This school year, The British School of Barcelona has released its first-ever podcast, Thinking Out Loud, created and produced by Pre-University students at BSB Nexus.

Developed during Psychology Hub sessions as part of the REACH Beyond Enrichment Programme, the project represents a new step in the school’s commitment to oracy, wellbeing, and student agency. Students select topics covering a wide range of areas within psychology, exploring both academic insights and real-world applications.

The idea for the podcast emerged from a growing need to support students who find public speaking challenging. Psychology teacher Andrés Dussan designed the initiative as a collaborative, creative, and supportive environment where students can strengthen their confidence and communication skills.

‘The podcast helps them develop confidence in public speaking, strengthens the school’s focus on oracy, and gives students transferable skills that extend beyond BSB. But for me, the most important aspect is supporting their wellbeing, helping them manage anxieties or stress around public speaking in a safe and empowering way,’ he explains.

The first episodes are now available to listen to on the school’s YouTube playlist here.

Behind the Project
The group consists of nineteen Year 12 students from both IB and A Level pathways, several of whom are interested in future careers in media, journalism, communications, or creative industries. The podcast provides early hands-on experience in research, interviewing, and audio production.

Students took the lead from day one, developing the podcast name, logo, themes, and production roles. Some programmes also feature special guest speakers from both inside and outside BSB. The project has a lot of potential: looking ahead, they aim to extend the initiative to younger year groups, with each cohort mentoring the next students who have created episodes this year, building a sustainable tradition and sparking ongoing enthusiasm for the subject.

The Voice of the Students
Students involved in Thinking Out Loud describe the experience as both inspiring and transformative. Many joined the project ‘to learn more about psychology outside the lessons,’ and although the nerves of filming the first episodes are still fading, the experience has already strengthened their confidence and helped them recognise ‘how important psychology is in our day-to-day lives.’

Students particularly enjoy the creative process—from developing episode ideas to discovering just how much structure and creative writing a podcast requires. As one participant put it, a podcast works best when ‘you put your own personality to make it more natural and engaging.’

Overall, students feel the project is helping them become ‘more confident in public speaking and less anxious when talking to people in English,’ while deepening their understanding of both psychology and communication.

Oracy and Enrichment in Action
The Psychology Hub is part of the REACH Beyond Enrichment Programme, an initiative for BSB Castelldefels Secondary and BSB Nexus students. The programme offers a wide range of clubs that encourage students to explore their interests, develop new skills, and lead innovative projects such as this podcast.

In the same way, the Thinking Out Loud initiative is a clear example of ‘BSB Speaks’ in action. ‘BSB Speaks’ is our school’s oracy programme, designed to strengthen verbal communication and public speaking. As part of our school development plan 2025-28, this programme provides all students with a range of opportunities to improve these skills.