All Chalk is a podcast celebrating the power of education to help young voices to speak up and create a fairer world.
Each week, we sit down with inspiring teachers or educators to explore their stories, insights, and the impactful work they're doing to foster inclusivity and encourage student participation.
Whether it's school councils, debating, democracy or participation, All Chalk uncovers the real stories behind the people making this happen every day.
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How This SEMH School in Wirral Used Oracy to Build Confidence and Improve Literacy
How can structured debate and oracy unlock confidence, literacy, and engagement for students in an SEMH setting?
In this episode of All Chalk, we speak to Danny Hart, Head of Literacy at the Observatory School in Wirral. Danny shares how their growing SEMH provision is using structured pupil voice and debate to support students who have often felt unheard in their education journey.
By embedding the Smart School Councils programme into their weekly routine, the school has created a consistent, inclusive approach to pupil voice, one that builds confidence, strengthens communication, and supports literacy development across the curriculum.
From teacher-led modelling to student-led discussions, Danny explains how giving every pupil the opportunity to speak, listen, and debate is transforming both classroom engagement and long-term outcomes.
In this episode, we discuss:
✅ Why oracy is the missing piece in many school literacy strategies
✅ How structured debate supports confidence, reading, and writing
✅ What pupil voice looks like in a large, multi-site SEMH school
✅ How to introduce a consistent, low-workload model for staff
✅ The long-term impact of giving students the language to succeed beyond school
Danny’s story is a powerful example of how meaningful pupil voice, when embedded consistently, can drive both academic and personal development in even the most complex settings.
Stay Connected
More about us: http://smartschoolcouncils.org (http://smartschoolcouncils.org)
Follow us on X/Twitter: https://x.com/SSCCTY (https://x.com/SSCCTY)
Learn more about the Observatory School: https://theobservatoryschool.wirral.sch.uk/ (https://theobservatoryschool.wirral.sch.uk/)
24 Jun 2025
How This SEN School in Wolverhampton Built a School Council That Gives Every Student a Voice
Hannah Jarman, Head of PSHE, SRE, and Preparation for Adulthood, details how Penn Fields School built an inclusive student council that empowers every student with communication and leadership skills, preparing them for life beyond school in this interview.
11 Jun 2025
How This SEMH School Built a School Council to Empower Every Students' Voice and Tackle Real-World Issues
Damien Cresswell, Associate Head of Parkhouse School, discusses with host Greg how their SEMH school council empowers student voices and tackles real-world issues through inclusive platforms and class meetings in this interview.
20 May 2025
How This International School Built a School Council to Reflect the Voices of Their Diverse Student Body
How can a school council reflect every voice, especially in a diverse international school?
In this week’s episode, Greg chats with Louise Russell, a Year 5 teacher and personal development lead at The British International School Budapest. Louise shares how she took a traditional student council model and transformed it into an inclusive, pupil-led approach that works for every learner.
In this episode, we discuss:
✅ Why Louise moved away from a small, elected group to a whole-school model of pupil voice
✅ How Football-Free Friday taught her students (and teachers!) about democracy in action
✅ What it looks like to embed pupil voice into the timetable and school culture
✅ How this work has built confidence, connection, and community across the school
A must-listen for anyone leading pupil voice in an international or transient school setting or just wondering how to make it work for every child.
Stay Connected:
More about us: http://smartschoolcouncils.org
Follow us on X/Twitter: https://x.com/SSCCTY
Learn more about British International School Budapest: https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/bisb-budapest/about-us
Follow BISB on X/Twitter: https://x.com/bisbudapest
7 May 2025
How This Primary School in the South East Built a School Council to Create an Inclusive and Student-Driven Culture
What does it look like when every pupil becomes a leader of change?
This week, Greg chats with Lisa Taylor, Headteacher at Halling Primary School in Medway. Lisa shares how she’s built a truly inclusive culture of pupil voice—where every young person, from Reception to Year 6, has the opportunity to speak up, lead projects, and make real change in their school.
In this episode, we discuss:
✅ How Halling Primary transformed their traditional school council into a whole-school model
✅ The role of the Communications Team, Class Meetings, and Action Teams
✅ How real leadership opportunities empower pupils and boost school culture
✅ Tips for building staff buy-in and making pupil voice sustainable
Tune in for a brilliant, inspiring conversation about creating a school where every child’s voice is heard—and valued.
Stay Connected:
More about us: http://smartschoolcouncils.org/ (http://smartschoolcouncils.org/)
Follow us on X/Twitter: https://x.com/SSCCTY (https://x.com/SSCCTY)
Learn more about Halling Primary School: https://www.halling.medway.sch.uk/ (https://www.halling.medway.sch.uk/)
Follow Halling on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hallingprimarysch/ (https://www.instagram.com/hallingprimarysch/)
Follow Halling on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HallingPrimarySchool/ (https://www.facebook.com/HallingPrimarySchool/)
24 Apr 2025
How A Liverpool School Used Debate to Challenge Stereotypes and Build its Pupils’ Confidence
How can debating help visually impaired students challenge stereotypes, grow confidence, and shape their own futures?
This week, Greg chats with Conor McSorley, Humanities Teacher at St Vincent’s School for Visually Impaired Pupils in Liverpool. Conor shares how debate and pupil voice play a vital role in helping his students feel seen, heard and powerful—from building a thriving debate club to running national competitions.
We discuss:
✅ How debate builds confidence and democratic thinking in SEN settings
✅ Why schools must actually let pupils lead if they want real pupil voice
✅ How Conor went from a blindfolded first day to running inclusive debates with national impact
Tune in for an energising chat on inclusive education, breaking down stigma, and what it really means to listen to your students.
More about us: http://smartschoolcouncils.org (http://smartschoolcouncils.org/)
Follow us on X/Twitter: https://x.com/SSCCTY (https://x.com/SSCCTY)
Learn more about St Vincent’s School: https://www.stvin.com/ (https://www.stvin.com/)
Follow Conor: https://twitter.com/mcsorley_conor (https://twitter.com/mcsorley_conor)
Follow St Vincent’s School: https://x.com/StVincentsL12 (https://x.com/StVincentsL12)
25 Mar 2025
How This Primary School Built a School Council to Empower Every Student as a ‘Citizen of Today’
How can schools move beyond traditional school councils to create a truly inclusive approach to pupil voice?
This week, Greg chats with Rachel Gray, Character Development Lead at Kells Lane Primary School in Gateshead. Rachel shares how her school ensures that every student—from nursery to Year 6—has a genuine voice in shaping their school community.
We discuss:
✅ How Kells Lane expanded pupil voice beyond a select group of students
✅ The impact of class meetings and communication teams on engagement
✅ Why empowering students as ‘citizens of today’ drives real change
Tune in for practical insights on embedding pupil voice and making every student feel heard!
• More about us: https://www.smartschoolcouncils.org (https://home.smartschoolcouncils.org.uk/)
• Follow us on X/Twitter: https://x.com/SSCCTY (https://x.com/SSCCTY)
• Learn more about Kells Lane Primary: https://kellslaneschool.co.uk/ (https://kellslaneschool.co.uk/)
• Follow them on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/klpsgateshead (https://twitter.com/klpsgateshead)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
756,752
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
26
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
0
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