Share
Education Leaders
The UK Election and the local/systemic change debate
Ep. 65
•
In this episode, I muse on the recent UK general election and its implications for education. With the Labour Party's victory and Keir Starmer becoming Prime Minister, there’s a palpable sense of hope and excitement among many educators. I discuss my observations from the Festival of Education and reflect on how schools might navigate these changes.
Drawing from my career in system-level leadership, I explore the importance of local leadership versus systemic change. Schools with a strong internal purpose and community engagement often weather changes more effectively. I share insights from my work with Efraim Lerner on our book, Change Starts Here, and our not-for-profit, Work Collaborative, emphasising the power of local decision-making in schools.
Links & Resources:
Work Collaborative: workcollaborative.com
Festival of Education: Festival of Education
This episode is supported by the International Curriculum Association. Learn more here.
Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on X (@leaningshane), and LinkedIn. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.
About the host
Shane Leaning is an independent organisational coach based in Shanghai, collaborating with international schools and agencies globally. He co-founded Work Collaborative, a community dedicated to inside-out change in education. Previously, Shane was the Regional Head of Teacher Development for Nord Anglia Education’s China bilingual schools, overseeing professional development across 11 schools. He holds an Executive Master’s in International Education from King’s College London and is a certified organisational development coach.
Passionate about creating agency in schools and empowering leaders, Shane is co-authoring 'Change Starts Here,' due for release in Summer 2024. He is a CollectiveEd Fellow, an Associate of the Teacher Development Trust in the UK, and a TEDx speaker. Living internationally since 2012, with extensive experience in China and Asia, Shane is a recognised voice in international education leadership.
Thank you for tuning in, and if you found this episode useful, please share. You can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky.
Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. Passionate about empowering educators, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com.
More episodes
View all episodes
107. Master Your Leadership Interview Game
29:55||Ep. 107In this episode, Shane gets coached on leadership interview techniques by Orla Dempsey, an expert in helping teachers secure leadership positions. Throughout their conversation, Orla shares practical frameworks and strategies that help transform interview anxiety into confidence.Key Topics Covered:The STAR technique for structuring powerful interview answersHow shifting to past tense can showcase your real experienceUsing specific numbers and data to demonstrate measurable impactResearching and aligning with a school's specific needsHandling setbacks and showing authentic humanity in interviews Connect with Orla DempseyWebsite: www.orladempseycoaching.ie Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more
106. How Leaders Make Ripples
31:49||Ep. 106My guest today is David Harkin, CEO and Founder of 8billionideas, which has impacted over 500,000 students in 26 countries. David is a two-time TEDx speaker, author of 'The Ripple Effect', and was ranked 8th globally by ISC Research for his contributions to the education sector in 2022. Before entering education, David was an IBM executive and was the youngest globally to receive their CEO award. In our conversation, we explore:The difference between entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial mindsetWhy school leaders should embrace a "principalpreneur" approachHow to create a culture that encourages innovation at all levelsThe three types of innovation every school needsDavid's concept of being "brilliantly busy" and what it means for leadersWhy leadership is harder than ever before in 2025The importance of transferring ideas across schools internationallyKey insights:Entrepreneurial mindset vs entrepreneurship: "Entrepreneurship is hugely misunderstood, firstly by using the word entrepreneurship and forgetting the second word entrepreneurship mindset. That's what we really need to be talking about in education."Schools as businesses: "Every school on the planet is a business, but in the business of world-class education."Three types of innovation:Transformational (major strategic initiatives)Accelerated incremental change (medium-sized projects)Incremental improvements (small, everyday gains)On modern leadership: "Leadership is harder than ever before because of the accessibility of you."Creating a culture of action: "Try and build a culture of action and then ask for forgiveness... If it's a good idea, don't ask me if you should be doing it. Just get on with it." David's outlook for education is optimistic: "The next decade is the most important decade in educational history...never before have we had the opportunity to transfer lessons as quickly as we possibly can and collectively make change."Links mentioned in this episode:8billionideasDavid's book: The Ripple Effect"Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more
105. New Bestseller: Change Starts Here
10:40||Ep. 105In this special episode, Shane Leaning discusses his new best-selling book "Change Starts Here: What if Everything Your School Needed Was Right in Front of You?", co-authored with Efram Learner. Shane shares why they wrote the book, its core philosophy, and how it can help school leaders drive meaningful change by looking inward to their communities rather than constantly seeking external solutions. Pre-order "Change Starts Here" on AmazonKey PointsThe Confidence Crisis: Many schools are experiencing a confidence crisis, constantly looking outside for solutions from consultancies and companies, inadvertently outsourcing their thinkingA Different Approach: Instead of providing prescriptive solutions, the book offers 40 powerful questions organized into 8 stages to unlock the wisdom that already exists within school communitiesBased on Design Thinking: The framework adapts the British Design Council's Double Diamond model for educational settingsAlready a Bestseller: The book has achieved bestseller status within a week of pre-orders being available What Makes This Approach DifferentEmbraces Complexity: Change involves people, and people are complex - this book doesn't try to oversimplify that realityCommunity-Centered: Involving multiple perspectives leads to better quality change and develops genuine buy-inEngages Head and Heart: Questions engage with feelings as much as thoughts, helping people follow through even when change becomes challengingWho Is This Book For?School leaders (primary audience)Teachers developing minds in their classroomsParents supporting their childrenHR managers thinking about recruitment challengesCEOs of school groupsAnyone who believes in community-led change Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more
104. Guest Episode | Change in schools from within
53:06||Ep. 104A Call Across the Pond- Guest AppearanceShane Leaning appears as a guest on another podcast.Time zones don't matter when the conversation is this good! This bonus episode features Shane Leaning as a guest on "A Call Across the Pond: Transforming Relationships at School, at Home & Beyond" with Tara Gretton and Vicky Essebag.Episode Highlights:Why most professional development doesn't lead to lasting change in schoolsHow the outsourcing of knowledge has led to a crisis of confidence in schoolsThe four key stages of effective, community-led changeWhy "buy-in" is the wrong approach to school changeThe importance of seeing challenges as perceptions rather than factsHow my podcast journey has evolved and the incredible lessons I've learnedThe critical need to restore respect and status to the teaching profession globallySubscribe to their podcast:A Call Across the Pond: Transforming Relationships at School, at Home & Beyond
104. How to partner with parents | A conversation with Christina Hidek
37:01||Ep. 104In this episode, I speak with Christina Hidek, an expert in parent engagement, about the vital role of parent communities in schools. We explore the numerous benefits of empowered parent groups and how schools can build strong, collaborative relationships with parents. Episode HighlightsThe wide-ranging benefits of engaged parent communities for schools, students, and parents.Uncovering hidden parent talents and skills to enrich the school community.Moving beyond traditional parent involvement like bake sales to more strategic partnerships.Real-world examples of how parents have helped schools solve critical challenges.Strategies for overcoming barriers and adversarial relationships between schools and parents.The importance of open communication and mutual goal-setting.How to effectively support and empower parent groups.The school leader's role in fostering positive parent-teacher relationships. Key TakeawaysEngaged parent communities are invaluable assets to schools.Schools should actively seek to understand and utilise the diverse skills and talents within their parent community.Open communication and collaboration are essential for building strong parent-school partnerships.School leaders play a crucial role in fostering a positive and productive relationship with parent communities. Links MentionedChristina's Facebook Community: Superstar PTO Leaders Group Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more
103. Why your teachers have seen it all before
15:04||Ep. 103When you announce a new initiative, do you ever get "that sigh" from your experienced teachers? You know the one - followed by "Isn't this just that thing we did back in 2005?" Today we're looking at the inevitable cycle of change in education and how to lead through it with integrity and purpose.In this bite-sized leadership episode, Shane explores why education seems to move in cycles, with approaches and methodologies appearing to come back around under new names:Why education moves in cycles: Our system is obsessed with change, there are only so many fundamental ideas in education, and new leaders often feel pressure to make their markEvolution vs cycles: The most productive way to view educational change is as an evolution rather than disconnected cyclesPractical leadership advice: Rethink change for change's sake, connect new initiatives to what came before, focus on evolution not revolution, and honor institutional knowledgeEpisode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more
102. Can schools do flexible work? A Conversation with Neil Renton & Julie Wellacott
31:53||Ep. 102In this episode, I speak with Neil Renton, headteacher, and Julie Wellacott, HR professional, who are pioneering flexible working approaches in UK schools through their work as Flexible Working Ambassadors.Episode Highlights:What is flexible working? Giving teachers greater control over how much, when, and where they workHow Neil's school has transformed to employ 50 teachers with some form of "part-timeness"The mindset shift required from school leaders to embrace flexibilityWhy "reason-neutral" approaches prevent bias when considering flexible working requestsSimple starting points for leaders wanting to explore flexible working optionsResearch showing that one-fifth of teachers who leave the profession move to part-time roles outside educationHow flexible arrangements like sabbaticals and phased retirement help retain experienced educatorsCreating a school culture where staff feel comfortable requesting flexibilityKey Takeaways:Flexible working isn't just about part-time hours - it encompasses location, scheduling, and workloadThe cultural shift required is substantial but pays dividends in retention and teacher wellbeingSmall, incremental changes can make a significant difference to individual teachersStart with an honest assessment of your school's current approach to flexibilityBoth research evidence and individual stories can help persuade reluctant leadersLinks Mentioned:Neil's Article in SecEdFlexible Working ToolkitEpisode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more
101. How to delegate
16:41||Ep. 101Have you ever found yourself drowning in tasks that others could do, but somehow you're still doing them yourself? Today, Shane Leaning shares a framework that completely transformed how he delegates - and might give you back hours of your week.In this episode, Shane explores the nine levels of delegation developed by the late Tim Brighouse, a renowned British educationalist. This framework provides a clear spectrum from essentially no delegation to complete handover of responsibility.Key Insights:Most leaders default to lower levels of delegation due to habits, politeness, or control preferencesClarity is crucial - most delegation problems stem from unclear expectationsMatch your delegation approach to both the task complexity and the person's experienceCultural differences significantly impact how delegation is received and should be consideredProgressive delegation can develop team members' skills and confidence over timeThe same person might handle different tasks at different delegation levels depending on contextChallenge:Try being explicitly clear about your delegation level in at least three conversations next week. Use the framework and see what happens when you're transparent about expectations.Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn moreThank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.About the hostShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. He co-founded Work Collaborative and hosts the chart-topping school leadership podcast, Education Leaders. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' As a CollectivEd Fellow, Teacher Development Trust Associate, and TEDx speaker, Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com.
100. LIVE | Trust, Traction and Technology
47:25||Ep. 100In this special bonus episode, Shane Leaning and co-host Chris Scorer introduce the new Education Leaders community platform and discuss what makes a great educational community. The conversation explores the challenges of navigating online spaces for both educators and students, finding balance in a digitally saturated world, and creating meaningful connections among education professionals globally.Episode Highlights:Introduction to the Education Leaders Live community platform, hosted on EducationScapeHow the platform serves as a space for leadership discussions, peer coaching, and resource sharingThe importance of creating both online and offline spaces where meaningful connection can happenPerspectives on the challenges of digital saturation for today's studentsInsights on balancing productivity with necessary downtime for both educators and studentsWhat makes a truly effective educational community - including trust, authentic engagement, and psychological safetyResources Mentioned:Education Leaders Community: educationleaders.liveEducationScape platform and appNetflix series "Adolescents"The Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtSchools Week and FE Week (EducationScape publications)Festival of Education (UK)"Limitless" program (device-free experiences for students)A Hair, Brain and Tortoise Mind by Guy ClaxtonJoin the community at educationleaders.live to participate in future live sessions, access exclusive resources, and connect with education leaders worldwide. Education Leaders Live sessions happen every two weeks.