Teachers Talk Radio

A BBC Panorama investigation has put the spotlight on the Athena Learning Trust after parents, pupils and former teachers raised concerns about its behaviour policies. The programme features allegations including strict toilet rules, silent music lessons, extensive use of reflection rooms and claims that some neurodiverse pupils were disproportionately affected. Athena says its schools are built on high expectations, that behaviour policies are applied with professional judgement, and that calm, disruption-free classrooms help all pupils to learn. So, did Athena actually go too far? Were these policies a necessary response to poor behaviour, or did they become unnecessarily rigid and punitive? Where should schools draw the line between maintaining discipline and responding to individual pupils’ needs? Join Tom Rogers and the panel as they debate one of the biggest education stories of the week.

The summer is finally upon us! Teachers are decompressing. Students are celebrating. Holiday companies have tripled their prices. Childcare arrangements become complicated for many families. The summer holidays continue to be a contentious issue, with many differing views within education, let alone outside of it. Join Jo Fox, Maud Waret and Liz Webb to share your opinions on the summer break - or tell us how you’ll be spending it!

In this week's show, Claudia Tumba and Martin Sketchley have a chat about teaching English in China, Japan and Korea.

Permanent exclusions continue to rise across England, but why? Are schools dealing with the consequences of increasingly difficult home lives, weaker parental support and wider social problems? Or is the education system itself failing children through outdated classrooms, oversized classes and unrealistic expectations? Should exclusions remain a necessary last resort to protect learning, or are they evidence that mainstream education needs fundamental reform? Also on the show, A major new NFER report suggests social media, online bullying and worsening wellbeing may all be fuelling England's attendance crisis. But are phones really to blame? Have attitudes towards school attendance fundamentally changed since the pandemic? And should the government rethink attendance fines, or double down on getting children back into the classroom?

Alpha School has become one of the most talked-about education models in the world. Supporters say AI-powered learning can dramatically improve outcomes while reducing classroom teaching time. Critics question the evidence, the role of teachers, and whether the model can or should be replicated elsewhere. Joining Tom Rogers are Samantha DePalo (Alpha School), Neil Almond (teacher development lead and AI enthusiast) and Donald Clark (AI expert) for what promises to be an important and eye opening discussion on whether AI is genuinely transforming education or whether we're getting ahead of the evidence.