Today Frank and Stan chatted with Ros McMullen and Peter Cockcroft, two colleagues closely involved with Headrest, a support group for senior managers facing significant stress from undertaking their role in education.

Headrest explain why they exist on their website

https://www.headrestuk.co.uk

'Never before has the job of running a school been so challenging, not just for headteachers, but also for CEOs, governors and trustees. As a system-led profession, we need to come together and offer a much-needed mutual support service, acting almost as a safety device for headteachers. Most importantly, in order for it to be available and accessible to everyone, it needs to be free. This is where Headrest comes in.

We know that in many schools, heads are very well supported, be it in a MAT, federation, cluster or LA. But there are too many out there who are not so lucky, new headteachers especially, who are not able to access the traditional suite of face-to-face induction support as a result of the lockdown restrictions. It must be especially tough for them, not knowing what 'normal' looks like.

Add into the mix the safeguarding concerns thrown up by the pandemic, the regularly changing and often inappropriate guidance from the DfE, the misinformation and coordinated onslaught on the profession from certain quarters of the media, and the desperation to get things as good as they can be for the young people they serve, the job can feel un-doable.'

The chat covers a wide range of issues relating to the recently published Headrest annual report. It explains how Headrest offers support and how speedily they try to respond. The discussion covers how things have changed since the previous report and identifies they key stressors that are impacting negatively on those seeking help and support.

It is one of the most important Frank and Stan Chats of the year. Watch and listen to the situation experienced by senior leaders who make contact with Headrest. Sadly, things have not improved since the previous report, in fact, it appears to have got worse.

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Ever wondered how accurate the GCSE and A Level grades are? Ever thought that you might have missed a grade by one or two marks and considered the opportunities you may have missed out on? Did you assume that a remark involved another examiner 're-marking' the script? Would you be shocked to discover that 1 in 4 grades awarded may be wrong?

The first of a new video cast/podcast called Spotlight will focus on a single issue or on the interests of a single guest and we are delighted to begin with Dr Dennis Sherwood, a management consultant and former executive director of Goldman Sachs. Dennis undertook some research for Ofqual around 10 years ago and this began a deepening interest in the external examination arrangements.

The spotlight chat will surprise, and at times shock you. It provides insight into an area that is promoted as being robust and rigorous but Dennis' work suggests it is much less than that.

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