The School Should Be Podcast

Zahara Chowdhury

A discussion of all the things we wish we knew, learned and discussed at school. From wellbeing to finance, prejudice to the school system...our aim is to give students, teachers and professionals a voice to discuss what they think school should be for our teachers, students and communities. We want school to be a place where students want to go, teachers enjoy teaching and communities see the true value of these institutions. That is only possible with these conversations. So grab a coffee, listen in and let us know your thoughts!

  1. What does it take to succeed as a Deputy Headteacher?

    MAY 4

    What does it take to succeed as a Deputy Headteacher?

    This month we are joined by the brilliant Adam Kohlbeck: Director of Teacher Quality at Chiltern Learning Trust, author, podcaster and speaker, and Chris Passey: Headteacher at Kimichi School, SENDCo, author, podcaster and speaker. Both Adam and Chris are co-founders of the education thinktank, EduPulse and this time have come together to author their brilliant book: Succeeding as a Deputy Head (DHT). In this episode we talk all about leadership, the role of a DHT, what makes it unique, how to get there and we bust some well-known myths about this pivotal role in school leadership. Chris is currently Headteacher and SENDCo at Kimichi School, an independent music-specialist school. A Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, Chris holds an MA in Educational Leadership, is a published children’s authorand is the co-author of Succeeding as a Deputy Head(Bloomsbury, 2026) and Professional Development for Great Teaching (Routledge, 2027). Other published work includes articles in the Chartered College of Teaching’s IMPACT journal. Co-founder of education think tank, EduPulse, he is the co-host of their popular podcast which boasts the Coaching Unpacked series with Sarah Cottinghatt. His dedication to education extends to being aChair of Governors for Central Schools Region Trust as well as sitting on the advisory board for the National Institute of Teaching and Education and as a Non-Executive Director of the Association of Education Advisors.Adam Adam Kohlbeck is the Director of Teacher Quality at ChilternLearning Trust. Adam has spent 16 years teaching and leading in schools across London and has a proven track record of delivering outstanding improvements in teaching through developing teacher decision making. In his most recentleadership role, his school secured outcomes in the top 3% of the country for three years in a row and were the top ranked school in the region in this period. He has worked with schools and teachers in England and overseas as far afield as Australia to improve their approaches to teaching and learning. Adamis a regular speaker at conferences in the UK and Europe, including the Netherlands and Germany on topics to do with Teaching and Learning and Leadership. He holds Chartered Teacher status from the Chartered College of Teaching, where he is also a fellow. Adam’s other qualifications include a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, the National Professional Qualification in Headship and several internationally recognised coachingqualifications. Adam is also a Doctoral student at St. Mary’s University and is currently undertaking sector leading research into the nature of teacher decision making, shaping the sector’s emerging understanding of how teachers makedecisions in classrooms. Adam is also a nationally elected member of the Council forthe Chartered College of Teaching. He also sits on the Teaching Commission, a group that produces nationally published reports advising government on an annual basis. Adam was a finalist in the 2025 National Teacher of the Yearawards. Away from his main roles, Adam is committed to impacting the wider sector and has authored two education books with a further two to be published later in 2026. He also founded the award-winning education community, Unpacked podcasts. He has also appeared on some of the most popular education podcasts in the world. Adam is passionate about improving teaching and learning at scale across the global education community and has an undimmed motivation to work with schools, organisations and policy makers to develop their educational practice.

    1h 2m
  2. Big Education: how can educators nurture a school system that leads with head, heart and hand?

    APR 15

    Big Education: how can educators nurture a school system that leads with head, heart and hand?

    Very excited to be joined by Headteachers Robert Labatto and Sarah Seleznyov, who have co-authored a brilliant book: A Practical Guide to Big Education. This book is full of practical and research informed information, tools and support for teachers and leaders to create primary and secondary school settings that embrace education for the 21st and 22nd century: a system that leads with head, heart and hand. In this podcast we discuss the book in more detail and how teachers can build inclusive, dynamic and human-centred schools for every student and member of staff - quite possibly one of my favourite episodes of all time! Robert has been Headteacher at King Alfred School in London since 2015. King Alfred is a progressive school founded in 1898 that focuses on a holistic education that embraces academic rigour and creativity, well-being and community. Robert started out as a History Teacher in 1991, and went on to become  a Head of Department, Deputy Head,  Head, and Executive Head in various schools across London. He sits on a number of Educational bodies, and has recently co-edited a book on how we create a more balanced education provision, published by Bloomsbury. Sarah Seleznyov is the Strategic Lead for Learning and Development at Big Education Trust and the founding headteacher of School 360, an innovative primary school in East London. With over 30 years of experience in school leadership and teacher professional development, she brings a deep expertise in solution design and implementation to her work. A published author and researcher currently completing her PhD at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Sarah specializes in leadership and teacher development, and school innovation. Her extensive background in leading whole-school transformations and designing human-centered leadership programs directly informs her role as a contributor to A Practical Guide to a Big Education.     Use the discount code: BIGEDU25 (valid until 12.05.26) for 25% discount (valid on the Bloomsbury website only)

    47 min
  3. How can schools be accessible and inclusive for staff with children?

    FEB 24

    How can schools be accessible and inclusive for staff with children?

    Emma Sheppard is the Founder of The MTPT Project, the UK’s charity for parent-teachers.  A former English teacher and Lead Practitioner, she is now an ICF ACC qualified coach, and runs The MTPT Project full time since.  The UK’s expert on the motherhood penalty in education, Emma co-authored the 2024 Missing Mothers report with The New Britain Project, outlining the importance of working mothers to solving our current recruitment and retention crisis. Emma joins The School Should Be Podcast to explore how schools can be inclusive and accessible for staff with children. Emma and I explore the discussions, decisions and narratives surrounding parenthood, particularly motherhood, in teaching; the impact of parenting on teaching as a career and how we can navigate the retention crisis by creating a profession that supports some of its best talent (the parents that teach!) Follow the MTPT Project on LinkedIn, Instagram and get in touch with Emma via LinkedIn too.

    46 min
  4. How can teachers have conversations about 'everyday racism' in the classroom?

    FEB 2

    How can teachers have conversations about 'everyday racism' in the classroom?

    We are back! And super excited to be back with the brilliant, Naomi Evans, co-founder and Head of Education at Everyday Racism. Everyday Racism is a platform and organisation that provides anti-racism education for schools and organisations, worldwide. With over 20 years' experience in teaching and senior leadership, Naomi joins the School Should Be podcast for a candid discussion about how teachers can navigate conversations about racism, discrimination and the discomfort and vulnerability educators often feel when discussing sensitive and difficult topics. Everyday Racism have also recently launched an Anti-racism School, joined by expert educators to support training and development on anti racism in education and the workplace. Follow Everyday Racism on social media: @everydayracism_ @The_antiracist_school

    51 min
  5. How can schools and teachers support Working Class students to pursue Higher Education?

    10/21/2024

    How can schools and teachers support Working Class students to pursue Higher Education?

    Professor Damien Page, Deputy Vice Chancellor, and soon to be Vice Chancellor, at Buckinghamshire New University, joins the School Should Be Podcast to share how schools, teachers and educators across communities can work together to support working class students pursue and sustain a career in Higher Education (HE). About a year ago, Damien shared his thoughts on LinkedIn about navigating the world of HE and executive leadership as someone who grew up in a working class household. The post attracted a wide audience and led to the launch of the Working Class Leaders in HE network, which hosts monthly webinars sharing the lived experiences of fellow execs in HE who grew up Working Class too. On the podcast Damien and I talk about so many aspects of education, from the journey from primary school, to incentivising HE to complement entrepreneurship and the ever changing landscape of Higher Education. This is such a valuable conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did recording it!

    50 min
  6. Language Matters: how can we teachers and students consciously use inclusive language in the classroom?

    08/11/2024

    Language Matters: how can we teachers and students consciously use inclusive language in the classroom?

    In this episode, I am joined by the Sadia Siddiqui to talk about how schools and teachers can use inclusive language in the classroom and sustainably nurture a classroom and school culture that is safe for all students. One of my favourite episodes to date, we talk about inclusivity across the curriculum, difficult conversations in the classroom, using compassion and knowledge to build a culture of belonging and so much more! My guest, Sadia Siddiqui has worked in advertising for 20+ years and held senior leadership positions in several London agencies. Four years ago, Sadia launched an Instagram account @_languagematters, which has over 13 thousand followers, as a space to examine problematic language. Initially focused on race and ethnicity, it has now broadened its focus to help foster inclusive language across all underrepresented communities and groups.

    57 min
  7. Why should students consider a career in the police force?

    07/07/2024

    Why should students consider a career in the police force?

    In this episode, I speak to the brilliant, Anita Grant, Assistant Chief Officer for Trust and Legitimacy at Sussex Police all about why students should consider a career in the police force. We talk about Anita's own journey into the police force (from a background in education and Sure Start settings), her relationship and thoughts about the police growing up and why policing is an attractive, purposeful and impactful career of choice for young people today. The opportunities are immense and we need to be the change we want to see in society. ...plus, who wouldn't want to go on a ride along?! I loved talking to Anita and there is so much for students, teachers and parents to learn from her in this episode, particularly if you know young people who are looking for a little direction with their careers and next steps...

    41 min
  8. How can teachers and educators ‘close the awarding gap’ for underresourced students?

    06/10/2024

    How can teachers and educators ‘close the awarding gap’ for underresourced students?

    Sufian Sadiq, Director of Talent and Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust joins the School Should Be podcast to talk about the importance of teaching and living in the community and how to ensure community engagement and targeted interventions are effective and successful for marginalised and underresourced students. This is such an engaging podcast and so valuable for anyone looking to engage unheard voices and groups of students who have become victims of 'stereotype threat' at your school. It is well worth a listen for teachers and community leaders looking to overcome barriers and stigmas that face marginalised groups of students. We discuss intervention, lived experiences, exams and so much more.

    1h 3m
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A discussion of all the things we wish we knew, learned and discussed at school. From wellbeing to finance, prejudice to the school system...our aim is to give students, teachers and professionals a voice to discuss what they think school should be for our teachers, students and communities. We want school to be a place where students want to go, teachers enjoy teaching and communities see the true value of these institutions. That is only possible with these conversations. So grab a coffee, listen in and let us know your thoughts!

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