Shows / The School Podcast
The School Podcast
Real Conversations that Drive Real Impact in Education.
The School Podcast brings you unfiltered conversations with the most influential voices in education, from headteachers and CEOs to Ofsted leaders, authors and frontline practitioners.
Every episode dives deep into the real challenges and opportunities facing schools today:
Raising aspirations, attendance and attainment
Supporting behaviour and mental health
Driving school improvement with impact
Sharing strategies that work in the…
Episodes
The School PodcastThey Told Her She Would Fail! | RAF Fighter Pilot Mandy Hickson
When the rules finally changed, Mandy failed the RAF aptitude tests twice. Even when she was eventually given an opportunity, she was told they would see how…
The School PodcastThe Strictest Headteacher: Schools Need Freedom, Not More Rules
Should schools have more freedom to make decisions? Do teachers really need formal qualifications to be brilliant at their jobs? And is the government making…
The School PodcastLord Marvin Rees: The Truth About the Colston Statue
What really happened when Edward Colston's statue was pulled down in Bristol, and why didn't the city's mayor remove it himself? In this powerful conversation…
The School PodcastAre We Getting Primary Education Wrong? Character, Confidence & Leadership
At what age do children begin to recognise inequality, discrimination and differences in their backgrounds? And are we doing enough to prepare children for…
The School PodcastThe Science of Coaching, Learning & High Performance with Dr Dave Alred
What can the world's best coaches teach us about learning, motivation and performing under pressure? In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits…
The School PodcastHave You Sacrificed Your Childhood? - The Reality of Becoming an Olympian
What does it really take to become an Olympian? And at what cost? In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker explores the sacrifices, challenges and…
The School Podcast“I Choose Hope” Leadership, Loss & Legacy with Rachel Johnson
In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron sits down with Rachel Johnson, CEO of PiXL, for a powerful conversation about leadership, loss, legacy and what…
The School Podcast“Children Can’t Wait” The Urgency of School Improvement with Tom Hague
Executive Headteacher Tom Hague joins Cameron Parker for a brilliant conversation about school improvement, attendance, behaviour and building a culture where…
The School PodcastStop Mistaking Compliance for Learning with Tricia Taylor
Education consultant, author and former teacher Tricia Taylor joins Cameron Parker for a fascinating conversation about how students actually learn, what great…
The School Podcast“Blacks vs Whites” Football Match: Ban It or Address the Real Problem?
Adrian McLean joins Cameron Parker on The School Podcast for an honest and thought-provoking conversation about race, education and the dangers of avoiding…
The School PodcastFrom Heroin Addiction to Changing Young Lives with Paul Hannaford
Paul Hannaford joins Cameron Parker for an incredibly powerful conversation about addiction, school exclusion, gangs, prison and how he completely turned his…
The School PodcastWhen Should a School Permanently Exclude a Child? with Stephen Steinhaus
Stephen Steinhaus joins Cameron Parker for an open and thought provoking conversation about permanent exclusion, behaviour, high standards and alternative…
The School PodcastSchool vs Sport: The Journey to an Olympic Medal with Anthony Harding & His Teacher Mum
Olympic medalist and Team GB diver Anthony Harding joins Cameron Parker alongside his mum, a maths teacher with almost 30 years in education, for a fascinating…
The School PodcastIs Britain’s Strictest Headmistress Wrong? A Headteacher Responds
Katharine Birbalsingh is often described as Britain’s strictest headmistress, but is what she’s doing actually wrong? Headteacher David Karim joins Cameron…
The School PodcastStop Lowering the Bar for Disadvantaged Children with David Karim
Successful Headteacher David Karim joins the UK's top Motivational Speaker for Secondary Schools Cameron Parker for a powerful and honest conversation about…
The School Podcast“Let It Go. Reset.” A Different Approach to Student Behaviour with Amjad Ali
What happens when a student swears at you, refuses an instruction or completely pushes you away? In this throwback episode of The School Podcast, Amjad Ali and…
The School PodcastThe Accident That Changed Sian Lord’s Life Forever
Sian Lord joins the UK's #1 motivational speaker for secondary schools Cameron Parker for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about the life-changing…
The School PodcastThe Loneliness of Leadership: Why You Need to Build Your Tribe with Diana Osagie
Former headteacher and leadership coach Diana Osagie joins Cameron Parker for a powerful and honest conversation about leadership, pressure, vulnerability and…
The School PodcastWhy You Can't Cheat School Improvement with Paul Collin
Former headteacher, executive leader and founder of Develop2Teach, Paul Collin joins Cameron Parker for a powerful conversation on what it really takes to…
The School PodcastWhy Serious Behaviour in Schools Cannot Be Excused
Are schools excluding too many children, or are there times when permanent exclusion is necessary? In this throwback conversation, Wayne Norrie shares an…
The School PodcastThe Truth About Why Children Are Unhappy in School with Keziah Featherstone
Former headteacher, author of Punk Leadership, and Executive Trust Leader Keziah Featherstone joins Cameron Parker for one of the most honest and…
The School PodcastThe Conversation That Could Change School Attendance | Sir David Carter (Throwback)
What if the question we ask a young person could completely change the outcome? In this powerful throwback episode of The School Podcast, Sir David Carter…
The School PodcastWhat It Really Takes To Lead A City with Lord Marvin Rees OBE
Lord Marvin Rees OBE joins Cameron Parker for one of the most honest and thought-provoking conversations ever recorded on The School Podcast. From growing up…
The School PodcastCharacter, Resilience & Modern Education with Headteacher Stuart Woodburn
In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with headteacher Stuart Woodburn to explore one of the biggest questions in education today…
The School PodcastWhy Taking Away What Children Love Makes Behaviour Worse (Throwback)
What happens when a young person is struggling with behaviour, trauma and school? In this powerful conversation, Fay Greaves shares lessons from over 30 years…
The School PodcastThe Phone Call That Changed Everything
This episode is one of the hardest conversations we've ever had on The School Podcast. Michael shares the story no parent should ever have to tell. One moment…
The School PodcastWhy Michaela’s Behaviour Policy Actually Works with Katharine Birbalsingh
Strict behaviour policies are constantly criticised but why do some schools succeed while others struggle to maintain standards? In this episode of The School…
The School Podcast"There's A Future Me Sitting In That Audience" with Miriam Manderson (Throwback)
Why does representation matter? In this inspiring throwback episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with Miriam Manderson to discuss…
The School PodcastWhy Two Firefighters Are Asking Strangers to Talk About Mental Health
Why are two firefighters asking strangers to talk about mental health? In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with firefighters Ralphy…
The School PodcastWhy Curiosity Beats Judgment in Schools with Adrian McLean
Adrian McLean joins Cameron Parker for one of the most honest and thought provoking conversations on The School Podcast. From growing up in Birmingham and the…
The School Podcast‘I Hid Being a Free School Meals Kid’ with Wilfred Webster (Throwback)
What happens when confidence becomes a mask for survival? In this powerful episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with Wilfred Webster for one…
The School PodcastIs Teaching Really That Hard? Sir Paul Tarn Sparks Debate (Throwback)
In this throwback episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with education leader Sir Paul Tarn for a brutally honest conversation about…
The School PodcastThe Truth About Exclusions, Behaviour & Vulnerable Students with Aaron Forde
In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with Aaron Forde from Foundations 4 the Future to talk honestly about mentoring, behaviour…
The School PodcastWhy “Yes Cultures” Are Destroying School Staff with Mandy Coalter (Throwback)
THROWBACK EPISODE 🎙️ In this throwback episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down for a powerful conversation around leadership, school culture…
The School PodcastCulture Before Curriculum? Director of Education Tom Hague Explains Why
In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with Director of Education Tom Hague for an honest conversation about school leadership…
The School PodcastBlack Belts Explain What Education Can Learn From Jiu-Jitsu
In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with Mitch Goode and Rich Rubino for a powerful conversation around jiu-jitsu, mindset…
The School PodcastFormer Teacher of 24 Years on Behaviour, Resilience & Modern Education
In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with Chantel Brooks, former teacher of 24 years, author, education consultant and resilience…
The School PodcastLeading with Heart in Education | Beyond Policies & Posters with Trystan Williams
IIn this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with education leader Trystan Williams for a powerful conversation about education…
The School PodcastAgainst All Odds: Nicola "Python" Barke's Story of Survival and Strength
In this episode of The School Podcast, the UK’s #1 motivational speaker for secondary schools Cameron Parker sits down with a world champion martial artist and…
The School PodcastFrom Teacher to CEO: The Truth About Education | Martin Murphy
In this episode of The School Podcast. The UK’s #1 motivational speaker for secondary schools Cameron Parker sits down with Martin Murphy, the CEO of Arden…
The School PodcastBeyond the Classroom: Rethinking Student Experience
In education, we talk a lot about teaching and learning… But what about everything else? In this episode, we sit down with Theresa Allotey to explore the often…
The School PodcastSir Paul Tarn’s Last Interview – He Didn’t Hold Back
The day before he retired, Sir Paul Tarn sat down for one final 90-minute conversation. He rarely does interviews. He never gives this long. And in what became…
The School PodcastRethinking Standards, Labels and Teaching Practice with Amjad Ali
In this episode Amjad Ali joins the conversation with Cameron Parker on The School Podcast. At a time when education can feel increasingly complex and…
The School PodcastFrom Hood to Headship: Grief, Grit & Leadership in Education | Miriam Manderson
In this powerful episode of The School Podcast, we sit down with Miriam Manderson to explore an extraordinary journey — from her upbringing and the devastating…
The School PodcastLeading People, Not Just Systems | Adrian Rogers
In this episode of The School Podcast, Adrian Rogers, CEO of Chiltern Learning Trust, shares why great leadership is about people, not just systems. We explore…
The School PodcastI Was the 20th Headteacher in 26 Years…Here’s What I Learned
In this episode, Sam Sheedy shares what it’s really like to lead a school with extreme leadership turnover — and the lessons he learned about visibility…
The School PodcastDiana Osagie: The Truth About Leadership, Burnout & Raising Expectations
In this live episode of The School Podcast, former headteacher, Ofsted inspector and founder of Courageous Leadership Diana Osagie shares what it really means…
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This Teacher Helped Me - Sunday School
In this episode, Cameron dives even deeper into the real stories and lessons that come from working inside UK schools every week. Episode 2 delivers another…
The School PodcastSir David Carter’s Playbook for School Improvement
Former National Schools Commissioner Sir David Carter joins The School Podcast to unpack over 40 years in education, what academies got right and wrong, how to…
The School PodcastSeen & Supported: Headteacher Nadine Bernard on Nurture, Leadership & Representation
In this episode of The School Podcast, host Cameron Parker sits down with Nadine Bernard — headteacher, mother of three, founder & CEO of Aspiring Heads, and…
The School PodcastEmbrace the Future of Learning with Omar Al Hashimi
In this podcast Omar Al Hashimi an experienced educator and thought leader, explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the world of education…
The School PodcastBritain’s Strictest Headteacher: The Best Interview You’ll Ever Hear on Education
In this powerful episode, Cameron Parker sits down with Katharine Birbalsingh, often described as Britain’s Strictest Headteacher, for one of the most honest…
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Sunday School: Let's Talk IMPACT
🎙️ Welcome to Sunday School — with Cameron Parker This is a special edition of The School Podcast, where Cameron shares his latest stories, lessons, and…
The School PodcastFrom Snapchat to Murder: How I Lost My Son to Knife Crime
This is one of the hardest and most powerful conversations we’ve ever had on The School Podcast. In this episode, we hear the heartbreaking story of a father…
The School PodcastThe 3 C's Approach to Managing Behaviour Doesn't Work - Sam Strickland
The 3 C’s approach to managing behaviour — sounds good on paper, but does it actually work in real schools? In this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron…
The School PodcastLeading with High Standards & High Support | Sally Apps (Deputy CEO)
In this powerful episode, Cameron Parker sits down with Sally Apps, Deputy CEO of Cabot Learning Federation, to explore one of the most important leadership…
The School PodcastGiving School And Trust Leaders Clarity On The Things That Matter Most with Iona Jackson
n this episode of The School Podcast, Cameron Parker sits down with Iona Jackson, Managing Director at Edurio, the UK’s leading provider of stakeholder…
The School PodcastTrust, Teach, Transform with Andy Buck (Live)
In this powerful live episode, Cameron Parker sits down with renowned education leader Andy Buck at the Education Forum Event to dive deep into the foundations…
The School Podcast'80% of Sexual Crimes towards Children are NOT Reported' - Jeremy Indika
We dive deep into powerful, necessary topics that often get overlooked in the classroom – from safeguarding and trauma to resilience, vulnerability, and…
The School PodcastYou are a HERO MAKER with Patrick Ottley-O'Connor
🎙️ School motivational speaker Cameron Parker sits down with executive leader and coach Patrick Ottley-O'Connor for a powerful conversation on education…