Podcast

Exploring School Attendance Challenges: A Podcast Discussion

In this episode of our podcast series, we discuss the critical issue of school attendance, led by our hosts Esther Chesterman, CEO of the…

Navigating the Complexities of Inclusion and Protective Characteristics in Education

   Welcome back to another engaging discussion on the NEC Podcast. In this episode, Esther Chesterman, CEO of NEC and Samreen Shah discuss…

Stages and transitions in education: How to deal with them

Welcome to another podcast episode! In this episode CEO Esther Chesterman is joined by NEC’s very own Karyn Nash, who is a qualified teacher…

Exploring the NEC Podcast – Postbag: Insights and Discussion

Welcome to our fifth podcast! In this episode, Esther Chesterman, CEO of NEC and Samreen Shah take a trip down memory lane to the…

ADHD in the Classroom

In this podcast episode, which you can listen to on our Podbean page, the hosts National Extension College’s CEO Esther Chesterman and Samreen Shah…

The Importance of Mindfulness in Education

In this podcast, Esther Chesterman and Samreen Shah speak with Dr Helen Maffini, an expert in mindfulness and social-emotional learning, about the importance of…

Issues around School Refusal

The term “school refusal” has gained more awareness since COVID hit in 2019. With parents and guardians finding it difficult to navigate and adapt…

Access to education for marginalised students: Exploring access arrangements

In this blog post, we delve into a thought-provoking podcast episode that focuses on the topic of access arrangements for students with special educational…

Other articles...

Can you do an A level in a year?

One of our most frequently asked questions, especially at this time of year, is whether you can be ready for an A level within…

How I learnt to love learning

Today’s guest blog is written by Chris Holligan, Professor of Education at The University of The West of Scotland. Chris details how his life…

A home educator’s journey – Part 8: Studying GCSE Maths

Anna and Lucy are a mother and daughter who are sharing their experiences of online distance learning and home education. In this edition of…

A brief history of NEC and broadcasting

Tonight (April 25th) at 9pm, BBC 4 will be broadcasting a new hour long documentary ‘Happy Birthday OU: 50 Years of The Open University’….

Happy 50th Birthday OU!

‘We are thinking rather of the people who cannot turn up regularly for ordinary classes, above all of married women housebound by their children,…

English Language Day 2019

23rd April has special resonance in England. It’s St George’s Day (England’s patron saint) as well as the traditional date on which to celebrate…

A home educator’s journey – Part 7: GCSE Revision at home

This post was originally published on April 17th 2019 and updated on March 23rd 2020. Anna and Lucy are a mother and daughter who…

How to study maths

What is Maths? People often talk about maths as if it were a great mystery. ‘I can never understand maths.’ ‘You can do maths!…

Second-chance learning in prison

About the author: David Breakspear was released from prison in June 2017. While there, with the help of funding through organisations like The Prisoners’…

Our top 5 April Fools’

To celebrate April Fools’ Day we’ve been looking back on some of our favourite pranks and hoaxes. Here are 5 of the best: BBC…