Blog Posts

From Representation to Transformation: The Impact of Diverse Governing Boards in Schools

School governing boards in the UK are entrusted with the critical task of shaping the educational experiences of both students and staff. Within their role, they have the power to influence curriculum choices, define and redefine budget allocations and set the future direction of the school or trust, all whilst ensuring robust safeguarding policies are in place. Therefore, for these

07/02/2025 Read more

Inclusive Recruitment: 20 Tips to Consider

‘Diversifying Recruitment’ and ‘Inclusive Recruitment’ are two terms that we often hear being mentioned frequently in education circles, but what is the difference in approach? Diverse or diversifying suggests the focus is on finding diverse candidates. Inclusive or ‘inclusifying’ (phrase coined by Professor Paul Miller which we have adopted) suggests the focus is instead on including diverse cand

07/02/2025 Read more

Empowerment, Inclusion, and Storytelling: A New Approach to History Education

Traditional history education can sometimes feel stale and uninspired – a series of dates and old white men who seem to have little or no relevance to the lives of today’s children. This approach, heavily focused on Eurocentric perspectives and the accomplishments of a select few, can leave many students feeling excluded and disconnected from the past. But, as even Ofsted explained in their 

07/02/2025 Read more

What Could Sustainable Teacher Recruitment Campaigns Look Like?

When I trained to teach in 2010, I was drawn into the profession by the motivation to Make a Difference. I wanted to be a Changemaker; to have Social Impact; to Do Good. And I was willing to work all hours and make sacrifices to – essentially – satisfy my guilty white saviour complex. Maybe that’s a little cutting: after all, a sense of moral purpose and the pursuit of meaningful work ar

03/12/2024 Read more

A journey with the experienced other - coaching and leadership development

Coaching is the process used to enable the coachee to reach their goals or achieve clarity about their life, whether it’s about leadership development, career change, family, personal development or just managing work-life balance. This blog will focus on coaching as a vehicle for leadership development.   Leadership development training encourages the use of hands-on practical training

02/12/2024 Read more

LGBTQ+ teachers don’t receive the training and support they need

Originally posted on The Conversation in May 2024: https://theconversation.com/lgbtq-teachers-dont-receive-the-training-and-support-they-need-228162 Republished with permission of the author. LGBTQ+ teachers report feeling stressed and even discriminated against in the workplace due to their identity. This is a problem when keeping teachers in their jobs is vital. Teaching is facing a crisis in bo

02/12/2024 Read more

How My Experiences with ADHD in Different Workplaces Led to a PhD and Training Programmes for Businesses and Schools

I'm Steve Ollington, and I’m currently undertaking a PhD at Swansea University, supervised by Professor Brian Garrod, focusing on ADHD in the workplace. My research journey started with a personal observation: despite having a consistent skill set and high level of experience in my profession, I noticed that my performance varied significantly depending on the workplace environment. In some settin

02/12/2024 Read more

Power up your passion: Tomorrow’s Engineers Week and the drive for diversity in engineering careers

As  Tomorrow’s Engineers Week 2024  approaches, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment to ignite excitement and purpose among young people for careers in engineering and technology. From November 11 to 15, EngineeringUK will host this nationwide celebration under the theme Power up your passion, highlighting how personal interests can lead to fulfilling and impactful careers in STEM

02/12/2024 Read more

The one human skill that powers all others: Is empathy the secret to wellbeing, inclusion & the future of work?

As an educator, you’re often faced with student situations you can’t anticipate. Those situations are almost always personal, nuanced and highly-specific to that individual. They require a human response. They require empathy. Empathy is the skill to understand another and the ability to create space for someone to reveal their authentic self, whilst reserving judgement. Empathy is no longer merel

01/12/2024 Read more