Our last panel of the year, sponsored by MyConcern, was an extremely important one – especially in the current climate. We spoke to Mike Glanville, director of safeguarding services at One Team Logic; Jan Pickles OBE, safeguarding consultant; Adam Lubbock, director of Kings River Education; and Luke Ramsden, designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy headteacher of St Benedict’s School. We asked the panel about the current challenges for DSLs, what additional measures schools can take to support them, what lessons have been learned since March on managing the consequences of Covid-19, the i ..read more

Barnaby Lenon began his career in 1978 teaching geography at Eton College and is currently the chairman of the Independent Schools Council. On the topic of the current state of the independent schools sector, we asked him whether demand for independent schools had changed since the pandemic, the financial toll of freezing fees and the biggest challenges facing heads. The big question was whether the independent schools sector is stronger or more vulnerable than ever. “It’s clearly very strong in some ways”, said Lenon, highlighting the sector’s “very good education”, “excellent value for money ..read more

We were delighted to catch up with Sally-Anne Huang, high master at St Paul’s School, who reflected on the last academic year, her role as chair of HMC, and how schools can foster an environment for good mental health.  Huang, new to her role at St Paul’s this September, said it had been a good time to move schools, as crisis management meant she had been able to get to know the team very well right off the bat. She highlighted how headteachers urgently needed consultation with the Government on what is going to happen with 2021 exams, and said this lack of discussion with those at the ..read more

In this discussion, sponsored by CH&CO, we were joined by Amanda Ursell, CH&CO’s consultant nutritionist; Irfan Latif, principal of DLD College London; and Edward Valletta, bursar and clerk to the governors at Kimbolton School. We asked the panel how CH&CO’s four pillars of focus – mental health, sustainability, nutrition and community – align with the education sector, how important good nutrition is for pupils to achieve their best, and how parents, educators and caterers can work together to encourage food exploration. We also talked in depth about Marcus Rashford’s sc ..read more

We spoke to Nick Dennis about the impact of the pandemic on the curriculum and his role as director of studies, how history education is changing, and practical steps to improve the recruitment and development of staff to increase ethnic and gender diversity. Nick Dennis is currently director of studies at St. Francis’ College, Letchworth and also a fellow of the Schools History Project, the UK’s premier historical education think tank. He has presented a series of historical documentary programmes for the World History Project, where he also sits on the advisory board. Nick is a member of the ..read more

Our panel of passionate headteachers stepped up to tackle the biggest questions in education. This included Nina Gunson, head of Sheffield High School for Girls; Millan Sachania, headmaster of Streatham & Clapham High School; Mark Beach, headmaster of Sherborne House School; and Jo Anderson, principal of Bury Grammar Schools. We asked them whether schools should have been forced to shut in March, whether they received enough guidance from the Government to open in September, what strategies they used to reassurance parents and if their schools were prepared for more potential lockdowns. W ..read more

To wrap up a very successful, insightful and well-loved series, Sophie Bailey, founder of The Edtech Podcast, shared her views on the year so far in edtech and how she’s been approaching her work during lockdown. The discussions looked at the role of technology in the future of education and covered topics from how to bridge the digital divide, to the future of student recruitment, and female representation in tech. Twitter @soph_bailey Thank you to everyone who has tuned in for the series! We hope we've brought you some positive and insightful views during what's been a rather strange year. K ..read more

With extensive experience in schools and colleges as a teacher, lecturer, senior manager, principal and governor, Bob Harrison has worked with head teachers and senior leaders in developing leadership skills for the National College of School Leadership. He was also the advisor to DfES on the FE Principals Qualification, the digital/e-learning advisor for the DfES Standards Unit and the lead on Digital Futures for the Building Schools for the Future Leadership programme which he designed and delivered at national level for several local authorities. Following 12 years as Chief Examiner as well ..read more

Co-founder of Teacher Tapp and Education Journalist for The Guardian Laura McInerney is an education journalist, former teacher, and co-founder of Teacher Tapp – the app that uncovers teachers’ secret lives. She regularly appears on TV and radio as an authority on schools, including BBC News, Today on Radio 4, Sky News, and Newsnight. Laura taught for six years in challenging secondary schools before being taken to court by Michael Gove for asking a difficult question about free schools (and yes – she won the answer eventually, and did so while wearing a dazzling sunshine-yellow jacket!). Afte ..read more

In this episode our expert panel explores... With financial analysts forecasting a £463m shortfall for the next academic year, as 14,000 fewer prospective students from just eight southeast Asian countries opt to cancel or postpone their study plans, these invaluable institutions must do all they can to protect the bottom line, all while maintaining the elite student experience for which the UK is well-known. Staff are stretched by swelling workloads and rising administrative tasks, all while working from home and dealing with heightened levels of stress. How can universities support their stu ..read more