"We need revolution, not evolution!" - Education of the Head, Heart and Hand, with Sarah Seleznyov and Liz Robinson

Sophie Dean
3 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

TRAILER

https://youtu.be/RZwXPwaAEUA

YOUTUBE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8p0E4bzrO0

SOUNDCLOUD

SPOTIFY

SHOW NOTES

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 Surrey Square – to make the case for something bigger: an education of the head (academic learning), heart (wellbeing and relationships) and hand (creativity and skills).

The conversation centres on the new book from the Rethinking School project, A Practical Guide to a Big Education: Balancing Head, Heart and Hand, edited by Sarah Seleznyov and Robert Lobatto – a collection of chapters written by school leaders and teachers who are actually doing this work, each paired with a vignette from another school and reflective questions to help you find your own way in.

In this episode we explore:

Why pedagogy was written out of the Curriculum and Assessment Review – and why curriculum, pedagogy and assessment have to change together ("if you only pull one string in the marionette, it jerks")
England's uniquely narrow definition of curriculum and learning – and how it compares with models from around the world
What Big Education is, and what an education of the head, heart and hand actually means
The Milburn report on youth unemployment – and why the problems start in Year 1, not at upper secondary
Liz's "soapbox rant": Every Child Matters, extended schools, co-located services – and what was lost when it was all set on fire
Think systemically, act systematically: systems thinking, design thinking and vertical slice change teams
Authentic leadership: vulnerability, ego, the kelp metaphor – and why Liz is learning to bring "Lizzie" to work
Being evidence-informed: why data is richer than numbers, the trouble with RCTs and the EEF toolkit, and engaging with research and in research
Interdisciplinary project-based learning – and the jaw-dropping story of the Ofsted inspector who withheld 'outstanding' because children didn't know their learning was called history
Can we teach and assess transferable competencies? And do we have to trade exam results for a broader education? (Spoiler: no)
Lessons from curriculum reform in Scotland, Wales and British Columbia – why transforming practice takes time, investment and serious professional development
Why we need revolution, not evolution

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Liz Robinson is co-founder and CEO of Big Education. She became a headteacher at 29, leading Surrey Square Primary in south London for many years, and created the Big Leadership Adventure. She advocates for – and models – an authentic, reflective and relational approach to leadership.

Sarah Seleznyov is Strategic Project Lead at Big Education and leads the Rethinking School project. She has worked in London schools for over 25 years as a deputy head, school improvement consultant and teaching school director, and previously led research-informed leadership programmes at the UCL Institute of Education. Her research specialism is Japanese lesson study.

CREDITS

The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean.

Outro track: How it is and how it should be by Grit Control

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