Teachers Talk Radio

No new year energy, no summer finish line — just Term 2. Tune in for an hour of reflection, perspective, and gentle humour about teaching when consistency matters more than caffeine (almost).

Carl chats to former General secretary of ASCL, Brian Lightman about the emergence of a new form of school partnerships known as local area based school partnerships and asks the question whether they might be an alternative to MATs for schools moving forward.

Jen Hurst interviews Michael Wright on how his neurodiversity has had an impact on his teaching, students as well as insight into how being neurodivergent is both his superpower and kryptonite!

In this show, host Famida Choudhary is joined by educational leader Surji Aboubakker to explore The Power of Wonder in literacy classrooms. Together, they discuss how to embed joy, curiosity, and connection in reading and writing, moving beyond worksheets to create meaningful, story-rich experiences. Tune in for insights on leadership, phonics, and reimagining literacy for lifelong impact.

Staff at a London academy instilled a “climate of fear” among pupils, with a drive for academic success likely to have harmed vulnerable children including those with special needs, according to a damning independent investigation. The report by Sir Alan Wood found that staff at Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) routinely used measures “designed to humiliate pupils”, frequently shouting at them and isolating them in corridors as part of “a harsh and damaging disciplinary culture”. The panel of Yasmin Omar, Rae Whitehouse, JB and Liz Webb discuss the report in full.

In this week's show, we invite Rolade Berthier to chat about culture in the classroom.

Darren thinks about how we can make sure all children feel included when schools celebrate cultural and religious festivals.

We talk in depth about what stress looks like this close to the end of term.

Join Chris as he explores how live marking can transform feedback in the classroom. He breaks down simple, effective strategies that reduce workload and boost student progress, offering practical insights for any teacher looking to make feedback truly work

Robbie Coleman has an unusually clear window into the minds of early career teachers — not by guessing, but by analysing how thousands of them respond to real-world school scenarios.In this month’s show, we dive into what those responses reveal: what schools can do to help early career teachers flourish, and what early career teachers themselves can focus on to grow with confidence.The show is packed with useful insights on managing behaviour, navigating safeguarding, and why obsessing over “open vs closed questions” isn’t the key to improving questioning after all. A thoughtful, practical show packed with takeaways for anyone in or supporting the early years of teaching.