Frank and Stan Chats

The SPOTLIGHT editions of the Frank and Stan Chat provide us with a chance to meet colleagues with one topic of conversation. The 30th edition is with Sian Hampton and Alice Gregson. They have created a System Leadership programme that is focused on a range of partners delivering services for children and families. It brings educators together with those from health, social care, housing and other partners to consider how jointly they can contribute more if they are better coordinated. The chat considers how previous attempts have been marginally successful and what is currently being attempted. Sian and Alice get a chance to chat about their new programme. If you are interested this is the weblink you will need. https://elevatingleadership.co.uk/programmes/Enjoy.

It is always a joy to have John Malynn back as a guest on the chat. He is the only senior civil servant we know of to lead on accountability for the DfE, including its relationship with Ofsted, and also be invited to join the inspectorate as a key policy adviser. A rather unique set of experiences.With so much happening in politics this week we focus on the important work of the Education Select Committee and their meeting with Sir Martyn Oliver on Tuesday. Before we get into that ,Stan considers what he gained from a restful week in Spain and how it influenced his thinking on the drive for better attendance. John then considers a host of DfE announcements, why they were made and who will monitor their introduction. Frank then considers how the Chief Inspector wanted to focus on provision rather than outcomes in considering how effective Ofsted is in managing staff wellbeing.It's a lively and lengthy chat but please stick with it cos there are some interesting insights in how government works and how the relationship with the inspectorate has changed over time.Enjoy

It was a pleasure to welcome Jill Munday to the Frank and Stan Chat. Jill has had a varied and interesting career and met Frank when they were Assistant Divisional Managers working on local authority inspections with Ofsted. Since retiring Jill has been a passionate supporter of The Malagiri School in Nepal. This Spotlight chat covers how she got involved, how she currently supports their work and what she has gained from the experience. She’s visiting the school again in November. It is a fascinating chat and enables us to consider the lessons for English education at a time of challenge and change. If you would like to donate to the school, there is a link on their website www. https://malagirischool.uk

Part 2 of the chat due to a power cut during the recording. Stan is away this week so Frank had the chance to chat with Dave Smith, a former colleague in the Coop Group Press and Media team, someone Frank worked with frequently when he was the CEO of the Coop Academies Trust. Our relaxed chat covers how best to use the media, including social media, for the benefit of the school and how it is really not acceptable to have a head in the sand approach. Dave offers some straight forward advice and tackles the problem where a few headteachers consider themselves to be great communicators when in fact they are not. As with many things in this area it is important to know what to do in advance of a problem arising. We also cover how a proactive approach can support the handling of the increasing number of complaints schools are receiving. There is a link at the end to a chat Frank had with Joe Dundas about marketing and communication a few years ago. The video has had nearly 400 views and can be broken down into chunks. Enjoy.

Part 1 due to a power cut during the recording: Part 2 follows. Stan is away this week so Frank had the chance to chat with Dave Smith, a former colleague in the Coop Group Press and Media team, someone Frank worked with frequently when he was the CEO of the Coop Academies Trust. Our relaxed chat covers how best to use the media, including social media, for the benefit of the school and how it is really not acceptable to have a head in the sand approach. Dave offers some straight forward advice and tackles the problem where a few headteachers consider themselves to be great communicators when in fact they are not. As with many things in this area it is important to know what to do in advance of a problem arising. We also cover how a proactive approach can support the handling of the increasing number of complaints schools are receiving. There is a link at the end to a chat Frank had with Joe Dundas about marketing and communication a few years ago. The video has had nearly 400 views and can be broken down into chunks. Enjoy.

Both of us look forward to Aelwyn's annual visit to the Frank and Stan Chat. Always well prepared, challenging and at times controversial Aelwyn is, as my wife says, a proper HMI. After over 20 years of working for Ofsted in various roles, he retired a few years ago, but he remains committed to his desire for all children and young people to succeed.Stan gets things rolling as he considers a couple of complaints about services he has received recently. The difference in the way he felt after both of them is quite striking. He considers whether schools can learn from the starkly different outcomes. Aelwyn then considers how strongly schools are committed to enrichment activities and how things have changed over time in terms of what some staff offer to their pupils. He recalls in detail his attempts to coach a rugby team when his talents were possibly better suited to music.With time short, Frank lays a marker down for the next chat when he draws attention to the manager positions at his beloved Southend Utd and Southampton FC. There is much to learn from those two situations at the moment.And yes, we are chatting to Aelwyn about another appearance in May 2027.Enjoy, cos it's a belter.