Explore every episode of the podcast Strategic Schools
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep. 31: Transforming Change into Culture | 20 Jul 2025 | 00:11:19 | |
In this episode, Simon explores how leaders can embed improvement work so deeply into structures, norms, and culture that it lasts long after they’ve moved on. He shares a mindset shift from leading change to leading a legacy, offering practical cues for making your work durable, sustainable, and adaptable. True impact comes not from being indispensable but from making the work irreversible - able to evolve and thrive without you. Explore More Resources 📬 Subscribe to my newsletter - http://eepurl.com/g07cuH 📝Read my latest blog - https://simonbreakspear.com/blog/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/tools/ | |||
| Ep. 30: Adaptive Persistence | 29 Jun 2025 | 00:09:10 | |
In this episode, Simon unpacks the vital leadership disposition of adaptive persistence - the ability to stay committed to long-term goals while flexibly adjusting to challenges. Drawing on insights from Professor Viviane Robinson and real-world improvement work, he explores how calm, steady leadership helps teams navigate setbacks without losing direction. It’s not just about grit - it’s about knowing when and how to adapt while keeping the bigger goal in sight. Explore More Resources 📬 Subscribe to my newsletter - http://eepurl.com/g07cuH 📝Read my latest blog - https://simonbreakspear.com/blog/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/tools/ | |||
| Ep. 21: The Additive Trap | 12 May 2025 | 00:09:07 | |
Explore the idea of "frenzied stagnation" - the state where educators are busier than ever but making little meaningful progress. In this episode, Simon unpacks the "additive trap" in schools: the relentless habit of doing more without letting anything go. Tune in to reflect on your own context and begin noticing where subtraction might unlock greater clarity, impact, and sustainability in your work. Explore the Book and Resources 📘 Get The Pruning Principle book - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningbook/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningprinciple/ | |||
| Ep. 20: Psychological Safety | 23 Jul 2023 | 00:05:51 | |
Leading complex improvement requires learning, making mistakes, offering alternative perspectives and asking when we aren’t sure about the next steps. To enable this, we need a safe platform for interpersonal risk-taking. In this episode, Simon hones in on the interpersonal construct of Psychological Safety. He explores its importance to team effectiveness and unpacks simple approaches to enhance it with the people you work with. | |||
| Ep. 19: Team Health | 16 Jul 2023 | 00:07:07 | |
It’s time to move beyond the notion of heroic educational leadership. Improvement is a team sport, and leaders need to purposefully team the teams they are in. In this episode, Simon shares his concept of Team Health. He explains what it is, why it matters, and how we can all play a role in deliberately enhancing group dynamics and processes. | |||
| Ep. 18: Running Retrospectives | 09 Jul 2023 | 00:06:25 | |
In this episode, Simon shares one of his favourite tools for helping teams reflect, learn and adapt: The Retrospective. This simple routine involves teams systematically working through a series of questions at the end of an improvement cycle. Simon unpacks the why, what and how of running a retrospective. Great teams make better mistakes in every cycle of work. The retrospective will help you do exactly that. | |||
| Ep. 17: Less | 02 Jul 2023 | 00:04:22 | |
What if the answer was less? In education, we naturally tend to try to solve problems and improve things by adding additional programs, initiatives and responsibilities. Too often, we overlook subtraction as a strategy for improvement. In this episode, Simon provides some provocative frames to use as a team to explore doing less. In a time of systematic exhaustion, the pursuit of less may be just the strategy we need in order to unlock progress. | |||
| Ep. 16: Building Social Proof | 25 Jun 2023 | 00:07:00 | |
Building social proof is a crucial step in any school change journey. When individuals see that others within your context have embraced the change and experienced positive outcomes, they are more likely to feel confident and motivated to follow suit. Social proof serves as evidence that the proposed change is feasible and beneficial. In this episode, Simon explores why developing ‘social proof’ can be one of the most powerful ways to gain the support and early buy-in of your staff. He unpacks simple strategies you can use to accelerate your current improvement efforts. | |||
| Ep. 15: The Power of Kanban | 18 Jun 2023 | 00:08:06 | |
We are looking for ways to better structure and organise our work during long-term improvement projects. The Kanban approach to team rapid action planning can provide enhanced clarity, motivation and transparency about what needs to be done and where things are up to. Simon shares the core components of the Kanban approach and provides guidance on how educational teams can harness the benefits of this simple and effective tool. | |||
| Ep. 14: Working in Cycles | 12 Jun 2023 | 00:06:48 | |
Working in 5-8 week cycles can unlock new progress and momentum. At Strategic Schools, we help teams to get out of yearly implementation plans and into working in shorter, more responsive cycles of implementation work. Simon explains how you can constrain the scope of projects and focus on manageable chunks by being strict from the outside about the time the cycle will run for and the bandwidth available. Working in Responsive Action Cycles is a shift in workflow that every leader should try. | |||
| Ep. 13: Build Momentum | 04 Jun 2023 | 00:10:12 | |
How can you build and sustain momentum through complex improvement journeys? In this episode, Simon identifies the overlooked role of leaders in sustaining momentum through improvement work. He unpacks simple strategies leaders can take to rebuild their team's energy, belief and motivation. | |||
| Ep. 12: Identify your Must Do’s | 28 May 2023 | 00:10:30 | |
What are the essential things that only you can do? In our overwhelmed and overloaded state, we often lose the ability to prioritise effectively. Simon unpacks a simple framework for pausing and identifying what matters most right now. The most effective leaders never get everything done. Instead, they identify their Must Do's and relentlessly pursue them. | |||
| Ep. 29: Looping for understanding | 22 Jun 2025 | 00:13:17 | |
In this episode, Simon explores the power of “looping for understanding”, a simple technique to improve communication, build trust, and avoid misunderstandings. Simon unpacks how listening attentively, paraphrasing, and checking for understanding can transform everyday leadership conversations. A practical, people-focused skill every educational leader can use to foster stronger relationships and greater clarity in high-stakes or everyday dialogue. Explore More Resources 📝Read my latest blog - https://simonbreakspear.com/blog/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/tools/ | |||
| Ep. 11: Celebrate & Course-Correct | 24 May 2023 | 00:06:09 | |
Improvement work is often a long-term endeavour. In the messy middle, our teams can lose track of the progress they are making and the lessons they are learning. In this episode, Simon explores the importance of setting up a regular rhythm of celebrating and course-correcting. | |||
| Ep. 10: Attune with Empathy | 21 May 2023 | 00:10:12 | |
How can we more effectively understand and respond to change resistance? Attuning with empathy can provide fresh insights into what’s really happening for those who are experiencing the change on the ground. In this episode, Simon explores simple framework leaders can use to develop a theory of resistance and identify the next best steps. | |||
| Ep. 09: Running Experiments | 17 May 2023 | 00:11:06 | |
If we are going to be successful in leading organisational change, we need to start small. In this episode, Simon explores the critical importance of running disciplined, fast experiments of educational change before scaling up. Simon shows why starting small, moving fast, and failing well is a powerful approach for working out how to make an evidence-informed idea work in your unique context. | |||
| Ep. 08: We Get To | 14 May 2023 | 00:10:09 | |
How can you motivate yourself to engage in challenging work even when you don’t feel like doing it? In this episode, Simon explores a powerful reframing of how we can approach the work in front of us. He shows how shifting from ‘We Have To” to ‘We Get To’ can unlock new focus and energy for change. | |||
| Ep. 07: Praise Worthy Failures | 10 May 2023 | 00:08:33 | |
Are you and your team ready to learn from failure? Simon argues that improvers test and sharpen their ideas by trying things out in the real world of schools and classrooms. The goal shouldn’t be to get everything right from the beginning. But rather to set ourselves up to learn our way forward and make better mistakes every term. Simon shows why building a culture of curiosity and learning from praise worthy failure is crucial for continuous improvement in complex environments like schools. | |||
| Ep. 06: Your Don't Do List | 09 May 2023 | 00:10:47 | |
How can we tap into the power of doing less? Simon explores our tendency to become overloaded and outlines a practical approach to setting and keeping clear boundaries. He explores why flexing our ‘saying no’ muscle is crucial for creating and holding space to engage in our most important work. | |||
| Ep. 05: Tracking Lead Indicators | 09 May 2023 | 00:04:49 | |
What should we first expect to see? Simon unpacks a simple framework for focusing on the most important lead indicators in our change efforts. He argues that leaders should focus on the essential changes we should we in 3 and 6 months and avoid getting stuck in conversations about the long-term outcomes we are hoping to move. Lead indicators can motivate our teams and accelerate our learning from doing. | |||
| Ep. 04: Workload Mapping | 08 May 2023 | 00:08:09 | |
How can future pacing the term ahead help us to create greater levels of sustainability in our workflow? | |||
| Ep. 03: Cracking the Clarity Code | 03 May 2023 | 00:06:25 | |
How can we gain enhanced clarity in our improvement thinking? Simon unpacks 4 key questions that educational leaders can use to test, refine and sharpen their improvement projects and ideas. He then outlines how leaders and teams can build a habit of using these questions to structure their strategic conversations about improvement. | |||
| Ep. 01: Make things easier | 03 May 2023 | 00:10:17 | |
How should we respond to resistance? In this episode Simon explores a radical shift in how we can approach the natural resistance all leaders will experience when leading a change journey. He unpacks key findings from behavioural science and offers 3 simple strategies to help unlock adult behaviour change. | |||
| Ep. 28: Focus on the Next 5-8 Weeks | 15 Jun 2025 | 00:06:44 | |
In this episode, Simon shares why school improvement is more like night driving than building a bridge - you can’t see the whole road, but you can still make the journey. He unpacks how working in 5 to 8 week action cycles can help teams stay focused, reduce overload, and make consistent progress. Instead of overplanning years in advance, learn to make realistic, intentional decisions for the term ahead - and build momentum, one stretch at a time. Explore More Resources 📬 Subscribe to my newsletter - http://eepurl.com/g07cuH 📝Read my latest blog - https://simonbreakspear.com/blog/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/tools/ | |||
| Ep. 02: The 4D Reset Framework | 03 May 2023 | 00:07:54 | |
What can we do when we are overloaded and becoming overwhelmed? Simon examines and applies the 4D reset framework that he uses when coaching leaders and teams that have stalled due to workload. Simon outlines and describes the 4D categories of Dump, Delay, Delegate and Do. He then provides practical guidance and encouragement about how leaders can use this tool as a structured reset and refresh point. | |||
| Ep. 27: Working at a Natural Pace | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:08:27 | |
In this episode, Simon explores why effective school improvement isn’t about going fast or slow - it’s about finding a natural pace. Drawing on lessons from fitness and recovery, he unpacks how leaders can tune into their team’s capacity, avoid burnout, and build sustainable momentum. Learn how to work in the right zone of improvement - challenged but not overloaded. An ideal listen for anyone leading change who wants to sustain progress over time. Explore More Resources 📬 Subscribe to my newsletter - http://eepurl.com/g07cuH 📝 Read my latest blog - https://simonbreakspear.com/blog/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/tools/ | |||
| Ep. 26: Streamlining Improvement Plans through Pruning | 01 Jun 2025 | 00:08:53 | |
Many school improvement plans are overloaded from the start. In this episode, Simon explores how to integrate The Pruning Principle into your planning cycle - by subtracting before you add. Learn how to reduce unrealistic commitments, embed subtractive strategies, and create space for what matters most. A practical guide to shifting from planning theatre to focused, sustainable improvement. Explore the Book and Resources 📘 Get The Pruning Principle book - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningbook/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningprinciple/ | |||
| Ep. 25: How to find 1 additional week per year | 28 May 2025 | 00:08:02 | |
By trimming just one hour of meetings per week, you could reclaim a full work week each year. In this episode, Simon explores how small shifts in meeting cadence, duration, and structure can unlock major time savings and boost focus. Learn how to run low-risk pruning experiments with your team - and start creating margin for the work that matters most. Explore the Book and Resources 📘 Get The Pruning Principle book - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningbook/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningprinciple/ | |||
| Ep. 24: Embracing Personal Pruning | 26 May 2025 | 00:14:17 | |
In this episode, Simon shares why the best place to start pruning isn’t at the system level - it’s in your own life. From deleting unused apps to unsubscribing from email lists, he offers practical, low-stakes ways to reclaim clarity and focus. Learn how small acts of personal pruning build momentum, reduce overload, and shift your sense of agency - one strategic subtraction at a time. A timely listen for leaders ready to do less, better. Explore the Book and Resources 📘 Get The Pruning Principle book - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningbook/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningprinciple/ | |||
| Ep. 23: The Sunk Cost Fallacy | 21 May 2025 | 00:08:23 | |
In this episode, Simon Breakspear unpacks the sunk cost fallacy - a powerful cognitive bias that keeps educators clinging to ineffective programs simply because they've already invested time, money, or energy. This hidden trap can block the strategic pruning needed for real progress. Learn how to spot it, talk about it, and move on - so you can redirect resources toward what will truly make a difference. Explore the Book and Resources 📘 Get The Pruning Principle book - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningbook/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningprinciple/ | |||
| Ep. 22: The Pruning Principle Explained | 19 May 2025 | 00:10:58 | |
In this episode, Simon reads from Chapter 2 of The Pruning Principle, his recently released book, exploring how ancient horticultural wisdom — yes, pruning olive trees and grapevines — can offer a fresh lens for tackling overload in education. Discover how strategic subtraction can help schools flourish by focusing energy where it matters most. Explore the Book and Resources 📘 Get The Pruning Principle book - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningbook/ 🔧 Download free tools - https://simonbreakspear.com/pruningprinciple/ | |||