Teachers Talk Radio

Should Schools Teach Patriotism? Flags, Kings & the Curriculum Debate: Points of View

Reform has unveiled plans for a “patriotic curriculum” — including flying the Union Flag in every school, displaying portraits of the King, and reshaping history teaching to focus more heavily on British achievements. Supporters say it’s about restoring national pride, identity and balance in education. Critics argue it risks politicising the classroom and narrowing how history is taught. So where should schools draw the line? 👉 Should education actively promote patriotism? 👉 Is national identity being lost — or protected? 👉 And who decides what version of history gets taught?

Built for Yesterday? Are Schools Failing the Future?: The Late Show with Tim Smale

Join us for a Late Show special in which Tim sits down with Peter Hyman: former Downing Street speechwriter, co-founder of School 21, and one of the most persistent voices in England for genuine curriculum reform. Together they`ll tackle oracy, the growing crisis around boys in education, whether teachers are part of the problem, and the almost one million young people currently classified as NEET. It is a direct, challenging and at times uncomfortable conversation about whether schools are truly preparing young people for the world they are actually going to live in.

Teacher Development: The Wednesday Late Show with Graham Stanley

On today's show, I look back at last week's IATEFL conference and discuss some practical tips for teacher professional development.

"Reward Over Sanction" - The Headteacher who says he cut suspensions by 85%: The Twilight Show with Tony Harwood and Yannick Berland

Hosts Tony and Yannick chat with headteacher Jonathan Sands about his people-centred approach to behaviour management, explaining a ‘reward over sanction’ house-points system that dramatically reduced suspensions and improved attendance and engagement.
The show explores tensions between restorative and punitive approaches, centralised behaviour systems, teacher trust and autonomy, and the debate between direct instruction and discovery learning, with practical examples and reflections for school leaders and classroom teachers.

Is the sun out in your classroom?: The Sunday Breakfast Show with Phin Adams

We talk if the sun is actually shining and do things get better? Let's talk it out..

The Final Countdown: the Anxiety, the Burn Out and the Apathy - The Morning Break with Liz Webb

It’s nearly exam season and the countdown, post-Easter, has truly begun. The pressure is on. Revision classes are running before school, after school, lunchtimes. Material is being revisited, practice papers are being circulated, students are requesting psychic predictions of paper content.
The holy grail of the fabled study leave experienced by their predecessors is within touching distance and yet… the sense of immediacy somehow feels lacking - like the exams are months rather than days away.
Is it worse in 2026 than it has ever been or have we forgotten last year already? Is apathy the name of the game or is it something else? Is it anxiety? Burn out? Boredom through Groundhog Day repetition of the same material?
Join The Morning Break team’s discussion as they delve into the classroom experiences and feelings leading up to exam season.

"I don't know where to start!" The Saturday Breakfast Show with Darren Lester

Darren looks into the research behind availability and access to information and considers what this means for student research projects.

What does the future of education look like in England?: The Friday Late Show with David Brown

Dave Brown speaks to Mehal Shah about the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper on education. What does the future of SEND provision look like, how will teaching potentially change in the next 10 years and what are the major barriers to achieving the vision set out by the white paper? 

Literacy: Liberating Lives Beyond Reading to Empowerment | The Saturday Lunch Show with Famida Choudhary| Teachers Talk Radio

In this show, Famida is joined by De'Shawn Washington to explore “Literacy: Liberating Lives.” Moving beyond phonics and technical skills, the conversation examines how reading can shift from obligation to genuine engagement. Drawing on research, classroom practice, and real-world challenges, the show highlights the growing literacy and communication gap, the importance of fluency and comprehension, and how literacy connects deeply with writing, speaking, and critical thinking. A powerful discussion for educators looking to make reading meaningful, purposeful, and rooted in student voice.

Teaching inclusivity, identity and respect through courageous classroom dialogue: The Twilight Show with Mehmet Ali Zekay

Mehmet speaks with Eve, an English leader passionate about creating truly inclusive classrooms where every student feels seen, heard and valued. Known for her willingness to address challenging topics-from identity and culture to LGBT+ issues and misogyny-Eve shares how she creates safe, honest spaces or meaningful dialogue.