Teachers Talk Radio

Join Tom Rogers and Tim Smale for a special show with Charu Kashyap, Founder & CEO of The O Education Group, as they explore whether traditional models of schooling are keeping pace with the needs of modern learners. The discussion examines the thinking behind Ohana, a new relational online school, and looks at how flexibility, belonging, safeguarding, academic ambition and technology can work together to create different routes into learning. Is education ready to evolve, and what might the school of the future look like?

In this show, Darren reacts to the news of a New York school district planning to implement a robotic teacher from Autumn 2026and considers what teaching and learning looks like when the human teachers are removed.

In this episode, Konstantinos is joined by Dr Hatie Mapudzi to explore what it really means for students to feel that they belong in higher education. Together, they discuss inclusive teaching, student engagement, representation, and the everyday practices that help create learning environments where every student feels valued, supported and able to thrive.

In this show, Darren looks at how schools in Germany approach the issues of school violence and bullying, drawing on research conducted in 2020.

Teachers are getting a 3.5% pay rise. Academy trust CEOs could soon face government approval before taking jobs paying more than £174,000. The changes have sparked a fierce row across the education sector.
Some say executive pay has become excessive while classroom staff struggle with workload and recruitment. Others argue that large academy trusts require exceptional leaders whose salaries should reflect the scale and complexity of their role.
We will also look at the teacher pay rise in general and the claim that schools themselves will need to fund half of it. Is the government protecting taxpayers or interfering in independent organisations?

For decades, we’ve asked whether young people are ready for the world of work. But perhaps we’ve been asking the wrong question. Is our education system still relevant to the lives young people are living today, and to the futures they’re likely to face over the next thirty years? With the Curriculum and Assessment Review prompting a national conversation about the purpose of education, this show explores how we prepare young people for an increasingly complex world. From employer engagement to technical education and apprenticeships, what can schools do to broaden opportunity while maintaining high expectations and aspirations? Paula Delaney is joined by Kate Ambrosi (CEO) and Olivia Saunders (Project Manager - MBacc) from Baker Dearing Educational Trust to discuss curriculum reform, parity of esteem between academic and technical education, and what meaningful pathways to success could look like for young people. Together, we will explore what these national developments mean for teachers, school leaders and, most importantly, the pupils sitting in front of us on a Monday morning. If we were designing England’s education system from scratch today, what would we keep, what would we change, and what opportunities would we want every young person to experience before they leave school?

Beejesh and a special guest discuss whether it is a wise idea to jump ship from your current school, explore teachers' expectations about what schools should be like, and consider the idea of "unicorn schools" and how attainable it is to get a job at one.

A BBC investigation has revealed that one pupil spent more than half an academic year in an isolation booth, with other students reporting being removed from lessons for issues such as uniform infringements, talking in class and lateness. Supporters argue that strict behaviour systems protect the education of the majority and create calm classrooms. Critics say prolonged isolation can damage children's wellbeing and may go far beyond what was originally intended. Join Tom Rogers, Yasmin Omar and JP as they discuss. 

Yannick and Tony talk about the more contentious issues that crop up in the summer term. Is gained time fairly used? Are Proms a rite of passage or a right waste of money? How should schools deal with heatwaves and unauthorised holidays? Is it right for schools to close when parents are fined for taking their children out of school? Join us for a frank discussion on these often controversial issues!

One in every ten children in England was referred to mental health services last year, with anxiety now the single biggest reason. Referrals have almost doubled since 2018, suspected autism referrals have risen by nearly 50% in just one year, and more than 60,000 children are waiting over two years for support. So what is driving this dramatic rise? Is there genuinely a growing mental health crisis among children and young people, or are we simply getting better at recognising conditions that have always existed? Are schools expected to fill the gaps left by overstretched health services? And what role do social media, smartphones, Covid, family life, poverty, SEND pressures and the education system itself play? Join the discussion as we explore one of the biggest challenges currently facing education, healthcare and families. What do you think? Is this a genuine mental health emergency or does the conversation need to change?