Frank and Stan Chats cover art

Frank and Stan Chats

Frank and Stan Chats

By: Frank Norris and Stan Johnson
Listen for free

This Season's Biggest Deal | £0.99/mo for 3 months + £10 Audible bonus

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly
Summary
 Frank Norris and Stan Johnson have been friends since 1995. Both have had successful and lengthy careers in education. Frank was a very senior HMI with Ofsted for 11 years and was the CEO of the Coop Academies Trust for 6 years. Stan was seconded to Ofsted for a year and then returned to headship before working as a senior adviser with Lancashire LA. He has latterly led a successful education consultancy in the North West. Prior to Covid-19, the two gents would meet in Manchester for a pint or two but the pandemic put an end to that. On 1 May 2020, they recorded their first video chat as a way of recording their emotions and reactions to the pandemic. After putting the video on Youtube as a safe place to store it they realised that some followers began to appear. Now, with nearly 180 episodes and having chatted to Professors, CEOs, journalists, teachers, former HMI, education thinkers and Frank's Key Stage 1 leading daughter they have a loyal following and a rapidly increasing number of viewers. The reach of the Frank and Stan Chat stretches from Bogota to Ottawa to Greece and their first Live Edition was recorded in front of nearly 200 Headteachers in York. The Chats are not undertaken to attract followers or for financial reward (nothing is received and nothing will be received). It is a way of airing views on education matters between two professional friends with a focus on leadership. We are honoured to be invited to host the weekly chats on the Leader-connect website www.leader-connect.co.uk. The chats helped the gents get through the pandemic and they are delighted that they have been enjoyed by others and appear to have helped in developing leadership thought and actions. If you fancy being a guest then just reach out. We never post a video unless the guest is comfortable with it. So, it is a relatively risk-free environment. Thank you. Frank and Stan. PS. We were honoured to be identified as one of the Top 50 education and leadership podcasts in THE WORLD!!! We can't believe it, but it appears to be true.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

© 2023 Frank and Stan Chats
Episodes
  • The Frank and Stan Chat No. 301

    The Frank and Stan Chat No. 301
    Nov 12 2026
    Spending time chatting with amazing guests is one of the great pleasures of the Frank and Stan Chat for us, the hosts. Our guests always add interest and insight, and Narinder Gill is no exception. As we consider her impressive and varied career, we wonder whether we have shown sufficient commitment during our extensive careers. Starting under the guidance of Prof Tim Brighouse and Prof Mick Waters during her formative leadership years, Narinder has led schools in challenging areas including the particular issues that arose post 7/7. She established a business suupporting the elderly in their homes, before returning to education leading the school improvement arm of a trust and is now a RISE Adviser. Our chat commences with Stan reflecting on the power of intuition and considers how this is generated. Narinder then turns to a conference she was involved in, where she was expected to pull together the threads of the day, only for those to be upturned by the insight offered by a delegate late in the day. Frank then considers the Ofsted report, 'The Wasted Years' published in 2015, which has largely been ignored until recently. It's a wonderful chat. A bit of a jewel, to be honest. We hope you find it helpful and interesting in equal measure.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Frank and Stan Chat No. 300

    Frank and Stan Chat No. 300
    Nov 5 2026
    In May 2020, Stan Johnson and Frank Norris recorded a 15-minute conversation and decided to 'store' it on YouTube. It was meant to be a record of our reactions to the Global Pandemic and its impact on education in England. After a few editions, Frank decided to invite a guest, and we began to realise that the extra person added a lot to our conversation. So, we decided to reach out to colleagues we knew to invite them along. These guests have included very well and less well known people undertaking different roles in education. In fact, it would be fair to say that some of the least well known guests have been the most interesting. We have never tried to make the Chat more than a simple conversation between people. We provide a small thank you gift for our guests and we do not monetise the chat. The reach of the chat has grown, and we are now achieving close to 1k downloads for some podcasts. With Stan away this week, we decided to continue the 300th edition with Frank being joined by Paul Ainsworth, the recently appointed CEO of NACE (National Association for Able Children in Education). It was fortuitous that the TES published on the day of the recording a piece about able children with Paul quoted at the start of the article. Paul explains how his new role is developing and gives some background to his new book to be published in early December that addresses the challenges of executive headship/leadership. Frank reflects on an online meeting about inclusion in Portugese schools. He noted how success in Portugal was based on cross-political agreement on the importance of local children being able to attend local schools. These are managed through supportive clusters where expertise is shared within classrooms. Oh, by the way senior leaders are elected! Now, that's a thought. The chat has guests lined up until last summer 2027. If you would like to join, just comment on a recent video on Youtube and we will get back to you. Thank you for your fantastic support. Frank and Stan

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Frank and Stan Chat No. 299

    Frank and Stan Chat No. 299
    Oct 28 2026
    This week, it is just Frank and Stan chatting for a change. No guest! It is like old times. We consider some recent research into the teaching of mathematics produced by the Nottingham University School of Mathematics Education. It suggests that many pupils feel the curriculum is progressing too quickly. This includes around 10% of the higher attainers! No wonder we are continuing to have many adults saying they can't do maths! Frank then reflects on his music education and considers why some pupils have the opportunity to engage in music while others never seem to get the chance. It was great to be back to where the Frank and Stan Chat started in May 2020; just two experienced educators sharing their thoughts and views. Next week, we hit the 300th edition. Who would have thought this when the chat started in May 2020.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet