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 the planet?

With fortnightly episodes, the Creating Value in School podcast is all about exploring these questions.

We interview guests and find out how they are contributing to making education settings more sustainable, for the benefit of learners, families and the community. 

The podcast is hosted and produced by Liz Worthen. 

Listen on:

Enjoy reading as well as listening? You’ll find edited versions and extracts from the podcast over on the blog. 

Episode 22: What do we mean when we talk about sustainability?

What does it mean to work sustainably or build a more sustainable organisation? Is it all about the environment? Drawing on contributions from podcast guests, host Liz Worthen questions what we mean when we talk about sustainability. What are the ingredients for a sustainable organisation and development? What does that look like for schools and education settings? 

• Listening time: 10 minutes
• Guest contributors: Paul Edmond, John Viner, Benedicte Yue

Episode 21: Unbound SBLs: sector support and striving for excellence

Host Liz Worthen gets together with school business leadership champions Helen Burge and Emma Gray to find out what they’ve been up to this term. 

Questions arising include: 

• Who’s responsible for income generation in a school setting?
• Why does integrated curriculum finance planning (ICFP) matter?
• Where can school business managers, leaders or professionals turn to for support?
• How does standing in a corridor full of teenagers help restore your vitality?
• What is operational excellence, and why do we need it? 
• Why young people need trusted adults in their lives. 

Both Emma Gray and Helen Burge were 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. 

• Listening time: 33 minutes

Episode 20: Surviving the intensity of school life: lessons from leaders

What enables people to keep calm and carry on in the overwhelming intensity of school life? What helps people keep going, avoid burnout, and stay focused on the things that matter? 

We draw on lessons learned by previous podcast guests. What keeps them energised? What keeps them going?

• Start with your why.
• Stay focused on your priorities.
• Don’t sweat if it doesn’t all go to plan. Things will happen! 
• Take opportunities for creative problem solving.
• Remember to rest… and count the flowers.

You need to keep pulling yourself back to those priorities. Because otherwise, your priorities are the whack a mole school of educational leadership, coming in, responding to the first person at your door, the person that sent you those emails.

• Listening time: 12 minutes
• Guest contributors: Paul K Ainsworth, Josephine Smith, Caroline Doherty, Nicola Harvey, Sean Harris