About this podcast

In a week when there was the Coroner’s verdict on the Headteacher at Caversham Primary School, the lack of strong leadership emanating from the Covid Inquiry, a Prime Minister trying to say that Rwanda is a safe country when only a few months ago Supreme County judges determined that it wasn’t, PISA findings and a troubling UNESCO report on appalling increase in levels of child poverty in recent years it was a tough ask to find just three things to chat about. We ended up with four!

1. Ruth Perry

2. Child Poverty levels in the UK

3. Recruitment and retention of teachers and leaders

4. Why local support is often the most effective

It is an interesting and at times troubling chat.  We are fortunate to have guests like Sameena joining us.

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Meet the Host

Frank Norris and Stan Johnson have been friends since 1995. Both have had successful and lengthy careers in education. Frank was a very senior HMI with Ofsted for 11 years and was CEO of the Coop Academies Trust for 6 years.

Stan was seconded to Ofsted for a year and then returned to headship before working as a senior adviser with Lancashire LA. He has latterly led a successful education consultancy in the North West. Prior to Covid-19 the two colleagues would meet in Manchester for a pint or two but the pandemic put an end to that.

On 1 May 2020, they recorded their first video chat as a way of recording their emotions and reactions to the pandemic. After putting the video on Youtube as a safe place to store their discussions they realised that some followers began to appear and were interested in their leadership perspectives. Now, with over 170  weekly episodes and usually an eminent guest joining them, they have a growing and increasingly influential following.

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