What can we learn from the world’s top-performing school systems? Join Geoff Masters, CEO of the Australian Council for Educational Research, and NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen as they discuss the findings of research into the world’s highest-performing systems, including their approaches to assessment. Professor Geoff Masters’ research Building a world-class learning system: Insights from some top-performing school systems is the result of a multi-year study of five jurisdictions – British Columbia, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong and South Korea – that have long performed well on the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and how they have been rethinking and reforming their school systems.

Liz Robinson, CEO of multi-academy trust and charity Big Education, believes there’s a significant gap between what national professional qualifications (NPQs) cover and what school leaders really need in order to be equipped with the knowledge and skills for their role. Here, she speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about Big Education’s Rethinking Leadership report What else? What next? What if? that looks at what is missing from leadership development provision in England and what we can do to close this gap.

It is more than two decades since academies were first introduced to the English education system, and around half of all state-funded pupils now attend one. Yet, in its new report 20 Years of Muddling Through, think-tank EDSK argues not only that the language around academisation has become too politicised, but that the system itself is unsustainable. Here, Tom Richmond, EDSK’s founder and director, speaks to NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen about why he thinks it’s time we leave behind the political baggage and build a coherent, collaborative and transparent system based on the principle of ‘one set of rules for everyone’, allowing teachers and leaders to devote their energy to improving teaching and learning.

The Inspiring Leadership Conference is back in Birmingham this June for its tenth year, with another uplifting programme of speakers and sessions specifically for school leaders. Among the many new faces this year – the line-up already includes Sir Andrew Strauss and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu – will be one familiar one, Jane Creasy, who’s back to lead the annual two-day event. Hear Jane share her thoughts on why this unique conference and its speakers have such a powerful impact on the school leaders who take part. The episode also features a 10% discount code (valid until 29 February 2024). Find out more and book your place at the Inspiring Leadership Conference in 2024.

Content warning: please note this podcast episode mentions suicide. Loneliness, stress, not-fit-for-purpose inspections and burnout: Education Support’s latest research into the well-being of education staff reveals a stark picture of the day-to-day life of the people who work in the sector. The charity released the findings of its seventh Teacher Wellbeing Index in November 2023. Here, its chief executive Sinéad Mc Brearty shares her thoughts on the findings and their implications with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen. NAHT members can access a dedicated, confidential counselling and support helpline provided by Education Support on 0800 917 4055. Open 24/7, it is staffed by qualified counsellors offering emotional and practical support.

Could AI reduce workload by cutting the time teachers spend on marking and lesson planning – is it a time-saver or time-waster? What are ‘hallucinations’ and why should educators be aware of them? And what about its use by students? In this episode of the School Leadership Podcast, former teacher, author and director of education at No More Marking Daisy Christodoulou MBE shares her insights with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.

Research suggests that by age 11, a disadvantaged child is on average nine months behind their peers in English and Maths – and that only 14% of this is related to what happens at school, while 49% is related to what happens at home. But what can schools do differently to engage parents? How can they find out what the barriers facing the most disengaged families really are? And how do power dynamics, time and child enjoyment have a role to play? Hear Tom Harbour, founder of the charity Learning with Parents, discuss these questions and more with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen. Learning with Parents was set up to help all families have positive learning interactions together. Find out more at learningwithparents.com.

NAHT supports the social model of disability, which shifts the focus away from individuals, and onto the societal barriers that ‘disable’ people. Through this approach the focus is on trying to remove those barriers, to ensure equality for disabled people. But what does this model mean in practice? What about the language we use – what’s the difference between ‘disabled’ and ‘impairment’, and what’s the issue with using the term ‘vulnerable’? And what steps can school leaders take to support disabled staff? Join Emma Kosmin, from the TUC's equalities and strategy department, in conversation with NAHT senior equalities officer Natalie Arnett. Find out more about reasonable adjustments disability passports and the model workplace policy. Read NAHT’s equality, diversity and inclusion statements.

From demystifying mindfulness to rethinking resilience, hear thought-provoking conversations with key speakers at this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference, which took place at the ICC in Birmingham last month. Best-selling author and former Twitter Europe vice president Bruce Daisley is one of the UK's most influential voices on fixing work. Here, he joins educator and consultant Maggie Farrar, Bedfordshire Schools Trust CEO Alan Lee and NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen in a series of interviews for the School Leadership Podcast. See the ⁠⁠latest issue of NAHT's Leadership Focus magazine⁠⁠ for more on this year's Inspiring Leadership Conference in Birmingham. Booking is now open for next year’s event – find out more about Inspiring Leadership Conference 2024.

How can schools decide what education technology (edtech) to invest in? Has the edtech agenda been overrun by technologists – and if so, how can it be reclaimed? And what about AI? Hear edtech experts discuss these issues and more, along with a new Edtech Leadership Briefing Paper aimed at helping school leaders make informed, data-driven decisions about their ICT investment. In this episode of the School Leadership Podcast, you'll hear Dave Smith, head of partnerships and events at the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), Gavin Hawkins, chair of the board of management at NAACE (the Education Technology Association), and NAHT Life member and edtech consultant David Whyley in conversation with NAHT assistant general secretary James Bowen.