Data Talks: A Podcast from Data in Schools

Ep 10: A Conversation about Data for Good with Dr. Nicole Ponsford and Frances Akinde

What if the data we trust to serve our children is actually failing them? In this episode, Nic and Frances don't just challenge the way schools collect and use data — they make the case for a revolution. From baseline bias to the hidden incentives that keep marginalized students invisible, they expose how traditional data systems were never designed with every child in mind. But this isn't a story about what's broken. It's about what happens when you decide to make some good trouble — surfacing hidden voices, handing power back to the people the data is supposed to serve, and daring to measure what actually matters. If you've ever felt that the numbers don't tell the whole story, this conversation will change the way you think about data, inclusion, and what schools owe every child who walks through their doors.

Ep 9: A Conversation about Data and Coaching with Reyna Lazarou and Jordan Benedict

Data in schools is everywhere. But how often do we slow down long enough to let it actually change anything? In this episode of Data Talks, Jordan and Reyna, both instructional and learning coaches, take us into what they call "the messy middle" — that space between big-picture school goals and the day-to-day reality of classrooms. Together, they explore what it really means to be a conduit for data: translating, facilitating, and sometimes just sitting alongside teachers as they make sense of what the evidence is telling them. The conversation moves through rich territory — from the risks and rewards of giving students ownership of their own data, to the confirmation biases that shape which data we trust and which we quietly push aside. Jordan shares how a simple stopwatch transformed a music teacher's rehearsal practice, while Reyna describes the lightbulb moment when a teacher rethought how students receive feedback. Along the way, both make a compelling case for slowing down in a profession that always seems to want everything done yesterday. At its core, this is a conversation about people, not numbers. About the courage it takes to let data ask uncomfortable questions, and the relationships that make it safe enough to sit with the answers. Whether you're a coach, a teacher, or a school leader, you'll walk away rethinking what data really means — and what it could mean — in your own context.

Ep 8: A Conversation about Data Stories with Priya Ramteke and Ruchi Mainali

What if the way we use data in schools is actually harming the children it's meant to help? In this episode, we sit down with school leaders Priya and Ruchi to explore the deeply human side of data in education. Starting from the big question — are we truly seeing the whole story of every child? — the conversation moves into questions of shame, identity, and what it means to see a child as more than a label. Priya and Ruchi share candid stories from the front lines: the student whose chronic lateness turned out to mask a family crisis no one had asked about; the teacher whose eyes changed once she finally saw the full picture of a child she'd written off; and the uncomfortable truth about a culture that tells children they're not worthy of love if they're not a seven. Together we ask: is data a label — or is it a story? And what happens when schools have the courage to find out?

Ep 7: Data and Safeguarding with Dr. Leila Holmyard, Priya Mitchell and Debbie Downes

Are international schools really as safe as they think they are? In this episode of Data Talks, safeguarding experts Layla, Priya, and Debbie — all members of the International Task Force for Child Protection — unpack a question most schools struggle to answer honestly: what does our data actually tell us about the safety of our students? From tracking patterns of identity-based harm across families and grade levels, to navigating data-sharing laws in countries where child protection systems are still developing, the conversation reveals just how much broader "safeguarding data" is than incident reports. The panel explores why a spike in concerns is often a sign things are going right, how anonymous reporting channels can break down the silence around harm, and what it really takes to move from "it could happen here" to "it has happened here — and here's what we're doing about it." Whether you're a designated safeguarding lead, a school head, or a board member trying to make sense of the numbers on a dashboard, this episode will challenge your assumptions and leave you with practical next steps you can take tomorrow.

Ep 6: A Conversation about Data, Learning and Teaching with Lissie Doyle and Rowena Bracken

What if the most important things happening in your classroom can't be captured in a spreadsheet? In this episode of Data Talks, we sit down with Lissie Doyle, a Health & Physical Education teacher, and Rowena Bracken, an Arts educator, to explore the messy, beautiful, and often invisible data that shapes learning in their classrooms. From the energy you feel when students are engaged, to the laughter, the frustrations, and the breakthroughs that never make it onto a transcript—Lissie and Rowena challenge us to rethink what counts as evidence of learning. They dive into the ancient tension between "head knowledge" and "gut knowledge," share practical strategies like using mini whiteboards and video self-reflection, and ask a question every educator should sit with: When we put a number or a grade on something, do we risk making it meaningless? Whether you teach PE, drama, calculus, or kindergarten, this conversation will make you reconsider what data really is—and what we might be missing when we only look at the numbers.