Good to Great Education Leaders Series!

"Have a good think about what is it because some people see special needs schools as something which they’re not, and there’s a variety of special needs schools. So the biggest thing for me would be to have a good look around, you know, visit schools, you know, and then use that time to really think about, first of all, what is the right type of school for you is” – Chris Rue

Listen to Chris Rue's amazing journey within Special Needs Education, which started with him dropping a suitcase off, having one interview, and is now a successful Head Teacher within Epinay Business and Enterprise School. Chris gives a truly heartfelt insight into his learns and progression within a career he never expected to have!

SHOW NOTES:

[00:35] Chris’s route into teaching.

[02:07] Learning and working up from the very bottom

[05:36] Moving from teacher to middle leadership fast

[07:03] Chris gives advice to NQT’s

[08:51] Learns as a Middle Leader.

[10:08] Becoming ambitious, developing the skills and experience to make the move into Headship.

[11:55] 20 years of history, moving onto pastures new!

[13:51] Big achievements.

[15:35] Current initiatives at Epinay.

[17:24] How Chris gets away from teaching.

[19:14] Education post-COVID-19.

[22:43] The biggest influencers in Chris’s teaching career so far.

[23:40] If Chris hadn’t been a teacher.

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"In life, if an opportunity comes your way, you need to take it." - Nick Bevington

Listen as Nick Bevington's interview where he speaks of his route from Finance graduate to Head of Town Close School, the boredom of working in Finance and how summer camp work had lit the torch paper of his love of helping and teaching young people. Nick's early advice of taking an opportunity has stood him in very good stead.

In fact, this advice leads to Nick progressing quicker than normal to his first Deputy Headteacher role. He describes how he handled the responsibility of this post when relatively inexperienced compared to other more established staff.

Nick has lost none of his enthusiasm and passion for education and had some amazing examples of current initiatives in Town Close school. Enjoy!

[00:30] Nick's route into teaching.

[01:50] The biggest influencers in Nick's early teaching.

[04:50] Becoming a Deputy headteacher

[06:17] Learns as a Deputy.

[08:00] Making the move into Headship.

[09:54] New Head, new experiences.

[11:29] Implementing change as a Head.

[13:08] Current initiatives at Town Close School.

[15:49] Genderleass uniform.

[22:11] What makes a good SLT.

[24:06] Nick's advice to NQT's.

[27:02] Nick's advice to aspiring Head Teachers.

[28:39] How Nick gets away from work.

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It’s, it’s about getting your best players in place. It’s about giving those best players the opportunity to actually do what they’re good at.”

Jonathan always knew he was going to be a Teacher, from the off following in his father's footsteps. Listen to his path from NQT to Headship, where he shares insights and advice to all levels of Education. Feel Jonathan’s enthusiasm for the new Discovery Plus initiative in d’Overbroecks and how the school help and support Mental Health issues.

[00:33] Jonathan’s route into teaching.

[01:38] Jonathan’s NQT Learns.

[02:27] Progression into Middle Leadership

[03:24] Jonathan’s Path to Headship.

[06:10] Advice for NQT’s.

[07:11] d’Overbroecks New Discovery Plus Initiative.

[09:09] The Future of Education.

[11:38] Supporting Mental Health in d’Overbroecks.

[13:54] d’Overbroecks Growth and Progression.

[14:51] Building a Successful Team.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, because if you're always looking at the next thing, you'll never be happy in your current role." - James Hodgson

James Bedford if the Headteacher at Bedford School, Bedfordshire. He has over Listen to how James began his teaching career after the dream of being a professional cricketer didn't materialise. He initially worked for Ernst and Young and after learning how much he hated that job, he decided to find a working environment that he would love and appreciate. 

Listen to Jame's path from teaching Classics in Australia to Headship at Bedford School and the fantastic "Movember" YouTube videos you'll need to watch. 

SHOW NOTES 

[00:35] James route into teaching

[08:36] James route to middle management 

[10:11] Enjoying Senior Leadership and never planning for it. 

[11.31] Who moulded James SLT path

[14:17] Going into SLT with your eyes open!

[16:36] Initiatives in school Digitally preparing pupils for the working world, Partnerships with local schools, charities and business, Entrapreunerialism in school

[29:13] Movember at Bedford School

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After leaving school at 16 Mike fell into Outdoor Pursuits and subsequently into Teaching. Listen to his unique path to Executive Headship and becoming a CEO. Identifying a true "gap in the education market" Mike set up as a charity, that formed into the school Releasing Potential and now offers a teacher training business with one goal, to enrich all children's lives.

Mike has truly learned the hard way, Releasing Potential is going from strength to strength listen to his fantastic account of what you can achieve if you put your mind to it!

[00:36] Mike's insights into becoming a teacher.

[03:53] The Launch of Releasing Potential.

[05:00] Is teaching a vocation?

[06:19] Biggest advice to NQT's.

[08:19] Becoming a Head Teacher and building Releasing Potential.

[13:15] Current initiatives.

[18:34] Advice to aspiring SLT.

[23:47] The next steps for Releasing Potential.

Alex began her teaching career in a girls’ full boarding school, living in and working with them. After six years, she moved to teach at her alma mater, North London Collegiate School, one of the top-performing schools in the country, where she remained for the next seventeen years. When she first moved to NLCS, she taught Religious Studies and History. Over the years, she progressed to become Head of Department and then Deputy Head (Pastoral) for six years before taking on the role of Acting Headmistress in the Autumn Term of 2017. Alex then moved on to her current Headship at Hull Collegiate School in Yorkshire.

You can here within this interview how Alex is truly passionate about teaching and learning. To the point that they are currently running open lectures on topics and subject of specialty which can be attended by both staff and students!

[0:48] Alex’s route into teaching

[1:47] Learns in the early years

[5:36] How Alex built a successful department

[7:17] Moving into Senior Leadership

[10:33] Advice to aspiring Head Teachers

[12:10] Supporting staff as a Head, its the little things that matter

[15:14] Alex give her advice to NQT’s and student teachers

[18:40] Alex’s favourite interview question

[21:21] The biggest influence on Alex’s career

[22:04] Schools new Academic Lecture Programme initiative

Andrew Hampton is the Head Teacher at Thorpe Hall School in Southend-on-Sea. He has been teaching for over 25 years, initially qualifying as a Music Teacher. Andrew has been Head at Thorpe Hall School for over  12 years seeing significant growth and changes in the school, currently looking to make the school 100% sustainable and promotion of his fantastic "Girls on Board" initiative.

 I went in with very clear vision of what I wanted to achieve in the school, and getting the staff and the community on board with that vision was really, really important. - Jeni Ling

Jeni Ling is an experienced director, facilitator, and education coach with a wonderful history of developing senior leaders and Head Teachers in education. Experienced school evaluator and inspector Jeni is a skilled coach, Educational Consult and Learning Manager. Jeni has a vast array of experiences which have rounded her abilities to improve all she works with.

Listen to more of Jeni’s fantastic experience and how she helps and supports the current crop of  UK Head Teachers.

• Jeni’s route into Education [00:40]
• Jeni’s career path [02:26]
• Becoming a head teacher? [06:13]
• What advice would you give to senior leadership or aspiring headteachers [10:12]
• Moving from Head to being a Consultant [11:17]
• Jeni’s lightbulb moments  [14:23]
• Recent consultancy  Initiatives [17:02]
• What does makes a good senior leadership team [20:23]
• Where is the Education sector heading [22:23]
• Is teaching still a vocation [26:35]
• Jeni’s next project [31:10]
• Contacting Jeni [34:36]

 Building your SLT team is like trying to build an aircraft while it’s in the air – Liam Powell