Shows / Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership Podcast
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership Podcast
Strategic school leadership insights for education leaders who want to drive meaningful change and build thriving school communities.
What if the most powerful leadership strategies were hiding in plain sight? Education Leaders uncovers the evidence-based approaches that separate truly effective school leaders from the rest. Through compelling interviews and strategic deep-dives, organisational coach Shane Leaning reveals the real challenges facing today's education leaders, and the practical…
Episodes
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastIs Differentiation Failing Your Students? | A Conversation with Alex Fairlamb
When Alex Fairlamb describes differentiation as having suffered a "lethal mutation", she means the tiered worksheets and pre-set tasks that quietly cap what…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastMaster Your Leadership Interview Game | A Conversation with Orla Dempseyla Dempsey
Leadership interviews terrify plenty of capable teachers, and Shane admits he is one of them. So Orla Dempsey, a coach who helps teachers secure leadership…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastCompassion and Accountability Are Not Opposites
A teacher hands in their planning late for the third time, and you know they are dealing with a difficult situation at home. Insist on the deadline and you may…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership Podcast3 Ways to Pause Before Acting | A Conversation with Andrew Miller
Dr Andrew Miller, Academic Principal at Beijing International Bilingual Academy, explains what going slow really looks like for a school leader and why "maybe…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership Podcast3 Big Ideas from This Month's Episodes | Education Leaders Live
Every month, Shane Leaning and Chris Scora sit down to unpack what has come up on the Education Leaders podcast, and this live catch-up covers two of the…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastDo Schools Really Kill Creativity? | A Conversation with Claire Badger
Claire Badger, a former research scientist and science teacher, disagrees with one of the most popular ideas in education: that schools kill creativity…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastIntroducing the Education Leaders Podcast Network
Shane Leaning has spent years building the Education Leaders podcast into a trusted source for practical leadership strategies. In this special launch episode…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhy Your Open Door Policy Fails
Shane opens this episode by naming a habit most school leaders share: telling their team "my door is always open," then wondering why staff still hesitate to…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhat can Leaders Learn from Architects? | A Conversation with Phil Idle
This episode explores what happens when school leaders stop starting a building project with a room count and start with a harder question about who their…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastInside Britain's Strictest School | A Conversation with Katharine Birbalsingh
This week, we're revisiting a favourite from the archives. Shane sits down with Katharine Birbalsingh, founder and headmistress of Michaela Community School…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastStop Telling Teachers What to Do | A Conversation with Jim Knight
When a teacher in South Carolina hit 86% on a goal she had set for herself, her school moved off the state's lowest-performing list and the state department…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow to Interrupt Without Making It Awkward
Ever sat in a meeting watching one person take over while everyone else goes quiet, and had no idea how to step in? Shane tackles exactly that in this solo…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastAccountability or Surveillance? | A Conversation with Tyrone Ruth
Ask a teacher how many people looked at their exercise books last year and you might be surprised by the number. Tyrone Ruth counted his: fifteen different…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastEducation Leaders LIVE | July Reflections
This is a bonus episode. Every last Thursday of the month, Shane sits down with Chris Scorer to pick apart the themes from the month's podcast guests, the…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhat are Leadership Levers?
Seventeen weeks into writing a weekly newsletter on LinkedIn, Shane has landed on a simple but powerful idea: leadership levers. This episode explains what…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership Podcast10 Million Views Later | A Conversation with Tom Sherrington
This week, we're revisiting a favourite from the archives, recorded back when this podcast was still called Global Ed Leaders. Shane sits down with Tom…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastRethinking Equity Through Learning Science | A Conversation with Zaretta Hammond
Zaretta Hammond wants school leaders to stop treating change as a straight line. In this conversation, the author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastManagement Mastery | A Conversation with Poppy Nobes
Most schools pour resources into developing brilliant teachers and then promote those same people into management roles with almost no preparation for what…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow to Defuse Defensive Teachers
technique called three-point communication that changes the physical dynamic of feedback conversations before a single word is spoken. Drawing on the…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastEducation Leaders LIVE | June Reflections
This is a bonus episoded. Join us every month for Education Leaders Live, where we explore key insights from our recent podcast episodes, including the…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhen Scientists Enter Your Classroom | A Conversation with Patrice Bain
Patrice Bain's classroom was the first in the United States where cognitive scientists studied how children actually learn, not in a university laboratory, but…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow to Catch a Straw Man
You float a reasonable idea in a meeting and within seconds, you're defending a plan you never made. This episode is about the straw man argument: what it is…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastBeyond 'Research Says' | A Conversation with Andrew Watson
When someone tells you "research says you should be doing this," what should you actually do with that? Andrew Watson, educator, author, and founder of…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhat can leaders learn from cuttlefish?
This episode tackles one of the quietest drains in school leadership: performing a version of yourself that isn't real. Shane introduces the cuttlefish…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastEducation Leaders LIVE | May Reflections
This is a bonus episode. Every last Thursday of the month, Shane sits down with Chris Scorer to pick apart the themes from the month's podcast guests, the…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhat Schools Get Wrong on Sustainability | A Conversation with Clare Garey
Three-quarters of children are worried about the state of the planet and Clare Garey argues that makes sustainability not just an environmental issue, but a…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhat the Pandemic Did to Student Brains | A Conversation with Nancy Weinstein
If you've noticed that students seem different since the pandemic and you're not sure what to do about it, this episode gives you real answers. Nancy…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhy Saying No Feels So Hard
Saying yes is one of the most common habits among school leaders, and most of the time it happens automatically, without conscious thought. In this solo…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHeads Who Lead Beyond School | A Conversation with Chris Passey and Sam Crome
What does it really take to step into public thought leadership as a headteacher and what do consultants and trust leaders get wrong when they walk into…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastEducation Leaders LIVE | April Reflections
April was a packed month on the Education Leaders podcast. Five episodes, four guests, and a thread that quietly ran through all of them: the value of small…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastLeading Through Imposter Syndrome | A Conversation with Julia Bialeski
Most school leaders have felt it at some point: that quiet, nagging suspicion that everyone else is more capable, better prepared, and more deserving of the…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastThe Science Behind Post-Decision Doubt
That sickly feeling after a tough leadership call isn't your intuition warning you that you got it wrong and this episode explains exactly why. Drawing on Leon…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow Schools Can Grow Young Changemakers | A Conversation with Melati Wijsen
Melati Wijsen started Bye Bye Plastic Bags at age 12, spoke at the UN as a teenager, and never went to university, yet she is now teaching at three…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastThe Danger of Getting Comfortable | A Conversation with Richard Wheadon
There's a particular kind of leadership trap that nobody warns you about: the one where everything is going so well that you stop noticing why. Richard Wheadon…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastThe Science of Leading | A Conversation with Meg Lee
What if the principles that help students learn could also transform how you lead? This episode explores the powerful concept of the "science of leading" with…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastEducation Leaders LIVE | March Reflections
Shane and Chris are back for this month's Education Leaders Live, recording from Shanghai and Newcastle respectively, to unpack some of the biggest themes from…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhat Actually Works in Teacher Development
England spends £1 billion a year on teacher professional development, yet a poll of school leaders found that just 1% said it led to lasting change in…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastPoor Proxies for Leadership | A Conversation with Chris Baker
How do we truly know if someone is a good leader? If your school relies on visible presence, constant busyness, or even a certain "look," you might be…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastThe Work Behind Education Leaders
Episode 151 is a milestone worth pausing on, and Shane uses it to do something he probably should have done sooner: properly introduce himself. Many listeners…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastEducation Leaders LIVE | February Reflections
Teachers spend years learning to coach people. Ask questions, not give answers. Build trust before expecting vulnerability. Hold space. Stay quiet when staying…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastThe Future of British Schools Abroad | A Conversation with Simon Probert
What does it mean to lead a ‘British’ school in an international context today? If your school promotes ‘global citizenship’ but struggles to feel truly…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastCommunication Masterclass | How to Paraphrase
You explained it clearly, they nodded, and two weeks later three people did three completely different things. This episode tackles one of the most common and…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastParent-Driven School Storytelling | A Conversation with Selina Boyd
Selina Boyd, international editor of The Good Schools Guide, reveals what actually matters when parents choose schools for their children. With over a decade…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhy Smart Leaders Make Terrible Decisions
You hired the wrong person, killed a working programme, or ignored a massive risk whilst feeling completely rational the whole time. This episode unpacks five…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastLIVE | January Reflections
Chris Scorer and Shane Leaning got together to unpack some of the big themes from recent episodes, particularly that vulnerable solo episode Shane put out…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastWhy Coaching Programs Fail | A Conversation with Gene Tavernetti
Instructional coaching should be a powerful engine for teacher development, yet so many school initiatives stall or backfire. Why? In this frank conversation…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow to Tackle Self-Doubt
You know that feeling when you wake up with a weight on your chest, convinced you don't belong and everyone's about to find out? Shane gets vulnerable about a…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastThe Tab Tax on Teachers | A Conversation with Jett Wolper
Why do schools continue using systems they hate? Jett Wolper from Sisi challenges the assumption that broken school systems are inevitable. Most educational…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastMastering Direct and Indirect Communication
What if being direct isn't the same as being clear? Shane challenges a core assumption in leadership advice: that directness equals clarity. Drawing on Edward…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow to Make Change Stick | A Conversation with Dr James Mannion
Dr James Mannion has noticed something telling when working with school leaders: ask them what proportion of change initiatives actually improved anything…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastYour Top Picks: Most Listened Episodes
As 2025 comes to a close, Shane reflects on the year by counting down the five most listened to episodes of Education Leaders. The podcast has grown…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastSchool Character and Culture First | A Conversation with Tamara Yuill Proctor
When Dr. Tamara Yuill Proctor began researching curriculum integration at secondary level, she quickly discovered that successful change wasn't really about…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastLIVE | December Reflections
Welcome to our December edition of Education Leaders LIVE, where Chris Scorer and Shane Leaning reflect on the month's episodes. This time we reviewed three…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow to Build Leadership Trust Quickly
Which breaks faster: trust in someone's competence or trust in their character? Shane explores Stephen Covey's framework that trust operates on two separate…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastEthical School Leadership | A Conversation with Dr Yael Cass
Compliance feels safer than ethics. You can tick the boxes, point to the policies, and stay in your head without engaging the emotional discomfort. But what if…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow to Think Long-Term When Everything's on Fire
Your budget's been slashed, three teachers have resigned, parents are complaining about the new timetable, and someone's asking about your five-year strategic…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastLIVE | November Reflections
This month's Education Leaders LIVE brings together the big themes from November's episodes. Chris and Shane dig into what trust actually looks like in…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHow to Trust Your Teachers | A Conversation with Sam Gibbs
When Sam Gibbs asked, "Are we any further forward in honestly trusting the teaching profession?", she hit on something uncomfortable. In too many schools…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastCoaching For School Leaders | A Conversation with Joanne Robinson
When Jo Robinson joins Shane, they focus on a simple, urgent problem: too much of what passes for professional development in schools is one-off…
Education Leaders | The Chart-Topping School Leadership PodcastHave You Got a Moment?
When someone says “have you got a moment?” your instinct might be to say yes — and then lose 20 minutes, your focus and whatever calm you had left. This solo…