Education Leaders | Strategic School Leadership

This conversation dives into what formative action is, why Valentina Devid and colleagues reframed formative assessment as an action-oriented practice, and why that reframing matters for school leaders trying to get useful classroom evidence turned into immediate, high-impact teaching moves. Valentina walks through the five-step action-oriented investigation process (orient & predict; think & generate; interpret, communicate & decide; informed follow-up; verify, reflect & predict), gives concrete classroom examples (history teachers checking the five causes of the First World War using mini whiteboards), and warns about common “mutations” — for example, when formative work is dumped into a learning management system as a grade with zero weight and loses purpose. You’ll learn practical, leader-level actions you can take this term: how to check whether teachers are acting on evidence (not just collecting it), how to coach teams to set a sharp investigative focus so one question gives clear next steps, and how to avoid the three common implementation traps Valentina names (tool-focus, data overload, and handing premature decision-power to beginners). They discuss specific routines you can request in lesson observations (orient & predict statements, mirror questions for verification). Shane and Valentina give examples of immediate follow-ups you can expect to see in a classroom after a formative action check. If you want a straightforward way to tighten assessment practice so it actually improves learning, press play. Resources & Links Mentioned:Formative Action: From Instrument to Design — book page (The Formative Action School)The Formative Action School (Toetsrevolutie) — main siteHachette Learning — “Formative Action: From Instrument to Design” (publisher / buy)OliCav — Oliver Caviglioli (visual designer of the model)Inside the Black Box — Paul Black & Dylan Wiliam (PDF)LLEARN Podcast (Valentina with René Kneyber & Flemming van de Graaf) — show pageValentina Devid — LinkedIn profile Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you take a school leader who's used to timetables, structure, and constant visibility, and drop them into the chaos of running a startup? Brett Griffin made that exact transition, moving from assistant principal to CEO of Pupil Progress, a tech company now used by over 700 schools globally. This conversation reveals something uncomfortable: the very structures that make schools function might be stopping your leaders from doing their best work. Brett shares why 80% of a teacher's day is pre-determined before they even start, and what that means for trust, autonomy, and deep work. You'll learn why Brett used to hide in a secret office to get actual work done, why his old department achieved their best results the year after he left, and what the Lionel Messi analogy teaches us about teacher workload. Brett challenges the assumption that visibility always equals good leadership, and explains why being ruthless with focus (not adding more initiatives) might be the most important thing school leaders can do right now. If you're exhausted by trying to do everything at once, or wondering why your talented middle leaders aren't stepping up, this conversation will make you rethink how you're structuring work in your school. Resources & Links Mentioned:Brett Griffin on LinkedInPupil Progress website Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Struggling with staff meetings that spiral into problem talk? This episode explores solution-focused communication and how school leaders can transform their school culture by changing the questions they ask. Vicky Essebag and Tara Gretton share practical strategies for shifting from deficit-based conversations to hope-filled dialogue that actually moves your team forward. You'll discover why asking "what's wanted?" instead of "what's wrong?" creates the conditions for real change in your school community. We dive deep into how solution-focused approaches can help school leaders build stronger relationships with staff, students, and parents. Learn about the power of noticing small wins, creating fresh starts each day, and why those quick corridor conversations matter more than you think. Whether you're dealing with challenging parent meetings, staff frustrations, or student behaviour concerns, this conversation offers a different way forward that focuses on strengths, capabilities, and collective vision rather than endless troubleshooting. Resources & Links Mentioned:Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association (SFBTA) - North American organization offering professional learning opportunitiesSF in Organizations (SFIO) - Resources and examples of solution-focused practice in educationJournal of Solution Focused Practices - Latest research and conversations about solution-focused approaches Vicky Essebag:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vickyessebagWebsite: relationspaces.comTara Gretton:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tara-gretton-b3088b18Website: solutionrevolution.co.uk Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This conversation with George Peterkin challenges how we think about mental health in schools. George introduces the three pillars framework: prevention, intervention, and postvention. While most schools have the first two fairly well established, postvention (what happens after an intervention) is often neglected. George shares practical examples of what postvention looks like, from simple check-ins to structured return-to-school support, and explains why it matters just as much as the other pillars. George also makes a compelling case for starting any mental health strategy with student voice. Rather than jumping straight into solutions or copying what other schools are doing, he suggests getting feedback from your students, staff, and parents first. We discuss the role of Senior Mental Health Leads, why comparison really is the thief of joy when it comes to school strategy, and how the small things done consistently often have more impact than big, extravagant initiatives. If you're a school leader trying to figure out where to start with wellbeing, this episode gives you a clear roadmap. Links & Resources:Connect with George on LinkedInLearn more about Mind Your HealthFind out about the Senior Mental Health Lead training  Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professional development is happening in schools everywhere, but is it actually working? In this episode, Bethan Hindley from the Teacher Development Trust tackles one of the biggest challenges facing school leaders today: fragmented CPD. Despite all the training sessions, workshops, and courses, many schools struggle to see real impact because their professional development lacks a clear, joined-up approach. Teachers are working hard and learning individually, but they're not moving towards common goals that meet their specific school's needs. Bethan shares practical strategies for transforming your school's approach to professional development, starting with getting crystal clear on your strategic priorities and ensuring these threads run consistently through all your PD activities. We explore why professional development is the biggest lever we have for improving student outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and discuss the exciting new Asia cohort of TDT's Associate Qualification that Shane is co-delivering specifically for international school leaders. Links MentionedTeacher Development Trust - The charity supporting schools to get the most out of their professional developmentAssociate Qualification in CPD Leadership - TDT's flagship programme for PD leadersEducation Endowment Foundation (EEF) - Research on professional development as the biggest lever for student outcomesUnleashing Great Teaching - Book by David Weston and Bridget Clay Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever left a fantastic professional development session feeling completely energised, only to find yourself back to square one a month later? Shane tackles this all-too-familiar scenario in this solo episode, coining it "One Hit Wonder PD" or "Drive-By PD." Shane explores why even the most brilliant, engaging PD days often fail to create lasting change in schools. The problem isn't the quality of the training; it's what happens (or doesn't happen) after the applause dies down and real school life kicks back in. Drawing on research from the Education Endowment Foundation, Shane reveals an uncomfortable truth: most of the responsibility for making professional development stick lies with school leaders themselves. He challenges listeners to focus on just one area this year and provides practical strategies for ensuring PD actually transforms practice rather than just creating good memories. The episode offers a straightforward framework for leaders who want to make their professional development investment count: do the groundwork before training begins, plan the follow-up before the session even happens, and resist the temptation to juggle multiple initiatives. Sometimes going deep on one focus area creates far more impact than spreading efforts across numerous projects.Links MentionedEducation Endowment Foundation - 14 Mechanisms for Effective Professional DevelopmentEEF Professional Development Guidance Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this essential episode for school leaders, Shane explores primary education leadership with Emma Turner, a primary education expert with over 25 years of experience in school leadership development. Emma challenges the common practice of applying secondary-focused approaches to primary settings, sharing practical school leadership strategies that respect how young children actually learn. This conversation offers valuable education leadership training for international school leaders who want to improve their understanding of age-appropriate pedagogy and effective transition processes between educational phases. Emma discusses why primary education often defaults to "secondary light" approaches and shares innovative school improvement strategies that create "academically seductive" learning environments. From managing the flexibility of primary school days to building better understanding between phases, this episode provides actionable education leadership skills for heads, principals, and teacher leadership development coordinators. Whether you're leading organisational change in schools or developing school leadership programmes, Emma's insights on the "brackish water" approach to transitions and cross-phase collaboration will enhance your school culture change initiatives.Connect with EmmaPodcast: "Mind the Gap" with Tom Sherrington - youtube.com/c/MindtheGapwithTomEmmaBooks: amazon.com/stores/author/B0839NHR9PLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/emma-l-turner Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this brutally honest conversation, Michael Iannini pulls back the curtain on what it's really like to leave the safety of education employment and strike out as an independent consultant. From worrying about whether you can afford that plane ticket to learning the hard way that repackaging other people's content doesn't work, Michael shares the lessons that most people won't tell you about going independent. We explore the realities of working with schools as clients, why coming in with all the answers is the wrong approach, and how Michael learned to challenge assumptions even when it might cost him the project. He shares his journey from delivering polished but ineffective programmes to finding his authentic voice through writing his book, and explains why advocacy for others became the key to creating real impact.LinksHidden in Plain Sight: Realizing the Full Potential of Middle Leaders - Michael's bookPD Academia - Michael's consulting websitePeerSphere - Peer learning communities for international school educators Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful conversation, Stephanie Lill from Mindful Sparks completely reframes how we think about compassion in schools. Far from being a "nice to have," compassion emerges as an essential leadership skill that goes beyond kindness and empathy to create real, lasting change. Lilly breaks down the crucial distinctions: kindness is doing nice things, empathy is understanding someone's situation, but compassion is taking action to address the root causes of suffering. What makes this episode particularly valuable is Lilly's honest exploration of self-compassion, especially for those of us who worry that being too kind to ourselves might make us complacent. Through practical strategies like using post-it note reminders, checking in with our mind, emotions, and body, and knowing when to pause before making decisions, she shows how self-compassion actually creates the mental space we need to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. Her story about a school leader who chose vulnerability during an air pollution crisis demonstrates how authentic leadership can transform school culture in profound ways. LinksMindful Sparks - Mindfulness-based training for schoolsMindful Moments Podcast - Mindful Sparks' own podcast seriesConnect with Lilly on Instagram @mindful_sparks or LinkedIn Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder why brilliant educational ideas don't always translate into classroom reality? In this conversation, Shane Leaning sits down with author Chris Youles to explore the messy truth about implementing change in schools and why sometimes it's easier to influence other people's schools than your own. Chris, Assistant Head Teacher and author of the brilliant Teaching Story Writing in Primary (Bloomsbury), shares his honest reflections on the gap between writing about best practice and actually making it happen. With characteristic candour, he admits that despite literally writing the book on teaching writing, he still struggles with implementation challenges in his own school. We dive into the psychology of professional development, explore why past CPD trauma affects how teachers receive new ideas, and discover Chris's brilliant concept of "death by a thousand blows" for sustainable change. This episode will resonate with anyone who's ever wondered why that amazing training session didn't quite stick, or why resistance to change persists even when everyone agrees the ideas are good. Chris offers practical insights into reframing change around student outcomes, the importance of consistency over perfection, and how small, frequent adjustments can create lasting transformation. Links:Chris Youles' Books:Teaching Story Writing in Primary: Curriculum-aligned, classroom-ready resources and strategies (Bloomsbury, 2024)Sentence Models for Creative Writing: A practical resource for teaching writing (John Catt Educational, 2023)Writing Systems and Approaches:Jane Considine's "The Write Stuff" system - Transforming the teaching of writingThe Write Stuff book by Jane ConsidineReading Resources:Christopher Such's work on reading fluency and deep discussionPrimary Reading Simplified: A Practical Guide to Classroom Teaching and Whole-School Implementation by Christopher SuchThe Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading by Christopher Such Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.