Brighter Futures with Education Development Trust

There’s a spotlight in the UK right now on work-related skills, and our investment into equipping people with appropriate skills for life and work is absolutely vital.

This week’s expert guests on Brighter Futures have a fantastic overview on the skills area, and more importantly how it can evolve for the better - we’re joined by WEA’s External Relationships Director, Chris Morgan and EDT’s Deputy Director of Skills, Kiri Baxter.

Listen as Kiri and Chris share with host Tony McAleavy how we define skills, the value of localising the delivery of skills training, and how it feeds into the country’s success.

This episode covers

• The definition of skills, and whether it varies between schools and post-16 education
• Effective practice for skills guidance in the workplace
• How we make access to skills education as inclusive as possible
• Priorities for the new Skills England body

Kiri Baxter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-baxter-4181a5123/
Chris Morgan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-morgan808/
Tony McAleavy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mcaleavy-6aa64229
Education Development Trust: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educationdevelopmenttrust/

The climate crisis is arguably top of the agenda globally, but the impacts on education and the work we need to put into resolving such impacts remains understated.

With this episode of Brighter Futures, we’re bringing those issues and necessary resolutions to the forefront - join a fantastic panel of Kulima’s Dr Katharine Vincent, and EDT’s Donvan Amenya & Rachael Fitzpatrick, as we highlight the interconnected nature of these challenges, and how best to approach these vital solutions.

This episode covers

• The lasting impacts of climate shocks on students
• How we can collectively respond simultaneously to climate change issues and learning challenges alike
• Policy changes that need making so that we can build more resilient education systems
• Practical steps on a local level to boost climate resilience and awareness

Dr Katharine Vincent: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharine-vincent/
Donvan Amenya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donvan-amenya-a474aa22/
Rachael Fitzpatrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-fitzpatrick-3b1585169/
Tony McAleavy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mcaleavy-6aa64229
Education Development Trust: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educationdevelopmenttrust/

A child’s early years are arguably the most important in the formation of their minds and bodies, so the quality of early years education should be paramount.

Whether we have consensus on what is needed for this vital age group, the priority areas of improvement, and how we address inequity of early learning experiences are all conversations at the heart of episode 9 of Brighter Futures.

Joining us on this podcast are Gill Jones MBE - Busy Bees Nurseries/ex-Ofsted, Jan Dubiel - Early Childhood Education Specialist/Consultant and Lyn Challender - Programme Director at EDT.

This episode covers

• The strengths found in early years education, and priority areas for improving it
• Whether we have consensus on what matters most in this age range
• The value that should be placed on that which we cannot quantify
• Inequities in the access to enriching early learning experiences

Gill Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gill-jones-366aba61/
Jan Dubiel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-dubiel-31497524/
Lyn Challender: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyn-challender-97a5a9188/
Tony McAleavy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mcaleavy-6aa64229
Education Development Trust: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educationdevelopmenttrust/

The learning crisis in many low-income countries demands reform at scale, but how exactly can change be delivered swiftly and successfully?

Brookings Institution’s work across recent years has been trailblazing in what it takes to achieve this, and Brad Olsen is able to give key insights into how we deliver such reform in the Global South.

Brad joins us alongside EDT’s Elizabeth Ogott and Clare Buntic, as we delve into the ingredients to transformation, teacher buy-in, and togetherness.

This episode covers

• The key ingredients to successful education reform at scale
• Considering public perception around reform
• How to motivate and incentivise teachers while delivering large scale change
• Engaging teachers as partners in authentic reform
• The imperative role of good data in delivering good adaptive change

Brad Olsen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-olsen-0149734/
Brookings Institution: https://www.brookings.edu/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-brookings-institution/
Clare Buntic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-buntic-a829b814/
Elizabeth Ogott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-ogott-03a9b25/
Tony McAleavy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mcaleavy-6aa64229
Education Development Trust: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educationdevelopmenttrust/

Education Development Trust’s evidence-based approach has such a far-reaching impact, and there’s no greater advocate for such an approach than our very own Tony McAleavy.

In the first of our brand new series hosted by our CEO, Dan Sandhu, it’s a joy to draw on Tony’s decades of experience as we discuss flagship programmes that he’s driven, the global impacts of his work, and the importance of enduring relationships that last decades.

This episode covers

• Tony’s 20+ year journey at Education Development Trust
• The need for a focus on evidence-based research
• EDT’s role in the Girls’ Education Challenge programme, particularly in Kenya
• Work in Brunei to enhance the impact of PISA
• Why ‘enduring relationships’ are so key to EDT’s work worldwide

Tony McAleavy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mcaleavy-6aa64229
Dan Sandhu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-sandhu-3407561/
Education Development Trust: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educationdevelopmenttrust/

Welcome back to the Brighter Futures podcast brought to you by Education Development Trust. 

On episode 7, host Tony McAleavy is joined by Noelle Buick, Regional Inspections and Accountability Lead, Middle East and Asia and Valerie Dunsford, Deputy Chief Inspector for BSO/ISQM to discuss school improvement through external review.

This episode includes: 

• How the inspection of British Schools Overseas works.
• How the International School Quality Mark operates.
• Areas of focus and measurement for each system.
• Collating the views of parents, students and teachers. 
• Challenges and opportunities of both systems.

An evidence-based approach to applying research in the education sector is a great grounding for improving practices, but how do we ensure its proper application?

Cat Scutt, Emma Gibbs and Dr Richard Churches join us on Brighter Futures to discuss the essential nuances of applying research evidence in the field, both domestically in the UK and internationally.

This episode covers

• Putting research at the heart of teacher professionalism
• The importance of ‘intellectual wellbeing’
• Setting desired outcomes to better make use of research
• Neuroscience’s role in relation to teachers
• International challenges with research relevance and specificity

Creating pathways for young people to bring career aspirations to life is an essential part of their educational journey, and one in which we’re seeing a positive shift.

Join us on Brighter Futures this week where we look at the growing initiatives around young people’s pathways with The Careers & Enterprise Company’s Oli de Botton, and Education Development Trust’s Mark De Backer & Wendy Phillips.

We hear their fascinating insight on careers education, from NEET-preventative measures to connecting with industry professionals and embedding careers education throughout the school journey.

This episode covers

• How The Careers & Enterprise Company’s endeavours link into Education Development Trust’s goals
• Increasing the information available for young people to make good, well-informed decisions
• Complexities of linking schools with employers in rural areas
• The remarkable value of preemptively preventing students from falling through the net through Pre-NEET initiatives
• Tailored approaches to support for more disadvantaged groups

When peer review does away with the ‘assessment’ approach and puts schools in charge of their skills growth, that’s where the power of the Schools Partnership Programme lies.

This collaborative approach to academic development is an evolving movement, with the potential to continue developing great leaders going forward. 

Join us in this episode of Brighter Futures, with fantastic insights from Maggie Farrar (Education Consultant), Lesley Coulthurst (Kyra’s Head of Alliance) and David Godfrey (Associate Professor, UCL Institute of Education).

This episode covers

• How the Schools Partnership Programme has evolved since its first iterations
• Kyra’s successful involvement in the programme
• How peer review works in practice, where the school sets the agenda
• Where the SPP can evolve in the future, with international scale and wider stakeholder involvement