PODCAST · education
Rethinking Education
by Dr James Mannion
"Civilisation is a race between education and catastrophe." (HG Wells)In this podcast, we take Wells at his word. Hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, Rethinking Education features long-form conversations with fascinating guests about how we might create a more diverse, intelligent, responsive educational ecosystem that works for *all* young people.If this sounds interesting to you, welcome to Rethinking Education: Education's Critical Friend: https://rethinking-ed.org/podcast
Episodes
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It’s time to end the academic obsession – a conversation with Sugata Mitra
What if our obsession with academic achievement is getting in the way of broader human development? James and David are joined by Sugata Mitra to question some deeply entrenched assumptions about what schools are for, what children really need to know, and what happens when technology changes the...
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10 EDUCATION BOMBSHELLS FOR 2026/7 | #REPOD SEASON 6 (!) TRAILER
James and David provide a quick preview of the year ahead. Like and subscribe here and on your fave pod player: https://pod.link/1546512828
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“We feel, therefore we learn!” Why education needs to get embodied - with Guy Claxton and Emily Poel
What if one of the biggest assumptions underpinning modern education is simply wrong? We tend to think of the mind as the place where the important stuff happens – thinking, reasoning, remembering and learning – while the body is something we carry around with us. But what if there is no…
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"We need revolution, not evolution!" - Education of the Head, Heart and Hand, with Sarah Seleznyov and Liz Robinson
Too many young people are getting a "desiccated" education – narrow, information-transfer schooling optimised for exams. In this episode, James and David are joined by Liz Robinson and Sarah Seleznyov of Big Education – the "feisty little multi-academy trust" behind School 21, School 360 and…
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The missing science of how we learn - and the “barefoot unschool” that’s already LIVING it
This might be the most important conversation we've had on this podcast. There's a science of how human beings actually learn – and much of what happens in schools runs against the grain of it. In this episode, James is joined by affective neuroscience specialist Mike Goves and returning guest…
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“Autonomy isn't ANARCHY!”: A conversation with Sophie Smith-Tong
Sophie Smith-Tong joins James and David to discuss her book Teacher Autonomy: Where Has It Gone and Why We Need It Back – and the conversation is as rich, funny, and urgent as the title suggests. Sophie is a teacher of 16 years and mental health and wellbeing lead, who came to the question of...
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"We NEED to talk about power dynamics in schools! " - with Dee Nic Sitric
Power is everywhere in schools – in classrooms, staffrooms, policies, and conversations. Yet it is rarely named, examined, or understood. In this episode, James Mannion and David Cameron are joined by Dee Nic Sitric to explore how power operates – often invisibly – and what becomes possible when...
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Learning to be, learning to live together: The missing pillars of education with Sue Roffey
In this episode, James and David are joined by Sue Roffey – educational psychologist, researcher, and leading voice on wellbeing, social justice, and relational approaches to education. Sue traces her journey from working with young people facing emotional and behavioural challenges, through...
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Education as expanding dialogue – Rethinking learning with Professor Rupert Wegerif
“It’s not about teacher-centred or student-centred. I would argue it’s dialogue-centred.” In this episode of the Rethinking Education podcast, Dr James Mannion and The Read David Cameron explore these questions with Professor Rupert Wegerif, author of Rethinking Educational Theory: Education as...
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Teaching that grips: Hywel Roberts on the Pedagogy of Botheredness
Why do so many lessons feel disconnected to students – even when the content is genuinely fascinating? In this episode, Dr James Mannion is joined by teacher and author Hywel Roberts to explore 'botheredness' – a way of teaching that draws students into learning through narrative, curiosity and...
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Seven minutes out of every thirty are lost to low-level disruption. But why?
In this episode, featuring a webinar we ran this week, Tara Elie and Dr James Mannion explore a question that many school leaders are quietly wrestling with: Why do so many behaviour initiatives fail to deliver sustained change? Across the system, the signals are hard to ignore – rising...
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Generation to generation: Holocaust education in a changing world
As the number of living Holocaust survivors declines, a profound question emerges: who carries these stories next – and how do we ensure they are heard, understood, and acted upon? In this episode, timed to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th, James and David are joined by Hannah Wilson,...
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Why ‘consistency’ isn’t enough: the implementation blind spot in school behaviour
In this second episode of a two-part mini-series, Tara Elie turns the tables and interviews Dr James Mannion about the thinking behind Making Change Stick – and why so many school behaviour initiatives fail, even when the policy itself is sound. Following on from the previous episode on the...
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Rebooting behaviour: the two missing pieces of the puzzle (with Tara Elie)
In this second episode of a two-part mini-series, Tara Elie turns the tables and interviews yours truly about the thinking behind Making Change Stick – and why so many school behaviour initiatives fail, even when the policy itself is sound. Following on from the previous episode on the psychology...
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Why ‘belonging’ isn’t enough: The missing piece in behaviour, attendance and staff burnout (w/ Tara Elie)
What if the real driver of behaviour, attendance, engagement – and staff retention – isn’t rules, rewards, or even belonging… but mattering? In this deep, reflective conversation, James is joined by Tara Elie – former teacher, behaviour specialist, and positive psychology practitioner – to…
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"It’s choppy out there – but hope is happening...": Strap in for the 2025 end of year review!
As 2025 draws to a close, James and David come together for a wide-ranging Christmas conversation that reflects on a turbulent year in education – and looks ahead to where hope, change, and renewal might yet be found. Kicking off with a powerful metaphor drawn from winter sea swimming, the...
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Inside the Curriculum & Assessment Review: What Changed, What Didn’t – And Why
What really happens inside a national curriculum review? In this episode, James and David go beyond headlines to explore the thinking, tensions and trade-offs behind England’s Curriculum and Assessment Review - with two people who helped shape it. They’re joined by Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal and...
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Dave Whitaker on relational practice, inclusive culture, and “battering them with kindness”
In this energising and wide-ranging conversation, Dave Whitaker joins James and David to explore behaviour, belonging, learner effectiveness, and the courageous cultural work needed to create schools in which every child can thrive. Dave Whitaker is the Chief Education Officer at the Wellspring...
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Boarding school trauma and "the myth of privilege” - a conversation with Chris Braitch
In this rich crossover conversation, Chris Braitch and Dr James Mannion interview one another about trauma, healing, and the deep structural shifts needed in education. Chris Braitch is a father of three whose mission is to move himself and others towards connection and compassion. He works as an...
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Nick Covington and Kate McAllister on Restoring Humanity to Education
Nick Covington and Kate McAllister on Restoring Humanity to Education What does it mean to restore humanity to education? In this rich and wide-ranging three-way conversation, James is joined by Kate McAllister – co-founder of The Human Hive and lead educator at The Hive in the Dominican Republic…
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"There is more to human development than learning about subjects" Repod Season 6 launch!
We’re back for Season 6! In this reflective episode, James and David catch up after the summer and explore the “big idea” that’s been emerging across recent blogs and conversations: there is more to human development than learning about subjects. They discuss the need for schools to make space…
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“We need a new language!" Jaz Ampaw-Farr on hope, trauma tourism and teachers as everyday heroes
In this episode, David and James sit down with Jaz Ampaw-Farr to talk about her powerful new book Because of You, This is Me: The stories we tell, the stories we change and the power of everyday heroes. We explore the big themes of the book, including: The lies we’ve agreed to and how to rewrite...
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What Are We Teaching? Powerful knowledge, capabilities, and teacher autonomy – with Richard Bustin
In this wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation, we're joined by teacher and researcher Richard Bustin, author of the fascinating new book What Are We Teaching? We delve deep into some of the biggest questions in curriculum and pedagogy today – from the concept of powerful knowledge to…
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Fixing the SEND Crisis – with Amjad Ali
In this powerful and practical conversation, Dr James Mannion and The Real David Cameron are joined by the inspirational Amjad Ali – teacher, leader, inclusion expert, founder of Try This Teaching and author of A Little Guide for Teachers: SEND in Schools – to explore what it would take to fix…
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Rocking the system: Live songwriting, earworms and education reform with Rocktopus
In this joyful and thought-provoking episode, we’re joined by Tom Veck and Andy Hawkings from Rocktopus – the world’s greatest rock band for kids (and educators, as it turns out). At the last Rethinking Education conference, Tom and Andy did something truly remarkable: in front of a live audience...
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"You can't afford not to!" Headteacher Kulvarn Atwal on the power of slice teams
In this short episode of the Rethinking Education podcast, James Mannion speaks with Dr Kulvarn Atwal – a highly respected headteacher leading not one, but two schools: Highlands Primary and Uphall Primary in East London. Kulvarn is the author of The Thinking School and The Thinking Teacher, and…
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The Schools Bill: Academies, Homeschooling & School Shaming (Warwick Mansell & Naomi Fisher)
In this powerful episode, we speak with two leading commentators on education and children’s rights – Warwick Mansell, independent investigative journalist and founder of Education Uncovered, and Dr Naomi Fisher, clinical psychologist and author of Changing Our Minds. We dig into the Children’s...
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John Tomsett & Mary Myatt on Alternative Provision and our splintering education system
In today’s episode, I bring you a fascinating conversation with John Tomsett and Mary Myatt – two people who’ve done so much to shape thinking about curriculum and leadership in schools over recent years. Mary Myatt is an education adviser, writer and speaker. She started out as an RE teacher and...
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Adolescence, masculinities and… Batman (with Lewis Wedlock)
Lewis Wedlock is an academic, mental health professional and masculinities educator from Bristol, England. He has spent the last five years working with thousands of young men across the UK in secondary and higher education, engaging them in topics such as feminism, allyship, accountability,...
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The 4 nations of the UK: What can we learn from one another?
In this special episode, Dr James Mannion and The Real David Cameron take a look at the education systems in the four nations of the United Kingdom and ask: what can we learn from one another? Graham Donaldson has been central to development in Scotland as chief inspector, advising government as...
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How to make classrooms feel warm and alive, with Hywel Roberts and Tim Taylor
This episode features an astonishing conversation by two remarkable educators, Hywel Roberts and Tim Taylor. Tim kindly stepped in as a guest host for this episode, to explore some of the big ideas that underpin Hywel’s excellent book, Botheredness: Stories, stance, pedagogy. LINKS Buy…
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Debra Kidd, Tina Farr and Clare Whyles on how to cultivate hope, joy and belonging
In this episode - our first rodeo as co-hosts - we are joined by Dr Debra Kidd, the author of A Curriculum of Hope, and by Tina Farr and Clare Whyles, the headteacher and deputy head of St. Ebbe’s Primary School in Oxford. Tina, Clare and the St Ebbe’s team have done some incredible work in…
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Introducing our new co-host, (The Real) David Cameron!
Welcome to this episode in which we get to know our new cohost, The Real David Cameron! David Cameron is an incredible educator, public speaker and human being whose work I have admired for many years now. He has been a teacher, a senior manager in schools and in local authorities, most recently…
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The Unfinished Business of Sir Tim Brighouse - with Mick Waters and David Cameron
In this episode I’m speaking with Mick Waters and David Cameron, two of the editors of a wonderful new book Unfinished Business: The life and legacy of Sir Tim Brighouse - a tribute and a call to action. It’s a long title and rightly so - there’s a lot to say about Tim and about the ideas he...
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“Talking Floats On A Sea Of Write”: Clare Sealy on Oracy and Literacy
Clare Sealy currently works as the Head of Education Improvement for the states of Guernsey. Prior to this, she was the Headteacher of St Matthias Primary School in Tower Hamlets for 22 years. In 2018, the Times Education Supplement named her as one of the 10 most influential people in the world…
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Sir Anthony Seldon on oracy, agency and meditation
In this episode, my guest is Sir Anthony Seldon – a figure who truly needs no introduction in education. However, for those less familiar with his remarkable contributions, here’s a bit of context. Anthony has held some of the most influential roles in education, most recently as headmaster of...
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How to change the admissions code, with Curtis James from Class Divide
Welcome to the Rethinking Education podcast! In this episode I spoke with Curtis James from Class Divide, campaign group which recently ran a successful campaign to change the school admissions code in Brighton and Hove. But if anyone is looking at their local schools and thinking ‘School X has…
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"Before 7? They have a childhood." Lessons from Estonia with Gunda Tire
Welcome to the first episode of Season 5 of the Rethinking Education podcast! As you may be aware, Estonia has consistently been the highest performing European country in the PISA assessments in recent years. This episode features my recent conversation with Gunda Tire, Head of International...
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Rupert Sheldrake on learning by doing, cancel culture and the moral vacuum at the heart of education
Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of more than 100 scientific papers and 9 books, and the co-author of a further 6 books. His books have been published in 28 languages. And on ResearchGate, the largest scientific and academic online network, his Research Interest Score places him in the...
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Meena Wood on curriculum reform, learning from other countries and flying the flag for FE
In the week that the general election was called, I bring you a timely conversation about some of the questions an incoming government needs to grapple with. Meena Kumari Wood is a former HMI and leader of FE colleges who now works across the British and International Education sectors. She held...
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René Kneyber and Valentina Devid on the Power of Formative Action [#REPOD S4E13]
René Kneyber and Valentina Devid are two of the founders of Toetsrevolutie (Test Revolution), a teacher training cooperative based in the Netherlands which specialises in formative assessment, summative assessment and curriculum design. René and Valentina are also two of the four authors of an...
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Ife Obasa on representation, work experience… and God!
Ife Obasa is an educational consultant, activist and sought-after speaker who advocates for greater representation in education - among many other strings to her bow. Ife spoke at the 2023 Rethinking Education conference about why we need representation in education more than ever - a topic that…
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Peter Higgin on the power of learning through immersive play
Peter Higgin is the Artistic Director and joint CEO of Punchdrunk Enrichment, a charity that creates transformational theatre for education, community and family audiences. Punchdrunk Enrichment is an independent charity which was founded in 2008 to take the pioneering practice of immersive…
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"Civilisation rests on our shoulders!": Peps Mccrea on motivated teaching
Peps Mccrea is an award-winning teacher educator, designer and author. He is Director of Education at Steplab and author of the ultraconcise High Impact Teaching series, one of which - Motivated Teaching - is the main topic of this episode. On the side, he writes Evidence Snacks, a brilliant...
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"It's an absolute shocker": Fiona Millar on the marketisation of education
This episode features a fascinating conversation with Fiona Millar, a journalist and campaigner on education and parenting issues whose work I have admired for many years. Following a career in journalism, Fiona worked in the office of the Leader of the Opposition from 1995 to 1997, and as an...
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S4E8: “We’ve lost the plot”: Ben Davis on creating schools that children want to go to
In the last episode, almost 300 people tuned in to our first ever live podcast, when I was joined by Naomi Fisher, Ellie Costello and Ben Davis to talk about the attendance crisis. In case any of you listened to that and were wondering ‘Hey, who is this Ben Davis guy? Why don’t you do a full...
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S4E7: Fixing the Attendance Crisis with Naomi Fisher, Ellie Costello and Ben Davis
Since the COVID pandemic, persistent absenteeism in England has more than doubled, from 10% to 22%. According to recent reearch by the Centre for Social Justice, more than one in four parents agreed it is not essential for children to be in school every day. Both the major political parties have...
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S4E6: Eliza Fricker on parenting a child who can't - not won't - go to school
Eliza Fricker is a talented writer and illustrator who has written three books: 'The Family Experience of PDA: An Illustrated Guide to Pathological Demand Avoidance' 'Can't Not Won't: A Story About A Child Who Couldn't Go To School' And most recently 'Thumbsucker: An illustrated journey through…
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S4E5: Putting 'Beyond Ofsted' to the test with Lord Jim Knight
Lord Jim Knight of Weymouth is a life peer and former Labour politician with a strong interest in education. He is also the chair of the Beyond Ofsted inquiry which recently published a fascinating report setting out an alternative vision for a schools accountability system. In this conversation…
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S4E4: Calvin Henry on Ofsted - “It was brutal. Really brutal and unnecessary.”
SHOW NOTES Until recently, Calvin Henry was the headteacher of St. Mark’s C of E Primary School in North London. Last year, Calvin went through an experience that he describes as being “uncannily similar” to that of Ruth Perry, the headteacher of Caversham Primary School in Reading who tragically...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
"Civilisation is a race between education and catastrophe." (HG Wells)In this podcast, we take Wells at his word. Hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, Rethinking Education features long-form conversations with fascinating guests about how we might create a more diverse, intelligent, responsive educational ecosystem that works for *all* young people.If this sounds interesting to you, welcome to Rethinking Education: Education's Critical Friend: https://rethinking-ed.org/podcast
HOSTED BY
Dr James Mannion
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How many episodes does Rethinking Education have?
Rethinking Education currently has 121 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Rethinking Education about?
"Civilisation is a race between education and catastrophe." (HG Wells)In this podcast, we take Wells at his word. Hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, Rethinking Education features long-form conversations with fascinating guests about how we might create a more diverse, intelligent,...
How often does Rethinking Education release new episodes?
Rethinking Education publishes regularly with 121 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to Rethinking Education on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Rethinking Education?
Rethinking Education is created and hosted by Dr James Mannion.
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