On this episode of Mind the Gap, Emma and Jon reflect on a year of transformation in education and discuss the insights gained from their fascinating guests. This annual roundup dives into critical topics such as the growing recognition of Early Years education, flexible working in leadership, and the evolving challenges in recruitment and retention across the profession.Emma shares her delight at seeing Early Years gaining prominence, with voices like Julian Grenier, Dan Wuori, and Liz Pemberton championing the importance of play, lived experiences, and robust early education practices. Jon brings his perspective on the flexible working debate, emphasizing the need for bespoke approaches that prioritize sustainable career models for educators. Together, they discuss Emma Sheppard’s contributions on balancing parenthood and teaching, the nuanced challenges facing leaders in the education sector, and how these align with new government initiatives.The episode also revisits pivotal moments, like Leora Cruddas’s vision of schools as civic anchors and Aziza Ajak’s call for context-driven leadership development. As they look ahead, Emma and Jon encourage a collaborative and evidence-informed approach to shaping the next generation of educational leaders and addressing the complexities of modern schooling.

Emma Turner FCCT is a school improvement advisor, education consultant, trainer and author. She has almost three decades of primary teaching, headship and leadership experience across the sector, working and leading in both MATs and LAs. She works nationally and internationally on school improvement including at single school level and at scale. She has a particular interest in research informed practice in the primary phase, early career development, and CPD design. Follow Emma on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emma_turner75⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Jon Hutchinson is a former assistant headteacher of Reach Academy Feltham and is now a Director at the Reach Foundation. He has taught across primary and secondary and HE. In his spare time, Jon runs ⁠⁠⁠www.meno.acacdemy⁠⁠⁠, a platform with free videos to support primary teachers to build their subject knowledge. Follow Jon on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jon_hutchinson_⁠⁠⁠ or Bluesky ⁠⁠⁠@jonhutchinson.bksy.social⁠⁠

This podcast is produced by Haringey Education Partnership. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/