What if school had taught us that life, learning and careers don’t have to follow a straight line?

In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane chats with Arthur Moore — award-winning professional maths tutor, qualified secondary school teacher and founder of an online tutoring business.

Arthur shares his journey from school, to Microsoft, to Teach First, to teaching in the UK and Thailand, and eventually into tutoring. Together, Jane and Arthur explore what education really means, why so many young people feel pressure to have everything figured out, and why confidence is built through both support and challenge.

They also talk about maths anxiety, why “I’m bad at maths” can become a damaging story, and how adding the word “yet” can change everything.

This conversation is full of wisdom for parents, teachers, tutors, young people and anyone who has ever wondered whether it’s too late to change direction.

In this episode, we talk about:

● Why careers and life paths are rarely linear

● The pressure young people feel to make big decisions early

● Why schools are brilliant and challenging places

● The importance of supporting and challenging young people

● What maths anxiety really is

● Why confidence is about making decisions for yourself

● How teachers can make learning “stick”

● Why progress matters more than perfection

● Arthur’s advice for teachers thinking about life beyond the classroom

● The power of asking for help and finding mentors

● Arthur’s own podcast with his children about Formula One

Favourite Moments

“Learning is hard — and if you’re finding something challenging, you’re probably in the right place.”

“Confidence is making a decision because you believe it is the right decision, not because you need someone else to approve it.”

“It’s not that you can’t do maths. It might just be that you can’t do it yet.”

Guest Links

Find Arthur Moore on LinkedIn by searching Arthur Moore Tutor.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-moore/

Arthur’s Formula One podcast with his children is called A Little Moore Formula One Chat.

Support The School Run Podcast

If you’ve loved this episode and would like to support the podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here:www.buymeacoffee.com/theschoolrun

It helps us keep bringing these uplifting, honest and inspiring conversations to life.

Connect With Us

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @theschoolrun_officialFollow Jane: @mrsjanejamesEmail Jane: jane@littlevoices.org.uk

About Little Voices

This podcast is brought to you by Little Voices, where we nurture confidence and big futures through drama and singing.

Find out more about our classes, school partnerships and franchise opportunities at:www.littlevoices.org.uk

Disclaimer

The conversations shared on The School Run Podcast are based on personal stories, experiences and opinions. They are intended to inspire, encourage and open up meaningful conversations, but they should not replace professional advice where needed.

Editing Credit

This episode was edited and produced by Mike Roberts from Making Digital Real. We are so lucky and privileged to work with Mike and highly recommend him.

From Shy Girl to Leadership Coach: Gina Cole on Confidence, NLP & Finding Your Voice

What does confidence really mean?

And what do you wish school had taught you about emotions, self-belief, vulnerability and finding your own voice?

In this inspiring episode of The School Run Podcast: Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by Gina Cole, strategic organisational development consultant, founder of Goal Centred Development and NLP trainer.

Gina has over 20 years of experience in learning, development, leadership and organisational culture. But her own journey began with a shy little girl who found her voice through singing, theatre and performance.

From classical singing lessons at the age of eight, to playing Maria in West Side Story, to later helping women, leaders and organisations understand themselves more deeply, Gina’s story beautifully connects the dots between the arts, confidence, personal growth and leadership.

This episode also dives into Gina’s journey through sociology, psychology, childcare, Sure Start, children’s centres, organisational development and neuro-linguistic programming, also known as NLP.

It is a powerful conversation about learning, self-awareness, vulnerability, women’s leadership, emotional wellbeing and why our own story is always worth sharing.

About Gina Cole

Gina Cole is a strategic organisational development consultant with over 20 years of experience in learning, development, leadership and organisational culture.

She is the founder of Goal Centred Development and works with individuals, women, leaders, coaches, teams and organisations to support growth, confidence, connection and compassionate leadership.

Gina’s work includes coaching, coach training, coach supervision, NLP, mental fitness, leadership development and organisational culture work.

Podcasts for us are all about learning and sharing, of course free to listen to.

We have some small costs to cover so if you would like to buy us a coffee…..

⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theschoolrun⁠⁠

Get In Touch: Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials @‌theschoolrun_official / @‌mrsjanejames on Instagram, or search and follow Jane James on Facebook. We’d love to hear your story - please get in touch with us directly at

liv@schoolrunpodcast.com

⸻

Links: For information of Jane’s company Little Voices head to

⁠⁠http://www.littlevoices.org.uk⁠⁠

⸻

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this podcast are of the participants themselves. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We are just a mum and daughter, sharing their thoughts and chatting with guests that we really respect and sharing our personal stories and insights. Please seek professional advice if you need it.

This episode is edited by Mike Roberts of [⁠Making Digital Real⁠](https://vault.makingdigitalreal.co.uk/

From Schoolgirl to Police Superintendent: Andrea Quinton on Leadership, Confidence & Unexpected Career Paths

What did you think you’d be when you left school?

And what happens when life takes you somewhere completely different?

In this inspiring episode of The School Run Podcast: Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by Andrea Quinton, former Police Superintendent, leadership coach and founder of Together She Thrives.

Andrea spent 34 years serving in policing, leading teams through critical incidents, organisational change, major investigations and some of the most challenging moments imaginable. Yet at 16, none of that was part of the plan.

She wanted to be a teacher.

Instead, a chance decision, a voluntary role in the Special Constabulary and a willingness to keep taking the next step led her on an extraordinary career journey that saw her rise through the ranks to become a senior leader in North West Armed Policing.

Together, Jane and Andrea explore confidence, career choices, leadership, motherhood, resilience and why so many young people feel pressure to have their entire future mapped out before they’ve even discovered who they are.

This is a powerful reminder that there is no single route to success—and sometimes the path you never planned becomes the one you’re meant to follow.

In this episode, we discuss:

⭐ Why Andrea originally planned to become a teacher

⭐ Leaving school and taking an unexpected career path

⭐ How volunteering as a Special Constable changed everything

⭐ Working in policing for 34 years

⭐ Rising from Police Constable to Superintendent

⭐ Leadership lessons from high-pressure environments

⭐ What young people really need to know about careers

⭐ Confidence, resilience and personal growth

⭐ Balancing motherhood and leadership

⭐ Why your first job doesn’t have to define your future

⭐ Learning through experience, mistakes and challenges

⭐ The importance of empathy in leadership

⭐ Why nobody truly has life figured out at 16

About Andrea Quinton

Andrea Quinton spent 34 years serving in policing, finishing her career as Superintendent in North West Armed Policing and Collaboration.

Throughout her career she led high-performing teams through critical incidents, operational policing, organisational change and personal challenges, developing a leadership style rooted in empathy, clarity and helping people thrive.

Today Andrea is the founder of Together She Thrives, supporting individuals and organisations to build confidence, develop leadership skills and achieve their potential.

Podcasts for us are all about learning and sharing, of course free to listen to.

We have some small costs to cover so if you would like to buy us a virtual cup of tea and Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frappe with soya milk, coffee and cream (Liv’s favourite) when we are planning them out please click here …..

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theschoolrun

Get In Touch: Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials @theschoolrun_official / @mrsjanejames on Instagram, or search and follow Jane James on Facebook. We’d love to hear your story - please get in touch with us directly at

liv@schoolrunpodcast.com

⸻

Links: For information on Jane’s company Little Voices head to

http://www.littlevoices.org.uk

⸻

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this podcast are of the participants themselves. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We are just a mum and daughter, sharing their thoughts and chatting with guests that we really respect and sharing our personal stories and insights. Please seek professional advice if you need it.

This episode is edited by Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real.