Managing Behaviour - Pivotal Podcast - Behaviour Management, Safeguarding, Teaching And Learning

Pivotal Education’s own Mike Armiger has personal experience of children who find themselves in foster adoption care. This week, he has an opportunity to share his experience and expertise around: The practicalities of being an adpotive parent or carer The challenges faced by adopted children which are not encountered by others How practitioners can best … Continue reading Kids in Care with Pivotal Education’s Mike Armiger – PP198 →

Dr Emma Kell has been teaching for two decades, mainly in inner-London secondary schools. She is now a middle leader with several years of senior leadership experience. In 2016, she completed her doctorate with Middlesex University on balancing teaching and parenthood and in January 2018, her book, How to Survive in Teaching, was published by Bloomsbury. … Continue reading How to Survive in Teaching with Emma Kell – PP197 →

Ollie catches up with one of the pivotal people in his own life story – his old drama teacher, Carole Davies. They discuss the importance of arts subjects, positive relationships and much more in this fascinating episode. Here’s how Carole describes her ‘life in drama’: “It all started when I was quite young at school … Continue reading The drama in positive relationships with Carole Davies – PP196 →

Andrew is a Chartered Consultant Clinical & Forensic Psychologist and co-director of Changing Minds UK. He has over 20 years’ experience in delivering high quality applied psychology provision across a range of settings including; Elite Sport, Business, Mental Health, Social Care and the Criminal Justice System. Andrew has a particular interest and expertise in supporting … Continue reading Custody, Behaviour and Trauma with Dr. Andrew Rogers – PP195 →

Jonathan Clucas is the headteacher of a large, three form entry Primary school in Blackpool with over 600 pupils and 50% in receipt of pupils premium funding. Blackpool is listed as the area with the lowest life expectancy in the UK, with the lowest average wage per household. It is the most deprived large seaside … Continue reading Learning the rules and then breaking them – Taking a school to outstanding with Jonathan Clucas →

It was great to speak to Claire Birkenshaw this week. Claire is a former headteacher and has also done a huge amount for LGBTQ rights. Whilst in post as the headteacher of an alternative provision academy, Claire became (as far as she knows) the fist serving head to go through a transition. Subsequently, Claire decided … Continue reading How to be an equality champion with Claire Birkenshaw – PP193 →

Ollie interviewed the self-proclaimed ‘Autistic Genius’, Tom Bowes this week in a great interview about the condition and what we should, as teachers and human beings, be doing about it. Often, Tom says, people focus on the autism and not the individual. He points out that autism isn’t a behavioural issue but it can cause … Continue reading Autistic? Genius! with Tom Bowes – PP192 →

In one of the most thought-provoking and important episodes we have ever had on the podcast, Paul talks to author, teacher and founder of Independent Thinking, Ian Gilbert. The result is a no-holds-barred, uncompromising critique of the state of education in England today and what we should be doing about it. Listen at your own … Continue reading Re-framing the Education Debate with Independent Thinker, Ian Gilbert – PP191 →

James is Head of Academic Progress for Upper School at Plymton Academy. We were keen to speak to him because he combines a leadership role with being in the classroom himself. How did you learn to support and create a positive climate for behaviour in the classroom? James believes this came quite naturally to him … Continue reading James Yates’ ‘Signature Behaviour Dish’ – PP190 →

Ollie spoke to Kate Milman this week from Wild Things Ecological Education Collective. The organisation has been running as a small grassroots and voluntary managed, not-for-profit social co-operative since 1997, working in the woodland environment with children and young people from Nottingham and Derbyshire. Wild Things provides woodland based environmental learning adventures, Forest School programmes, residential … Continue reading Where The Wild Things Are With Kate Milman – PP189 →

Rae Snape has been headteacher at The Spinney School in Cambridge since 2007. She is also a member of the DfE’s Primary Headteachers’ Reference Group where she has been helping the government reflect on its policies since 2010. What tips would you give to headteachers who are currently implementing change and school improvement? Rae points … Continue reading “Yes We Can!” with Headteacher, Rae Snape – PP188 →

This week, Paul spoke to Susie Speller, Associate Professor of Materials at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. Susie first came to the University of Oxford as an undergraduate student in Materials Science, staying on to gain a DPhil in the field of high temperature superconducting materials. She was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship in … Continue reading Susie Speller – An ‘Oxbridge’ Too Far For State School Students? – PP187 →

Sky Caves is a Learning Technology Apprentice at Basingstoke College of Technology working as a part of their  in-house digital team, BCoT Digital, to curate, research, train and assist with the implementation of digital tools throughout the college. She also works closely with Specialist Provision and, as of this year, has been curating self-directed learning … Continue reading Sky Caves – She Tech knows what it’s all about – PP186 →

We really enjoyed speaking to Thomas Rogers this week. Tom is a Head of History, classroom teacher of 10 years, columnist for the TES and course curator for Udemy. He teaches in an International School in Northern Spain and was first encouraged to go into teaching by his experiences working for Cam America. He has ended … Continue reading Tom Rogers on Sun, Sea and History – PP185 →

Ollie spoke to Mine Conkbayir this week about the brain and why we all need to know so much more about it than we do. She helps to debunk some myths which are still very prevalent in today’s schools and presents a high level of challenge to all educators to examine their practice. Mine is an … Continue reading Why all educators need to care about Mine Conkbayir’s frontal cortex – 184 →

In a week when there was a surprise change of Education Secretary in England, it was a delight to welcome Alison Kriel to the podcast. Alison has the experience of turning round a school which was in a remarkably challenging state and as Mike puts it, ‘leading with compassion’. She also has a focus on … Continue reading Alison Kriel on Leading With Compassion – PP183 →

Mike spoke to an ex-Chief Inspector from Manchester Police, Shane O’Neill. Shane loved Policing but wanted to leave in order to work in different ways to help to avoid criminalising young people who have just made mistakes. Global Policing Ltd helps schools with behaviour, safety and security but at the same time educating children on … Continue reading Policing Our Schools With Shane O’Neill – PP182 →

[box colour=”blue”] Play the Podcast Episode Now [/box] It’s time, once again, for the annual Pivotal Podcast Christmas Quiz. This year, we’ve changed the format a bit so you can play along in your staff meeting or even at your Christmas party! Christmas quiz presenters are: Featured but not participating:

Episode 180! Ollie welcomes Pivotal Principal Trainer, Paul Woodward onto the show this week. Paul Dix interviewed Paul shortly after he joined Pivotal Education and we have included some of that conversation this week. More recently, Ollie had the pleasure of interviewing Paul again to find out a lot more about his educational beliefs and … Continue reading Paul Woodward – Stories from around the world – PP180 →

What an amazing time Nina had in the Time Out Room this week! Paul really enjoyed talking to her about Sherbet Lemons and what she means by describing herself as a Ninja! Nina is She is a former teacher and an International Education Consultant. She has a breath-taking grasp of what makes classrooms, children and their … Continue reading Ninjas and Sherbet Lemons – Nina Jackson in the Time Out Room – PP179 →