The final chat of 2024 sees Eric Craven 'The Scouse Poet' return for his fourth appearance as a guest on the chat. He reads some of his whimsical poems and Stan offers one to him! We also reflect on five chats drawn from the year that made an impression long after they were broadcast. We have been fortunate to have so many colleagues willing to join our chats each week and as we always say these are the real stars. We have noticed that some very high profile guests often receive correspondingly high viewing and listening figures. We have tried here to highlight guests with a lesser profile but who offer fascinating insights. The chats that are specifically covered in this edition are:

Aelwyn Pugh Edition 187

Emma Ainsworth Edition 195

Dr Vic Carr Edition 207

Neil Sheldon Edition 184

Lisa Lea Weston Edition 176

Have a happy Christmas and a great New Year. We are back on 10th January with guests already lined up into the second half of 2025.

Best wishes

Frank and Stan

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Dr Vic Carr was a popular and insightful guest back on our chat in April so we decided to invite her back again. She is a mum to two young adults, the school dog, primary school Headteacher, Reserve Officer in the British Army Intelligence Corps, Chartered Manager, 'CollectivED' Fellow at Carnegie School of Education, Leeds Beckett University, Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Army Leadership, author and TEDx speaker who focuses on leadership, the power of language and how we all have the power to change lives.

This chat opens with Stan again reflecting on how the lack of a clear national education strategy is preventing many who want to drive change and improvement from engaging in a meaningful way. Vic explains how she is managing this period of uncertainty and is trying to hold back from a feeling of disappointment, through having a belief that things will improve eventually. She considers the points made by Sam Freedman in his recent book 'Failed State' that explain the inner workings of the previous government wanting a catchy news item for the weekend newspapers. Frank then gets around his 'no Ofsted pledge' by reading a recent Linkedin article from Adrian Gray on the 'non-event' that was the annual Ofsted report. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-gray-23642442/

Another amazing chat with a committed school leader. We are the lucky colleagues who have the privilege to chat with so many brilliant people involved in education. Enjoy.

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This week the gents are joined by Emma Knights, the former CEO of the National Governors Association (NGA) and someone who was last on the chat as a guest in May 2021 (our 55th edition of the chat). Emma led the NGA for 15 years and transformed it into a more robust, open-facing member organisation. She stood down from the CEO this summer and has begun to carve out a different role that includes writing insightful pieces for Schools Week on Report Cards as well as enjoying more cultural experiences in the Midlands and further afield.

The chat starts by discussing how Emma has felt moving away from a high-profile role and how the NGA successfully managed the transition to the new CEO. We discuss the changes and developments in governance structures and how they need to continue to move with the times and the demands on the sector.

Stan raises concerns about the Australian government's plans to ban Under 16s from using some (not all) social media platforms. he has concerns on how this will be policed. Emma then reflects on the recent COP in Baku and how it didn't really consider the education angle. This was in stark contrast to the Glasgow COP event. We then consider whether sustainability ought to be a Report Card indicator.

Frank completes the chat by reflecting on a recent meeting he had with two former colleagues who have stepped away from their trust roles. He considers their honesty, sensitivity, professionalism and kindness. Major qualities, he believes in a sector concerned with children and young people's development.

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