Independently Speaking: The ISA Podcast

Does school structure truly matter, and what distinctive benefits emerge from single-sex versus co-educational environments?
In this first episode of our three-part series exploring single-sex and co-ed education, host Helen Stanton-Tonner (ISA Director of Education and Inclusion) is joined by Dr Stephen Burley, Head of King’s High School, Warwick. Together, they dive deep into the modern relevance of girls' schools.Whether you lead a girls', boys', or co-ed school across the independent or maintained sectors, this episode offers rich reflections on shaping cultures where young people don't just prepare for a predefined world, but develop the voice to create a better one.Enjoyed this episode? Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss Parts 2 and 3 of our series on school structures. For more information on the Independent Schools Association, visit isaschools.org.uk.

Is modern childhood becoming over-scheduled, over-supervised, and overly focused on the future? In this episode of Independently Speaking, host Helen Stanton-Tonner sits down with leadership from Downsend School: Executive Head Bex Tear, Head of Junior School Sally Johnston, and Head of Little Downsend James McCarthy-Mitchell. Together, they explore how adult anxieties and social pressures shape young lives, and why structured environments must be balanced with unstructured play, risk-taking, and independence. From reframing "be careful" to "what’s your plan?" to integrating protected reading time and unhurried creativity, this insightful discussion provides a practical roadmap for educators and parents seeking to help children thrive today while preparing for an unpredictable tomorrow.

In this episode of Independently Speaking, host Helen Stanton-Tonner sits down with education consultant, speaker, and EduFuturists podcast host Ben Whitaker to confront one of the most pressing questions facing modern education: How do we thrive as humans in the age of artificial intelligenceMoving completely away from the "shiny penny" obsession with new apps and prompt engineering, Ben challenges school leaders to stop treating AI as an IT problem to be handled by a technical department. Instead, he reframes the AI revolution as a profound leadership and cultural challenge that requires deep, values-led thinking.Ben introduces his philosophy of "agency with guardrails", a concept born from parenting that balances autonomy with structure, and outlines how schools can foster managed risk-taking through pilot projects, rather than rushing to write rigid policies that become obsolete within months.

In this inaugural episode of our new termly series on inspection, compliance, and safeguarding, host Helen Stanton-Tonner is joined by an expert panel, ISA Deputy CEO Peter Woodruffe, ISA Chair of Inspections Dai Preston, ISA Head of SEND Hannah Lovegrove Campion, and Early Years & Safeguarding Specialist Sarah Lyons, to unpack the most significant regulatory shifts facing independent schools.
Instead of chasing every minor update, the panel cuts through the compliance noise to focus on what truly matters: embedding deep, impactful safeguarding cultures across all phases of education, from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to senior leadership and governance.

Helen Stanton-Tonner is joined by Michelle Windridge, EYFS and SEND specialist, and National Education Lead at Twinkl, to explore one of the most pressing issues facing school leaders today: the long-term developmental impact of the pandemic on young children.
Michelle's work on the so-called "COVID babies" cohort has sparked wide discussion across the sector, and in this conversation, she and Helen dig into what leaders and practitioners are now seeing in classrooms, where the system is falling short, and what values-led, inclusive leadership actually looks like in practice.
They discuss the dangers of deficit-based thinking, the underestimated challenge of early years to Key Stage 1 transition, staff wellbeing as a foundation for inclusion, and why the most effective leaders are those willing to slow down and truly understand the children in front of them.
A thoughtful, honest and genuinely challenging conversation for anyone leading a school or working in SEND.

School inspection can often feel like a stressful, parallel performance rather than a reflection of everyday school life. In this episode of Independently Speaking, host Helen Stanton-Tonner sits down with headteachers and ISI inspectors Dai Preston and Christina McCullough to demystify the F23 inspection framework and explore how leaders can prepare thoughtfully, strategically, and authentically.
Together, they look at current national trends, common regulatory tripwires (such as attendance and website compliance), and how to manage the significant statutory changes coming into focus from September 2026 and beyond. Crucially, Dai and Christina share lived leadership experience on how to look after staff well-being, protect emotional safety during the process, and handle the "emotional dip" that often follows the inspection team's departure.
Whether you have an inspection on the horizon or simply want to align your daily practice with the standards, this episode offers grounded, reassuring, and highly practical advice to help you "control the controllables" and celebrate your school’s unique culture.

In this episode, Helen Stanton-Tonner is joined by Faith Hagerty, founder of The Acting Head, recorded live at the ISA Annual Conference in May 2026. Faith draws on her background as a trained actor, former headteacher and leadership coach to explore what authenticity really means for school leaders, and why it matters. They discuss imposter syndrome, the pressures facing independent schools, the value of coaching, and why drama is far more than a curriculum subject. A thoughtful conversation for anyone leading in education today.

With nearly 50% of independent school pupils coming from ethnic minority backgrounds, why is this diversity not reflected at the governing board level? Johan Jensen and Leah Morris (Minority Ethnic Governors Network) join the podcast to challenge the sector to look deeper at school governance. We discuss the dangers of homogenous thinking in leadership, how to move past informal networks, and why inclusive governance is about raising standards. Whether you’re a current governor or a school leader, this episode provides the step-by-step tools needed to modernise your recruitment process. Discover practical advice on how to attract professional talent from wider backgrounds and ensure every voice at the table has the power to influence school strategy.

In this episode of Independently Speaking, Helen Stanton-Tonner is joined by Justin Spanswick (Chief Operating Officer, Inspired Learning Group), Henrietta Jordan (Schools' Director, Melrose Education), and Hannah Lovegrove Campion (Head of SEND, ISA) to explore what the government's white paper, Putting Children and Young People First, means when viewed from the perspective of independent school groups.
The discussion examines how reform lands not just at the individual school level, but across organisations responsible for strategy, staffing, and SEND provision at scale. Guests explore readiness for change across diverse settings, shifting referral patterns, the challenge of building specialist workforce capacity across multiple regions, and the critical role of local authority relationships in making the new framework work in practice.

In this Spotlight episode of Independently Speaking, Helen Stanton-Tonner visits the legendary Summerhill School, founded in 1921 by A.S. Neill, and meets Zoë Neill Redhead, the principal and daughter of the founder. Discover how Summerhill’s pioneering philosophy of “freedom, not license” shapes a community where students and staff share equal voices, classes are optional, and personal responsibility drives learning. From the iconic school meetings to creative spaces and innovative traditions, hear how Summerhill nurtures confident, compassionate young people while challenging assumptions about education worldwide. Read more about Zoë's book, Barefoot in November, on the Summerhill website. The book is also available on Audible. The drama Summerhill is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.