Hello! New year, new term and this week Ed and Geoff are going back to school. Too little has changed about our education system since the Victorian times, and for too many young people it can seem an outdated and rigid system - geared simply towards passing exams - which is letting them down. We speak to three experts who tell us that it doesn't have to be this way: Dr James Mannion, clinical psychologist Dr Naomi Fisher and to Andy Sprakes, the co-founder of Doncaster's most oversubscribed school, about how they're already doing things differently and why it's beneficial for everyone involved.

Plus: want a chance to live out your Geoffocracy dreams? We hear from Suzanne Heywood about a new prize looking for our listeners' policy ideas!

Guests

Dr James Mannion, Director of Rethinking Education, a teacher training organisation (Visit his website or follow him on Twitter @RethinkingJames)

Dr Naomi Fisher, Clinical Psychologist (Follow her on Twitter @naomicfisher or subscribe to her Substack)

Andy Sprakes, Chief Academic Officer and Co-founder, XP School in Doncaster (@SprakesA & @XPschool) 

Suzanne Heywood, Chair of the Heywood Foundation (@HeywoodFndation)

More info

Do schools kill creativity? TED Talk, Sir Ken Robinson

The crisis of the last six months has exposed five damaging myths in education Blog, Peter Hyman

Rethinking Education James Mannion's teacher training organisation

How to Change the World James Mannion's TEDxtalk on 'vertical slice politics'

Above all compassion, the story of XP School Film

Learn more about the Heywood Prize and enter here.

Contact Reasons to be Cheerful via our website, follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Let us know your episode ideas, your comments and feedback! 

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