Teachers Talk Radio

The Estonian Education System: TTR Special - Tom Rogers with Kristina Kallas

In this one off show, we speak to Estonia’s Minister of Education, Kristina Kallas, to find out what’s behind the country’s reputation for having one of the best education systems in Europe.
We explore how teachers are trained, paid, and supported in Estonia — and how that compares to the UK. From classroom teaching methods and SEND provision to workload, behaviour, and the role of support staff, this is a chance to hear what works elsewhere and why.
We also dig into Estonia’s approach to curriculum, technology, and assessment. What’s their policy on mobile phones? How do they use AI? And what role do national tests play?
Finally, we ask: what could the UK take from Estonia’s model — and are there any elements of the UK system that Estonia is watching closely?

The Heart of Leadership - Final Reflections on Being Real: The Wednesday Twilight Show with Michelle Hinds

Join Michelle Hinds and her inspiring guests. Rohima Miah, Lucy Warren, Tamara Akotuah, and Ewan Goddard for a powerful reflection on the Authentic Leadership series. In this lively and honest conversation, they peel back the layers of leadership, diving deep into the courage it takes to be vulnerable, the importance of accountability, and the reality that true leaders are always growing, learning, and evolving. If you’re ready for real talk on what it means to lead authentically, this episode is a must-listen!

Teaching Smarter, Not Harder: Evidence-Informed Instruction: The Saturday Lunch Show with Famida Choudhary

Join Famida Choudhary as she explores how evidence-informed instruction can empower teachers to teach smarter—not harder. In conversation with Jake Cowling, this show dives into how cognitive science and explicit teaching strategies can transform classroom practice. From retrieval routines to adaptive instruction, discover how research-backed methods can boost learning outcomes without overloading teachers or students.

Teacher Education in Thailand: The Monday Morning Break with Khanh-Duc Kuttig

Khanh-Duc and special guest Apapan talk about teacher education in Thailand.

Making the compulsory compelling: English language re-sits in post-16 settings. The Late Show with Christopher Vowles

Christopher talks with Andrew Otty and Dr Ellie Willard about the challenges and opportunities that come with preparing students for GCSE English language re-sits in post-16 settings.

Eudaimonia - Wellbeing through living a purposeful life: The Saturday Breakfast Show with Darren Lester

Darren discusses how ancient philosophers saw the concept of wellbeing and what that means for us today.

School trips - Jollies or Jolly hard work?: The Morning Break with Liz Webb and Kate Tully

Join Liz and Kate for their debut show on Teachers Talk Radio! They focus on all things educational visits. They both share stories of visits gone by, the highs and lows. Did the children behave? What were their best trips they went on as teachers? Why are educational visits so worthwhile? Enjoy! 

Should we shut up? - SEND, disadvantaged, behaviour and social mobility: The Twilight Show with Tony Harwood

Yannick (Music Teacher) returns to Tony's show to discuss recent comments by social mobility commissioner Alun Francis:
You can read those comments in this Schoolsweek article: https://schoolsweek.co.uk/shut-up-complaining-about-poverty-social-mobility-chair-tells-heads/ 

The Great GCSE English Language Exam Review: The Wednesday Late, Late Show with Toby Doncaster

Toby, Emily and Roberto have an in-depth discussion about this year's GCSE English Language exams. Where the themes accessible to learners? How could the papers be improved? What developments can teachers make to reach more learners? 
All these questions and more are discussed in this scintillating radio show. 

Have you seen this #%@! ?: Private School VAT despair, 9000 WhatsApp messages, Managed moves

Tom, Nathan, Yasmin and Rae discuss the latest news from the education world. 
An opinion piece in the Standard newspaper complaining about Labour's VAT policy pricing some parents out of private schools.
A headteacher who uncovered a student WhatsApp group that had 9000 messages unread in one night.
A policy for managed transfer of excluded students - forcing academies to take more students on managed moves.