We are excited to announce the upcoming launch of our ‘Russell Speirs and Friends’ podcast. The podcast will be hosted by School Management Plus.

Russell will be interviewing influential figures from across the education world to find out what they think makes a thriving school and how they have achieved this in their own careers.

The podcast will provide an opportunity to hear from fascinating people from across the globe who have devoted their lives to helping schools thrive. School principals, marketing and finance directors, governors, authors and advisers will all feature.

The podcast will be essential listening for anyone involved in running a school, with discussions about everything from designing classroom spaces to recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers.

Among the first guests will be Sonia Rawat, principal of United World College in Mostar, Bosnia. Her school was set up in 2006 in the post-conflict zone, one of the many cities to have been ravaged by the Bosnian war of the 1990s and which now faces a more optimistic future. It educates children from over 60 different nationalities, including many from the countries of former Yugoslavia.

Russell Speirs said: “I have had a great time getting in touch with some wonderful people in the business to hear their perspectives on what makes modern schools thrive, having inspiring and useful conversations with old friends. I hope the podcast will soon become a go-to place for all school leaders, teachers and other educators looking for wisdom and inspiration from across the world.”