The Education Business Podcast

Claire Riley
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The Education Business Podcast is for educational consultants, small education-based business owners, Edtech providers and workshop leaders focused on providing education services to schools, as well as for teachers transitioning to freelancing with an entrepreneurial business idea. Growing and scaling a business that provides a service to schools and education requires a different skillset and inside knowledge to many other entrepreneurial ventures. In this podcast Claire Riley, CEO of Classroom Secrets and host of The Teachers' Podcast, shares what it takes to market and pitch your services to this sector. Find out exactly what headteachers and teachers are looking for, and why building a personal brand matters in your marketing and how you can grow your education business.

  1. Kate Bodrova: Building in a Crowded Market

    6D AGO

    Kate Bodrova: Building in a Crowded Market

    Episode Overview Entrepreneurship often looks glamorous from the outside. Fundraising announcements. Revenue milestones. Big exits. But the reality is much simpler. In this episode, Kate Bodrova shares her journey from selling private English lessons as a university student to building a language school and founding an education technology company. The conversation explores what really drives founders: curiosity, challenge, and the desire to build something meaningful. Kate explains why success is not just financial. She talks about the role of personal growth in entrepreneurship, the importance of listening closely to customers, and why there is no magic system for scaling a business. Instead, the work is straightforward. Build something people need. Talk to your customers. Improve the product. Repeat. For founders in education, her message is clear: competition should not stop you. When Kate opened her language school, there were already 38 schools on the same street. What mattered was commitment, energy, and focus on the customer.   00:00 — Introduction 01:00 — How Kate Started Her First Business 02:10 — Why Founders Need Challenge 03:05 — What Success Really Looks Like 04:00 — Can Money Buy Happiness? 05:30 — Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth 06:40 — Why Kate Never Chose Employment 07:30 — The Truth About Systems and Productivity 08:20 — Why Customers Must Be the Centre 09:30 — How Customer Conversations Shape Strategy 11:00 — Competing in a Crowded Market 12:30 — Final Advice for Entrepreneurs   All About Kate:Kate Bodrova is the founder and CEO of Amazy.uk, an award-winning platform that transforms how schools and educators create, manage, and deliver learning content while tracking student progress. A former ESL teacher, she is on a mission to modernise education by giving schools and teachers greater flexibility, control, and impact in the way they design, track, and share learning experiences. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  2. Parita Patel: Building an Education Business Around Life, Not the Other Way Around

    MAR 23

    Parita Patel: Building an Education Business Around Life, Not the Other Way Around

    Episode Overview  Parita Patel spent nearly two decades in education before building a tutoring business almost by accident. What began as a stop-gap after leaving full-time teaching is now a growing education company supporting students from primary through A-levels. In this episode, Parita shares how illness forced her to pause and rethink everything. That period became a turning point, shaping the way she built her business around health, family, and purpose. She talks openly about the realities of running an education business while raising a family, what “balance” actually looks like day to day, and why building the right team is essential for sustainable growth. This conversation explores the intersection of education, entrepreneurship, and life design.   00:00 Introduction to Parita Patel 00:01:30 Leaving the classroom and discovering tutoring 00:03:00 Viral meningitis and a forced pause 00:04:30 How recovery reshaped the business vision 00:06:00 Growing LEAP Educate from two tutors to a team 00:09:00 What “balance” really looks like in practice 00:12:00 Structuring a founder’s day around family life 00:16:00 Building a team and letting go of everything yourself 00:18:30 Advice for education business owners   All About Parita: Parita, a mum of two teens, an educator of 18 years with experience in Primary, and Secondary SEND education. From Teacher to tutor and entrepreneur, Parita’s mission at LEAPeducate is about empowering ALL students to maximise their academic potential no matter their barriers. Supporting parents to support their children is one of her strengths; after all, a successful education journey blossoms in a triangulation with the child at the heart of the journey "Providing a platform for children to learn and be the best version of themselves is my passion and ultimate goal. Some children may want support in challenging themselves academically, some to overcome learning barriers and others to gain optimum confidence. All children have the right to learn in the in alignment for them, enabling them to achieve their potential."LEAPeducate is an award-winning inclusive education organisation aspiring to support its students (aged 5-21) to learn holistically while developing wider skills for longer term success in a competitive world. If you would like to optimise your child’s academic journey through tuition and academic mentoring, you can join the LEAPeducate family booking in FREE consultation to discuss your requirements >>> www.leapeducte.com/contactWebsite: https://www.leapeducate.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leapeducate/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paritapatel-leapeducate/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leapeducate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 min
  3. Shane Leaning: Building an Ethical Education Business

    MAR 16

    Shane Leaning: Building an Ethical Education Business

    Episode Overview In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley speaks with education consultant Shane Leaning about the journey from classroom teacher to running an education consultancy. Shane began his career teaching in the UK before moving into international schools and senior leadership roles in China. After running professional development across schools in Asia, he noticed something surprising: teachers would attend training, give positive feedback, and yet very little would change in practice. That experience sparked a deeper interest in sustainable change in schools. In this conversation, Shane explains why traditional professional development often fails, how leadership coaching can transform school culture, and what happens when schools develop real confidence in their own expertise. The discussion also turns to the realities of building an education business. Shane talks openly about the steep learning curve of entrepreneurship, particularly the challenge of sales and the difference between having expertise and building a sustainable business. The episode explores ethical business in education, the importance of trusting educators, and why founders should be cautious about the picture of business success portrayed on social media. Hosted by Claire Riley, this episode offers practical insight for founders building businesses that serve schools.   00:00 – Introduction to the podcast 01:00 – Shane’s journey from teacher to international school leader 02:30 – The moment he realised professional development wasn’t working 03:30 – Discovering the problem of sustainable change in schools 05:00 – Life as a consultant supporting schools globally 06:30 – Coaching in education vs coaching in business 09:00 – Why teachers rarely get executive coaching 11:30 – Teachers as leaders in the classroom 13:30 – The transition from education to business 14:10 – Operationalising your offer as a founder 15:00 – The risks of product-led education businesses 17:30 – Why confidence changes school culture 18:30 – Psychological safety in schools 19:20 – Breaking the “waiting loop” in organisations 20:00 – How confident schools approach failure 22:00 – The steep learning curve of sales 23:00 – The myth of “if I build it, they will come” 24:30 – Learning how to sell without feeling salesy 26:20 – The reality behind business success on LinkedIn 27:00 – Why founders need a community   All About Shane:Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders around the world. He co-founded Work Collaborative and hosts the chart-topping school leadership podcast, community and academy, Education Leaders. Previously, he worked as Regional Head of Teaching Development for Nord Anglia Education. Passionate about empowering school leaders, he co-authored the best-selling book, 'Change Starts Here.' As a CollectivEd Fellow, Teacher Development Trust Associate, and TEDx speaker, Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Website: shaneleaning.comPodcast: Education Leaders: shaneleaning.com/podcastInstagram: @leaningshaneLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaningshane/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@education_leaders See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    29 min
  4. Craig McKee: From the Head’s Office to SaaS Founder

    MAR 9

    Craig McKee: From the Head’s Office to SaaS Founder

    Episode OverviewIn this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire speaks with former head teacher and chair of governors Craig McKee about his journey from school leadership to building a portfolio of successful education tools. Craig shares how stepping away from headship in 2021 led him to experiment with building simple online solutions for schools — starting with safeguarding training and growing into services like website audits, policy management tools and AI-powered support for senior leaders. The conversation explores how lived experience in schools helped Craig identify real problems worth solving, the importance of launching a minimum viable product (MVP), and the lessons he learned about pricing, marketing and validating ideas with customers. Craig also talks candidly about the realities of building an education business — from early uncertainty and learning the basics of self-employment, to scaling a subscription product and navigating marketing challenges in the education sector. This episode is packed with practical insights for education founders, teachers considering starting a business, and anyone looking to turn classroom experience into impactful products for schools.   00:00 – Introduction to the Education Business Podcast 01:10 – Craig’s career in teaching and school leadership 02:30 – Leaving headship and the unexpected start of a business 04:00 – Building the first product: safeguarding training 05:30 – Pricing your work and valuing your time 06:20 – Solving real school problems through lived experience 07:30 – Ideas that didn’t work and lessons learned 08:00 – The development of SLT AI 09:30 – Building products with feedback from school leaders 12:00 – Lived experience vs market feedback 14:10 – When the business started to feel financially real 16:30 – Marketing challenges in the education sector 18:00 – Social media, timing and organic growth 19:30 – Marketing experiments and what didn’t work 20:30 – Networking and building trust in the sector 22:00 – Managing expectations in marketing 24:00 – Lessons about running a business 25:00 – Systems, automation and starting as a sole trader 26:00 – Final advice for education founders   All About Craig:Craig McKee - former Head Teacher and former Chair of Governors With over 20 years’ experience in education, Craig has demonstrated exceptional leadership at every level. His track record includes serving as Deputy Head and contributing to a school’s journey from “Good” to “Outstanding” in their Ofsted inspection, and achieving National Teaching School status. As a former Chair of Governors, he has again supported a school’s transformation to “Outstanding” in their 2023 inspection. Throughout his career as a Deputy Head Teacher in a Teaching School and Head Teacher within an Academy Trust, Craig has championed school improvement through: - Designing and delivering impactful CPD programmes- Conducting peer reviews to support school self-evaluation- Collaborating with the Department for Education (DfE) on National Curriculum exemplification materials (2014)- Participating in expert groups at the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) to develop SATs assessments Craig has designed, and now manages, a number of websites designed to support school leaders to increase their capacity and enable them to spend more time out of their office working with their staff, pupils and families. Website: https://sltai.co.uk https://headlite.co.uk https://schoolpolicytracker.co.uk https://schoolwebsiteaudits.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-mckee-486597239/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567749426322 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min
  5. Kate Wadsworth: Progress Isn’t Linear: Lessons from an Education Business Founder

    MAR 2

    Kate Wadsworth: Progress Isn’t Linear: Lessons from an Education Business Founder

    Episode OverviewIn this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley speaks with education founder Kate Wadsworth about her journey from classroom teacher to launching What If Education. Kate shares the moment she realised the education system was pulling her away from the values that first inspired her to teach, and why she made the bold decision to leave the classroom without a backup plan. She talks openly about the realities of building an education business — from finding your audience and growing a network, to dealing with uncertainty, trial and error, and the emotional ups and downs of entrepreneurship. The conversation explores the power of connection, the importance of reflection, and why progress in business is rarely linear. Later in the episode, Claire and Kate discuss the unexpected lessons of entrepreneurship, including why your greatest strengths can also be your biggest challenges — an idea explored in the High Performance Podcast featuring psychologist Damien Hughes, author of Liquid Thinking. This episode is packed with honest insights for anyone thinking about starting an education business, already running one, or simply curious about what it really takes to turn an idea into impact.   00:00 – Introduction to the Education Business Podcast 00:45 – Meet Kate Wadsworth and her journey into teaching 02:30 – Two very different school experiences that shaped her values 03:10 – Why Kate decided to leave the classroom 04:00 – Founding What If Education 04:40 – Starting a business without a backup plan 06:00 – Inspiration from Steven Bartlett’s business ideas 07:00 – Building an education business while teaching vs leaving 08:00 – Growing an audience through connection and networking 09:30 – Using LinkedIn and virtual coffees to build a network 10:20 – How podcast appearances created unexpected opportunities 11:20 – Saying yes before you feel ready 12:10 – How to decide what opportunities to accept 13:00 – Trial and error in building a business 14:30 – Learning to recognise when you’re at capacity 16:00 – The hardest lesson: progress isn’t linear 17:20 – Avoiding the solo founder echo chamber 18:20 – Messaging challenges and business evolution 19:20 – Moving through uncertainty and finding clarity 20:10 – Advice education business owners need to hear 20:40 – When your biggest strength is also your weakness 21:30 – Freedom vs structure in entrepreneurship 22:20 – The importance of reflection and “pinch-me” moments 23:30 – Looking back to appreciate progress 24:40 – Final reflections and closing thoughts   All About Kate: Kate is a teacher, educational consultant, coach and author and she founded What If Education?®️ to bring change into education and more curiosity and creativity into learning. Working with educator’s in all their forms… leaders, teachers and parents, her philosophy is that learning is far too special a thing to be endured. It should be fun in the moment, meaningful for the future and enjoyed by all. Recognising that we can’t wait for systemic change to make education happier, less stressful and more relevant, she works in the uk and all over the world with people and teams helping them make change happen on the ground. Her book Awedinary, The Wonder of Everyday Things underpins her most recent venture. Written to help teachers and parents bring awe and wonder into learning, but it doesn’t stop there… it has been designed to be enjoyed by all from 2 to 122, because curiosity, creativity, awe and wonder hold the keys to a life-long love of learning, for everyone.Website: www.whatifeducation.comInstagram:www.instagram.com/what.if.educationLinked In: www.LinkedIn.com/in/kate-what-if-education See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    26 min
  6. Matthew Curnier: Scaling Beyond Yourself: A Multi-Company Founder

    FEB 23

    Matthew Curnier: Scaling Beyond Yourself: A Multi-Company Founder

    In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley sits down with Matthew Curnier — founder of Capital Tuition Group and Tutor Onboarder — to explore the winding road from marine biologist to multi-company education entrepreneur. Matthew shares how the National Tutoring Programme exposed critical compliance gaps in the tutoring sector and sparked the creation of Tutor Onboarder. He opens up about scaling pains, hiring mistakes, shiny object syndrome, rate increases, systemisation, and the emotional weight of entrepreneurship. This is a candid, practical, and refreshingly honest conversation about what it really takes to build and scale in the education space — without losing focus or burning out your team.   00:00 – Why Surrounding Yourself with Better People Matters 01:00 – From Marine Biologist to Teacher 02:00 – Training in a School in Special Measures 03:00 – Becoming a Specialist Leader in Education 04:00 – The Birth of Capital Tuition Group 05:00 – The National Tutoring Programme Opportunity 06:00 – Discovering the Compliance Gap 07:00 – Building the First Version of Tutor Onboarder 08:00 – Running Two Companies at Once 09:00 – Leveraging Teams Across Businesses 10:00 – Working On the Business, Not In It 11:00 – When a Lifestyle Business Becomes Bigger Than You 12:00 – The Biggest Scaling Mistakes 13:00 – Shiny Object Syndrome 14:00 – The Real Cost of Not Cutting Losses 15:00 – Hiring Mistakes & Hard Decisions 16:00 – Raising Prices with Confidence 17:00 – Why Systems Matter More Than Ideas 18:00 – Everything is Downstream from Lead Generation 19:00 – Marketing as “Dark Magic” 20:00 – The Reality of Entrepreneurship   All About Matthew:Website: www.capitaltuitiongroup.com / www.tutoronboarder.comInstagram: @capitaltuition @tutoronboarderLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-curnier-2bb20b257/CTG FB: https://www.facebook.com/capitaltuitiongroup.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min
  7. Matt Wilkinson: Charging Your Worth: From FE Teacher to Tutoring Business Owner

    FEB 15

    Matt Wilkinson: Charging Your Worth: From FE Teacher to Tutoring Business Owner

    Overview In this episode of The Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley is joined by Matt Wilkinson, founder of Restart Tuition. Matt shares his journey from FE lecturer to business owner, the reality of building a tutoring company, and the mindset shifts required to grow sustainably. They explore how to move from “doing everything” to focusing on the right clients, why undercharging harms both tutors and learners, and how word of mouth, local reputation, and systems can transform a small tutoring practice into a scalable business. Matt also discusses leadership, networking beyond the tutoring bubble, and why charging your true value creates more opportunity—not less—for impact. This is an essential listen for tutors and education founders who want to grow with confidence, clarity, and purpose.   00:00 – Word of Mouth 00:01 – Intro 00:02 – Matt’s Journey 00:04 – Leadership Growth 00:05 – Starting Restart Tuition 00:06 – Building the Business 00:08 – Team & Structure 00:10 – Local Authority Work 00:12 – Business Focus 00:14 – Systems & Safeguarding 00:16 – Growth Challenges 00:17 – Focus vs Fear 00:18 – Referrals & Marketing 00:21 – Income & Security 00:22 – Money Mindset 00:24 – Pricing & Value 00:29 – Belief vs Reality 00:31 – Boundaries 00:33 – Networking 00:35 – Perspective Shift 00:36 – Leadership 00:37 – Close   All About Matt:Matt Wilkinson is the founder of Restart Tuition Ltd. He is a maths teacher and tutor with extensive experience supporting learners across GCSE Maths and Functional Skills. Matt built Restart Tuition to help young people gain confidence in both Maths and English, particularly those who feel anxious, stuck, or behind. His approach is confidence-led and designed to reduce overwhelm, close gaps in learning, and help students make steady, lasting progress.Website: www.restarttuition.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwilkinsonedu/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/restarttuition/     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min
  8. John Nichols: The Uncomfortable Truths of Teaching, Tutoring, and Entrepreneurship

    FEB 9

    John Nichols: The Uncomfortable Truths of Teaching, Tutoring, and Entrepreneurship

    What really happens when a teacher leaves the classroom and builds an education business? In this episode, Claire Riley is joined by John Nichols, President of The Tutors’ Association and founder of an international education consultancy, to unpack the uncomfortable truths about teaching, tutoring, and entrepreneurship in education. John shares his unconventional journey from Teach First science teacher to full-time tutor, and eventually to leading one of the UK’s most influential professional bodies in tuition. Along the way, he talks candidly about why classroom teaching didn’t suit him, why tutoring worked immediately, and why many education businesses struggle when they try to scale — especially in edtech. This is a grounded, no-hype conversation about responsiveness, mindset shifts, boundaries, and what teachers must unlearn if they want to succeed in business. If you’re a former teacher building (or thinking of building) an education business, this episode will challenge how you think about work, value, and impact.   00:01:30 - John’s Exit from Teaching 00:05:20 - Discovering Tutoring — and Earning More Fast 00:11:40 - Teaching vs Tutoring: What Actually Changes 00:06:30 - From Tutor to Business Owner 00:07:30 - The Reality of Building an EdTech Company 00:17:40 - Managing Multiple Roles and Businesses 00:20:30 - Teams, Expectations, and Cultural Differences 00:28:30 - Responsiveness as a Business Superpower 00:35:00 - The Future of Education and Private Provision   All About John:John Nichols is a former teacher, tutor, President of The Tutors' Association (TTA) and co-founder of the education technology and consulting company, Get My Grades Limited. He has a wealth of experience in education with over 13,000 hours of personal teaching experience, as well as having implemented a high-impact educational technology programme to over 27,000 students in Africa and delivering impactful teacher training based on modern cognitive science and its practical application in the classroom. As elected President of The Tutors' Association since 2020, John led on the sectoral engagement with the DfE and its contracted delivery partners in the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) and has created and implemented the international growth strategy and led engagement with UNESCO, UK Government departments (DfE, DBT and HMRC) as well as with education stakeholders in the UK and around the world.Website: https://thetutorsassociation.org.uk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-nichols-2556693b/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min
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The Education Business Podcast is for educational consultants, small education-based business owners, Edtech providers and workshop leaders focused on providing education services to schools, as well as for teachers transitioning to freelancing with an entrepreneurial business idea. Growing and scaling a business that provides a service to schools and education requires a different skillset and inside knowledge to many other entrepreneurial ventures. In this podcast Claire Riley, CEO of Classroom Secrets and host of The Teachers' Podcast, shares what it takes to market and pitch your services to this sector. Find out exactly what headteachers and teachers are looking for, and why building a personal brand matters in your marketing and how you can grow your education business.

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