Independently Speaking: The ISA Podcast

School Inspections: Navigating the F23 framework with confidence

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.

The Acting Head: How drama shapes authentic school leadership

In this episode, Helen Stanton-Tonner is joined by Faith Hagerty, founder of The Acting Head [https://theactinghead.co.uk], 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.

Strengthening School Governance through Inclusive Recruitment

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/company/megn-minority-ethnic-governors-network/posts/?feedView=all]) 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.

School Groups, The White Paper, and Specialist Provision

In this episode of Independently Speaking, Helen Stanton-Tonner is joined by Justin Spanswick (Chief Operating Officer, Inspired Learning Group [https://www.inspiredlearninggroup.co.uk]), Henrietta Jordan (Schools' Director, Melrose Education [https://melroseeducation.com]), 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.

School Spotlight: Summerhill School

In this Spotlight episode of Independently Speaking, Helen Stanton-Tonner visits the legendary Summerhill School [https://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/], 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 [https://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/barefoot-in-november/]. The book is also available on Audible [https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Barefoot-in-November-Audiobook/B0GP2FXZB9]. The drama Summerhill is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video [https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Summerhill/0HONRV8SUARB71LWPDTC95Q8N8].