In this episode I am joined by Ian Cunningham, the founder of the Self-Managed Learning College (SMLC) in Brighton; Dr Naomi Fisher, a clinical psychologist who sends her children to SMLC; and Ellie Costello, the Director of Square Peg, a social enterprise that supports young people and families with barriers to attendance. We are here to discuss the Schools Bill currently going through the English Parliament, which presents a significant challenge for people seeking to rethink education; indeed, if it goes through largely unamended, it looks like it will be a hugely retrograde step in many alarming ways, all of which we will get into in the podcast. And so, with apologies to international listeners, this episode is strongly Anglocentric. CORRECTION: Regarding Andy Bilson's research: 44% of all children will be referred to children's (social) services before their 16th birthday. RESEARCH LINKS: The Munro Review of Child Protection: Final Report A child-centred system: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/175391/Munro-Review.pdf Bilson et al - How child protection’s ‘investigative turn’ impacts on poor and deprived communities: http://bilson.org.uk/Family_Law_prepub.pdf MacDonald & MacDonald - Safeguarding: A Case for Intelligent Risk Management: https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/article-abstract/40/4/1174/1631451 Munro - Predictive analytics in child protection: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332528200_Predictive_analytics_in_child_protection Hardy (2017) - In Defence of Actuarialism: Interrogating the Logic of Risk in Social Work Practice: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02650533.2017.1394828 Contact your MP - or member of the House of Lords: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp Petition - We must stop the Schools Bill: Act now to protect vulnerable families from persecution: https://www.change.org/p/updated-attendance-guidance-encourages-prosecution-and-fines-of-families-facing-barriers-to-attendance-undiagnosed-children-with-send-are-particularly-at-risk-time-for-positive-action-for-send-in-education LET'S GET TOGETHER - THE RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE 2022: Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-get-together-the-rethinking-education-conference-2022-tickets-226415834857 Share our social media links: Youtube (trailer): https://youtu.be/JKz8ALX2QFM Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rethinking_Ed/status/1528046472444485638 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100004976851081/videos/706113054004294/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/james-mannion_too-often-the-education-debate-is-dominated-activity-6933887283146207232-53h0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cd1b__3svlV

In this episode, titans of education Mick Waters and Tim Brighouse talk about their sensational new book 'About our schools: Improving on previous best'. Here are some of the breathless reviews the book has received:: "You can hear the passion, the decency, the anger, the compassion, and the hope in this insider–outsider story about England’s education policy over the past 45 years... the most exciting and exacting book I have read in a long time." (Professor John Hattie) "It seems odd to refer to a book on education as a page-turner, but About Our Schools really is just that. Hardly surprising though, as it has been written by two of the greatest storytellers in the field, whose careers at the heart of the action mean that they know everyone and have a view on pretty much everything. They survey the past and critique current initiatives, always through the lens of the teacher and the child in the classroom. It’s full of anecdotes, balanced critiques and a surprisingly com- passionate appraisal of politicians. About Our Schools is a masterpiece, and I shall be returning to it again and again." (Mary Myatt) In this podcast, they elaborate on their interviews with Secretaries of State from the last 45 years, and outline a vision for how we can improve on previous best and transition to an age of hope, optimism and collaborative partnerships. LINKS: RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rethinking-education-conference-2022-tickets-226415834857 RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - SPEAKER APPLICATIONS: https://rethinking-ed.org/conference/ RETHINKING EDUCATION MIGHTY NETWORK: https://rethinking-education.mn.co/ BECOME A PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/repod BUY ME A COFFEE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at https://www.rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Jon Hutchinson is the Head of Training and Development at the Reach Foundation, an educational charity that focuses on expanding the role of schools into the wider community through a cradle to career model. Prior to this, Jon was an Assistant Headteacher at Reach Academy Felt-ham. He has taught across both KS1 and KS2, and also tutors on Ambition Institute’s Masters in Expert Teaching. Jon has taken part in expert panels for the Department for Education, Ofsted and the Standards and Testing Agency. For the last ten years or so, Jon has been deeply involved in developing a knowledge-based curriculum at key stage two. Harking back to my recent conversation with Professor Michael Young, Jon describes this project as designing and creating resources and approaches that give every child access to the powerful knowledge they need to flourish, whilst reducing teacher workload and improving subject knowledge across the curriculum. But we began our conversation talking about things we disagree on - and so if and if agreeable disagreement is your thing, you’ll find plenty to chew over here. LINKS: ARTICLE: What's your endgame? https://www.philanthropy.org.au/images/site/misc/Tools__Resources/Publications/2015/Winter_2015_Whats_Your_Endgame.pdf RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rethinking-education-conference-2022-tickets-226415834857 RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - SPEAKER APPLICATIONS: https://rethinking-ed.org/conference/ RETHINKING EDUCATION MIGHTY NETWORK: https://rethinking-education.mn.co/ BECOME A PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/repod BUY ME A COFFEE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at https://www.rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Today I am delighted to be able to share with you my recent conversation with Andy Sprakes, the co-founder of XP school in Doncaster. I also had the opportunity to speak with two students from the school, Declan and Guraaj, who were absolutely lovely and insightful as you will soon discover. There has been a lot of interest in XP school in recent months, partly following a very complementary profile of the school that was published in the Sunday Times magazine, entitled: ‘Is XP the school of the future?’ The article is below - paywalled unfortunately. In case you haven’t heard of XP school before, it’s a free school that was set up in 2014 by two teachers - Andy Sprakes and Gwyn Ap Harri - who were inspired following a visit to some innovative schools in the US - notably, High Tech High in San Diego, and Ron Berger’s Expeditionary Learning schools. They do things very differently at XP. The curriculum is organised into cross-curricular ‘expeditions’. Their pastoral system is second to none. And their results are astonishing. And they are rated by Ofsted as being outstanding in every category. LINKS: Article: Is XP the school of the future? (£) https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/no-uniforms-no-detentions-no-maths-lessons-is-xp-in-doncaster-the-school-of-the-future-jnc6n80kq Free e-book - How we XP: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yJy4-nn0cVaxFNaqBRMnoDemA3v3RvwH/view RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rethinking-education-conference-2022-tickets-226415834857 RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - SPEAKER APPLICATIONS: https://rethinking-ed.org/conference/ RETHINKING EDUCATION MIGHTY NETWORK: www.rethinking-education.mn.co/feed BECOME A PATRON: www.patreon.com/repod BUY ME A COFFEE: www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at www.rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Today I am speaking with John Higgs, the cultural historian and author of many excellent books, several of which we draw on in this conversation - especially: Watling Street: Travels Through Britain and Its Ever-Present Past Stranger Than We Can Imagine: Making Sense of the Twentieth Century The Future Starts Here: An Optimistic Guide to What Comes Next William Blake versus The World So this conversation draws together ideas from a number of John’s books, in an attempt to weave a positive narrative about the future and where we might be heading. We also spoke at length about private schools, and how - as John puts it - when you look at what goes on in the House of Commons, it’s hard not to conclude that there is something very wrong with private education. Ultimately, this conversation builds into an optimistic, hopeful and yet realistic vision of the future. LINKS: John Higgs website: https://johnhiggs.com/ Future Crunch: https://futurecrunch.com/ John discussing the Beatles singles on I am the Eggpod: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-beatles-singles-john-higgs/id1335120302?i=1000540565032 RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - TICKETS: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rethinki…s-226415834857 RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - SPEAKER APPLICATIONS: rethinking-ed.org/conference/ RETHINKING EDUCATION MIGHTY NETWORK: www.rethinking-education.mn.co/feed BECOME A PATRON: www.patreon.com/repod BUY ME A COFFEE: www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Today I am speaking with Jay McTighe about Leading Modern Learning: A blueprint for vision-driven schools, the 2015 book that Jay co-authored with Greg Curtis. Leading modern learning builds on Jay’s previous work on Understanding by Design, to guide the reader through the process of taking vision statements really seriously, and then backwards planning your school in such a way that you WILL produce the kinds of young people who will be able to thrive and flourish in this bewildering and rapidly changing world of ours. LINKS: BOOK: Leading Modern Learning - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leading-Modern-Learning-Blueprint-Vision-Driven-ebook/dp/B012ETMIUE RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - TICKETS: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rethinki…s-226415834857 RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - SPEAKER APPLICATIONS: rethinking-ed.org/conference/ RETHINKING EDUCATION MIGHTY NETWORK: www.rethinking-education.mn.co/feed BECOME A PATRON: www.patreon.com/repod BUY ME A COFFEE: www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Warwick Mansell is a long-time contributor to the Guardian and the Observer, and worked for many years at the TES - the Times Education Supplement. He writes blogs for Prospect union, and the National Education Union teacher magazine, among others. A few years ago, he was shortlisted for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Education Journalist of the Year. Warwick runs a subscription-based education news website, Education Uncovered, which has the strap-line "digging around in the undergrowth of schools reform in England". And what a murky, tangled subterranean web it is. Warwick aims to hold the microscope the endless waves of reform which have hit England’s schools in recent years, and to hold policymakers and those with power to account for goings-on at ground level. Warwick is especially keen to engage with one potential strand of reporting which is not covered in any systematic way by national education media: the way education reform impacts on parents, teachers and communities, and the campaigns which spring up against it. Warwick is also the author of a brilliant book about assessment in education, called ‘Education by Numbers: The Tyranny of Testing’. Although it was written in 2007. It remains highly relevant today - 15 years later. Here are some of the nice things people have said about the book: "Unputdownable. I think the book should be required reading for everybody running a school." -- Mike Kent, head of Comber Grove primary school "Warwick Mansell's meticulously researched analysis of the damage wrought by 'hyperaccountability' in the education system should be compulsory reading for all politicians. It shows how this government's obsession with tests, targets and league tables has perverted educational practice, dumbed down our public examinations, deskilled the teaching profession and damaged the education of a generation of children." -- Sue Palmer (author, Toxic Childhood) If you want to understand the impact that the recent tsunami of school reforms have had in a number of areas - from free schools to financial irregularities, from to transparency to accountability, and from deregulation to the role of evidence (or indeed the lack of it) in policymaking - then strap yourself in. LINKS: EDUCATION UNCOVERED: https://www.educationuncovered.co.uk/ GOV.UK ARTICLE - 10 facts you need to know about academies: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10-facts-you-need-to-know-about-academies RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - TICKETS: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rethinki…s-226415834857 RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - SPEAKER APPLICATIONS: rethinking-ed.org/conference/ THE RETHINKING EDUCATION MIGHTY NETWORK: www.rethinking-education.mn.co/feed MIGHTY NETWORK WELCOME VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=47xZ73YPTNs RETHINKING EDUCATION CAMPFIRE CONVERSATIONS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ6mCUmebHJNC-qrWX9gMBCQJtHxoGNh2 BECOME A PATRON: www.patreon.com/repod BUY ME A COFFEE: www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Geraldine Rowe is an educational psychologist and former teacher, and a specialist in Parent Partnership and Behaviour and Attendance. She has taught in Primary and Middle Schools and been a member of the Senior Leadership Team of an alternative provision secondary school. Her 30-year career has taken her into 100 schools, and Geraldine is a really good example of someone who is outside the teaching profession, but who has immense experience and insight to share. Geraldine recently published an absolutely fascinating book called It’s Out School, It’s Our Time: A Companion Guide to Whole-School Collaborative Decision-Making. The book is a highly readable account of Geraldine’s doctoral study, which features three case studies of teachers in mainstream schools who make decisions with their pupils, rather than for them. The importance of choice and agency and autonomy in human development has come up again and again in this podcast, and it is often a key feature of teaching and learning in alternative schools and in international schools. But this book looks at what collaborative decision-making (CDM) can look like within mainstream settings - and there is no shortage of ways in which we can include children in making the decisions that affect their lives. This is a conversation that goes right to the heart of the what I see as the main problem with the mainstream model of education - coercion isn’t good for kids, even if it gets results in the short term - and Geraldine offers lots of practical advice for teachers who want to move in a more collaborative, consent-based direction. LINKS BOOK: It’s Our School, It’s Our Time, by Geraldine Rowe: https://www.routledge.com/Its-Our-School-Its-Our-Time-A-Companion-Guide-to-Whole-School-Collaborative/Rowe/p/book/9780367859381 WEBSITE: Geraldine’s list of further reading for teachers: https://pupilparticipation.co.uk/teachers/ RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rethinking-education-conference-2022-tickets-226415834857 RETHINKING EDUCATION CONFERENCE - SPEAKER APPLICATIONS: https://rethinking-ed.org/conference/ THE RETHINKING EDUCATION MIGHTY NETWORK: www.rethinking-education.mn.co/feed MIGHTY NETWORK WELCOME VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=47xZ73YPTNs RETHINKING EDUCATION CAMPFIRE CONVERSATIONS: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ…WX9gMBCQJtHxoGNh2 BECOME A PATRON: www.patreon.com/repod BUY ME A COFFEE: www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Donald Clark is a man of many hats. He’s an EdTech entrepreneur who was formerly the CEO and one of the original founders of Epic Group, a pioneering company in online learning, and he is now the CEO of Wildfire Learning, an AI company. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Derby. And he is the author of at least two books - Artificial Intelligence for Learning, and Learning Experience Design. But today I am speaking with Donald about a different writing project. Over the last 20 years or so - and gathering pace in recent months - Donald has been collecting learning theorists. He has written an incredible series of blogs on 2500 years of learning theory - from the Greeks to the Geeks. When we recorded this conversation a few short weeks ago, there were 160 blogs in the series. At the time of publication, he is now up to 200. Helpfully, Donald has created an index, where you can see a list of all 200 learning theorists grouped under different headings - the behaviourists, the assessors, the vocationalists and so on. There’s a link to this index below - you may find it useful to refer to it now and then as you listen to our conversation. This was a conversation from which I learned a huge amount. It is also an episode that made me think harder than I’ve had to do in a long time. And it’s also one of the most political discussions I’ve had on the podcast to date. I’ll try not to make a habit of it. LINKS The index to Donald’s series of blogs on 2500 years of learning theorists: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html The Rethinking Education conference 2022 - tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rethinking-education-conference-2022-tickets-226415834857 The Rethinking Education conference 2022 - speaker application form: https://rethinking-ed.org/conference/ The Rethinking Education Mighty Network: www.rethinking-education.mn.co/feed Mighty Network Welcome Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=47xZ73YPTNs Rethinking Education Campfire Conversations playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ…WX9gMBCQJtHxoGNh2 Become a Patron of the Rethinking Education project: www.patreon.com/repod Buy James a pint, a coffee - or perhaps even a pint of coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or twitter.com/RethinkingJames.

Today I am speaking with behaviour specialist and volcano of positivity Adele Bates. As you will hear at the start of our conversation, I worked with Adele for a short period, and so I speak with experience when I say that the second you meet her, you immediately realise that you are dealing with an incredibly compassionate, thoughtful, unique human being. Adele has recently written a fascinating, down to earth, warts-and-all book called 'Miss I don’t give a Sh*t: Engaging with Challenging Behaviour in Schools.' Here are some of the lovely things people have said about the book: “Looking for a breath of fresh air when it comes to behaviour management? Look no further. With wit and wisdom, passion and compassion, Adele Bates not only puts the relationships between teacher and young person at the heart of the educational endeavour, but also gives that young person a voice.” (Ian Gilbert) “Adele Bates has written a highly readable book brimming with practical ideas, exuberant optimism and encouragement of experimentation. She urges practitioners to see beyond the so-called bad behaviour to the human being in context. This is a book that celebrates the importance of reflection, empathy and care, including the all vital task of self-care.” (Melissa Benn) ‘This book offers an in-depth, detailed and nuanced overview of the subject of behaviour, with a particular focus on building relationships, helping pupils to feel safe and on teacher self-care. It is a must read book for all teachers, and will be particularly helpful for those working in the most challenging contexts, staff in alternative provision and those working with children who have SEND and SEMH.’ (Sue Cowley) At just over an hour, this is a shorter episode than usual. But there is loads packed into this conversation and you will come away with practical ideas for how to work with young people who present with challenging behaviour in schools. As someone who has worked in schools in which dealing with behaviour was a daily challenge, I really wish Adele’s book had been around when I entered the profession. LINKS Adele’s website: https://adelebateseducation.co.uk/ Adele’s book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/miss-i-dont-give-a-sh-t/adele-bates/9781529731569 Mighty Network Welcome Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=47xZ73YPTNs Rethinking Education Campfire Conversations playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ6mCUmebHJNC-qrWX9gMBCQJtHxoGNh2 The Rethinking Education Mighty Network: https://rethinking-education.mn.co/feed Become a Patron of the Rethinking Education project: www.patreon.com/repod Buy James a pint, a coffee - or perhaps even a pint of coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/repod The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.