Teachers Talk Radio

Are rewards and sanctions helping young people thrive, or holding them back? In this show, Tim is joined by behaviour specialist Andy Baker to challenge how we think about discipline in schools. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience across education, care, and foster settings, Andy unpacks why behaviour is communication, what empathetic approaches look like in practice, and how a shift in mindset can transform outcomes for students and teachers alike.

This show explores how inclusive pedagogy, curriculum design, digital accessibility, and institutional culture can create more equitable learning environments across higher education. We move beyond compliance to discuss practical strategies for embedding accessibility into everyday teaching and learning, informed by lived experience and sector-wide insight. Our guests are Dr Sambhavi Chandrashekar, Chair of the Global Leadership Council at the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, and an internationally recognised advocate for inclusive learning technologies.

The global teacher shortage. Why is it happening? What are the consequences? What keeps teachers in the profession? With input from guests Shrouk Anany, Alicia Lara, Alejandra Lucía, and Ashish Sharma.

On the Twilight Show, host Tony and guests Yannick Berland and Zoe Enser discuss current issues facing schools: the new Ofsted framework and how it accounts for context, the debate over a social media ban for under-16s, and the role of Ofsted-style consultants. They examine the balance between relationships and classroom management, trust intervention, and the high-stakes nature of inspections, sharing practical reflections from inside schools. The conversation highlights tensions between accountability and context, concerns about student wellbeing and technology, and the challenges leaders face when choosing external advice. The episode invites teachers to contribute their experiences and join future discussions.

In this show, Tom Rogers is joined by practising headteacher Rich Warkden for a wide-ranging and honest discussion about some of the most contentious issues facing schools right now. They unpack the government’s proposals around suspensions and internal exclusions, questioning whether keeping pupils on site during suspensions is realistic, properly funded, or blurs the line between education and childcare. The conversation explores parental responsibility, behaviour policy, staffing pressures, and whether schools are increasingly being asked to fix problems rooted in wider society. The discussion then turns to school holiday fines, with a clear-eyed look at whether fines actually change behaviour. Drawing on real school attendance data, Rich argues that rising fines have failed to deter term-time holidays, highlights the cost-of-living pressures facing families, and questions whether holiday companies should be part of the conversation. Mobile phones, social media, and their impact on behaviour and wellbeing also feature heavily, including reflections on school phone bans, Monday morning fallout from online activity, and whether schools have become the “fourth emergency service”.

The panel (JP, Carl and Lucy) discuss the big news this week - More pupils suspended for bad behaviour will have to stay in school under supervision, rather than being sent home, in a bid to curb learning loss and reduce exposure to phones and social media. Ministers say the changes are designed to strengthen discipline while ensuring pupils continue learning during short-term suspensions, particularly for non-violent behaviour.

Join Michael Wright for his Sunday Lunch Show with guest David Mastrocola as they discuss the value of vocational education and how we can integrate it in industry and the workforce.

In this show, Geraldine Tandoh explains what culturally responsive teaching is, why it matters, and how teachers can build belonging through simple, practical classroom strategies. She shares research roots, examples from English lessons, and ideas like student-led culture committees and inclusive school displays. Listeners will hear tips for welcoming students (names, greetings, registers), designing responsive lessons and culture weeks, involving student voice, and embedding these practices in ongoing professional development.

In tonight's show, I talk with Aileen Wallace about the benefits and pitfalls of using Edtech in the classroom. Is it all bells and whistles or does edtech have a point in teaching, learning and assessment?

We talk how to mindfully bring news into the classroom and those tibetan bells to help with your Sunday reset!