podcast

THE PURSUIT OF WELLBEING PODCAST

Dedicated to the wellbeing of teachers, school leaders, and staff.

Conversations with influential figures from the UK’s education sector, about the issues affecting teachers, school leaders, and the wider school system, in a time of tremendous pressure.

Here you’ll find solidarity in the stories of educators just like you; discover evidence-based tools to alleviate stress and stay ahead in your career.

Hosted by Maria Brosnan, an Educational Health and Wellbeing Specialist with over 30 years experience.

 

Love your TAs and they’ll Love You Back!

Love your TAs and they’ll Love You Back!

"I love moaning! The only rule is - if you moan about something, you've got to have an idea about a better way of doing it. If you haven’t got an idea on how to make it better, then your moaning is...

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Being an Authentic and Humane Leader

Being an Authentic and Humane Leader

“Every decision I made that was ill-informed meant that people were losing a little bit of faith in me.” Dan Edwards is the principal of Woodstock Primary Academy, a large primary school in the...

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What next? The Power of Options

What next? The Power of Options

"Work is somewhere I go to do something I'm good at, but it's not who I am."What does an ex-police office know about teacher stress? Quite a lot, as it turns out.  Tom Wheelhouse founded...

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Compassion as a Survival Skill

Compassion as a Survival Skill

"People can spend their lives with an emotional bully in their head, constantly undermining them, constantly putting them down, constantly judging themselves, and then they wonder why they’re...

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Creating Everyday Magic with Julie Hurst

Creating Everyday Magic with Julie Hurst

"I teach teachers to help children cope with difficult feelings. Difficult emotions can give us important messages if we're unafraid to hear and them and feel them, without becoming utterly...

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Teach Well with Steve Waters

Teach Well with Steve Waters

"Every decision that’s taken, is taken through the lens of “will this adversely affect staff wellbeing and mental health?” And if the answer is ‘yes it will’ you modify it or you don’t continue with...

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Above & Beyond Education with Alison Kriel

Above & Beyond Education with Alison Kriel

"If we all come together, we become collaboratively responsible for every child, in every school, being successful." Alison Kriel is the founder of the newly launched 'Above & Beyond Education'...

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Let’s Talk About Flex with Emma Turner

Let’s Talk About Flex with Emma Turner

"We want “flexible living” not flexible working. We want people to live really well; to be healthy and happy and feel like they can contribute." Emma Turner has been in primary teaching for 23...

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Regaining Your Mojo with Hannah Wilson

Regaining Your Mojo with Hannah Wilson

"(Our) mojo is a positive collision of all the different facets of what we care about, what we enjoy doing, how we can carve out a way of being that brings together that purpose, passion, and...

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The Power of Flexible Working with Lucy Rose

The Power of Flexible Working with Lucy Rose

Lucy Rose co-founded "Flexible Teacher Talent" with Lindsay Patience. They are passionate about normalising flexible working in schools in order to retain effective teachers and leaders. In this...

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Coping in a Crisis with Simon Ward

Coping in a Crisis with Simon Ward

Simon Ward is a Senior Educational Psychologist in the Wirral in the North of England, where his specialism is positive psychology and wellbeing. In this practical and fascinating episode, Simon...

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Supporting Educators with Sinead McBrearty

Supporting Educators with Sinead McBrearty

"I believe there are some things (we can do) that would make a really big difference for the whole workforce." Sinéad McBrearty is the Chief Executive Officer of Education Support, the only UK...

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Character Matters with Adrian McLean

Character Matters with Adrian McLean

"In June 2020, I made a #DiverseEd Pledge to continue to help, support and grow the number of Black males (from all denominations of Black) in teaching and Senior Leadership. However, 7 months on,...

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Fixing a Broken System with Andy Mellor

Fixing a Broken System with Andy Mellor

At what point are we going to say “the sticking plaster approach is no longer going to hold together a system that’s fundamentally broken”? Andy Mellor has over 30 year's experience teaching and...

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Teacher Empowerment with Kathryn Grice

Teacher Empowerment with Kathryn Grice

“The greatest success of the project has come from seeing teachers invest in themselves, recognise their worth and choose more of the life that they wish to live. Teachers: the possibilities are...

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The Teacher Toolkit with Ross McGill

The Teacher Toolkit with Ross McGill

Please note: in this episode Ross shares his personal story of being a sexual abuse survivor, which some people may find upsetting. "We cannot have a world-class education system on a shoestring...

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5-STEP WELLBEING ACTION PLAN

I’d like to invite you to join our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.

We developed it specifically for teachers and school leaders to help you manage your mental, emotional and physical health; to support your relationships with colleagues and pupils; and help you cope better with uncertainty and change.