Teachers Talk Radio

Unsticking Stuck Schools: The Late Late Show with Paul Hazzard

Paul talks to Dr Bernardita Munoz Chereau UCL (IOE) about “stuck” schools and how they can escape the myriad factors that prevent them from improving.
The wide ranging discussion looks at how Ofsted can hinder schools’ progression, how socio-economic factors must be considered in inspections and what role values play in the future of school assessment.
The conversation concludes with guidance on how all schools, not just those that are “stuck” can benefit from nine clearly identified factors that include: collaboration & networking, distributed leaderships and having a clear and strong moral purpose.
📋 Episode Chapters
(00:00) This is teachers talk radio and you are listening live(01:35) Welcome to the show. This evening in the studio we have Dr. Bernardita Munoz Chereau(02:53) Bernie has been researching stuck schools and how being stuck affects school performance(06:57) I'm not convinced that inspections actually raise standards or outcomes(21:58) Ofsted say that school improvement is not their job(23:59) The inspection itself had a negative effect on school improvement, study finds(35:16) Bernie says the current system of school inspections is counterproductive to good teaching(40:08) Paul: Surely the fact that there's only a handful of grades keeps schools stuck(49:02) The vitality of collaboration(56:24) Another characteristic that we found in unstuck was distributed leadership(01:05:17) The list of stuck schools is public
🎙️ Thank you for listening
Further information can be had here: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/64453-bernardita-munoz-chereau/publications

World Book Day - What's your view?: The Late Show with Lucy Neuburger

Lucy chats to teachers about World Book Day - is it a waste of time or a wonderful event? All views shared on this special TTR Show.

Women as leaders in Education: The Wednesday Twilight Show with Michelle Hinds

Michelle Hinds is joined by, Head of School Youlande Biosah and Assistant Principal Sarah Wilkinson-Crute to discuss the challenges women face on their path to leadership. What are the real barriers?

Flexi Timetables and Mental Health - The Late Show with Hannah Wilson

Hannah Wilson talks to Steve Bladon, a former headteacher, who has enjoyed a 24 year career in primary education.
In 2023 when one of his own children fell unwell with anxiety, and, temporarily, falling out of school, completely change the way he viewed school attendance and how we support students re-entering education.

MFL Speaking tests - a teacher's eye view: The Tuesday Late Late Show with Kathryn Taylor

Kathryn is joined by Secondary MFL teacher, Sean Bailey to discuss the challenges and opportunities of speaking tests and the future of MFL.

Engaging & motivating staff: The Monday Late, Late Show with Toby Doncaster

Toby talks to Sabeena Shah and Jolanta Wlodek about engaging and motivating staff, being creative, innovative and pragmatic, managing an incredible workload and practising self-care.

The psychology of attendance with Dr Naomi Fisher: The Late Show with Nathan Gynn

Nathan Gynn is joined by clinical psychologist and author Doctor Naomi Fisher for an extensive discussion about attendance in schools. They discuss the psychology of attendance:
Does attendance matter?
What are the barriers to attendance? 
Have young people changed?
How do young people feel about school?
Fines for non-attendance?
What powers to individual teachers have?
What should schools do more or less of to improve attendance?
 
All of this and more in a show supported by John Catt Educational. 

Phonics in Secondary Schools, Reducing the Marking Burden: The Late Show with Tom Hopkins Burke

Tom is joined by Adam Levick and Charlie Duckett to talk about phonics in secondary schools. The impact of the pandemic has meant that more students are arriving in Year 7 with gaps in their knowledge of word reading - so what can secondary schools do to help?
 
Plus, Dave Brown shares his experience of cutting down workload with KS5 marking and feedback in essay-based subjects, sharing strategies and insights from his experience working in a sixth form college with many essays to look at.

Writing Creatively - An Author's Advice: The Late Late Show with Sean Mackay

In this show I talk to author Sally Docherty about the writing process and how to help students become more creative in their own writing. Lots of cracking advice to help students, especially those coming up to their exams.

A New School year: The Twilight Show with Claire Cannon

What if we could redesign the school year so it better suits our families and supports the wellbeing of staff? Warren Harrison of The Premier Academy shares some fascinating insights into what his school have done with the lengths of their school terms and holidays, even changing the start of their school year to June rather than September. There have been huge positive impacts on attendance, curriculum design and workload. How could this work in your school?