Teachers Talk Radio

A high-achieving student in the US was suspended after refusing to throw away a coffee she brought into class. Her mother challenged the punishment and questioned whether the school had introduced its new food and drink policy legally. School leaders subsequently allowed the student to return to class with her drink and agreed to hold a properly publicised hearing. Was this a sensible parental challenge to an excessive punishment or another example of schools being prevented from enforcing basic expectations? This week on Points of View, the panel asks whether parents should support school rules even when they disagree with them, whether sanctions have become disproportionate, and why relatively minor incidents can now escalate into formal complaints and public campaigns. Have some parents come to expect a personalised response to every disagreement? Are schools communicating poorly and hiding behind rigid behaviour policies? And when parents, pupils and teachers cannot agree, who should have the final say? On the panel: Ollie Bayliss, JP, Liz Webb and Maud Waret.

Are bans working or are they just for show? Is there a way to make them work or are we fighting a losing battle? Carl and his guest, Assistant Principal, Abi Hibbins find out: Friday Morning Break Show with Carl Smith.

Yannick and Tony look back at the big educational stories from the summer, and reflect on their own opinions of them. They reveal their top 5 most controversial educational news stories. Will you agree with their picks? Tune in live or watch and listen back to find out!

Beejesh and special guest co-host Michael Wright explore the ideas around how well trusts represent the needs of the communities they serve and the input that the people who belong within them have to the operation and the outcomes.

In this second episode the of PSHE Update, PSHE Educator Clare Price considers how to teach about and challenge loneliness, ways to spot QR Code scams and positive steps forward in understanding about menstrual health.  Articles referenced are: Number of young people with no close friends has soared since 2014 in England | Young people | The Guardian Rowley Regis schoolboys shining light on male mental health - BBC News Les used a QR code to download a parking app - but it was a scam - BBC News Friends Against Scams - Home Gen Z women are teaching their mums about cycle syncing and periods - BBC News

In this episode, Konstantinos is joined by Dr Sercan Demiralay from Nottingham Trent University to explore how AI is reshaping higher education. They discuss teaching, assessment, student use of AI, employability, AI tutors and agents, and ask how universities can embrace innovation without losing sight of learning.

Louise Marie is joined by David Goodwin to explore what effective checking for understanding really looks like in the classroom. Combining evidence from research with practical experience across different educational phases, David discusses how teachers can gain real-time insight into students' thinking and adapt their teaching to better meet learners' needs.

Join Michael Wright for the Sunday Lunch Show as he chats with Debbie Kent, Choir Director and Deputy Lead for Devon Music Hub about national campaigns to introduce choirs in every school in the UK. We will discuss the importance and relevance of choirs, what schools need to implement them as well as obstacles to this.  

This week, the Education Secretary hosted a summit attended by heads, college principals, mayors, business leaders and a small number of representatives from the MAT sector, during which she discussed the government's plans to raise the profile of technical education. This follows a promise by Prime Minister Andy Burnham that new technical routes for those aged 14+ will be offered from September 2028, in a bid to tackle the rising NEET crisis Powell has said that she wants to see schools moving towards a culture where students are not pitted against one another, but rather a 'self-supporting peer-to-peer culture'. While this might be welcome news to many, some are questioning whether the infrastructure is in place to make such an offer in just two years. Powell has promised the changes will be 'fully funded', but how will this be achieved? And is technical education the silver bullet solution to the rising crises in education? Will it stop competition within and between schools? Or will it open yet another way to hold schools accountable?

Michael Mosbacher in The Telegraph posed a controversial question: “Are we spending too much educating those who do not want to learn?” The question was linked to the ‘Highjacked High Streets' study undertaken by the Centre for Social Justice, a think tank established by former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith. The study reported that a small minority of young people are demonstrating anti-social behaviour which terrorises local areas. This was then aligned with behaviour in classrooms, where learning can be repeatedly disrupted by a small handful of students. The article highlighted the high level of truancy since Covid, demonstrating that students are voting with their feet, and recognised that huge amounts of effort are being expended to return students to the classroom. However, do we need to look at the bigger picture? Is attendance against all odds really the holy grail? Where are these problems originating: a curriculum not fit for 21st century learners or a change in the approach to discipline? Should all students be forced to attend school or should we be looking at alternatives?  On the panel: JP, Ollie Bayliss, Liz Webb, Maud Waret.

We talk headspace and green places. Not to be missed.

In this show, Darren shares his own experience with depression and anxiety (and how a school experience led to finally getting diagnosed) before looking at the wider research into depression, anxiety and burnout among teachers.

In this week's show, Claudia Tumba and Martin Sketchley talk about teaching intensive English courses.

Beejesh Deva and special guest co host Michael Wright discuss the idea of trusts serving and representing their local communities and how well they do this. Is the academy system working better than local authorities? is the funding being used democratically and are stakeholders including teachers represented in the decision making? 

The 11+ is supposed to identify academic potential. But what happens when success in the test increasingly depends on how much preparation a family can afford. Success based on parents ability to pay not the child's abilities. A recent Schools Week investigation found families paying up to £600 for 11+ practice materials, highlighting a growing tutoring industry built around parents' fear of their children missing out on limited Grammar School places (Schools Week⁠) In this episode, TTR will bring together teachers some who have sat the 11+ themselves, to ask whether the 11+ is really a test of ability — or increasingly a test of preparation, opportunity and parental resources. We'll explore the history and purpose of grammar schools, the explosion of the tutoring industry, the advantages available to affluent families and whether an apparently meritocratic system can actually reproduce social inequality. But we'll go further. Why do we stream and select children at all? What does early academic sorting do to children's expectations, confidence and future opportunities? And is there a contradiction between believing that every child can achieve while simultaneously creating systems that label some children as academically successful and others as less capable at just eleven years old? Is selection an efficient way of matching children to education or does it simply turn existing inequalities into apparently legitimate differences in ability? A conversation about the 11+ becomes a much bigger conversation about merit, privilege, social mobility and what we actually want our education system to achieve. On the panel: Tony Harwood, Emma Gallagher, Carl Smith and JP.

Famida Choudhary is in conversation with educator Crystal Frommert as we explore what it really means to be a teacher in an ever-changing educational landscape. From the unseen work of constantly learning and adapting to becoming connectors who bring authentic voices and real-world experiences into the classroom, we examine how teaching reaches far beyond curriculum and assessment. We reflect on the influence educators may never see, what students teach us in return, and how the teacher's role is evolving in the age of AI. Because some of the most powerful outcomes of teaching cannot be measured and its impact may travel further than we ever know.

Join Toby and Piers Gledhill as they discuss their hopes and dreams for the new academic year. What changes do they expect and how can they make them happen?

A 10-year-old autistic boy who brought a replica butterfly knife into school has had his permanent exclusion quashed by the High Court. The object was passed to another pupil during a playground altercation but caused no significant injury. The judge questioned whether the school's decision was proportionate and emphasised that permanent exclusion should be used only as a last resort. Was permanent exclusion justified in this case and what does “last resort” really mean? How should autism, SEND or unmet needs affect the consequences for serious behaviour? Should the response depend on the nature of the object, the child's intentions or the potential risk? When inclusion conflicts with the safety and education of other pupils, whose rights should take priority? The Points of View panel debates whether the ruling provides essential protection for vulnerable children or risks school leaders being second-guessed when making difficult safeguarding decisions. Are mainstream schools properly equipped to support children with complex needs and could making permanent exclusion harder lead to more suspensions, managed moves or informal exclusions instead? On the panel: Tom Rogers, Rae Whitehouse, JP and guest Andrew Old. 

Almost half of teachers surveyed by the Liberal Democrats say they are considering leaving the profession within the next five years, while more than three quarters report feeling frequently or constantly burnt out. The party says schools are approaching an “existential crisis” and is calling for fully funded pay rises, limits on teacher overtime and greater access to flexible working. The government, however, says teacher departures are at one of their lowest levels since 2010 and that record numbers are returning to the classroom. So how serious is the retention crisis? Are workload and working conditions still driving teachers out or do the headline figures give a misleading picture? And what emergency measures, if any, would genuinely persuade teachers to stay? Ollie Bayliss, Tom Rogers and JP discuss on Teachers Talk Radio's Points of View.

In this show, Darren discusses how perfectionism can stand in the way of being a great teacher, and how we shouldn't prioritise lived experience of the classroom over academic research but ask more questions to ensure the two can live in harmony.

In the week where the saga of “Oreogate” hit our social media feeds, former Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith has entered the debate, calling for more “draconian” rules regarding packed lunches to ensure children are eating healthily. From September, stricter rules are coming into force regarding healthier food standards in schools, and Benedict's Law mandates that all school staff are trained in allergies and anaphylaxis. But Dame Leith suggests that the only way to entirely ensure healthy food options is to ban packed lunches. But is this a reasonable proposition? What are the cost implications of such a measure? And is this an inclusive approach? To what extent has policing packed lunches gone too far? And… as new terms start across the UK, how important is the language that we use inside our classrooms in terms of setting expectations? An article in the TES specifies five phrases to ban from the classroom… are there any we can add?

Primary school teacher and senior leader Oliver Hembrough joins the Twilight Show to give his thoughts on what effective school leadership looks like. Where is the line between supporting and holding to account? Is training for school leaders sufficient? Are leadership vacancies attracting the best candidates? All this and more!

Join Michael Wright for his first show of the academic year, where he discusses his experiences from a recent sabbatical. He also shares lessons learned from his time away from the full-time grind, along with observations about his career thus far and the current state of education.

In this first episode, PSHE lead and educator Clare Price discusses the use of Meta Glasses and considers how this can be used to cover consent, disability, misogyny, marketing and influencers in the PSHE classroom. She considers the 2026 RSHE Statutory Guidance and tips on how this could be taught to young people.  Articles referenced are: Culture Debrief: Even Kylie Jenner Can't Get Me Onboard With 'Pervert' Glasses Restaurants, pubs and theatres ban Meta's ‘spy glasses' over privacy fears | Meta | The Guardian Smart glasses controversy sidelines the benefits for disabled people | Meta | The Guardian Smart glasses: 'I was secretly filmed and trolled online' - BBC News  

On this week's show, Darren explores the lliterature behind holiday rest and considers what we can do to protect our wellbeing in the first few weeks back to school. This is a companion show to "It's Like We Were Never Away" from January.

2026 has seen a summer of consecutively record-breaking temperatures in the UK, leading experts, school leaders and parents to reflect on the possible changes necessary for schools and the school calendar, as reported by the BBC. In June, more than a thousand schools had to close schools or send students home earlier due to the lack of ventilation and air-conditioning in classrooms, leading to stifling and unsafe conditions, and impeding learning. It is clear that this is not a one off: since the 1960s, the hotter weather has been moving earlier in the year with 30C temperatures now being recorded in mid-June rather than mid-July. With a peak of 38C recorded in Norfolk at the end of June, and temperatures exceeding 35C in four consecutive months, is a precedent being set for summers to come? Do we need to start long-term planning now rather than knee-jerk reactions when it arrives? As climate change brings hotter, earlier and longer summers, do we need to revisit the school calendar? Or should funding be provided to ensure our schools are built to deal with extremes? Should exam season sit right in the centre of a period where climate conditions can unfairly affect outcomes? On the panel: Tom Rogers, Kit Marie Rackley, Alun Ebenezer and Maud Waret.

Sir Nick Gibb says this year's GCSE results prove that the education reforms introduced under Michael Gove are working. He points to stronger mathematical performance and the exceptional results achieved by knowledge-rich free schools. But with around one in three young people failing to achieve a grade 4 in both English and maths, post-16 resit success remaining extremely low and stark regional and socioeconomic divides persisting, critics see evidence of a system failing too many children. Have more rigorous GCSEs genuinely raised educational standards or created an unforgiving system that repeatedly labels a substantial minority of young people as failures? The Points of View panel debate whether the Gove-era exam reforms have succeeded, failed or done both at once. On the panel: JP, Maud Waret and Chris Vowles.

Differentiation doesn't have to mean creating a different lesson for every learner. In this conversation, Famida Choudhary is joined by educator and district leader Lauren Kaufman to unpack practical ways teachers can make differentiation manageable and meaningful. Exploring content, process, and product, they discuss scaffolding, student choice, flexible grouping, formative assessment, productive struggle, and different ways for learners to demonstrate understanding. The conversation also considers how teachers can maintain high expectations while providing different pathways to success. A practical discussion for educators looking to move beyond differentiation as additional workload and embrace it as responsive teaching.

Following the broadcast of Channel 4's controversial documentary The Great ADHD Myth?, Tom Rogers is joined by Naomi Fisher, Joanna Moncrieff, Lucy Johnstone and Philip Asherson to examine some of the programme's biggest claims. Is ADHD best understood as a neurodevelopmental disorder? What does the evidence really tell us about differences in the brain? Are diagnoses rising because ADHD has historically been missed, or are ordinary behaviours increasingly being medicalised? And what should we make of the debate around medication, dopamine and the way ADHD is explained to children and adults? With guests bringing markedly different perspectives to the discussion, TTR again goes beyond the headlines to ask what the documentary got right, what it got wrong, and where the evidence on ADHD really stands.

Across the UK, after an anxious wait, thousands of students have flocked back to school to receive their GCSE results. Results days are full of emotions: elation, pride, disappointment, relief, confusion... for all involved in the process. As ever, the news has been full of statistics: the data which tells us that the pass rate has marginally fallen this year, the graphs which show resit numbers have risen but pass rates are lagging behind, the percentage which shows a narrowing between boys' and girls' results, regional divisions. Schools will now examine the data, patterns will be identified and conversations will follow. But how much of the story does the data tell? What about the bell-curve which changes the landscape of the grade boundaries each year? Is it fair to compare: students, subjects, teachers, schools, cohorts? And what about the human stories linked to those grades? Join the panel JP, Rae Whitehouse, Ollie Bayliss and Liz Webb live at 8pm to share your thoughts and stories.

A new academic year offers the chance for a fresh start - whether you're joining a completely new school or returning to one you already know. Tonight on Points of View, we discuss how teachers can get the year off to the best possible start. From building relationships with new classes and colleagues to setting boundaries, establishing routines and navigating the pressures of the first few weeks, what actually makes a difference? What should you prioritise in September? What mistakes are worth avoiding? And for experienced teachers, is there such a thing as starting again with a clean slate? Join us for practical tips, different perspectives and plenty of discussion about making the new school year a positive one. On the panel: Maud Waret, Ollie Bayliss, Tom Rogers and guest panelist Freya Odell.

As teachers, we should have all the tips and tricks to be ideal learners. But is that the case? In this show, Darren explores the research into teachers-as-learners and thinks about how we can best approach CPD to really make the most of it.

The summer holidays are coming to an end and for some teachers, the thought of going back to school brings more than just the usual end-of-holiday blues. So why do teachers dread going back? Is it simply a natural reaction after weeks away from work, or can that feeling tell us something important about workload, behaviour, school culture, leadership or even whether teaching is still the right career? In this Points of View, we discuss the reasons behind back-to-school dread, whether experienced teachers feel it too, what can be done to make the return easier, and when that feeling might be a sign that something needs to change. Are you looking forward to September or counting down the days with dread? On the panel: Liz Webb, Rae Whitehouse, Lucy Trimnell

Darren looks at research by Li and Chu (2021) which analysed a specific platform for gamifying reading. While many would argue that reading doesn't need to be gamified, motivation is as important in reading as in any other skill acquisition, so the question becomes: is this the best way to motivate?

Meena Wood joins Tony to share her thoughts on inclusivity in education. Drawing on her wealth of experience as a former teacher, Principal, HMI and now author, Meena shares her passion and vision for a more inclusive curriculum. With her background in a range of settings in the UK and globally, expect some valuable insights and strong opinions on the current issues in education.

Primary schools could be asked to identify children at risk of becoming NEET – not in education, employment or training – years before they actually leave school. Alan Milburn, who is leading a government review into Britain's growing youth worklessness crisis, argues that the warning signs can appear from a very early age and that schools should play a bigger role in identifying pupils who may need additional support. But is this sensible early intervention – or another huge responsibility being placed on already overstretched schools? Can teachers really predict which primary-age children are at risk of unemployment years later? And could labelling children in this way create problems of its own? On Points of View, we debate how far schools should be responsible for a young person's future employment prospects – and whether tackling the NEET crisis needs to start much earlier. On the panel - JP, Rae Whitehouse and Lucy Trimnell.

Teachers are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, both inside and outside the classroom. But where should the line be drawn between personal freedom and professional responsibility? The expectations set out in the Teachers' Standards include the requirement to maintain public trust and demonstrate high standards of personal and professional conduct. To what extent is this at conflict with a teacher's right to enjoy a private life? Social media has blurred the boundaries between work and home and the growing impact of students having constant access to smartphones and the ability to record, share and scrutinise teachers' lives has changed in ways that were unimaginable a generation ago. Can teachers ever truly switch off, or has the digital age fundamentally changed what it means to be a professional working in education? On the panel: Liz Webb, Rae Whitehouse and Maud Waret.

The concept of belonging to a group is a vital part of adolescent development. In this show, Darren looks at why young people are so desperate to belong somewhere, how this impacts behaviour and whether our efforts to create "school culture" to foster belonging actually work.

A BBC Panorama investigation has put the spotlight on the Athena Learning Trust after parents, pupils and former teachers raised concerns about its behaviour policies. The programme features allegations including strict toilet rules, silent music lessons, extensive use of reflection rooms and claims that some neurodiverse pupils were disproportionately affected. Athena says its schools are built on high expectations, that behaviour policies are applied with professional judgement, and that calm, disruption-free classrooms help all pupils to learn. So, did Athena actually go too far? Were these policies a necessary response to poor behaviour, or did they become unnecessarily rigid and punitive? Where should schools draw the line between maintaining discipline and responding to individual pupils' needs? Join Tom Rogers and the panel as they debate one of the biggest education stories of the week.

The summer is finally upon us! Teachers are decompressing. Students are celebrating. Holiday companies have tripled their prices. Childcare arrangements become complicated for many families. The summer holidays continue to be a contentious issue, with many differing views within education, let alone outside of it. Join Jo Fox, Maud Waret and Liz Webb to share your opinions on the summer break - or tell us how you'll be spending it!

In this week's show, Claudia Tumba and Martin Sketchley have a chat about teaching English in China, Japan and Korea.

Permanent exclusions continue to rise across England, but why? Are schools dealing with the consequences of increasingly difficult home lives, weaker parental support and wider social problems? Or is the education system itself failing children through outdated classrooms, oversized classes and unrealistic expectations? Should exclusions remain a necessary last resort to protect learning, or are they evidence that mainstream education needs fundamental reform? Also on the show, A major new NFER report suggests social media, online bullying and worsening wellbeing may all be fuelling England's attendance crisis. But are phones really to blame? Have attitudes towards school attendance fundamentally changed since the pandemic? And should the government rethink attendance fines, or double down on getting children back into the classroom?

Alpha School has become one of the most talked-about education models in the world. Supporters say AI-powered learning can dramatically improve outcomes while reducing classroom teaching time. Critics question the evidence, the role of teachers, and whether the model can or should be replicated elsewhere. Joining Tom Rogers are Samantha DePalo (Alpha School), Neil Almond (teacher development lead and AI enthusiast) and Donald Clark (AI expert) for what promises to be an important and eye opening discussion on whether AI is genuinely transforming education or whether we're getting ahead of the evidence.

The term "brat" has been reclaimed by a subset of young people and social media influers and turned into an aesthetic that some sociologists claim prioritises hedonism and superficiality. In this show, Darren explores the modern "brat" identity and wonders how this aesthetic might be impacting our young people.

With a new Prime Minister comes a new cabinet, and this week we saw Lucy Powell replace Bridget Phillipson as Secretary of State for Education. As the 8th Education Secretary since 2020, the education sector is understandably wary about yet another appointment to the role. While Lucy Powell's predecessor has not left the role with successful reviews, what can we expect with the change at the top? As ever, the question has bounded to the forefront: should secretaries of state have at least SOME experience in that sector before being placed in charge of the political journey of such an important area? So… who is Lucy Powell? What connections and experience does she have with schools? In which direction will she take education? What should be her first actions in office? What do those in education want to see prioritised? And what did Bridget Phillipson get so wrong? Join Matt Miles, Maud Waret and Liz Webb for Points of View live at 8pm and share your thoughts.

Tim Smale is joined by Jayne Lowe OBE, the DfE's Attendance and Behaviour Ambassador, for his final show of the year: Belonging or Boundaries? The Behaviour Debate. Connection, culture, discipline and exclusions, put to the person shaping national policy on all four. Live on Teachers Talk Radio.

The government has announced plans to introduce new technical education pathways for Key Stage 4 from 2028, allowing pupils to study subjects such as AI, engineering, coding, manufacturing and mechanics alongside their core GCSEs. The reforms aim to give young people more choice, strengthen links with local employers and equip students with the skills needed for a rapidly changing economy. But could this represent one of the biggest shifts in secondary education for a generation? Is 14 the right age for pupils to begin specialising, or does it risk narrowing opportunities too early? How will schools find the funding, facilities and specialist teachers needed to make these pathways a success? And what impact could this have on traditional GCSE subjects, teacher recruitment and educational inequality? Join us for a live debate as we explore the opportunities, challenges and unintended consequences of a radical new vision for Key Stage 4! On the panel: Andrew Old, Josh Taylor and Carly Holness.

A teacher allegedly attacked in her own classroom. Increasing reports of abuse against school staff. Many teachers say the job has become more dangerous than ever before. This week we ask why. Is this simply a reflection of wider societal problems, or have schools become less able to enforce boundaries and protect staff? We also discuss whether young women teachers are particularly vulnerable and what schools should do differently.

Christopher offers an insight into how he manages the teaching and supervision of A level English Literature NEA work in the department he leads; presents a walkthrough of how to apply critical theory to the Brothers Grimm story 'The Four Skilful Brothers'; and explains how to maintain academic integrity through careful departmental authentication strategies.

Lee and his guest David Perkins discuss the events of 2025/26 and the additional pressures placed on schools!

In this show, Darren looks at the role of ministers and tsars in education, considering what the roles involve and how the government can use them to work more effectively with teachers.