Teachers Talk Radio

Darren talks about why it's important for teachers to feel truly included in their school communities.

In this reflective show, Famida Choudhary explores whether teaching has strayed too far from its core purpose. Joined by a listener mid-show, the discussion dives into how admin demands impact classroom creativity—and what it means to truly let teachers teach.

Ben White is joined by Katie Finlayson for a thoughtful conversation about home education. With 15 years of experience educating her own children—and supporting thousands of families across the UK—Katie shares what life as a home-educating parent really looks like, why more families are choosing this path, and what schools might learn from those doing things differently. She also discusses her own recent research, which gathered insights around why and when families chose to home educate.

In this Twilight Show, Timea is joined by Dr Gillian Stacey, Course Director at LCCA with a passion for purposeful pedagogy, and Inca Hide-Wright rising star Graduate Management Trainee at University of Warwick bringing sharp insights and the all-important student voice, to dive into the art (and science) of student engagement, both in the classroom and beyond.

Tonight’s show explores the never-ending story of curriculum design in primary schools. Huma is joined by Marc Hayes, an experienced school leader and curriculum thinker, to discuss what curriculum design really means, why it matters, and how we can make it purposeful, inclusive and manageable. From storytelling in history to sequencing in geography, they unpack the practical challenges, explore the realities of implementation, and share reflections that matter to classroom teachers and curriculum leaders alike.

Tarjinder Gill, Tom Rogers and Lucy Trimnell discuss the huge controversy this week involving a school's culture day. A diversity day at a secondary school ended in upset and apologies after a 12-year-old girl wearing a union flag dress was prevented from delivering a speech she had written about British culture.

In this show from Teachers Talk Radio, hosts Tom Rogers and Darren Lester dive into the world of educational travel with two expert guests: Dr John Allan and Will Aitken, Head of Student Wellbeing at Accrington Academy. Together, they explore the profound impact that school trips can have on students’ resilience, confidence, and long-term personal growth. From local excursions to life-changing international adventures, the panel shares heartfelt stories, practical advice, and the latest research on how learning outside the classroom can boost employability, wellbeing, and cultural capital. They also tackle the barriers like cost, logistics, workload and how schools and providers like NST are helping to overcome them. Check out the NST Travel offer here: www.nstgroup.co.uk

Darren has a newfound interest in the history of British education and uses John Milton's treatise 'Of Education' to ask the question: Do things ever change?

What is authentic inclusion? What does it mean? What does it look like in schools? Carl's guest, Marie Neave, is head of a special school working on a DfE project on inclusion in Lewisham. We discussed whether there is a clear definition of inclusion and what good inclusivity might look like e.g for Ofsted.

Joining Liz and Kate this week is the wonderfully eloquent Rachel Gilyeat, a specialist in Relationships and Sex Education for students in years 7 through to 13. Rachel shares wise and candid advice on the importance of RSE, especially for young people in a modern world where they are exposed to information from a variety of sources, helping them to embark safely and healthily on their first relationships. Let’s talk about sex education…