It's a pleasure to welcome Paul Burrows as the guest for this episode. Paul is the Headteacher at Royal School for the Deaf Derby.

His career in front line education spans over three decades, 25 years in mainstream secondary teaching and leadership and 8 years Special School Leadership. He is passionate about high expectations for all saying that “we don’t lower expectations, we build better scaffolding.” He is a global advocate for inclusion and deaf awareness and accessibility.

In this powerful episode we explore Paul’s own childhood, growing up in a multi-ethnic family in the early 1960s/early 1970s and the impact that had on him as he developed and devoted his career to working with young people who felt like outsiders. He talks about special educational needs and the impact of deafness on young people and what we all need to think about in terms of inclusion and opportunity for all.

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Frederick Afrifa is a motivational speaker and communication confidence coach. Born in Ghana and growing up in Milan, his family moved to London when he was a child. Frederick went on to become an Italian track star and was slated to take part in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. He has gone on to dedicate his career to helping people overcome their fear of public speaking. He cofounded the communication coaching business Believe in Greatness and is one of the stars of the 2025 UK version of The Apprentice.

In this incredibly motivating and insightful episode, Frederick talks about his childhood as an outsider and how he used his experiences to shape the athlete and business person he has become. He shares deep insights into communication and how to control fear and nervousness in times of challenge and adversity. He also talks about his time on The Apprentice and what it has taught him moving forward.

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Simon Cusden is a former professional cricketer, who now helps high performing individuals and teams prevent and treat wellbeing and performance crisis.

Born in Thanet in Kent, Cusden played for Kent County Cricket Club between 2004 and 2006. After being released by Kent at the end of the 2006 season he joined Derbyshire but was in turn released by them after making only one first-class appearance during 2007. He played a total of seven first-class matches and six List A matches in his playing career. He represented England Under-19's touring Australia in 2002–2003. In the Under-19s test against Bangladesh in July 2004, Cusden claimed four wickets and was top wicket taker in the test and one day series.

After playing for club cricket in Derbyshire for two seasons following his release by Derbyshire, Cusden moved to Australia. He set up his own cricket coaching company.

Cusden has spoken of the mental health issues he faced whilst playing and after leaving the professional game. For a time he abused alcohol and attempted to commit suicide on one occasion. The Professional Cricketers' Association Benevolent Fund provided assistance to him after the attempt and he was admitted to a rehabilitation centre to aid his recovery.

Nearly a decade later, Cusden now works as a private coach for senior leaders and high performers who are suffering silently from depression, addiction and suicidal ideation.

In this powerful and at times raw episode we talk about success and failure, addiction, suicide, mental health and resilience. Simon talks about coaching and leadership and what we need to consider as we prepare future generations for the complex world they will be inheriting.

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

007 is becoming a theme here on The Learning Bridge. Just a few weeks after welcoming "the real-life James Bond," Tim Bradshaw, we'll hear from French freerunner Sébastien Foucan, who you might remember from a memorable sequence in Daniel Craig's first Bond film, Casino Royale.

Sébastien is the founder of freerunning and considered an early developer of parkour. In 2002, Foucan featured in a television advertisement for the Nike Presto running shoe. He became known in the United Kingdom after Mike Christie's Channel 4 documentary Jump London in September 2003 and the subsequent documentary Jump Britain. In addition to those programmes, Foucan appeared as Mollaka in the James Bond film Casino Royale. Foucan appeared in the music video for Madonna's 2005 single "Jump", and accompanied the singer on her 2006 "Confessions Tour". Seb is committed to education and to young people and he runs his academy in London working on his principles incorporating athleticism, creativity, story-telling and discipline.

In this episode we explore Seb’s own story and how he went from hating school to becoming a hugely successful artist, performer and free-running icon. He discusses the issues surrounding education and human development, talks about collaboration, the power of failure and the need for patience in the acquisition of mastery.

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Sally Pepper is an accomplished and award-winning radio and TV broadcaster with over 25 years' experience, 18 of those years with the BBC. In that time she became one of the most trusted and loved voices in The UK Midlands. 2022 she began the process of reinventing herself, setting up her own media company specialising in supporting and training others in the art of communication. She also teaches part time in Universities and still broadcasts through her hugely popular podcast, Truly Madly Derby.

In this episode Sally talks about her career, what it took to change direction at the height of her success and what she’s learnt as a result. She talks about her joy of working in education, what resilience means to her and what communication skills matter most.

Listen to Sally's podcast, Truly Madly Derby: https://www.pepperdawesmedia.com/tmd

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Tim Bradshaw is a real life James Bond.

He is a former Intelligence Officer and graduate of Sandhurst Military Academy. By 20 years old he was leading a unit of nearly 40 soldiers.

His work as a Covert Human Intelligence Officer saw him recruit, run and build relationships with foreign agents worldwide. Often creating influence and affecting the outcome of extremely sensitive and dangerous situations.

Tim founded, and is a director of Sandstone Communications, an international leadership and team building consultancy. He is Chief Executive Officer of the Sandstone Foundation delivering resilience workshops to schools and young people.

In this episode we talk about leadership and learning and how resilience is linked to passion and purpose. As Tim looks back on his life and career we explore the power of human relationships and connecting the dots.

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn.

Explore more BE Podcast Network shows:

• Transformative Principal: https://bit.ly/3vPSMY3
• The Authority Podcast: https://bit.ly/48dhakQ
• Artificial Intelligence: Real Talk: https://bit.ly/3QxEh2j
• Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works: https://bit.ly/3DhvVIP
• Sideline Sessions: https://bit.ly/49Pib2P

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode, I’m excited to share my conversation with Erin Bailey, Vice President of Literacy Programs and Research at Reading Is Fundamental. This episode is part of our National Literacy Month series of podcasts, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).

You’ll hear about the latest in literacy research, bringing joy to the classroom, the greatest successes in developing readers, and more.

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn.

About today’s guest

Erin Bailey, Ed.D., joined Reading Is Fundamental in 2021 and currently serves as the Vice President of Literacy Programs and Research. Her role includes serving as the subject matter expert and developing, curating, and managing content and professional learning for educators and families on literacy. Dr. Bailey has been an educator in U.S. and international classrooms. Her teaching experience spans from PreK-8 including roles as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, English language learning specialist, and university instructor.

Explore more BE Podcast Network shows:

• Leading Collaborative Response: https://bit.ly/4dkzMlG
• The Fabulous Learning Nerds: https://bit.ly/3OOoDiu
• Transformative Principal: https://bit.ly/3vPSMY3
• The Authority Podcast: https://bit.ly/48dhakQ

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this special episode, we welcome award-winning actress, author, producer, and activist Sheetal Sheth to the show. She is the author of the best-selling and award-winning Always Anjali children's book series (Penguin Random House), the first picture book series centering an Indian American hero. Her book Making Happy is an ode to mental health and she is a contributor in Rebel Girls’ latest title Dear Rebel.

This conversation is part of our National Literacy Month series of podcasts, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).

Tune in to hear an insightful discussion about finding your people, creating diverse bookshelves, and Sheetal’s journey to acting and writing.

Connect with Sheetal on social media:

• IG: @beneaththesheetz
• X: @sheetalsheth
• https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSheetalSheth
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheetalsheth

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn.

Explore more BE Podcast Network shows:

• Leading Collaborative Response: https://bit.ly/4dkzMlG
• The Fabulous Learning Nerds: https://bit.ly/3OOoDiu
• Transformative Principal: https://bit.ly/3vPSMY3
• The Authority Podcast: https://bit.ly/48dhakQ

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.