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26. Frank and Stan Chat No. 251
46:19||Season 8, Ep. 26Rebecca Leek, poet, musician, former Headteacher of three schools, broadcaster and author of The School-Ready Governor returns to the chat. She was a guest in March 2025 and made a very favourable impression, bringing a wide range of insights on education and leadership. It's a timely chat with World Book Day on Thursday 5th March.Rebecca explains how her life has changed in some respects since our last chat and how she is engaging in so many more things. These include;- creating a podcast that focuses on poetry called 'The Ditty Bag' https://rebeccaleek.substack.com/podcast- learning to play the accordian, and;- performing it in a band. She continues to be involved in the Suffolk Primary Headteachers' Association.This week's chat starts with Stan explaining why Martin's Law continues to be an issue, which he feels isn't getting sufficient attention. He draws on some interesting examples of how schools have tried to be innovative in addressing possible risks to pupil and staff safety. Rebecca makes clear that risk assessment and mitigation are proactive and positive measures.Rebecca then considers the implications for SEND within the recent White Paper. She is concerned about the sense of universality that embraces the report and the difficulties in managing parent and carer expectations moving forward. We also discuss how effective a national training programme for SEND will be and the implication it conveys, that schools are not effective in managing the issues. Frank completes the discussion by considering what he learned from 4 months of interim CEO work for a small trust in Greater Manchester.An interesting and broad ranging discussion. Sorry, it went over the 35 minutes limit, but we felt it was worthwhile. We hope you agree.The various links Rebecca referenced in the chat can be found belowwww.rebeccaleek.comPodcast: The Ditty BagAuthor: The School Ready Governor - BloomsburyExec. Director: Suffolk Primary Headteachers' AssociationFind Rebecca on X and Instagram And a new project she is crowdfunding for: 'Elizabeth Fry Stops By'https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/elizabeth-fry-stops-byEnjoy
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25. Frank and Stan Chat SPOTLIGHT No. 23
29:42||Season 8, Ep. 25Frank has known Mel since 2013, has observed her teaching, leading staff training and contributing strongly to developments in a number of schools. She's an energetic, gifted and committed colleague. When Frank and Stan realised she had published a book, we thought it was a good time to invite her and her co-author Andy Buck, to sit down and explain why they felt a focus on supply teachers and cover supervisors was a good topic. What followed was much more than just a chat about those specific staff roles, but more an explanation as to what effective teaching looks like, what skills are necessary and how senior leaders should perhaps do more to support. Mel draws on her many years of teaching, but also a period when she undertook supply cover in another secondary school in North Manchester and how she needed to draw on her experience to have a positive impact.We discover the role that Andy played in encouraging Mel to sit down and write the book in collaboration with him. The section of the chat at 20 mins where Mel explains her teaching approach is well worth ten minutes of every person who leads a class. At under £10 for a copy of the book, it is something every school should have a copy of.Sit back and enjoy the chat. It's a belter.
23. Frank and Stan Chat SPOTLIGHT No. 22
26:58||Season 8, Ep. 23Six months ago, Frank and Stan met Steve Kirkpatrick in a rather nice hotel in Worsley, Gt Manchester. Frank had become aware of an application Steve and a colleague had developed that supports school self-evaluation. It appears to take some of the back-breaking and tedious work undertaken by senior leaders in developing a robust self-evaluation statement. Since we met, Steve has further improved the product and has increased the number of schools adopting it. We thought it was time to learn more about his background, the application and where it might progress. Stan was away on holiday, so the chat was with Frank.
22. Frank and Stan Chat No. 250
37:27||Season 8, Ep. 22When we started the Frank and Stan Chat in May 2020, we thought it would last a week or two. It was a way for the two friends to keep in touch during the various Covid lockdowns. Astonishingly, the chats have now reached the 250 mark. We never planned to have a certain guest for this special edition. To be honest, we don't work in that way. Setting up the chats relies on a number of diaries coming together, but we were pleased to have the amazing Paul Ainsworth with us for this special chat. Paul has been a guest twice before and we have found his support and engagement an important part of why we continue to meet every week and record the chats. This recording is slightly different because we reflect on the chats and how they developed, we than have Paul discussing an article he had published earlier that day where he considers the outcomes of the first batch of Ofsted inspections and then it closes with Frank returning to Chat No. 102 where his brother, a former HMI with Estyn shares what he would put in Room 101.A lovely discussion and a suitable one for a chat that is always meant to be kind and reflective.Enjoy.22. Frank and Stan Chat No. 250
37:27||Season 8, Ep. 22When we started the Frank and Stan Chat in May 2020, we thought it would last a week or two. It was a way for the two friends to keep in touch during the various Covid lockdowns. Astonishingly, the chats have now reached the 250 mark. We never planned to have a certain guest for this special edition. To be honest, we don't work in that way. Setting up the chats relies on a number of diaries coming together, but we were pleased to have the amazing Paul Ainsworth with us for this special chat. Paul has been a guest twice before and we have found his support and engagement an important part of why we continue to meet every week and record the chats. This recording is slightly different because we reflect on the chats and how they developed, we than have Paul discussing an article he had published earlier that day where he considers the outcomes of the first batch of Ofsted inspections and then it closes with Frank returning to Chat No. 102 where his brother, a former HMI with Estyn shares what he would put in Room 101.A lovely discussion and a suitable one for a chat that is always meant to be kind and reflective.Enjoy.
21. Frank and Stan Chat No. 249
38:13||Season 8, Ep. 21A fascinating chat this week with Richard Ronksley, CEO of Altus Education Partnership based in and around Rochdale. The multi-academy trust was established in April 2017 by the governing body of Rochdale Sixth Form College, an outstanding A level provider established in 2010. In 2019, the Trust opened a new free school - Edgar Wood Academy - which serves the local community in Middleton and Heywood. In 2022, Kingsway Park High School joined and then in 2023, the first primary school, Bamford Academy got on board. Caldershaw Primary School is the most recent member to join in July 2025.Richard provides an assured and considered approach when discussing the impact of strong post-16 provision in an area. We consider how highly effective Colleges lift ambition and provide access to further education and the workplace. He explains how his career was largely about walking a particular path in a particular way and taking opportunities as they arise.Stan considers the impact of Sir Ken Robinson on his thinking and how his work, including the various keynotes that have been recorded, have been an inspiration with an emphasis on creativity. Richard then draws attention to an 18th Century Catholic guidance book he saved from a bonfire and how the instructions largely remain relevant today. Frank then reflects on a recent discussion with some trade union and professional association leaders, where he was unguarded and frustrated. He also draws attention to the introduction of the book Taking Back Control 3 by Paul Garvey. The introduction was written by Edmund Barnet-Ward, a governor at Caversham Primary School. It is a tour de force and worth reading.We hope you enjoy the chat.
21. Frank and Stan Chat SPOTLIGHT No. 20
31:03||Season 8, Ep. 21Mel Ainscow is an eminent academic and practitioner who is particularly interested in the universal challenge of developing forms of education that make a difference for all children and young people, no matter their characteristics or backgrounds. Drawing on his extensive work in the UK and overseas, Mel explains the six critical aspects that need to be embraced as part of a more effective approach to ensuring that every child matters and they matter equally.During the discussion Mel explains how some existing policy positions and historical approaches hinder progress in ensuring greater equity and inclusion. He is at pains to argue that context matters because social factors, political factors and cultural factors impinge on potential improvement. He draws on some recent work where effective cooperation and collaboration have encouraged more schools to share their knowledge and approaches. He then ponders why less progress in tackling issues beyond the school gate have not been tackled. He closes the chat with optimism as he recalls recent progress in Dundee and the Merseyside Region.Mel is always good value. He's engaging and realistic. We hope the chat is helpful and don't forget his most recent book "Reforming Education Systems for Inclusion and Equity' is available at all good bookshops, including online.Enjoy