“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky is by no means a waste of time”. John Lubbock  “I love how summer wraps its arms around you like a warm blanket” … Continue reading “In praise of the place of lazy summers in education” →

 “Geography is destiny” Abraham Verghese, physician-author  “The need for political leadership in this area has never been more pressing. Social mobility is one of the biggest challenges facing our country today. It is not just the poorest in society who are losing out. Whole communities and parts of Britain are being left behind economically and … Continue reading We must harness the power of agency in education to improve social mobility →

Why we need to move past seeing technology as the “enemy of the age” and educate, beyond our schools, the crucial integrated facilitating role it already plays across global society in the C21st. “Can you imagine teaching, or indeed day-to-day life, without technology? Although many people view the future of our world as digital - … Continue reading Real Digital Learning is not Digital Distraction. →

“Class of 2018, it’s not the technology you build that will define you. It’s the teams you build and what people do with the technology you build” Sheryl Sandberg “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on the building the new” Socrates In my principal’s … Continue reading How do we decide in schools a strategy for a “preferred future” and avoid “cutting edge futurism”? →

I had the honour of meeting and shaking hands with the man who shook the hands of the Beatles, Sean Connery, Jane Fonda and many other famous icons over the post war decades, as he photographed them in their heyday promoting their art. World-renowned photographer and local Wye Valley Tintern resident, David Hurn, is self-taught … Continue reading Do schools kill creativity?“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” Picasso “Creativity takes courage” Matisse →

Gordonstoun school motto. “Education must enable young people to effect what they have recognised to be right, despite hardships, despite dangers, despite inner scepticism, despite boredom and despite mockery from the World” Kurt Hahn It is not very often I start a critical thinking lesson asking students for their thoughts about the ongoing events in … Continue reading In education we are always influencing the next generation of leaders “Plus est en vous” (More is in you/There is more in you than you think) →

Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much. Helen Keller Most great learning happens in groups. Collaboration is the stuff of growth. Sir Ken Robinson There are too many moments in this role when a “typical day” is impossible to describe. We returned from the Easter break this week and came … Continue reading Why schools share, partner and collaborate →

“Nine tenths of education is encouragement” Anatole France  “The freedom to make mistakes provides the best environment for creativity. Education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't” Anatole France  “When educators model extraordinary passion and … Continue reading What does an effective learning environment look like in a school? →

“What I enjoyed best at my Any Questions? evening was chatting to the Sixth Formers at Wyedean School. Thoughtful, open to ideas, undogmatic…just at present, I wish our country was in their hands”.  Journalist and broadcaster, Matthew Parris, writing in his Times column after his visit to Wyedean School on the 12th Jan 2018 for … Continue reading What will educational success look like going into the 2020s? →

“I’m advocating for a new vision for education and childhood. If we truly want to improve the educational experience of our children, our focus should not be hinged on competition with other nations; it must begin with conscious parenting and education practices that address the development of the whole child – their intellectual, emotional and … Continue reading An effective school’s ethos and values are in true alignment with its every day positive culture and practices. →