Listen and connect with real Headteachers and School Leaders right here. Join Sarah Carey, School Improvement Lead at Early Excellence, as she explores a range of hot topics in Primary and Early Years Education.
Developed by Headteachers, with Headteachers for Headteachers, they are perfect if you’re seeking to discover the realities of school inspection and impactful school improvement strategies. These genuine, honest and engaging conversations will share crucial information, offer support and reassurance.
So, whether you’re keen to hear about real Ofsted experiences, or you’re looking for clarity and direction with your strategic improvement priorities, then these ‘Head-to- Head’ podcasts will be an invaluable tool to impact on both your thinking and strategy.
Are outcomes in Writing holding your GLD back?
Join Ashlie McGreavy, Director of Early Years at Carlton Academy, as she talks through how her team transformed writing outcomes by focusing on the fundamentals - systematic teaching, staff collaboration, and the right tools in the right hands. Ashlie discusses why physical development matters more than people think, how triangulating phonics, reading, and writing keeps everything joined up, and why small, deliberate changes tend to beat big overhauls. It's a practical, honest look at building a whole-school and Trust wide approach to embedding effective practice to enable early writers.
An essential listen for Trust Leads, Heads, EYFS Leaders and Teachers looking to raise outcomes in writing.
25 Aug 2026
Transforming Reception Baseline Assessment
From start points and narratives to informing teaching and learning - does your Reception Baseline Assessment actually tell you what you need to know?
In this episode Emma Doran, from Whitefield Primary School, shares how she and her team rethought EYFS assessment from the ground up. Emma candidly discusses her thoughts about EExREC, through the eyes of both a leader and teacher. She reflects on the value of a using a tool centred around child development to build a holistic view of each child. Emma talks through how the team was trained, how the EExREC data reshaped provision and curriculum, the real impact on children's learning and development and the onward use of the EExREC suite to support transition to Year 1.
If you're wondering whether your early years assessment is capturing what really matters, this episode is for you.
7 Jul 2026
Building Resilience: Preparing Children to Navigate Life’s Challenges
Are you considering how best to prepare children for a world that doesn't exist yet?
Charlotte Smiles, Headteacher of Upland School has deeply reflected on how to support her pupils to be as prepared as possible to navigate their future life. In this episode, Charlotte shares how her school moved beyond academics to focus on the skills and attitudes children need for the evolving world. Underpinned by rich outdoor learning opportunities, real-life experiences, and a deliberate focus on character, and centralised around the thinking of a backpack analogy - the idea that every child should leave school carrying a set of skills for life's challenges. Charlotte is honest about developments, what changed, what was hard, and why early experiences matter so much. As she puts it, "we need to prepare children for a world we don't yet know," and the results speak for themselves: children's confidence and resilience have grown.
If you're rethinking what a primary curriculum is really for, this is a not to be missed episode.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
1,293
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
25
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
27
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