Teachers Talk Radio

Why educational travel matters for every student: TTR Special with NST Travel

In this show from Teachers Talk Radio, hosts Tom Rogers and Darren Lester dive into the world of educational travel with two expert guests: Dr John Allan and Will Aitken, Head of Student Wellbeing at Accrington Academy. Together, they explore the profound impact that school trips can have on students’ resilience, confidence, and long-term personal growth.
From local excursions to life-changing international adventures, the panel shares heartfelt stories, practical advice, and the latest research on how learning outside the classroom can boost employability, wellbeing, and cultural capital. They also tackle the barriers like cost, logistics, workload and how schools and providers like NST are helping to overcome them.
Check out the NST Travel offer here: www.nstgroup.co.uk

On 'Of Education': The Saturday Breakfast Show with Darren Lester

Darren has a newfound interest in the history of British education and uses John Milton's treatise 'Of Education' to ask the question: Do things ever change?

Inclusion Confusion, Is it just another box to tick?: The Morning Break with Carl Smith

What is authentic inclusion? What does it mean? What does it look like in schools? Carl's guest, Marie Neave, is head of a special school working on a DfE project on inclusion in Lewisham. We discussed whether there is a clear definition of inclusion and what good inclusivity might look like e.g for Ofsted.

Let's talk about sex (education): The Morning Break with Liz Webb and Kate Tully

Joining Liz and Kate this week is the wonderfully eloquent Rachel Gilyeat, a specialist in Relationships and Sex Education for students in years 7 through to 13. Rachel shares wise and candid advice on the importance of RSE, especially for young people in a modern world where they are exposed to information from a variety of sources, helping them to embark safely and healthily on their first relationships. Let’s talk about sex education…

Supporting students with Dyslexia: The Twilight Show with Tom Rogers

In this lively and thought-provoking show, host Tom Rogers chats with two experts on dyslexia—Dr. Helen Ross, a specialist assessor and SEN consultant, and Lucy Pelling, head of Moon Hall Assessment Centre. Together, they delve into what dyslexia really looks like at different stages of a child’s education—and how schools can better support those who have it.
From practical classroom tips and assistive tech to the bigger picture around diagnosis, access arrangements and EHCPs, this show covers a huge amount of ground. Expect honest insights and plenty of actionable advice for teachers, SENCOs, and school leaders.

AI generated complaints, school suspension numbers, Skirt ban: Points of View

Our panellists discuss the biggest stories from the week gone by in education; Schools managing huge numbers of AI generated complaints from parents, school suspensions reach nearly 1 million in 2023/2024 and one academy trust decides to ban skirts. Join Tarjinder Gill, Carl Smith, Lucy Trimnell and Rae Whitehouse for this one. 

Liberationalist Pedagogy: The Saturday Breakfast Show with Darren Lester

Darren explores the concept of teacher identity and politics through the lens of liberationalism.

How to launch AI in teaching and learning in Higher Education: The Twilight Show with Timea Kadar

Timea discussed AI in learning and teaching with her guests Dr Noman Mahtab, Subject Lead at LCCA, and Dr Med Kharbach, the founder of Educators Technology. Based on Noman's research 32% of higher education lecturers use AI in teaching, but 77% have never received formal training on it. The guests shared examples of ethical use of AI in teaching, tools they use, how AI can encourage creativity, and the importance of institutional policy-making. It was a lively discussion from academics who successfully use AI in learning and teaching on a daily basis.
 
 

Should we do things for OFSTED?: The Late Show with Beejesh Deva and Claire Bills

Claire Bills and Beejesh Deva dive into the big question: should schools ever do things just for Ofsted? They unpack the new framework, challenge the idea of inspection vs. support, and explore what really drives meaningful change in schools. Beejesh puts Claire on the spot with some tough scenarios about what she’d do as a head! Thought provoking and  refreshingly honest.

What should GCSE Maths look like by 2030?: TTR Special with OCR Maths

In this special one-off Teachers Talk Radio show, Kathryn Clark is joined by a brilliant panel of guests to explore the future of GCSE Maths. With curriculum reform and assessment reviews on the horizon, what should GCSE Maths look like by 2030?
Kathryn is joined by Neil Ogden and Amy Jones, Maths Subject Advisors from OCR, and James Butterworth, Head of Maths at Truro School. Together, they explore the key questions: What maths should students be learning? How do we balance relevance with rigour? Is it time to rethink content like constructions, memorised formulae, and even the exam structure itself?
The conversation covers everything from AI’s role in the subject to financial literacy, real-life application, student voice, and how to best serve the full range of learners – not just those going on to study maths post-16.
Visit OCR Maths: https://www.ocr.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/