The Education Business Podcast is for educational consultants, small education-based business owners, Edtech providers and workshop leaders focused on providing education services to schools, as well as for teachers transitioning to freelancing with an entrepreneurial business idea. Growing and scaling a business that provides a service to schools and education requires a different skillset and inside knowledge to many other entrepreneurial ventures. In this podcast Claire Riley, CEO of Classroom Secrets and host of The Teachers' Podcast, shares what it takes to market and pitch your services to this sector. Find out exactly what headteachers and teachers are looking for...
Latest episodes
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8 min
Claire Riley: The Season 3 Reflection Episode
Episode OverviewSeason 3 of the Education Business Podcast closes with a reflective and practical solo episode from Claire Riley. After interviewing more than 50 education entrepre…
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32 min
Steve Whitley: Practical Lessons From 40 Years in Education
Episode OverviewThis episode explores what makes selling into education fundamentally different from other sectors. Steve Whitley shares four decades of experience across EdTech, i…
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28 min
Phil Robinson: From Military Leadership to Education Innovation
Episode Overview Phil Robinson shares the unconventional journey that led him from military service and central government IT programmes into education and eventually founding Tide…
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40 min
Sarah Marsh: The Accidental Founder: Building an Education Franchise
Episode Overview Sarah shares how she built a tutoring franchise from an “accidental” start into a long-term business. The conversation explores franchising from both sides, decisi…
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32 min
Katie Stone: From Teacher Burnout to Scalable Business
Episode Overview Katie Stone shares the transition from teaching to building a scalable virtual assistant business. The conversation focuses on the realities of leaving teaching, t…
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30 min
Simon Hunt: Why Credibility Matters More Than Followers
Episode Overview This episode explores how a classroom teacher built opportunities beyond school without leaving it. Simon shares how he moved from simply posting ideas online to w…
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29 min
Matthew Henshall: Scaling by Subtraction: Building a Net Positive Business
Episode overview:This episode explores what actually drives sustainable growth in an education business. Matthew breaks down why focus beats expansion, how luck shapes outcomes mor…
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29 min
Jen Elliott: An Operator’s Guide to Scaling and Exiting an Education Business
Episode Overview This episode explores what it really takes to build a scalable education business. Jen shares lessons from three decades in one organisation, including leadership,…
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21 min
Kate Bodrova: Building in a Crowded Market
Episode Overview Entrepreneurship often looks glamorous from the outside. Fundraising announcements. Revenue milestones. Big exits. But the reality is much simpler. In this episode…
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19 min
Parita Patel: Building an Education Business Around Life, Not the Other Way Around
Episode Overview Parita Patel spent nearly two decades in education before building a tutoring business almost by accident. What began as a stop-gap after leaving full-time teachin…
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29 min
Shane Leaning: Building an Ethical Education Business
Episode Overview In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley speaks with education consultant Shane Leaning about the journey from classroom teacher to running…
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27 min
Craig McKee: From the Head’s Office to SaaS Founder
Episode OverviewIn this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire speaks with former head teacher and chair of governors Craig McKee about his journey from school leadershi…
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26 min
Kate Wadsworth: Progress Isn’t Linear: Lessons from an Education Business Founder
Episode OverviewIn this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley speaks with education founder Kate Wadsworth about her journey from classroom teacher to launching W…
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32 min
Matthew Curnier: Scaling Beyond Yourself: A Multi-Company Founder
In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley sits down with Matthew Curnier — founder of Capital Tuition Group and Tutor Onboarder — to explore the winding road…
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38 min
Matt Wilkinson: Charging Your Worth: From FE Teacher to Tutoring Business Owner
Overview In this episode of The Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley is joined by Matt Wilkinson, founder of Restart Tuition. Matt shares his journey from FE lecturer to busine…
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40 min
John Nichols: The Uncomfortable Truths of Teaching, Tutoring, and Entrepreneurship
What really happens when a teacher leaves the classroom and builds an education business? In this episode, Claire Riley is joined by John Nichols, President of The Tutors’ Associat…
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22 min
Darren Norman: The Gradual Shift from Teacher to Business Owner
Podcast Overview What happens when a teacher starts questioning the relevance of what’s being taught — and decides to do something about it? In this episode of the Education Busine…
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36 min
Aidan Severs: From Classroom to Education Consultancy
Overview In this episode of The Education Business Podcast, host Claire Riley speaks with education consultant Aidan Severs about his journey from classroom teacher and school lead…
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29 min
Lisa Haycox: From Tutor to CEO
In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire is joined by Lisa Haycox, Chief Executive Officer of Explore Learning. Appointed CEO in April 2025, Lisa has grown with th…
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21 min
Ian Hunter: Breaking into International Education Markets
Episode Overview In this episode, Claire Riley is joined by Ian Hunter, founder of Lyme Education Consulting, to explore how education businesses can successfully expand into inter…