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The Kitchen Table

The Kitchen Table

By: Urban Podcasts
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Summary

 Welcome to The Kitchen Table, with Phil, Mohamed, and Danielle. A space where research meets relationships, and where we slow things down to talk about what really matters. This is where you’ll get to know us - our journeys through education, the questions we’re still wrestling with, and why belonging, mattering, and social justice sit at the heart of the work we do. We’ll also be joined by friends from across education and beyond, people who are committed to building communities that are rooted in care, courage, and the belief that everyone matters. So grab a cup of tea, a coffee, or whatever comfort food you have at arm’s reach, pull up a chair, and spend some time with us at The Kitchen Table.Copyright 2026 Urban Podcasts Personal Development Personal Success Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Haili Hughes: Belonging, Mentoring, and Why Teachers Leave

    Haili Hughes: Belonging, Mentoring, and Why Teachers Leave
    May 10 2026
    This was one of those conversations that really made us stop and think.In this episode of The Kitchen Table, we sit down with Haili Hughes to explore belonging in education, not as a simple idea, but as something complex, personal, and often uncomfortable. We get into her journey, from feeling like an outsider growing up to shaping a career around mentoring, teacher development, and retention. This is a conversation about identity, courage, and what it really takes to build cultures where people feel they matter.What You’ll Discover- Belonging Is More Complex Than We Think: It’s not about fitting everywhere, it’s about understanding where and why we feel we belong.- Why Mentoring Must Go Beyond Coaching: Real mentoring blends skill development with trust, support, and human connection.- What Actually Keeps Teachers in the Profession: Belonging, agency, and identity matter just as much as workload when it comes to retention.Haili brings a rare perspective to the conversation. She is currently the only professor in the UK still working within a school, combining her role as Professor of Coaching and Mentoring with her work as Director of Professional Development at a MAT in Merseyside. Alongside this, she has served as an ITT Quality Advisor for the Department for Education since 2021, facilitated and assessed the ECF and NPQs for both Teach First and UCL, and continues to contribute to national teacher development through her work with Teach First and the Ambition Institute. In 2024, she was elected to the council of the Chartered College of Teaching, and in 2026, she was awarded Fellowship status.What really stayed with us is how honest this conversation is about the reality of education right now. The pressure, the complexity, and the challenge of creating environments where people feel safe to grow. But also the reminder that small shifts, better conversations, and intentional leadership can make a real difference.Haili has written 10 education books:Mentoring in SchoolsPreserving PositivityReady to Teach: An Inspector CallsTeacher Hacks: EnglishLove the One You're WithCoaching for Adaptive ExpertiseGCSE Literature Boost: A Christmas CarolHumans in the ClassroomClearing the Path to Leadership - not yet on pre-order.Tackling the Unseen Poem - not yet on pre-order.Mentoring English Teachers - not yet on pre-order.GCSE Literature Boost: Jekyll and Hyde - not yet on pre-order.Connect with Phil Banksthebelongingcollective.blog.Connect with Mohamed AbdallahSubstack.Connect with Danielle Lewis-EgonuSubstack.The Kitchen Table are grateful to our sponsors Magma Maths, Zen Educate, St Christophers Trust, Cygnus Academies Trust, The Reach Foundation and it is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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    43 mins
  • Designing a Curriculum for Belonging and Inclusion

    Designing a Curriculum for Belonging and Inclusion
    Apr 26 2026

    There has been increasing reflection on what belonging really looks like in education, not just as a concept, but as something intentionally designed into the everyday experience of schools.

    In this episode of The Kitchen Table, Aidan Severs, an education consultant and former deputy head with over 20 years in teaching and leadership, shares what it truly takes to build a curriculum for belonging and inclusion that goes beyond good intentions. Drawing on his experience from the classroom through to whole-school leadership in Bradford, and now his work supporting schools across the UK, Aidan offers a practical, deeply grounded perspective on how real change actually happens.

    What You’ll Discover

    - Belonging Beyond Buzzwords: Why inclusion isn’t about policies or posters, but about how people actually experience a school every single day.

    - Designing Culture Through Curriculum: How intentional curriculum thinking can shape identity, empathy, and connection across a whole school.

    - Sustainable Change That Sticks: How leaders can support staff development and build improvements that genuinely last.

    One of the key takeaways from this conversation is how deliberate this work needs to be. Aidan’s experience across teaching, leadership, and consultancy is evident in his perspective on change - not quick fixes, but thoughtful, sustained work that supports both staff and pupils. That’s what makes this conversation so powerful.

    For school leaders, teachers, or anyone shaping learning environments, this is a conversation that is likely to stay with listeners. If it resonates, consider sharing it with someone working to build a more inclusive and thoughtful school culture.

    Connect with Aidan Severs

    Website | LinkedIn

    Connect with Phil Banks

    thebelongingcollective.blog

    Connect with Mohamed Abdallah

    Drawbridge Collective | Mohamed Abdallah | Substack

    Connect with Danielle Lewis-Egonu

    Danielle Lewis-Egonu | Substack

    The Kitchen Table are grateful to our sponsors Magma Maths, Zen Educate, St Christophers Trust, Cygnus Academies Trust, The Reach Foundation and it is produced by Urban Podcasts.
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Dr Ilene Winokur: Why Belonging Is Not a Buzzword

    Dr Ilene Winokur: Why Belonging Is Not a Buzzword
    Apr 12 2026

    When we talk about belonging in education, are we truly living it or just writing it into policy documents? In this episode of The Kitchen Table, we sit down with Dr Ilene Winokur to explore what belonging actually looks like in practice, from classrooms in Kuwait to refugee communities in Kenya.

    Ilene has lived in Kuwait since 1984 and has spent more than 35 years working at the intersection of education, storytelling and belonging. A professional learning consultant, author and global mentor, she supports teachers around the world, including refugee educators, and has published two books centred on belonging. Her work is rooted in one core belief: connection changes communities.

    In our conversation, she shares her personal journey of moving to Kuwait at 29, learning Arabic to connect with her mother-in-law, and later navigating the loss of her citizenship while still holding onto her sense of home.

    What We Explore

    - Personal vs Professional Belonging: Why the relationships we build at home and at work shape us differently, and why both are essential in schools.

    - Creating Space That Feels Safe: From greeting students at the door to co-constructing classroom norms, the practical ways teachers can nurture trust and voice.

    - Belonging Beyond the Mission Statement: How leaders can align culture, policy and everyday behaviour so inclusion is lived rather than laminated.

    Ilene reflects on walking school corridors as a principal and noticing how her own emotional state influenced the building. It is a powerful reminder that belonging is embodied. It is relational. It is felt.

    If you are building community in a classroom, a school or beyond, this conversation will both challenge and steady you.

    Connect with Phil Banks

    thebelongingcollective.blog

    Connect with Mohamed Abdallah

    Drawbridge Collective | Mohamed Abdallah | Substack

    Connect with Danielle Lewis-Egonu

    Danielle Lewis-Egonu | Substack

    The Kitchen Table are grateful to our sponsors Magma Maths, Zen Educate, St Christophers Trust, Cygnus Academies Trust, The Reach Foundation and it is produced by Urban Podcasts.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
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