101. The Future of Cities E09: Kindergarten and school networks. w/Martin Harris

In this episode, André is talking with Martin Harris. Martin is the principal of The Lisboan School. It is an all-through school with places from the early years to year 13, of the British Curriculum. Martin has over 20 years of experience in being a Headmaster in schools across different latitudes. About 2 years ago Martin moved to Portugal to establish his school on his terms with a new educational model. Martin is also the Governor of St Mary's Calne charity organisation. Main topics covered: 🚀 What are the challenges of setting up an international school in Lisbon? ⚖️ What are the advantages of a non-traditional educational model? ⚡️ What are the advantages and disadvantages of relative freedom for pupils? Timestamps: Introduction of the guest [1:00] Did the school system recover after the pandemic [2:00] How did Martin develop an interest in education? [6:30] How did Martin become a Headmaster [10:00] Why did Martin decide to arrive in Portugal [12:20] How life in Portugal is different from the life in the UK [14:00] What Martin is doing in his free time [17:00] The founding of the Lisboan School [17:40] Choice of the location of the Lisboan School [20:00] What is making the Lisboan School different from the other [25:00] How high performers achieve by being educated properly [28:00] Freedom of choice in the British curriculum [31:00] Who were the educational experts Martin consulted with [33:30] Sustainability goal of the Lisboan School[35:30] Reward scheme for low-impact lifestyles [39:00] What has been the connection with the city council in school development [42:30] The pricing challenge of the school [44:00] Connection with already existing schools in Portugal [45:10] Kindergarten approach in the Lisboan School [46:20] What is the strategy for engaging kids in the after school activities [48:30] What does Martin enjoy the most about the school and being a Headmaster [52:00] What would Martin change in the educational moment if he had a superpower to immediately do that [53:00] The expansion plan of the Lisboan School [54:00] Who is the ideal Lisboan student in Martin's mind [56:20] Book recommendations [57:00] Teacher age problem in schools [58:00] Words of advice to younger self [1:00:00] Guest recommends: 📕 Ken Robinson PRODUCTION This podcast was hosted by André Marquet, with research by Evelina Bogdiun and sound editing by Miguel Sousa. 🎙 The Productized Cities Podcast is produced by Productized - a series of 12 interviews with product city innovators, successful makers, and entrepreneurs. We hope those who listen to the ideas on this show are inspired to productize their cities and communities. For show notes and additional resources related to the Productized Podcast visit https://medium.com/@Productized. 🎧 Follow us on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3u0UHEq 📩 Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter (We promise, NO SPAM!): https://bit.ly/3KQSRwT ⭐️ FREE Access to Productized Academy: https://bit.ly/3sG6Or6 #️⃣ Join our Productized Community on Slack: https://bit.ly/35P2EUM 🚀 Consider applying for DPM4 at UCP: https://bit.ly/3HJ0bc3