No excuses with Alison Colwell

Naylor's Natter Podcast 'Just talking to Teachers'

Anyone who cares about education – and especially those in charge of it – should read this brilliant book.” – Iain Dale ***FROM THE PUBLISHERS*** An unputdownable true account of how a tenacious head teacher led one of the most challenging schools in the country to excellence. No Excuses charts an extraordinary principal’s journey in diary form from the moment she took over at a failing secondary school in a deprived area of the country, where less than a quarter of children attained five or more A*–C GCSEs, and how she set about the gruelling task of transforming its reputation using her zero-tolerance, tough-love approach. Armed only with a wicked sense of humour, fearless energy and a powerful vision, Alison Colwell put in place a stringent set of rules, including a strict uniform policy and a complete ban on mobile phones, provoking resistance and hostility from some parents, the wider community and on social media. This is the darkly funny, moving story of how, together, teachers and their – often troubled – pupils rebuilt a school and community, with an inspirational head at the helm. Charming, touching and full of brilliant leadership advice, this is the diary of the woman the Daily Mail labelled Britain’s strictest head teacher. Naylor's Natter- the book Inspired by interviews from the popular education podcast of the same name, Naylor’s Natter brings together a wealth of advice from the most influential voices in education today. In this exciting, one-of-a-kind book, Phil Naylor revisits the very best interviews from four years of education podcasting, drawing on the advice and opinions from some of the world’s most innovative educators, including Doug Lemov, E. D. Hirsch, Pritesh Raichura and Mary Myatt. Divided into five key areas – behaviour, leadership, pastoral care, CPD, and the future of teaching and learning – this book is perfect for primary and secondary ECTs, teachers and school leaders looking for new takes on hot topics, as well as tips and strategies to improve their practice. There are QR codes throughout linking to the episodes discussed, so you can listen to the interviews and explore the topics in even more detail. Full of valuable insights into the current state of education, and what the road ahead may look like, this is an indispensable tool for starting conversations and transforming the way you teach.