Learning Explorations

Adam Neale is a Learning Support and Inclusion Teacher at St Andrews International School Bangkok, where he supports the development of inclusive practice for neurodivergent learners across the school community. He is also a Nord Anglia Education Teaching Fellow for Neuro-inclusion, contributing to professional learning and dialogue around belonging, inclusive pedagogy, and neuro-affirming practice. Informed by both professional expertise and lived experience as a neurodivergent educator, Adam is passionate about helping schools create environments where every learner feels understood, supported, and able to participate meaningfully.  

Harry Cunningham is the Digital Innovation Manager at Nord Anglia Education, where he spearheads efforts to pilot new technologies that enhance teaching and learning. Previously, Harry worked in innovation roles at RM and Oxford University Press, partnering with schools and tech companies to create impactful digital learning solutions. Harry holds a degree in Philosophy, Politics & Economics from the University of Oxford and is passionate about leveraging technology in education where it adds real value, amplifying great teaching rather than replacing it.

Christopher O'Shaughnessy is a passionate and versatile speaker, comedian, and author who uses a unique blend of story-telling, humor, and provocative insight to engage a wide array of people on topics associated with globalization and cross-cultural understanding. Chris is enlisted by organizations large and small ranging from international schools and educational institutions to government agencies and businesses across the globe. He has worked in, lived in, or traveled to more than 100 countries and brings first-hand experience of an ever-globalizing world to his audiences.

In June 2025, a group of teachers from Nord Anglia schools around the world gathered at Boston College for our Action Research Conference. Four of our amazing keynote speakers from the event closed out the conference with a panel discussion, which is what we're sharing today. Our panellists were Dr Kate Erricker (Group Head of Education Research and Global Partnerships at NAE), Dr Damian Bebell (Assistant Research Professor from Boston College's Lynch School of Education), Dr Ruben Puentedura (creator of the SAMR model for selecting, using, and evaluating technology in education), and Dr Trish Martin (Regional Managing Director of MonstarLab America).   Enjoy!

In today's episode, I'm excited to share a conversation I had recently as a guest on International Teacher Staffroom, a podcast hosted by Aimee Skidmore and Jacob Rosch that connects international teachers and provides thoughtful support for those working in international schools. Aimee, Jacob and I explore issues around classroom management and offer support to find impactful solutions. It was a great conversation, and I'm excited to be sharing it with you. Listen to other episodes of International Teacher Staffroom here.

Dr Leslie Williams is the Group Head of Social Impact and Giving at Nord Anglia Education. Leslie is a passionate educator who tries to live by her values. She spent the first 20 years of her career in public and private schools as both an English literature teacher and a high school principal. During that time, she learned a great deal about the power of connection and reflection to develop inclusive classrooms and environments where she wanted everyone to feel that they belonged. In her work with Nord Anglia, Leslie has a chance to continue to work with students and educators from around the world on topics like leadership, sustainability, child rights, and inclusion and belonging.

Dr Anne Taffin d'Heursel Baldisseri is an inspiring educator and leader dedicated to building strong learning communities. Currently the head of school at Avenues São Paulo, Anne has a rich background in education, having previously served as the founding head of the primary division and as head of pre-preparatory at St. Paul's School. With a Ph.D. in zoology and ongoing postdoctoral research in bilingualism, reading, and motivation, she combines deep academic expertise with a passion for empowering teachers, students, and parents. Anne is also the founder of Flag Time, a daily routine within Early Years classrooms that transforms differentiated instruction into individualised learning, empowering students to take charge of their education.

Dr Andrea and Jonathan Taylor-Cummings are globally recognized experts in strengthening relationships to unlock high performance. With over 30 years of experience and groundbreaking research, they've pioneered The 4 Habits of ALL Successful Relationships, helping leaders and teams build trust, inclusion, and psychological safety. Their TEDx talk has been viewed over 3 million times, and their book continues to impact organizations worldwide. As founders of The 4 Habits Institute and the UK charity Achord, Jon and Andrea bring a powerful mix of practical insights and real-world experience to drive collaboration and success. Resources: TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/o4Y5Mr8rZ9A?si=pQaegov5f1Yx3VZS Learn The 4 Habits Online: www.the4habitscourse.com Other Resources: www.the4habits.com/resourcehub  Social Media Handles: LinkedIn (Andrea): https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreataylorcummings/ LinkedIn (Jon): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathantaylorcummings/ LinkedIn (The 4 Habits Institute): https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-4-habits-institute/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The4Habits Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the4habits/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The4Habits TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the4habits X: https://x.com/the4habits  

Isabelle Hau is the Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, an organisation dedicated to advancing equitable and effective education. Previously, she was a founding partner at Imaginable Futures, supporting impact-driven educational initiatives. Isabelle writes for Forbes and EdSurge, teaches at Stanford, and has just released her new book Love to Learn: The Transformative Power of Care and Connection in Early Education. She has received multiple awards for her contributions to education and even co-starred with Sesame Street's Grover in a segment on early childhood innovation. You can find out more about Isabelle's new book here.

In this insightful podcast, "Shaping the future: global education insights with UNICEF", host Emily Murphy, Senior Professional Development Lead at Nord Anglia Education, sits down with three leading experts from UNICEF to explore the pressing issues and opportunities in global education.  Kate Cotton, Principal Advisor for Education at UNICEF UK, brings over 30 years of international development experience, discussing the vital role of education in achieving social change. From her early days teaching in low-resource settings to leading global programmes, Kate shares her insights into how education can empower marginalised communities and highlights UNICEF's education priorities as we approach 2030 for the Global Goals.  Next, Nathalie Thomas, an expert in adolescent programming, dives into UNICEF's work empowering young people, particularly in crisis and emergency settings. Nathalie shares her experience working on youth participation and activism, and how UNICEF is helping adolescents develop critical life skills to succeed in a rapidly changing world.  Prabhash Upadhyaya, Senior Programme Advisor for Innovation at UNICEF UK, explores the transformative role of technology in education. With a background in AI, Blockchain, and Big Data, Prabhash explains how UNICEF is driving global innovation to enhance the impact of social programmes and create scalable, equitable solutions for children and young people.  Tune in for an enlightening conversation about the future of education, the challenges we face, and the innovative solutions UNICEF is leading to shape a brighter tomorrow.   UNICEF does not endorse any brand, product or service.   Key Topics: 01:38 – Challenges and opportunities in education 06:48 – Inclusive education 13:07 – Innovation and digital learning 24.00 – UNICEF's work with adolescents 28.47 – Adolescence as a life stage 34.35 – International Day of Education 40.07 – Education in Emergencies If you'd like to learn more about UNICEF, please visit the following links: General  https://www.unicef.org/education   Inclusion  https://www.unicef.org/education/inclusive-education   https://www.accessibletextbooksforall.org/  Education in Emergencies  https://www.unicef.org/education/emergencies   https://www.unicef.org/appeals   Innovation  https://www.unicef.org/innovation/learning-innovation-hub  https://www.learningpassport.org/  https://giga.global/  https://www.unicefventurefund.org/portfolio/bookbot  https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/media/1341/file/UNICEF-Global-Insight-policy-guidance-AI-children-2.0-2021.pdf  https://www.unicef.org/innovation/upshift  International Day of Education  https://www.unesco.org/en/days/education  

Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop are the authors of the new book The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better. Jenny is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker with more than 25 years of experience. Her work has appeared in some of the world's leading publications, including The New York Times, where she was on staff for 10 years, TIME, The Atlantic and Quartz.  Rebecca is a leading global authority on education. She is the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is a highly sought after advisor and speaker including by parent networks, school leaders, the White House, the United Nations and Fortune 500 companies. You can find The Disengaged Teen in the US or the UK.

In today's episode, I'm excited to share a conversation I had recently as a guest on Make it Mindful, a podcast that explores how to keep schools relevant hosted by Seth Fleischauer. Along with my fellow guest, Kayla Morehead, a researcher at Denver Public Schools, we dive into the role of metacognition in education and the work that Nord Anglia is doing to support the development of metacognitive skills in students. It was a great discussion, and I'm excited for you all to hear it.   Listen to other episodes of Make it Mindful here.

Professor Daniel Muijs is Head of the School of Social Sciences, Education, and Social Work and Professor of Education at Queen's University Belfast. Daniel has held professorial positions at a range of UK and international universities, led the Research and Evaluation team at Ofsted and is the co-author of the EEF's guidance report on 'Metacognition and Self Regulated Learning'. Daniel is an expert on school and teacher effectiveness, and has published widely in this field.

In this special episode, we talk to three of our incredible Nord Anglia teachers.  Rafaela Hummel is a primary school teacher at Nord Anglia International School, Hong Kong. Jamie Robertson is a secondary PE and sports sciences teacher at College du Leman in Geneva. And Edel Nerney is the deputy head of secondary at NACIS Shanghai. All three are Metacognition Project Leads in their school, meaning they are working very closely with the Nord Anglia central education team to support their schools in developing student metacognitive growth that we can measure and substantiate.

Steve Fleming is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Experimental Psychology at UCL, a Group Leader at the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry, and Principal Investigator at the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, where he leads the Metacognition Group. He studied Psychology and Physiology at the University of Oxford before completing his PhD at UCL and postdoctoral studies at New York University. Steve's research on the neuroscience of metacognition and self-awareness has been recognised by awards including a Philip Leverhulme Prize in Psychology, the British Psychological Society Spearman Medal, and the Francis Crick Medal and Lecture from the Royal Society. He is the author of Know Thyself (2021), a trade book on the science of metacognition, which has been translated into 7 languages.

Flossie Chua is a Principal Investigator at Project Zero. Her work focuses on understanding how people think about and experience complex ideas and challenges in different contexts, and how we can nurture good thinking and practices that develop not just better thinkers but also learners engaged by a range of topics, relating them to both individual and social needs and aspirations.   Flossie has worked with Art21 Educators to support K-12 teachers to bring contemporary art, artists, and themes into classroom teaching and learning, and broaden their curricular focus to include inquiry into contemporary issues and questions that demand cross-curricular knowledge and ways of thinking through contemporary art. She is also currently working with BroadBand Collaborative and OAcademy to design reflective artistry practices that support and empower musicians to play leading roles as artists in orchestras and changemakers in communities. Flossie holds an Ed.D from Harvard University, and is also an Instructor in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Note: Flossie's "best book read recently" is Look Again: The Power of Noticing What was Always There by Tali Sharot and Cass R. Sunstein.

Trish Martin is the Head of Product and Experience Design and the Education Sector Lead for Monstarlab's International Markets. Trish partners with clients around the world on EdTech product strategy & development, digital transformation, and user experience research and design. Trish has published research and led projects on formative assessment, metacognition, AI and machine learning applications, data collection and analysis, and product design and development in various educational settings.  Prior to Monstarlab, Trish led the Business Hacking practice within Globe-int, designing digital transformation programs that produce high business value while optimizing process, culture, and customer experience. Trish also served as VP of Product Management at The Achievement Network, Director of Assessment Software Products at Measurement Inc. and as an Education Research and Evaluation Consultant at North Carolina State University. Trish earned her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from East Carolina University where her award-winning research on the use of assessment data to inform instructional practice helped shape district accountability practices.

Matthew Savage is an educator, speaker, and leadership coach. Formerly Principal of an award-winning international school in the Middle East, and with a long and varied career in school leadership both in the UK and internationally, Matthew is the architect of The Mona Lisa Effect®. He works with premium schools and school groups worldwide, helping them ensure every single child, without condition or exception, can "be seen, be heard, be known and belong". His work explores the spaces where wellbeing and belonging intersect with diversity, equity, inclusion and justice - through the prism of triangulated, 'warm' and 'street' data.

Dr Damian Bebell is an Assistant Research Professor at Boston College's Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Over the past two decades,​​ Damian has pioneered a generation of empirical research and evaluation studies investigating the effects of 1:1 student technology programs on teaching and learning. Many of Damian's past publications and previous research studies can be accessed freely on ResearchGate. Damian is also leading the Nord Anglia Metacognition Project's research investigating metacognition, the impact of metacognitive growth on students' academic outcomes and wellbeing, and the effectiveness of the Metacognition Project in promoting metacognitive growth.  

Dee Lanier is the author of Demarginalizing Design and a passionate and energetic educator and learner with over two decades of instructional experience on the K-12 and collegiate levels. Dee holds Undergraduate and Master's degrees in Sociology with special interests in education, race relations, and equity.  Dee is an award-winning presenter, TEDx Speaker, Google Certified Trainer, Google Innovator, and Google Certified Coach that specializes in creative applications for mobile devices and Chromebooks, low-cost makerspaces, and gamified learning experiences. 

Lord Jim Knight, The Rt Hon Lord Knight of Weymouth, works in education, digital technology and as a legislator. He is a director of Suklaa, providing advice to clients in education. Jim is the Chair of the trust board of E-Act Multi Academy Trust, and chair of the Council of British International Schools. He is a board member of Century-Tech, MACAT International and Educate Ventures Research. He also sits on the advisory bodies for Nord Anglia Education and BETT. As a government minister and MP, Jim's portfolios included rural affairs, schools, digital and employment.  He was a member of Gordon Brown's Cabinet, before joining the Lords in 2010.  He regularly speaks in the Lords on education and technology policy.

Ewan McIntosh is a leading figure in education and a pioneer of design thinking for learning in the classroom. Ewan is the driving force behind NoTosh, a global consultancy with a passion for learning and a convinction that innovation and creativity can change the way people think, the way they learn, and the way they work. His work involves advising visionary leaders in business and education, leveraging his expertise to drive the mission of unlocking the full potential of educators and learners through NoTosh.  

Rose Luckin is a professor of Learner Centred Design at the UCL Knowledge Lab in London. Her research involves the design and evaluation of educational technology using theories from the learning sciences and techniques from Artificial Intelligence. She has a particular interest in using AI to open up the 'black box' of learning to show teachers and students the detail of their progress intellectually, emotionally and socially. Rose is also Director of EDUCATE, a London hub for Educational Technology StartUps, researchers and educators to work together on the development of evidence-informed Educational Technology.

Dr. Jo Boaler is a professor of mathematics education at Stanford University. Her former roles have included being the Marie Curie Professor of Mathematics Education in England, and a mathematics teacher in London comprehensive schools. She is the author of 18 books, numerous articles and a White House presenter on women and girls. Her latest book is called: Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead and Live without Barriers and is published by Harper Collins. She co-founded www.youcubed.org to give teachers, parents and students the resources they need to excite students about mathematics. She is also one of the writing team for the proposed Mathematics Framework for the state of California, co-leading a K-12 Data Science Initiative and was named as one of the 8 educators "changing the face of education" by the BBC.

Dr. Joseph South is the chief learning officer at ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education. Dr. South is an international educational technology leader focused on evidence-based learning transformation. He formerly served as director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. In this role he advised the Secretary of Education, developed national educational technology policy, formed public-private partnerships to assist state and local education leaders in transitioning to digital learning, and collaborated to nurture a robust ecosystem of edtech entrepreneurs and innovators in the private sector.

Kate Robinson is an author, speaker, and co-founder of a number initiatives dedicated to the legacy of her father, Sir Ken Robinson. These include Nevergrey and Imagine If…, a nonprofit inspired by Sir Ken's passionate advocacy of human potential. She was also the founding Editor in Chief and Head of Strategic Operations of HundrED, a Finnish-based initiative designed to seek and share the most inspiring innovations in education globally. Kate's book, titled Imagine If…Creating a Future for Us All, which was co-authored with her father, was published in March 2022.