. I met with Edgar, along with his fellow students, to talk about Andrew Tate, masculinity and the impact these conversations and current context of masculinity is having on young men. In this episode, Edgar joins me to discuss, candidly, the experiences of young men at school and his own very thoughtful reflections, experiences and research on the topic of masculinity for teenage boys in schools.

Edgar shares his perspectives on the conversations young men would benefit from, and based on his experiences, how we can create a culture of belonging, safety and understanding for young men at school. We talk about lessons, interacting with girls, what 'should' be learned at school (not necessarily taught by teachers) and the impact of social media on teenagers and Gen Z.

You can connect with Edgar here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edgarwex