The Kitchen Table

This is exactly why we created The Kitchen Table. In this episode, we sit down with Dr Lisa Cherry to explore what it really means to care for the people who care, in schools and services that are holding more than ever before. From trauma-informed practice to leadership vulnerability, from exclusion to belonging, this conversation is honest, searching and deeply human.Lisa shares how her own cancer diagnosis reshaped her thinking about organisational care, why self-care on its own is never enough, and what leaders must model if psychological safety is going to be more than a poster on the wall.Dr Lisa Cherry is an author, researcher and international trainer who has spent over 35 years working across Education and Children’s Services. She supports schools, services and wider systems to rethink how they respond to the legacy of trauma, combining academic research with professional expertise and lived experience. Her work has reached more than 35,000 people globally across education, health, adult services and criminal justice. Her MA research explored the long-term impact of school exclusion on care experienced adults, and in 2024 she completed her DPhil at the University of Oxford examining how care experienced adults who were also excluded from school make sense of belonging. She is the author of Conversations that Make a Difference for Children and Young People, The Brightness of Stars, Weaving a Web of Belonging and Caring for the People Who Care.What We Explore- Caring Beyond Tokenism: Why wellbeing hours and helplines mean little without cultures that genuinely protect and value staff.- Belonging as a Turning Point: How exclusion, care experience and education shaped Lisa’s journey and why one teacher can change a life trajectory.- Vulnerability as Leadership Strength: Why modelling help-seeking and repair after rupture is the foundation of psychologically safe organisations.We reflect on moral injury in schools, rising exclusions, the weight carried by safeguarding leads and pastoral teams, and the danger of placing all the responsibility on individual resilience. Lisa reminds us that trauma does not sit only with children. Adults in our systems carry their own histories too, and ignoring that reality comes at a cost.There is something powerful in her phrase that educators are “there in waiting”. That the conversation you have today may not show its impact for years, but it still matters. That belonging is not soft or sentimental, it is structural. And that if we want people to stay in caring professions, flexibility, supervision and relational cultures are not optional extras.If you lead in education, health or any caring profession, this episode invites you to look again at how you hold your people.Connect with Phil Banksthebelongingcollective.blogConnect with Mohamed AbdallahDrawbridge Collective | Mohamed Abdallah | SubstackConnect with Danielle Lewis-EgonuDanielle Lewis-Egonu | SubstackThe 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.

We love starting conversations that blend personal stories with big ideas in education, and Henrik's journey is a perfect example.In this episode of The Kitchen Table, we sit down with Henrik Appert - founder and CEO of Magma Math, an internationally recognised and award-winning maths learning platform. We hear about his move to England at seven without speaking the language, finding belonging through football, his path from engineering to teaching, and how he built Magma Math to help teachers and students thrive in five countries.What We Explore- Henrik's Personal Journey: From arriving in England as a child to discovering purpose in teaching and founding a global edtech company.- Building Magma Maths: How an AI platform puts teachers first, fosters ownership, and scales ambition to reach students worldwide.- Culture and Belonging: Why high ambitions, trust, and a teacher-centric approach create teams that deliver real impact in education.This conversation reminded us why personal stories like Henrik's fuel innovation - if you're passionate about education, tech, or belonging, it'll spark something in you.Connect with Phil Banksthebelongingcollective.blogConnect with Mohamed AbdallahDrawbridge Collective | Mohamed Abdallah | SubstackConnect with Danielle Lewis-EgonuDanielle Lewis-Egonu | SubstackThe 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.

Pull up a chair - this is where research meets relationships, and we explore what belonging, mattering, and pursuing social justice really look like in education.In this first episode of The Kitchen Table, we share our stories: from growing up, feeling forgotten and the power teachers have to change everything. We unpack why belonging isn't just a buzzword - it's the foundation for thriving communities and how our personal journeys fuel the work we do.What We Explore- Personal Paths to Belonging: We each share our own journeys from childhood roots and formative moments to the people and places that shaped our sense of belonging and why it drives our work today.- Identity and Place: How roots, people, and spaces shape who we are and why feeling "at home wherever you are" is the ultimate goal.- Building Communities: The role of relationships, vulnerability, and cultural agency in creating spaces where everyone feels they matter.This conversation reminded us why belonging drives everything we do - if you're in education or just care about people connecting, pull up a chair and join us at The Kitchen Table.Connect with Phil Banksthebelongingcollective.blogConnect with Mohamed AbdallahDrawbridge Collective | Mohamed Abdallah | SubstackConnect with Danielle Lewis-EgonuDanielle Lewis-Egonu | SubstackThe 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.

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’d have at arm’s reach, pull up a chair, and spend some time with us at The Kitchen Table.Connect with Phil Banksthebelongingcollective.blogConnect with Mohamed AbdallahDrawbridge Collective | Mohamed Abdallah | SubstackConnect with Danielle Lewis-EgonuDanielle Lewis-Egonu | SubstackThe 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.