Two Mr Ps in a Pod(Cast)

Back for episode 248 and it kicks off with the realities of the summer term: SATs, GCSEs, mocks, revision timetables and that slightly terrifying moment when you realise your children are suddenly much older than your brain has agreed to process. The opening chat turns into a proper reflection on parenting, growing up and those little moments that make you realise time is absolutely flying. There’s also a brilliant thread on clever parenting “hacks”, although most of them are less hack and more just genuinely thoughtful parenting. From encouraging reading and building life skills to quietly teaching responsibility, it’s a lovely reminder that the best parenting tricks are often the ones children don’t realise are tricks at the time. Then it’s time for this week’s blind ranking: fictional teachers. Mr P has to rank which famous screen teachers he’d most want as his parallel teacher, and it brings up everything from inspirational teaching to questionable behaviour management. Some choices are obvious, others are… brave. Let’s just say Miss Honey might not survive a modern Year 6 classroom without serious backup. With SATs week in full swing, the episode then dives into funny test answers and classroom misunderstandings. It’s full of those moments where children technically answer the question… just not in the way anyone expected. There’s maths logic, spelling confusion, history mix-ups and the kind of literal thinking that makes teachers both laugh and question every instruction they’ve ever given. There’s also a run of brilliant misunderstandings from pupils, from mixed-up vocabulary to accidental wordplay and those classic moments where children hear something completely different to what was actually said. As always, the innocence makes it ten times funnier. And finally, the episode ends with a properly awkward school story involving a very serious misunderstanding over an item brought into class. Panic, embarrassment, safeguarding concern, parental conversation… and then the reveal that it was not what anyone thought. Classic school life. Absolute chaos from start to finish. 📬 Want your story featured on the pod? Submit it here: 👉 forms.gle/sWCUVURZjtn6GeN16 Here’s where you can catch the show 👇 ​🎭 May 2026 22nd May - Salford, Lowry 🎨 🎭 October 2026 25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰 26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤 27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳 28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊 29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺 30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓ 31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶 🎭 February 2027 14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡 15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️ 16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎 17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂 18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹 19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺 20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐 27th February - Dublin, Ambassador Theatre 🇮🇪 🎟️ Tickets available at 2mrpspodcast.com/live Get it booked, round up your people and give yourself something to properly look forward to 👏🎤 Get instant access to hundreds of lessons at ⁠talk.economistfoundation.org⁠ -- Just search Topical Talk to sign up. Head to ⁠neu.org.uk/abolish-ofsted⁠ to find the Ofsted risk assessment guide from the NEU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back for episode 247 and it starts exactly how you’d expect… with absolute nonsense. A new lookalike shout lands for Adam and it might be one of the worst yet. Not even close to flattering, not even accurate… just unnecessarily savage. From there, it spirals into that familiar territory of people wildly overestimating themselves, which sets up the first thread perfectly. We get into “Jay from The Inbetweeners”-level brags, and honestly… the confidence people have is unbelievable. After that, it’s back to classroom life with a blind ranking of maths topics. Then come the teacher burns, and as always, they don’t disappoint. No filter, no intent… just brutal honesty from children. It’s savage, but in that way only primary kids can get away with. And then… the stories. We’re talking full-on classroom chaos and awkward moments that no training prepares you for. ​📬 Want your story featured on the pod? Submit it here: 👉 forms.gle/sWCUVURZjtn6GeN16 Here’s where you can catch the show 👇 🎭 May 2026 22nd May - Salford, Lowry 🎨 🎭 October 2026 25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰 26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤 27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳 28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊 29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺 30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓ 31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶 🎭 February 2027 14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡 15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️ 16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎 17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂 18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹 19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺 20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐 🎟️ Tickets at 2mrpspodcast.com/live See you on the road again soon 👏🎤 Get instant access to hundreds of lessons at talk.economistfoundation.org -- Just search Topical Talk to sign up. Head to neu.org.uk/abolish-ofsted to find the Ofsted risk assessment guide from the NEU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back for episode 246 and it starts with a bit of chaos… a virtual recording and a guessing game as Mr P challenges Adam to work out where he is in the UK using only yes or no questions. There’s also a quick tour plug (that definitely wasn’t meant to be a plug…) with updates on upcoming live shows, including the huge Lowry date and the next run across the UK. From there, it’s straight into a blind ranking of school holidays and it gets surprisingly deep. October half term gets the respect it deserves for saving everyone from that brutal first stretch, Christmas gets called out for not actually being a “break”, and February half term takes a bit of a battering. Naturally, the summer holidays come out on top, followed by a proper rant about why they absolutely should not be shortened — and how the real issue isn’t schools, it’s the wider pressures on families. There’s also a nostalgic detour into what summer used to look like… playing out all day, making games up on the spot, and surviving things like “10 and you’re dead” without any adult supervision. A reminder that boredom wasn’t a problem, it was the starting point for everything. Then it takes a turn. A thread on the most cringe things people have seen at weddings delivers exactly what you’d expect… and worse. We’re talking public oversharing at the altar, couples counting cash gifts in front of guests, Disney mascot outfits, painfully awkward first dances, and some truly baffling “creative” choices that should never have left the planning stage. And then… the main event. Mr P brings in a listener challenge: ranking the most awkward places teachers have bumped into parents. What follows is absolute carnage. It’s one of those episodes where you laugh, wince, and feel slightly better about your own worst moments… because it could always be worse. Much worse. 📬 Want your story featured on the pod? Submit it here: 👉 forms.gle/sWCUVURZjtn6GeN16 Here’s where you can catch the show 👇 🎭 May 2026 22nd May - Salford, Lowry 🎨 🎭 October 2026 25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰 26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤 27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳 28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊 29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺 30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓ 31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶 🎭 February 2027 14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡 15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️ 16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎 17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂 18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹 19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺 20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐 🎟️ Tickets at 2mrpspodcast.com/live See you on the road again soon 👏🎤 Get instant access to hundreds of lessons at talk.economistfoundation.org — justSearch Topical Talk to sign up. Head to neu.org.uk/abolish-ofsted to find the Ofsted risk assessment guide from the NEU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back for episode 245 and straight into the summer term chat, the lads kick things off reflecting on the Easter break… or what we all pretend is a break. Adam shares the reality of a family holiday abroad. Meanwhile, Mr P embraces the complete opposite approach and does absolutely nothing, other than going all-in on a serious binge of Game of Thrones with the boys, reliving iconic moments and questioning just how much unnecessary nudity was really needed. There’s also a relatable rant about bank holidays landing in the middle of school breaks (the ultimate teacher scam), the chaos of holiday resort shops, and one very creative bit of parenting on how to explain a questionable t-shirt slogan to a curious child without opening a can of worms you’re not ready for. From there, it’s straight into a brilliant thread of “oops” moments, and honestly, it’s the kind of content that makes you feel instantly better about your own worst day. The episode then shifts into classic school chaos with a run of things children have said that are equal parts ridiculous and genius. From accidental one-liners to completely unfiltered honesty, it’s a reminder that kids will always find a way to humble you in seconds. There’s also a listener dilemma around a colleague not pulling their weight, leading to a really honest conversation about boundaries, workload, and the reality of working in teams. No sugar-coating, just practical advice about having those slightly awkward but necessary conversations and protecting your own time without taking on everyone else’s. The final section is a full-on deep dive into the most shocking things people have witnessed in schools, and it is absolute carnage. We’re talking animals appearing in classrooms, completely inappropriate show and tell items, chaotic behaviour that you couldn’t make up, and moments that range from hilarious to genuinely unbelievable. The infamous “Viagra incident” alone is worth the listen. It’s one of those episodes that perfectly sums up school life. Exhausting, unpredictable, occasionally ridiculous… but always full of stories you’ll be telling for years. ​📬 Want your story featured on the pod? Submit it here: 👉 forms.gle/sWCUVURZjtn6GeN16 Here’s where you can catch the show 👇 🎭 May 2026 22nd May - Salford, Lowry 🎨 🎭 October 2026 25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰 26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤 27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳 28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊 29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺 30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓ 31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶 🎭 February 2027 14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡 15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️ 16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎 17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂 18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹 19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺 20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐 🎟️ Tickets at 2mrpspodcast.com/live See you on the road again soon 👏🎤 Head to neu.org.uk/abolish-ofsted to find the Ofsted risk assessment guide from the NEU. Get instant access to hundreds of lessons at talk.economistfoundation.org — just search Topical Talk to sign up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Lee sat down with the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, to discuss the government's Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper and the SEND consultation. I thought we would have had a lot more time than we actually had, which meant a few questions I had prepared from the 1,000+ questions submitted weren’t asked. And probably not being able to go back on every answer in the way I'd have liked, but I decided to focus on giving the Ed Sec a chance to bring clarity to some of what had been proposed. There were things left on the table and some answers that deserved more pushback than time allowed. That's worth being upfront about. The conversation covered SEND funding and what the £4 billion investment will actually look like in a mainstream classroom, the new Individual Support Plans, what happens to EHCPs, inclusion bases, the role of SENCOs, support staff pay and recognition, workload concerns including the future of the 1,265 directed hours, early intervention through the Best Start Family Hubs, curriculum changes, and Ofsted's new inspection framework, including whether the data suggests disadvantaged schools are being disproportionately affected. Some of those questions got fuller answers than others. Some of the answers raised further questions we didn't get time to follow up on. That's the reality of a time-limited sit-down with a Secretary of State. The SEND consultation is open now and closes 18 May 2026. Whether you're a teacher, support staff, parent or professional, they're asking for responses - https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/  Head to neu.org.uk/abolish-ofsted to find the Ofterd risk assessment guide from the NEU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices