The Independent School Podcast with Juliet Corbett

In this episode of The Independent School Podcast, Juliet Corbett is joined by Jaideep Barot, Head of Bristol Grammar School since 2018 and a returning guest to the show.

In this important conversation, they explore what it really takes to sustain bursary and partnership work under pressure, and how leaders can protect morally important work when time and capacity are stretched.

Together they explore: 

• What true partnership betwee...

In this episode of The Independent School Podcast, Juliet Corbett is joined by Louise Simpson, CEO of the British School in the Netherlands, where she leads the BSN across four campuses in and around The Hague.

This is Louise's fourth headship and her second stint abroad, having previously been head of Exeter School in Devon, head of St Paul’s, the British School in Sao Paulo, and a GDST head in south London. As you’ll hear, sh...

In this episode of the Independent School Podcast, Juliet Corbett is joined by Joanna Povall, Principal at Wales International School in Abu Dhabi and Tes International School Principal of the Year 2024/25.

With more than 30 years of leadership experience across the UK, France and the UAE, Joanna brings a distinctive cross-cultural perspective to what kindness really means in leadership. She also draws on her work as a Lead Improvem...

In this episode of The Independent School Podcast, Juliet Corbett is joined by Charles Bailey, Headmaster of Worksop College and Ranby House, a thriving independent day and boarding school in Nottinghamshire.

Charles joined the school in April 2025 after a decade at Harrow School, where he held senior leadership roles including Director of Studies and Head of Learning Skills. He brings a thoughtful, strategic approach to headship, g...

In this episode of The Independent School Podcast Juliet Corbett is joined by Julie Robinson, Chief Executive of the Independent Schools Council, where she represents and promotes the work of independent schools across the UK.

Julie began her career as a teacher before becoming a head in Sussex prep schools, later moving into national roles and joining ISC in 2015. She is a governor for both an Academy and an all-through independent...

In this episode of The Independent School Podcast, Juliet Corbett returns to the microphone for a new series focused on real-world leadership in independent and international schools.

Juliet shares how her thinking has evolved over recent years through her work as a trusted advisor to experienced leaders, and her episodes of the Quiet Leadership Revolution podcast. She also introduces the ideas she has been developing for a book she...

Leaders in independent schools are having to make some hard decisions at the moment, especially those in the UK facing the possible addition of VAT to school fees.

Some of these decisions could be classified as ‘wicked’ - defined as a problem where multiple stakeholders want different, sometimes contradictory, outcomes.

In the last episode Juliet explored how NASA approaches this type of problem, drawing out lesso...

It turns out that NASA rocket scientists think that solving ‘wicked’ problems, where multiple stakeholders want contradictory outcomes, is far harder than the science of sending missions into space.

So when we’re trying to solve similarly ‘wicked’ problems in our schools it’s no surprise that leaders sometimes feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

In this week’s episode, Juliet shares how NASA solves these problems an...

Coaching, innovation, empowerment, strategy... this episode with guest Claire Robinson, Head of Holme Grange School, dives into many of the topics which school leaders ask me questions about.
 
As a highly experienced head, Claire shares with us her extensive insights into:
1. How to balance involving staff in strategy development, with the fact that sometimes strategic choices need to be confidential.

2. How s...

Strategy is not a game played alone. So if you are seeking a strategic way forward for a project or challenge, it is important to balance individual contemplation and conversation with 'thinking partners'. 

In this episode I share my belief that everyone has the ability to think and act strategically, and that combining this with deeper self-knowledge can lead to remarkable results. I emphasise the significance ...

It’s one thing knowing about strategy frameworks and approaches - but knowing how to use these effectively to develop and implement a strategy in a school is a completely different skill.

So this week on The Independent School Podcast I’m delighted to be joined by Paul Morgan, from St. Julian’s School in Lisbon, Portugal, a highly experienced head, who talks us through how he’s approached strategy in his two headships.

Exciting news for The Independent School Podcast!

In our latest episode, I reveal the top five most popular episodes of 2023. With over 16,000 listens, I am thrilled to know that our podcast has been helping education leaders become more strategic and focused on their priorities.

Episode notes:

Top 5 episodes of 2023:

1. 136: Partnerships and Service with Alastair Chirnside, Warden, St Edward's Oxfo...

For this week's episode I'm joined by Jim Knight, The Rt Hon Lord Knight of Weymouth and Chair of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS).

We dive deep into the big picture of education, looking at the changing ways that schools prepare young people for their future, the importance of addressing the climate emergency, the increasing role of AI in schools, as well as exploring ways that independent an...

Tune into this week’s podcast for a comprehensive insight into school leadership recruitment trends and the crucial conversation around equality, diversity and inclusion.

I am joined by Hayley Mintern, Partner at Anderson Quigley and in our thought-provoking conversation, we delve into the world of leadership recruitment in education. Hayley brings her expertise to the table, offering insights on employer branding and deve...

Do you have a clear idea of how much you can achieve in a week? It’s very easy to be overly optimistic about what it is possible to get done. And then when you don’t achieve your goals for the week, it’s easy to slip into a habit of working extra hours to tick all those things off your to do list.

This kind of overload is inevitable occasionally, but if you are consistently over-estimating what’s possible it can lead to bu...

When overwhelm strikes me it feels like lots of bees buzzing around my head, each reminding me to do something, and a building sense of worry that I’m not going to get it all done.

While many of us don't talk about it openly, it's normal to feel occasionally overwhelmed. But if you're having this feeling frequently then that's not a fun way to live.

The key for me lies in doing one thing at a ...

This is the second in my two-part series about Fundraising Campaigns, and in this episode it’s all about breaking the rules!

Having discussed the five essential phases of a campaign last week, this time I’m taking you a step further to explore how these phases can be adjusted. Warning! Some caution is needed in breaking these rules, so listen in to hear more.

Key Lessons from the episode:

1) The best pra...

This is the first in my two-part series about Fundraising Campaigns. In this episode, I speak about how to structure a campaign over multiple phases to maximise the opportunity for success.

Whether you're new to school fundraising or looking for advanced strategies, this two-part series has got you covered. Next week, we will take a deeper dive into some more advanced topics, including when you can 'break the ru...

Coaching has become increasingly recognised for its positive impact on educational leaders, helping them find strategic focus, empower their teams and regain control over their time. In this episode, host Juliet Corbett shares her personal experience of working with coaches and highlights the five reasons why coaching works.

Key lessons from this episode:

1. Coaching helps leaders step out of their own thoughts and gain new...