We Are In Beta Podcast
51 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsThe We Are In Beta Podcast tells the positive, practical and personal stories of inspirational school leaders tackling big challenges in their schools. Each episode takes a deeper look at a different topic through the eyes of the people we speak to, capturing a range of voices - colleagues, parents and students - along the way.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
When the penny drops
May 09, 2021 13:07 - 29 minutes - 67.1 MBThere have been people working on decolonizing the curriculum for a very long time now. In early 2020 after George Floyd’s death decolonizing the curriculum came to the forefront of the discussion. People who had never considered it, or even understood what it meant, had to grapple with its implications. This whole episode is about exactly that. Havelock Primary school was by no means behind the curve when It came to things like this but when they decided to decolonize their curriculum (...
The First 30
May 01, 2021 13:03 - 33 minutes - 77.5 MBA few years ago Solihull was a small, relatively affluent borough in Southeast Birmingham, but they had one big problem. Many factors had aligned to create a situation where Solihull had more permanent exclusions than 90% of the country. This is when Stephen Steinhaus, the soon-to-be principal of this new school, caught wind they were building a new school in the borough. A school that was attempting to find a solution to their permanent exclusion problem. Making a school like that isn't e...
Intrinsic Motivation
April 22, 2021 14:43 - 26 minutes - 61 MBOne of the fundamental lessons teachers learn is ‘how to motivate their class’. Historically, For many, this comes down to the Skinnerian model of behaviorism, which is essentially positive and negative reinforcement. John Camp (the Lead of the Compass trust) was taught this too. He began to see things differently when his own headteacher showed him another way of motivation. One called intrinsic motivation. As Trust leader John has had the chance to share intrinsic motivation with his co...
Teaching, Teaching
April 15, 2021 14:48 - 43 minutes - 99.4 MBClassically, CPD brings all the staff together to learn about a single subject of improvement. By contrast, Instructional coaching has aspects that make bespoke to what each teacher needs at the moment. So this all sounds good in theory but how does it work? Where do you start? What do you do when it doesn’t go to plan? When Josh Goodrich became the head of teaching and learning at Oasis South Bank, he was determined to bring instructional coaching to life; but it wasn’t easy. BIG than...
Ma-tour-nity
April 08, 2021 13:02 - 28 minutes - 66.1 MBDuring Lucy’s first maternity leave, she felt alienated from her profession. People would tell her that she would lose interest in working full time but she didn’t. In her second MAT leave, she was determined not to be on the outside looking. While attending an event put on by the MPTP project, for the first time she became aware that she could go on school visits during her MAT leave. Over the next couple of months, Lucy goes on several school walk-throughs with her young child Roland. Sh...
Risk and Reward
April 01, 2021 17:16 - 38 minutes - 88.7 MBMany teachers who gravitate towards schools that have fallen on hard times, have been taught in similar schools, and in this way, Sajid Gulzar isn’t very different. As a headteacher, Sajid has continued to be interested in the schools that require a lot of care; but doing this can eventually spread you too thin if you're not careful. As with most of us, there is a real tension between what needs doing and what WE can do. Sajid and Prince Albert Community Trust find themselves right in the...
UN-Sustainable
March 25, 2021 11:15 - 34 minutes - 79.9 MBEducation should prepare students for the world they are going to live in. That world will require more awareness of the impact humans have on the planet and each other. In 2015 the United Nation set out 17 sustainable development goals, with their mission statement being, “A blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030”. Rachel Tomlinson and Karl Cross have become enthusiastic about making this goal a reality and developing their students to become leaders on ...
Through The Blackwall
March 18, 2021 13:02 - 26 minutes - 59.8 MBYamina grew up in the majority Bangladeshi area of Tower Hamlets. When her family moved to Canary Wharf things changed; 9/11 happened and the overt racism began. When she became a teacher years later, she didn’t go back to Tower Hamlets, she went to teach in Lewisham. It was in Lewisham where the prejudice she faced as a kid was still present in her students. This time she made it her responsibility to teach them, not only about English but also how to treat people with respect. BIG thank ...
Season 4 Starting March 18th
March 17, 2021 11:59 - 1 minute - 4.18 MBThe We Are In Beta podcast is back. We -schools, Are In Beta- Always learning. Over the past year, we have done a lot of that learning very quickly and through our own trial and error. The WAIB podcast shares stories from the experience of teachers in schools, so we can learn from them, challenge our own thinking and see things from an others perspective. In this season we have stories of change. People changing others, people changing the system, and people changing themselves. From r...
Roadmap to Renewal
July 06, 2020 14:55 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBIn this episode, we speak with Kiran Mahil - History and politics teacher in East London. Obviously, things have changed a lot due to covid19, but what might not be obvious is how we will regain the things we’ve lost over this period. Kiran and friend (and fellow teacher) Hannah Dalton, have come up with a document that allows schools to understand what has been lost and consider how they will respond. It’s called the Roadmap to Renewal. We talked to them about it. Learn more about our gues...
So how's it been?
June 29, 2020 14:57 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBIn this episode, we speak with Sharifah Lee- The Deputy Headteacher of Dorney School in Windsor. We spoke to Sharifah in a previous episode and she mentioned that they're opening their school to more students. That was a couple of weeks ago... We wanted to see what worked, what hasn't and how it's been. Learn more about our guests, their schools, the roles they are recruiting for, and access all resources and bonus content from episodes at www.weareinbeta.community.
Activism takes action
June 22, 2020 06:30 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBIn this episode, we speak with Chantelle Clarke -Head of Department at Frederick Bremer School, Waltham Forest. We talked about how recent events have led to more support of Black Lives Matter and similar movements. But what do we do with that support? Learn more about our guests, their schools, the roles they are recruiting for, and access all resources and bonus content from episodes at www.weareinbeta.community.
Attendance
June 15, 2020 06:11 - 17 minutes - 16 MBIn this episode, we speak with Anita Woodward-Benn about her role as the trust attendance manager at the University of Brighton Academies Trust. You could say attendance officers have a reputation for being the rule keepers. But Anita thinks about it differently. She thinks attendance practitioners could and should be the front line of support for families. How? By focusing on building relationships with parents. Learn more about our guests, their schools, the roles they are recruiting for...
What's good online CPD?
June 08, 2020 07:12 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBIn this episode, we do something a little different. During lockdown, there's been a lot of online CPD happening. There's plenty of research about what good CPD and good online learning look like. But what do teachers who've been attending these sessions have to say? We spoke to three teachers about their experience of attending over 145 online CPD sessions over the past few weeks. We ask them what makes for good online CPD in their opinion. This is not science but hopefully, it will helpful...
Moving on Up
May 25, 2020 06:30 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBIn this episode, we speak to Emily Reynard - Headteacher of MEA Central - about year 7 transition. Emily talks about why transition is so important and how it's not an isolated incident; a transition is felt by every year group. Learn more about the school, roles they are recruiting for, and access all resources and bonus content from episodes at www.weareinbeta.community.
Between the equal sign
May 18, 2020 06:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBIn this episode, we speak to David Sammels - Headteacher of Mayflower Community Academy - about how the lockdown has sparked David's change from a linear way of working to a non-linear way. We also speak about how David has been feeling more connected to parents, despite the distance and maybe because of the non-linear working. Learn more about the school, roles they are recruiting for, and access all resources and bonus content from episodes at www.weareinbeta.community.
Fund the lot
May 11, 2020 06:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBIn this episode, we speak to Mike Wilson - Headteacher of St. Edmund's Catholic School in Dover, Kent - about an issue we discussed in a previous episode, the 'digital divide': the gap between students who have access to data and devices at home and those who don't. St. Edmund's Catholic School is one where this divide is significant. Around 10% of students have limited or no access. Shortly after schools closed, the staff at St Edmund's were preparing to take their school online but rea...
Grading: a three step process
May 04, 2020 06:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBIn this episode, we speak to Amit Hathi - Headteacher of Wembley High Technology College, London. In the wake of the pandemic, school closures and the cancellation of exams, teachers are being asked to provide centred assessed grades for their students. Grades which they believe their students would have been most likely to get in the summer if they had taken the exams. But doing this fairly and consistently is not without its challenges. Amit explains the three step approach they are ta...
Remote Recruiting
April 27, 2020 06:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBIn this episode, we are speaking to Will Mackintosh and Nat Nabarro - Headteacher and Vice-Principal of Ark John Keats in North London Since we've been working remotely we have had to change the way we do a lot of things. One of them is recruitment. Without being able to visit schools or meet candidates teachers and schools have to change their methods without necessarily changing what they're looking for. Will and Nat tell us what they've done in their school to change the way they're d...
The most important thing is to listen
April 23, 2020 06:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBIn this episode, we are speaking to Nicole Fowles - Headteacher at Coleshill Heath School, Birmingham. During the COVID19 crisis Nicole, like many other school leaders., has been dealing with fragments of information and sometimes conflicting messages. She’s been dealing with bereavement, supporting teachers and parents for home learning, and safeguarding challenges. She’s been dealing with staff anxiety and communication overload. She talks about the four reassurances she gave her team ...
Data and Devices
April 20, 2020 06:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBIn this episode, we speak with Seb Chapleau - Director of Big Education Conversation. We spoke about an initiative he's supporting to help kids have access to the data and devices necessary to ensure the can access remote learning from home. Join the conversation here: www.weareinbeta.community
Building the plane while flying it
April 13, 2020 06:00 - 11 minutes - 11 MBThis episode we speak with Shonogh Pilgrim - Principal of Ansford Academy - about how, without knowing it, her school has been preparing her students for school closure. She reveals how their recent school ski trip and the culmination of their 4 year programme of work to increase student independence coincide to to set them up to open their virtual school. We also spoke about how Shonogh's staying in touch with her students and parents with daily videos. Join the conversation here: www.w...
Tutor reading programme
April 09, 2020 06:00 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBOn this episode, we speak with Josie Mingay - School Improvement Lead, Greenshaw Learning Trust. We spoke about the decision between live or recorded remote teaching and their tutor reading programme. Join the conversation here: www.weareinbeta.community
Skype-y days
April 06, 2020 06:00 - 10 minutes - 9.45 MBThis episode, we speak with Ben Layzell - Head of Atherton Community School, Wigan. We talk about taking care of staff first just before closing the school, the current generation of students being more socially conscious and missing the structure of a school day. Join the conversation here: www.weareinbeta.community
Touching Base
April 02, 2020 06:00 - 10 minutes - 14.6 MBThis episode, we speak with Cassie Young - SENCO and Head of School of Brenzett Primary School in Kent. We talk about some of the expectations put on parents at this moment as well the importance of staying connected with the students while they're home. Join the conversation here: www.weareinbeta.community
Getting meals to students
March 30, 2020 06:00 - 15 minutes - 18.7 MBAfter 3 months of research and prep for Series 3, all our in person interviews were understandably postponed due to coronavirus. In times like these, it’s important we stay connected. So, Niall (host and founder of We Are In Beta) and Jay (Producer) will be making calls to teachers around the country to check-in and find what they’re doing that’s new, the questions they have and a little bit about their life. This episode, we spoke with Clare Fletcher - Director of Schools, The Yare Educ...
White Ally
December 22, 2019 07:00 - 25 minutes - 35.2 MBPicking up from the last episode on BAME leadership, 'Critical Mass' featuring Allana Gay, which you should listen to first, we’re talking about what it means to be a good ally to your BAME colleagues, what the purpose is and what it looks like when it’s not easy. We speak to Patrick Ottley O’Connor - Executive Headteacher, North Liverpool Academy - and Allana Gay again about what they’ve done and would like to see done to promote an equitable education system for people of all backgrounds...
Critical Mass
December 22, 2019 06:00 - 30 minutes - 42.2 MBThis is an episode on BAME leadership in education. BAME stands for Black Asian Minority Ethnic. According to the Swan Report (1985) and a recent report by the Runnymede Trust (2017), BAME educators have more difficulty progressing to leadership in the English education system. We went out to hear some stories from BAME leaders in education about what it was like for them getting to their position…but we made a mistake. Listen to learn what it was, what we did about it. Allana Gay, H...
He For She
December 15, 2019 06:00 - 30 minutes - 35.7 MBVivienne Porritt, amongst many things is one of the founders of the social equity group called #WomenEd. Vivienne set us a challenge. She asked us to take a message to every man in education. Chris Hildrew is a contributor to the WomenEd book '10% Braver', and Headteacher at Churchill Academy. He charts his change to becoming a He for She ally, from his early years in school to a speech he heard by Emma Watson at the United Nations. Later Chris would adopt some tips from Sheryl Sandberg’...
Blind Recruitment.
December 08, 2019 06:00 - 26 minutes - 35.8 MBThese days things are going well for Claire Cuthbert. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher. When she became one, she progressed quickly. The time soon came for her to apply for headship - one at a start up school in a mining community. Both the interviewers and applicants for the position were all, as Claire describes “middle aged white males in grey suits”, and to be honest that’s not really surprising. But what happened next was. Claire progressed to the second round and when it ...
Community and Connection.
December 01, 2019 06:00 - 28 minutes - 38.5 MBProgress 8. Grades 9-4. Ofsted. RSCs. In the current accountability climate in schools, it can be easy to forget that students and their education are about more than numbers. But at what cost? What opportunities are we missing to connect? To create an important sense of community? When he was a student, Manny Botwe had a teacher with whom he shared a great relationship. This teacher took an interest in him and his activities outside school. But when Manny was getting into trouble he...
Unconditional Positive Regard.
November 24, 2019 05:00 - 29 minutes - 40.7 MBDeborah Firat is a parent governor. She has seen first hand the the difference it makes when teachers approach their pupils with unconditional positive regard. Her son Zak has autism and although he went to a good mainstream school, they didn't have the tools to maximise he potential. Dave Whitaker (Director of Learning at Wellspring Academy Trust) and Luke Mitchell (Head of Behaviour Support) share what they have learned from years of experience and some guiding principles about how to ...
Behaviour Is Communication
November 17, 2019 06:30 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MBOver the course of their careers, the Headteacher of Hawkswood Primary Pru (pupil Referal unit) Marie Gentles and her deputy Katie L'Aimable have begun to see patterns. They've gone from seeing their students' behaviour as isolated events to understanding that all behaviour is communication. Marie and Katie tell us what they've learned about what some behaviours are communicating and why understanding the root of behaviour is so critical. To get access to the podcast before anyone el...
The Jigsaw Puzzle
November 10, 2019 07:00 - 33 minutes - 45.6 MBHaving felt the pressure between parenthood and being a senior leader, when Sue Plant had the opportunity to become the Head of School of a brand new school, she was going to make sure her staff didn’t face the same challenges she faced. At John Taylor Free School, Sue tells us how she set out to make her school flexible working-friendly and recruited her whole staff in the first year without spending any money on advertising. All part of her plan to get the culture right and attract the bes...
The Jigsaw Puzzle.
November 10, 2019 07:00 - 33 minutes - 45.6 MBHaving felt the pressure between parenthood and being a senior leader, when Sue Plant had the opportunity to become the Head of School of a brand new school, she was going to make sure her staff didn’t face the same challenges she faced. At John Taylor Free School, Sue tells us how she set out to make her school flexible working-friendly and recruited her whole staff in the first year without spending any money on advertising. All part of her plan to get the culture right and attract the bes...
Two heads are better than one
November 02, 2019 08:00 - 41 minutes - 57 MBLisa Farmer had finally got her dream job as a headteacher. Soon after getting the job she discovered she was pregnant. Lisa and her husband were elated but she thought people expected her to step down from her new role. With no intention of stepping down Lisa began looking into flexible working options. She was looking for a co-headteacher to share the role with. But this was over a decade ago, before more case studies were available. So Lisa had to learn through trial and error... We als...
Two heads are better than one.
November 02, 2019 08:00 - 41 minutes - 57 MBLisa Farmer had finally got her dream job as a headteacher. Soon after getting the job she discovered she was pregnant. Lisa and her husband were elated but she thought people expected her to step down from her new role. With no intention of stepping down Lisa began looking into flexible working options. She was looking for a co-headteacher to share the role with. But this was over a decade ago, before more case studies were available. So Lisa had to learn through trial and error... We als...
Call To Action: Going Phone Free. How to enact whole school behaviour change
October 27, 2019 08:00 - 29 minutes - 40.8 MBLeann Swaine was the Associate Headteacher of East Barnet School when she wanted to make a change. One day she was in the school corridor when an event inspired her to go on the journey to make the school phone free. East Barnet is a mixed secondary with 1400 students. It’s a school big enough to make tasks like “going phone free” seem daunting. This week on We Are In Beta, Leann, now the Headteacher tells us how she prepared her staff and students for the upcoming change. Whether you ...
Call To Action: Going Phone Free.
October 27, 2019 08:00 - 29 minutes - 40.8 MBLeann Swaine was the Associate Headteacher of East Barnet School when she wanted to make a change. One day she was in the school corridor when an event inspired her to go on the journey to make the school phone free. East Barnet is a mixed secondary with 1400 students. It’s a school big enough to make tasks like “going phone free” seem daunting. This week on We Are In Beta, Leann, now the Headteacher tells us how she prepared her staff and students for the upcoming change. Whether you ...
We Are In Beta - Series 2: Trailer
October 20, 2019 09:53 - 1 minute - 2.62 MBWe Are In Beta opens its second series. Host Niall Alcock gives you a taste of what's new and what to expect from upcoming episodes. There's a new addition to the team too. Meet our new producer, Jay. Don't miss the first episode - out on October 27th 2019 - hit that subscribe button now. To get access the podcast before anyone else and extra goodies like our guests' research and book recommendations, the services they couldn't do without and links to the policies and documents they talk...
Jeremy Hannay, Headteacher, Three Bridges Primary School - Doing away with the Ofsted style of management: how to reduce high stakes accountability and increase teacher autonomy
August 11, 2019 07:38 - 1 hour - 69.1 MBIn this episode, Jeremy Hannay, Headteacher of Three Bridges Primary School in west London, shares his thoughts on How a trip to see the London 2012 Olympics gave him his life’s mission The best bits of the UK and Canadian education systems How teacher recruitment and retention crisie could become a thing of the past in every school The false dichotomy between high performance and happiness that exists in schools What performance management has been replaced with at Three Bridges ...
Stephen Munday, Chief Executive, The Cam Academy Trust & Executive Principal, Comberton Village College & President of The Chartered College of Teaching: Doing the right thing and working together
July 21, 2019 12:00 - 39 minutes - 43.4 MBIn this episode, Stephen Munday (Chief Executive, The Cam Academy Trust; Executive Principal, Comberton Village College & President of The Chartered College of Teaching), shares his thoughts on: In his interview, Stephen shares his thoughts on: How a cup of tea with his Mum’s friend was the catalyst to becoming the President of the Chartered College of Teaching His purpose and what he finds deeply inspiring about teaching Which role in a school prepares you well for becoming a headtea...
Linda Emmett, Headteacher, All Saints Catholic College, Cheshire - How to create a culture of absolute joy on the journey out of special measures
June 30, 2019 11:00 - 32 minutes - 34.6 MBIn this episode, Linda Emmett, Headteacher, All Saints Catholic College Chesire, shares her thoughts on: Why her job in IT inspired her to teach What she thinks is the most important thing when growing students as individuals The programme that inspired her to take on headship The organisations she’s worked with that have helped transform All Saints The language her team uses to encourage staff to speak up about their challenges Why she thinks Ofsted has a positive role to play a...
Dr. Chris Tomlinson, Regional Director of Harris Secondary and new CEO of Coop Academies Trust - the one budget you keep moving up: how to invest in staff development in schools
June 16, 2019 11:00 - 41 minutes - 44.7 MBTo get access to the podcast before anyone else and receive a curated list of organisations and resources guests recommend, join the free We Are In Beta community mailing list here In this episode, Dr, Chris Tomlinson, Director of Harris Secondary and soon to be CEO of Coop Academies Trust, shares his thoughts on: Why his experience of education wasn’t great and what gave him confidence What he believes headteachers should all still do What he says is the key to leading 5 schools from...
Hannah Wilson, Executive Headteacher, Aureus Primary and Secondary Schools, Oxfordshire - How to create a mentally healthy school
June 02, 2019 11:00 - 40 minutes - 42.1 MBTo get access to the podcast before anyone else and receive a curated list of organisations and resources guests recommend join the free We Are In Beta community mailing list here In this episode of the We Are In Beta Podcast, Hannah Wilson, Executive Headteacher, Aureus Primary and Secondary Schools, Oxfordshire shares her thoughts on: How she got into teaching The time when could’ve left teaching for good and the time when she left a school without a role to go to next The skills sh...
Clare Rees, Headteacher, Havelock Primary School, Ealing - How to build trust by creating a coaching culture in schools
May 06, 2019 14:25 - 47 minutes - 48.5 MBTo get access to the podcast before anyone else and receive a curated list of organisations and resources guests recommend join the free We Are In Beta community mailing list here In this episode of the We Are In Beta Podcast, Clare Rees, Headteacher, Havelock Primary School, Ealing shares her thoughts on: Why it’s her ‘grandmother’s fault’ she became a teacher The advice her colleague gave her that she ignored Why she didn’t believe she could do a doctorate but took it on anyway Ho...
Ed Vainker, Executive Headteacher, Reach Academy Feltham - How to improve progress by investing in relationships with families
April 28, 2019 15:21 - 40 minutes - 45.3 MBTo stay up to date with interviews and updates from the We Are In Beta community and access links to all the resources, people and organisations guests mention sign up here In this episode of the We Are In Beta Podcast, Ed Vainker, Executive Headteacher, Reach Academy Feltham, shares his thoughts on: How he got into teaching How North America influenced his education philosophy Why Reach Academy Feltham may never have come to exist Why is he reluctant to shout from the rooftops abou...
Will Smith, Chief Exec, Greenshaw Learning Trust - How to reduce workload and generate a feeling of relief in schools
April 09, 2019 13:08 - 34 minutes - 35.7 MBIn this episode of the We Are In Beta Podcast, Will Smith, Chief Exec at Greenshaw Learning Trust, shares his thoughts on: How acids and alkalis altered his life direction What everyone at Greenshaw is entitled to What impact changes to the Ofsted framework will have How he re-defines accountability The organisations that you probably think about that MATs are accountable to The leader mindset shift he thinks is required in the system His trust’s statement of intent around incl...
Evelyn Forde, Headteacher, Copthall School - BAME leadership: how do we make it more representative in schools?
March 22, 2019 18:46 - 40 minutes - 41.7 MBIn this episode of the We Are In Beta Podcast, Evelyn Forde, Headteacher at Copthall School, shares her thoughts on: how her daughters inspired her to make a change, how she overcame the odds to secure her dream role at Copthall, how she led the school to achieve exceptional results, how she improved teaching and learning through incremental coaching, what she is doing to improve staff wellbeing, which stakeholders she included in developing the school’s culture, which headlines...
Elroy Cahill, Headteacher, Kingsley Academy - leadership coaching and live lesson coaching
March 10, 2019 18:23 - 25 minutes - 27.9 MBIn this episode of the We Are In Beta Podcast, Elroy Cahill, the newly appointed headteacher at Kingsley Academy in Hounslow, shares his thoughts on: How one teacher transformed his view on education when he was going down the wrong road, What he thinks would be a grave error in relation to the new Ofsted framework, What Ofsted should do in circumstances of inappropriate off-rolling, Why he thinks morally driven leadership is important, Why is he thinks coaching is so important and ...