Trust Matters: Lessons in Leadership

Misinformation, conspiracy theories, AI and the growing challenge facing schools | Michael Kane

In this episode, we're joined by Michael Kane, Policy Manager at Public First and one of the lead researchers behind the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools.
Drawing on new national research with pupils, parents and teachers, Michael explores the growing spread of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy beliefs among young people, and what this means for schools.
From deepfakes and AI-generated content to online conspiracy theories and extremist narratives, schools are increasingly finding themselves on the front line of a rapidly changing digital landscape. As smartphones become more common at younger ages and social media continues to shape how young people consume information, teachers are being asked to navigate complex conversations that many feel underprepared for.
Michael shares insights from the Commission's latest report, including the impact misinformation is having on classrooms, the challenges teachers face when responding to false or misleading content, and why media literacy is becoming an increasingly important part of education.
We explore:
Why young people are finding it harder than ever to tell what's real and fake online
The growing influence of AI-generated content, deepfakes and misinformation
What teachers are hearing from pupils in classrooms across the country
Why misinformation and conspiracy theories are becoming a bigger issue in schools
The impact smartphones and social media are having on younger children
Why many teachers feel underprepared to tackle these conversations
The challenges schools face around political impartiality and safeguarding
What the latest updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education mean for schools
The role parents play in helping young people navigate online information
Why media literacy needs to be a whole-school priority
What practical steps leaders can take to better support staff and pupils
This is a timely and thought-provoking conversation for trust leaders, school leaders and anyone interested in helping young people navigate an increasingly complex digital world.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

Can schools help prevent a NEET crisis? | John Yarham

In this episode, we're joined by John Yarham, Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, the national organisation working to help every young person access high-quality careers education, employer experiences and pathways into future employment.
With more than 25 years' experience across education, skills and careers, John shares his perspective on one of the biggest challenges facing schools today: preparing young people for a future of work that is changing faster than ever.
We discuss why traditional work experience placements are becoming harder to sustain, what a modern approach to work experience could look like, and how schools can help prevent more young people from becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
John also explores the growing importance of essential skills, the role of confidence in career success, and how schools should respond to the opportunities and challenges created by AI.
We explore:
Why the traditional work experience model is no longer enough
Whether the government's ambition for every young person to complete 2 weeks of work experience is realistic
How schools can build meaningful employer encounters from Year 7 onwards
The early warning signs that a young person may be at risk of becoming NEET
What schools with exceptionally low NEET rates are doing differently
The barriers SEND students and pupils in alternative provision face when accessing work experience
Why confidence is often as important as capability when preparing young people for employment
What employers mean when they talk about "skills gaps" and the essential skills they value most
How AI is reshaping the future of work and what schools should prioritise in response
The importance of helping young people see opportunities beyond their immediate surroundings
Why careers education should be embedded into a school's wider strategy, not treated as an add-on
This is a practical and thought-provoking conversation for trust leaders, school leaders, careers leaders and anyone interested in helping young people make successful transitions into education, employment and future careers.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with John on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

From 4 to 65 schools: growing England's largest primary-only trust | Cathie Paine CBE

In this episode, we’re joined by Cathie Paine CBE, Chief Executive of REAch2 Academy Trust, the largest primary-only trust in England.
Cathie has been part of REAch2 since the very beginning, joining as the trust’s first employee in 2012. Since then, she has helped grow the organisation from 4 schools to a national organisation of 65 schools across 20 local authorities, many of which joined the trust after experiencing significant challenges.
Drawing on more than 30 years in education, Cathie reflects on what it takes to scale a trust while maintaining a strong culture, clear purpose and unwavering focus on children. She shares lessons from leading school improvement at scale, why leadership remains the most important lever for transformation, and how Reach2 is working to ensure every child receives the best possible start in life.
We explore:
How REAch2 grew from 4 schools to one of the largest trusts in the country while maintaining a strong sense of belonging and purpose
Why leadership is the single biggest factor in school improvement
The importance of early years education and why getting the foundations right changes outcomes for children
What strong multi-academy trusts look like in practice and why culture matters as much as structure
Cathie’s perspective on SEND reform and the opportunities and challenges facing schools
Why REAch2 moved to GAG pooling and what it means for equity, sustainability and collaboration across schools
How trust leaders can balance individual school identity with a shared organisational mission
The thinking behind REAch2’s ‘11 Before 11’ promises and the experiences every child should have before leaving primary school
Why school leaders should think beyond autonomy and embrace the opportunities of being part of something bigger
Cathie’s vision for the next decade of REAch2 and the future of primary education
This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation for trust leaders, school leaders and anyone interested in culture, school improvement, inclusion and what it takes to build a trust where every school can thrive.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with Cathie on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

Flexible working that works: the 9-day fortnight, removing job titles and protecting staff energy

In this episode, we’re joined by Robyn Ellis, school and college trust leader at Dixons Academies Trust, whose career spans both global corporate leadership and education system transformation.
Drawing on her experience leading leadership development at Booking.com and now working across a major multi-academy trust, Robyn shares what education can learn from the corporate world, and where schools must lead differently. She explores how leadership systems, culture and organisational design shape staff experience, and why bold decisions — including removing job titles, introducing coaching-led performance development, and implementing a 9-day fortnight — can transform how organisations operate.
We explore:
What education can learn from global corporate leadership development
Why relationships, coaching and organisational health sit at the heart of effective leadership
Dixons’ decision to remove traditional job titles and what it changed about culture and collaboration
The thinking behind the 9-day fortnight for teachers and what has been learned about making flexible working viable in schools
Why leaders should focus on protecting energy, not just time
Leadership habits that matter most in high-pressure environments
Why joy, purpose and mission are essential to sustaining leadership over time
This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for trust and school leaders thinking about leadership development, flexible working, culture and building sustainable organisations where both staff and pupils can thrive.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmattersConnect with Robyn on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

Becoming a headteacher at 31: representation, visibility and school turnaround

Only around 1% of headteachers in the UK are Black. What will it take to change that and what does leadership really look like when you’re one of the few?
In this episode, we’re joined by Nadine Bernard, headteacher, author and founder of Aspiring Heads, and a national voice on inclusive leadership, representation and belonging in education.
Nadine reflects on her journey to becoming one of the youngest Black headteachers in the UK, sharing the realities of stepping into leadership early, navigating visibility and bias, and leading a school through significant transformation to achieve strong outcomes. Drawing on her experience turning around a previously closed school, she explores how high expectations, inclusive culture and relationship-centred leadership can work together to deliver both belonging and achievement.
We explore:
What stepping into headship at 31 taught her about leadership, visibility and resilience
The non-negotiables she put in place to lead school turnaround and sustained improvement
Why belonging and relationships sit at the heart of behaviour and pupil success
Balancing compassion, nurture and strong academic outcomes
The systemic barriers facing aspiring leaders from under-represented backgrounds
What meaningful allyship looks like in school leadership
How leadership systems can better support sustainable careers, including motherhood and wellbeing
This is a powerful and reflective conversation for trust and school leaders who want to build inclusive cultures, support diverse leadership pathways and create schools where both staff and pupils can thrive.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmattersConnect with Nadine on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

Mobile phones, memory, AI and behaviour: what research tells us about learning in schools

In this episode, we’re joined by Bradley Busch, co-founder of InnerDrive and a leading voice on the science of learning, memory and evidence-informed practice in education.
Bradley draws on his background in elite sport and educational psychology to unpack why so much of what feels like good learning often isn’t, and how understanding memory, cognitive load and thinking can radically improve classroom practice. He also explores some of the biggest and most contested issues facing schools right now, including mobile phones, AI, behaviour and assessment, through a research-informed lens.
We explore:
Why memory is the residue of thought, and what this means for teaching and learning
Common misconceptions around revision, studying and “effective” learning strategies
What the evidence says about banning mobile phones in schools
How AI can support performance, but undermine learning if it replaces thinking
Behaviour, expectations and what research suggests really improves classroom culture
Homework, assessment and fairness in an age of AI-generated work
This is a thoughtful, evidence-rich conversation for trust and school leaders who want to cut through noise and want to make more confident, evidence-informed decisions about teaching and learning.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmattersConnect with Bradley on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

Leadership behaviour is the problem - and the solution: retention, equity and belonging in schools

In this episode, we’re joined by Sufian Sadiq, Director of Talent and Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust, and a national voice on equity, diversity and inclusion in education.
Sufian shares his journey from growing up in Luton to leading teacher development, recruitment and retention across a trust that has bucked national trends - and explains why the “secret” isn’t a single perk or policy. It’s people. Specifically, the everyday behaviours of leaders and line managers, and whether staff feel they belong, are supported, and are treated well.
We explore:
Why retention lives and dies in the relationship between a staff member and their line manager
What it means to be a “good egg” leader  and why you can’t just assume everyone is
How Chiltern Learning Trust has strengthened recruitment through a community-first approach
Why diversifying the workforce can’t be a numbers game, and what meaningful equity looks like in practice
How networks shape who gets opportunities and how Sufian’s Racial Equity Network dinners are changing that
Sufian’s perspective on the rise of extremism, normalised racism and political polarisation - and the responsibility of schools in responding to it
This is a powerful conversation about leadership as service, building belonging, and creating cultures where talented people want to stay and thrive.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmattersConnect with Sufian on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

Why 40% of teachers leave within 10 years: workload, leadership culture and rebuilding teaching as a profession

Welcome to Series 3 of Trust Matters: Lessons in Leadership - the podcast where we explore the big ideas, challenges and lived experiences shaping the future of trust and school leadership.
We’re opening the series with a powerful and timely conversation about one of the most urgent issues facing education today: how we make teaching an attractive, sustainable profession again.
Joining us is Baroness Mary Bousted, Chair of The Teaching Commission and one of the most influential voices in education. Mary began her career as an English teacher before moving into teacher training and, ultimately, union leadership. She went on to serve as Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, representing more than half a million members, and has been a tireless advocate for teachers’ working lives, professional autonomy and wellbeing.
In this episode, we explore the findings of the Teaching Commission’s Shaping the Future of Teaching report, which reveals the scale of the recruitment and retention crisis - including the fact that 40% of teachers leave the profession within 10 years, and that it now takes 10 new teachers to replace every 7 who leave.
Mary reflects on her leadership journey, what she learned leading one of the UK’s largest unions, and what continues to drive her sense of purpose. We dig into the roots of excessive workload, the role of leadership culture in staff wellbeing, the impact of poverty and shrinking public services on schools, and why flexible working must become a serious part of the conversation.
This is a thoughtful, challenging and deeply informed conversation about leadership, trust, and what it will really take to rebuild teaching as a profession people want to stay in.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmattersConnect with Mary on LinkedIn.
Read Mary’s book: Support Not Surveillance: How to solve the teacher retention crisis
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

“Ofsted must help, not hinder” - Sir Martyn Oliver on the new inspection framework

Ofsted’s new inspection framework marks one of the biggest shifts in education in a generation – but what does it really mean for schools and trusts?
In this special bonus episode of Trust Matters: Lessons in Leadership, Ellie speaks to Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, about his ambition to build, in his words, “the most human version of Ofsted yet.”
Together, they explore:
How Sir Martyn’s years leading schools in challenging contexts have shaped his approach to inspection
Why he describes the disadvantage gap as “the problem of our time”
The move from a single overall effectiveness grade to more nuanced judgments
What it means to see vulnerability as a state, not a trait, and why belong, achieve, thrive runs through the framework
How inspectors are being asked to use context, dialogue and professional curiosity to reduce “big reveal” moments
What healthy “Ofsted readiness” looks like and what Ofsted is doing to reduce unnecessary stress for leaders and staff
This is a rare chance to step inside the thinking of the person leading Ofsted’s reform and to hear, in his own words, why “Ofsted must help, it mustn’t hinder” if the system is to serve all children, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

How to lead in turbulent times – funding shortfalls, policy shifts & building resilient trusts

We’re closing series 2 of Trust Matters: Lessons in Leadership with a timely and powerful conversation with Leora Cruddas CBE, Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) – and one of the most influential voices in the sector today.
Leora helps us make sense of the current political, fiscal, and policy landscape. We explore what effective leadership looks like in a time of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and why values-based decision-making has never been more important.
Drawing on her own powerful personal story and career journey, Leora offers a compelling case for strategic, resilient, and deeply human leadership. She shares what gives her hope for the future of the sector – and how trust leaders can help create the conditions for every pupil and adult in the system to truly flourish.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmattersConnect with Leora Cruddas CBE on LinkedIn: Leora Cruddas CBE
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.