In this episode we ask two experienced school leaders one simple question – What makes a great headteacher? – and see where the conversation goes.

Our two guests enjoy a wide-ranging discussion about what a great headteacher looks like from the perspective of each of the key stakeholders in the school community – pupils, staff, parents and others.

The pupil lens: We talk kindness and honesty, but also the importance of holding children to high standards.

The staff lens: We talk trust, integrity, and leading by example.

The parent/carers lens: We talk being visible, communicating clearly, and listening well.

The governor lens: We talk respect and relationships.

We also consider Ofsted and how we can maintain our values as a great headteacher while also meeting inspectors' expectations.

Ultimately, we consider the characteristics, skills, traits and experiences that combine to make brilliant headteachers.

In this episode we discuss how we can improve the quality of teaching across the primary school, with practical advice and insights for school leaders.

We begin by discussing the role of the curriculum in improving teaching quality, including the importance of inclusion and oracy. We focus too on the importance of planning teaching and learning – both short-term action planning and longer-term planning.

Our panel also discusses effective approaches to teacher CPD, including coaching and mentoring and we consider why a people-focused, collegiate approach to the monitoring of teaching and learning is crucial – and what this can look like in practice.

Finally, we discuss how we can hold teachers to account in positive and supporting ways and offer a few top tips.

In the midst of a teacher retention crisis, this episode asks how primary schools can keep hold of their teaching staff, especially their early career teachers.

With more than 114,000 teachers having quit teaching for reasons other than retirement in the last three years, our expert panel discuss general principles for creating a school environment that encourages teachers to want to stay.

We talk about pay, equity of opportunity, creating belonging and psychological safety across our workforces, the vital role of CPD and support for career progression, and much more.

We ask what effective school leadership for retention looks like, including the support we must offer and how to build trust and those vital relationships.

We discuss strategies to address workload, a key driver of teacher retention, including flexible working, and how schools can help teachers to achieve a better work/life balance.

We focus in particular on strategies to support early career teachers, a third of whom are likely to quit after their first five years.

Ultimately, we ask how headteachers can make their school a place where teachers want to work and feel they belong.