Creating Value in Schools

About Creating Value in Schools

How can we make schools more sustainable – in all senses of the word? How can school leaders promote a sustainable way of working? Make best use of our resources, in a way that’s good for people and planet? In conversation with educators, we exchange insights and ideas. Hosted by Liz Worthen, an educator, researcher and writer, whose career in education spans teaching, training and  content development. For more from the Creating Value in Schools community, visit www.createvalueschools.com

Publisher

Liz Worthen

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Jan 2025

Latest episode

3 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

43 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Nov 2026

   Unbound SBLs: Does systems leadership have to be serious?

   Emma Gray and Helen Burge explore what system leadership looks like in practice, why curiosity and collaboration matter, and how SBLs can recognise and extend the influence they already have. You don’t need a particular job title, or a seat on the SLT, to be a systems leader. The Unbound SBLs discuss how it can come through: Moving from delivering to shaping, and from asking “what’s in front of me?” to “what’s the pattern here?” Learning from Ted Lasso: be curious, be humble and be the goldfish. Networking and sharing what you know – without worrying about being the expert. A listener’s dilemma generates discussion around the risk of loyalty leading to burnout, and the importance of being able to leave a role. “Being indispensable is not good leadership.” “Think about your own personal risk register. What are you trying to protect yourself against, and what controls have you got in place?” Emma Gray and Helen Burge have both been executive business leaders in trusts, and now support school business professionals through coaching, training and consultancy. Emma is a DfE accredited school resource management advisor, and Helen co-chairs the UK Schools Sustainability Network Operations Group. They are fans of risk management, internal scrutiny and operational excellence. Liz Worthen’s career in education spans teaching, training, commissioning and programme development. Creating Value in Schools is all about sustainable working: taking care of people, planet and resources to secure better outcomes for children and communities. Previous Unbound SBL episodes Episode 36: Unbound SBLs: What do we mean by value in schools? Episode 26: Unbound SBLs: Reconsidering Risk Episode 20: Unbound SBLs: sector support and striving for excellence Episode 14: From food waste to future-proofing: the SBL year in review Links and resources Join the fortnightly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/i2429o Questions to help you grow in your role: https://createvalueschools.com/need-to-know/10-questions-to-help-you-grow-in-your-role-/ Find out more about Helen’s work: https://www.buoyantimpact.co.uk/ Find out more about Emma’s work: https://1stpillar.co.uk/ About the Level 4 ILM Diploma for School Business Managers (DSBM): https://www.isbl.org.uk/level-4-ilm-diploma-for-school-business-managers Ways to work with us: https://createvalueschools.com/work-with-us/ Chapters 00:00 Swim Story Prompt 00:43 Systems Leadership Defined 03:54 Operational vs Strategic 06:15 Curiosity and Networking 09:07 Listener Leaving Dilemma 11:54 Personal Risk Register 16:20 Growing as Systems Thinker 18:33 Sharing and Mentoring 22:27 DSBM Data Example 25:22 Closing Words Music copyright code: DT1NN2J7TQUOGQZT

2. 

   20 Oct 2026

   How Do We Make Lunchtimes Better? | Liz Worthen

   What makes a good lunchtime? From pupils' wellbeing and belonging to staff deployment, food waste and sustainability, we explore how schools can make more of this important part of the day. Food carries a lot of feelings. It nurtures and nourishes us, helping us learn, teach and lead – and giving us a chance to relax, reset and connect with others. In schools, lunchtimes can also be a pressure point. Behaviour, time, costs, staffing and resourcing can all create challenges. But what if we thought about lunchtimes as an opportunity to create value for people, planet and resources? How do we make sure lunchtime works for pupils and staff, supporting wellbeing, play and belonging? What do we want staff doing at lunchtime, and how can we make the best use of their time and skills? How does the food we serve connect to climate action? How can reducing food waste bring benefits for schools and their communities? This episode is a conversation starter. We'd love to talk more about food and hear about your barriers, priorities, what's worked and what hasn't. Check out the links below for ways to get in touch. “Food doesn't only matter for the children. Everyone needs the opportunity to refuel, relax, and reset.” Liz Worthen is an educator, researcher, podcast host and writer. Her career in education spans teaching, training, commissioning and programme development, creating resources which enable leaders to flourish in their roles. Creating Value in Schools is about exploring sustainable working in education, to secure better outcomes for learners and communities. Featured episodes Episode 27: Getting curious about behaviour: a relational approach with Dee Higgins Episode 29: Why playtime matters – and how to make it work with Thérèse Hoyle Episode 4: Seeking the co-benefits: people, planet – and financial efficiency with Paul Edmond Episode 14: From food waste to future-proofing: the SBL year in review with Helen Burge Links and resources Join the fortnightly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/i2429o Download food strategy conversation starters: https://createvalueschools.com/media/304-Food-strategy-conversation-starters-autumn-2026.pdf Understanding the context: https://createvalueschools.com/need-to-know/whats-happening-with-food-in-schools Breakfast clubs: https://createvalueschools.com/need-to-know/why-do-breakfast-clubs-matter School food standards: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-food-standards Get in touch: https://createvalueschools.com/contact/ Chapters 00:00 Why Lunchtimes Matter 01:27 Equity Through Shared Meals 03:29 Playtimes and Staffing 05:31 Adults Need Lunch Too 05:58 Food Waste Triple Win 07:08 Cutting Waste and Greener Menus 09:06 Conversation Starters and Wrap Up

3. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Creating the Conditions to Thrive | Yamina Bibi

   Yamina Bibi explores how removing barriers, creating belonging and providing the right support can help people thrive – and why that matters for recruiting, retaining and getting the best from our school workforce. Drawing on learning from the Mission 44 Diversity in ITT project, Yamina talks to host Liz Worthen about how schools can remove barriers to recruitment, retention and progression for staff with protected characteristics. They discuss: The connection between inclusion, retention, belonging and thriving. The importance of building your own awareness of racial literacy and the impact of other protected characteristics. How organisations need to be proactive in putting processes in place to respond to discrimination, learning from safeguarding approaches and recognising that just because it’s not been reported so far, it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. The responsibility of leaders to be active in removing barriers, rather than expecting individuals to overcome them. How reasonable adjustments and inclusive practice can benefit everyone. What a portfolio career can look like and bringing your authentic self to work. “We're talking a lot about belonging for young people, but are we talking about it for staff and staff with protected characteristics?” Yamina Bibi FCCT is a former deputy head and English teacher, a consultant, CPD trainer and author of A Little Guide for Teachers: Thriving in Your First Years of Teaching. She is the Chiltern Teaching School Lead for Strategic Partnerships and School Transformation. Liz Worthen’s career in education spans teaching, training, commissioning and programme development. Creating Value in Schools is all about sustainable working: taking care of people, planet and resources to secure better outcomes for children and communities. Links and resources Join the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/i2429o Kim Scott’s TED Talk, How to lead with radical candour: https://www.ted.com/talks/kim_scott_how_to_lead_with_radical_candor The radical candour framework: https://modelthinkers.com/mental-model/radical-candor-framework Mission 44 Diversity in Teaching project: https://mission44.org/diversity-in-education-fund/ Increasing Diversity in Initial Teacher Training (free online course) https://chartered.college/diversity-in-itt-course/ WomenEd: Women Leaders in Education https://womened.com/ Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators): https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/ Maisie Cass episode: https://createvalueschools.com/podcast/what-about-the-adults-neuroinclusion-in-schools--maisie-cass/ Hannah Wilson episode: https://createvalueschools.com/podcast/who-gets-to-belong-in-schools-with-hannah-wilson/ Find recommended reads in the Creating Value in Schools bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/createvalueschools Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Big Question 00:49 Mentors Who Made a Difference 03:05 Radical Candour Explained 04:16 Mission 44 Diversity Project 05:08 Barriers in Recruitment Retention Assessment 08:00 Leader Strategies and Racial Literacy 11:59 Reporting Policies and Zero Tolerance 13:43 Intersectionality and Neuroinclusion 17:07 Reasonable Adjustments and Advocacy 19:18 Community Networks and Reading Picks 21:49 What's Next for Yamina 23:32 Closing and Further Listening

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 23 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

34

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32