Teachers Talk Radio

The summer holidays are coming to an end and for some teachers, the thought of going back to school brings more than just the usual end-of-holiday blues. So why do teachers dread going back? Is it simply a natural reaction after weeks away from work, or can that feeling tell us something important about workload, behaviour, school culture, leadership or even whether teaching is still the right career? In this Points of View, we discuss the reasons behind back-to-school dread, whether experienced teachers feel it too, what can be done to make the return easier, and when that feeling might be a sign that something needs to change. Are you looking forward to September or counting down the days with dread? On the panel: Liz Webb, Rae Whitehouse, Lucy Trimnell

Darren looks at research by Li and Chu (2021) which analysed a specific platform for gamifying reading. While many would argue that reading doesn't need to be gamified, motivation is as important in reading as in any other skill acquisition, so the question becomes: is this the best way to motivate?

Meena Wood joins Tony to share her thoughts on inclusivity in education. Drawing on her wealth of experience as a former teacher, Principal, HMI and now author, Meena shares her passion and vision for a more inclusive curriculum. With her background in a range of settings in the UK and globally, expect some valuable insights and strong opinions on the current issues in education.

Primary schools could be asked to identify children at risk of becoming NEET – not in education, employment or training – years before they actually leave school. Alan Milburn, who is leading a government review into Britain’s growing youth worklessness crisis, argues that the warning signs can appear from a very early age and that schools should play a bigger role in identifying pupils who may need additional support. But is this sensible early intervention – or another huge responsibility being placed on already overstretched schools? Can teachers really predict which primary-age children are at risk of unemployment years later? And could labelling children in this way create problems of its own? On Points of View, we debate how far schools should be responsible for a young person’s future employment prospects – and whether tackling the NEET crisis needs to start much earlier. On the panel - JP, Rae Whitehouse and Lucy Trimnell.

Teachers are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, both inside and outside the classroom. But where should the line be drawn between personal freedom and professional responsibility? The expectations set out in the Teachers' Standards include the requirement to maintain public trust and demonstrate high standards of personal and professional conduct. To what extent is this at conflict with a teacher’s right to enjoy a private life? Social media has blurred the boundaries between work and home and the growing impact of students having constant access to smartphones and the ability to record, share and scrutinise teachers' lives has changed in ways that were unimaginable a generation ago. Can teachers ever truly switch off, or has the digital age fundamentally changed what it means to be a professional working in education?On the panel: Liz Webb, Rae Whitehouse and Maud Waret.

The concept of belonging to a group is a vital part of adolescent development. In this show, Darren looks at why young people are so desperate to belong somewhere, how this impacts behaviour and whether our efforts to create "school culture" to foster belonging actually work.

A BBC Panorama investigation has put the spotlight on the Athena Learning Trust after parents, pupils and former teachers raised concerns about its behaviour policies. The programme features allegations including strict toilet rules, silent music lessons, extensive use of reflection rooms and claims that some neurodiverse pupils were disproportionately affected. Athena says its schools are built on high expectations, that behaviour policies are applied with professional judgement, and that calm, disruption-free classrooms help all pupils to learn. So, did Athena actually go too far? Were these policies a necessary response to poor behaviour, or did they become unnecessarily rigid and punitive? Where should schools draw the line between maintaining discipline and responding to individual pupils’ needs? Join Tom Rogers and the panel as they debate one of the biggest education stories of the week.

The summer is finally upon us! Teachers are decompressing. Students are celebrating. Holiday companies have tripled their prices. Childcare arrangements become complicated for many families. The summer holidays continue to be a contentious issue, with many differing views within education, let alone outside of it. Join Jo Fox, Maud Waret and Liz Webb to share your opinions on the summer break - or tell us how you’ll be spending it!

In this week's show, Claudia Tumba and Martin Sketchley have a chat about teaching English in China, Japan and Korea.

Permanent exclusions continue to rise across England, but why? Are schools dealing with the consequences of increasingly difficult home lives, weaker parental support and wider social problems? Or is the education system itself failing children through outdated classrooms, oversized classes and unrealistic expectations? Should exclusions remain a necessary last resort to protect learning, or are they evidence that mainstream education needs fundamental reform? Also on the show, A major new NFER report suggests social media, online bullying and worsening wellbeing may all be fuelling England's attendance crisis. But are phones really to blame? Have attitudes towards school attendance fundamentally changed since the pandemic? And should the government rethink attendance fines, or double down on getting children back into the classroom?