Ever feel like education keeps moving forward, yet too many learners are still being left behind? Curricula feel disconnected from real life, assessment systems label students too early, while technology and AI are advancing faster than schools can adapt. The result is a growing gap between what learners need and what the system delivers.

In this episode, Philippa Wraithmell speaks with Dan Fitzpatrick about his journey from teacher and education leader to becoming one of the most influential global voices on AI in education. The conversation explores how the emergence of ChatGPT became a major turning point, unlocking new possibilities for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers to improve efficiency, accessibility, and the overall quality of learning. Dan also reflects on the tension between risk and opportunity in AI, the importance of courageous decision-making, the role of leadership, and why schools must move beyond frameworks toward long-term visions grounded in the real needs of learners and educators.

This discussion feels especially timely as we approach Bett UK 2026, where topics such as AI, educational leadership, ethics, accessibility, and the future of learning take centre stage on a global platform. Dan's ideas around "throwing your hat over the wall," making safe but bold experiments, and fostering collaboration across schools and industry align closely with Bett's spirit as a meeting place for innovators, educators, and policymakers shaping the future of education in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Listen to the full podcast episode for deeper insights, strategic reflections, and practical inspiration on AI in education. You are also invited to explore Bett UK and connect directly with cutting-edge innovation and thought leaders in EdTech via the official link: https://uk.bettshow.com/

Ever feel like education keeps moving forward, yet too many learners are still being left behind? Curricula feel disconnected from real life, assessment systems label students too early, while technology and AI are advancing faster than schools can adapt. The result is a growing gap between what learners need and what the system delivers.

In this episode, Philippa has a conversation with Al Kingsley to explore those tensions head-on, from what truly defines a good school to why curiosity, human skills, and equitable access to technology matter more than ever. Together, they unpack the uncomfortable questions education often avoids and why now is the moment to rethink learning for a changing world.

These conversations don't end with the podcast. Bett UK 2026 is where educators, leaders, innovators, and policymakers from around the world come together to turn ideas into action. From AI and edtech to curriculum and human-centred education, Bett is where the future of learning takes shape.

Save the date and join Bett UK 2026 - because meaningful change starts with showing up. Don't miss the chance to experience the innovations shaping the future of education firsthand and be part of this global conversation. For full details and registration, please visit: https://uk.bettshow.com/

In this episode, Philippa Wraithmell and Rob Hughes, co-founder of Tandem, explore a revolutionary approach to screen time that challenges the narrative of "parenting guilt" and passive consumption. Rob explains how Tandem leverages generative AI not to replace parents, but to act as a "tech for two" bridge that sparks creativity, co-creation, and shared reading moments. The conversation also addresses complex emotional challenges such as hospital visits and family separation. As they delve into the ethics of AI guardrails and the crucial difference between a "digital pacifier" and a tool for connection, Rob issues a stark warning about the current trajectory of child development and the very real danger that lies ahead if children are allowed to form their first emotional attachments to robots rather than humans.

These vital conversations around ethical AI and the preservation of human connection sit at the heart of Bett UK 2026, the world's leading EdTech event, taking place from 21 to 23 January 2026 at ExCeL London. Bringing together more than 35,000 educators, policymakers, and innovators, Bett UK serves as an essential global stage to address the very warnings issued by experts like Rob, exploring how we can harness the latest innovations without compromising child development. Featuring 600+ exhibitors and hundreds of expert speakers, the event offers hands-on demos, Tech User Labs, and the Connect @ Bett programme to foster meaningful collaboration—ensuring that the future of learning, and themes such as AI in education and inclusion, remain focused on empowering human relationships rather than replacing them.

Don't miss the opportunity to experience the innovations shaping the future of education firsthand and be part of this global conversation. For full details and registration, please visit: https://uk.bettshow.com/

In this episode, our host Philippa Wraithmell is in conversation with Alina Sava, a Senior Education Specialist at the World Bank, discussing Alina's journey in education and the transformative role of AI in the sector. She emphasizes the importance of equity in education, the necessity of lifelong learning, and the evolving curriculum that incorporates critical thinking. Alina highlights the need for governments to create frameworks for AI integration while ensuring that teachers remain central to the learning process. The discussion also touches on the potential digital divide in AI access and the importance of preparing students for an AI-driven world.

Are you an educator or innovator interested in how technology is shaping the future of learning?

Bett UK 2026 is the world's leading EdTech event, taking place from 21 to 23 January 2026 at ExCeL London. It brings together more than 35,000 educators, policymakers, education leaders, and EdTech innovators from around the world, alongside 600+ exhibitors and hundreds of expert speakers. Bett UK showcases the latest innovations in education technology, with hands-on demos, Tech User Labs, TableTalks, and the Connect @ Bett programme designed to foster meaningful collaboration between decision-makers and solution providers. With a strong focus on themes such as AI in education, inclusion, and the future of learning, Bett UK continues to be a key global platform for inspiration, insight, and transformative conversations in education.

Come to Bett 2026 and listen to the full episode to explore what needs to change now and what the future of learning could look like if we get it right.

Teachers today are genuinely time-poor. Between increasing administrative demands, constant assessment, and the rapid rise of AI, finding professional development that truly fits into a teacher's reality can feel impossible. Too often, CPD remains one-size-fits-all detached from linguistically diverse classrooms and the real challenges educators face every day.

When professional learning fails to connect with practice, the impact goes far beyond wasted hours. Essential skills such as oracy, effective EAL strategies, and healthy digital habits are overlooked, contributing to teacher burnout and leaving students ill-equipped for life beyond the classroom.

In this podcast episode, we speak with experts from Hachette Learning Academy about a more adaptive, teacher-led approach to professional learning one that prioritises what actually matters. Listen to the full episode to discover a powerful "hidden skill" that could matter more than reading or writing for students' future career success.

In many Western classrooms, the mobile phone is viewed as the "forbidden fruit", a primary source of distraction that must be banned, confiscated, or locked away in magnetic pouches. Teachers and parents alike are exhausted by the constant battle over "screen time," whilst struggling to engage students in an education system that hasn't evolved in decades. Lectures are often unengaging, leading students to drift away, yet we blame the device rather than the delivery. Is this prohibitive approach a catastrophic mistake? Stephen Hodges warns that Western nations risk being "digitally leapfrogged" by developing economies. In regions like rural Uganda or Brazil, the student's personal mobile is not a toy; it is a lifeline to quality education amidst a massive shortage of qualified teachers. By demonising the technology our children use most, we risk missing "the biggest opportunity in education that we've seen in millennia". Furthermore, focusing solely on restricting minutes creates unnecessary conflict at home, failing to teach the critical self-regulation skills young people desperately need. This episode of The EdTech Podcast offers a way forward by shifting the narrative from "Screen Time" to "Screen Purpose". Philippa Wraithmell sits down with three experts to explore how we can embrace technology rather than fight it: • Stephen Hodges (Efekta): Reveals how AI teaching assistants on personal phones are solving the teacher shortage crisis and delivering personalised learning in emerging markets. • Adam Huh Dam (Stick 'Em): Demonstrates how STEAM education is reaching the most remote areas using nothing but smartphones and internet access. • Payal Patel (Digital Bridge): Provides actionable strategies for parents to build "digital confidence" and healthy boundaries at home without the conflict. Tune in to discover why the device in your pocket might just be the most powerful educational asset we have.

Can an AI detect your sadness? 🤔 This episode will change how you think about mental health and finance.

We're at Saudi Learn speaking to the next generation of innovators! Hear from the brilliant minds behind:

· Voice Recognition for Mental Health: A powerful app that charts your emotional patterns and spikes. They tell us why this is CRUCIAL 50% of people worldwide are walking around undiagnosed.

· The AI Finance Advisor: We meet the team who spotted a "desperate need" for financial help, leading them to build a bot that helps track everything from buying an iPhone to a new house.

But the real secret to their success? The incredible Accenture Academy where they learned to stop building what they wanted, and start building what the user truly needed.

Tune in now to discover the #1 piece of advice they received from a two-star General that completely shifted their project perspective... you won't believe who he was!

In this episode, Jayna Devani - International Education Lead at OpenAI, shares how ChatGPT has rapidly become one of the most widely used learning tools in the world and how OpenAI is partnering with educators, universities, and governments to support responsible, equitable AI adoption. She discusses real examples from institutions like Oxford University and national initiatives like Estonia, showing how AI can enhance learning through personalization, creativity, and teacher-led innovation.

Exploring how students are using ChatGPT as a study partner, coach, and career companion, and how educators are redesigning learning experiences with AI. Jayna also highlights the importance of working with teachers, parents, and students to ensure AI remains a human-centered tool.

The conversation closes with a look at what's ahead: AI agents, multimodal learning, and deeper integrations that could transform the future classroom, all guided by OpenAI's mission to ensure AI benefits everyone.

Resources from the show

ChatGPT Edu,

100 chats compiled by students, for students

University educators,

OpenAI Academy.

Follow ChatGPT for Education on LinkedIn and Substack for updates and community insights.

Imagine a child sitting in the corner of the classroom, written off as 'average' or even disruptive, yet harbouring a remarkable, untouched spark of curiosity within. Morgan Whitfield, educator and author of Gifted, invites us to delve into this poignant reality, where the label of 'gifted' often serves as an exclusionary wall that stifles potential, rather than a bridge to achievement . Through heart-stirring real-life stories, this episode challenges us to stop viewing education as an exclusive competition for a select few and start embracing every child with high, compassionate expectations, ensuring no other 'Luca' is ever left behind .

Far more than just theory, this conversation becomes deeply personal as Morgan reveals how her own son's journey transformed her perspective on the uniqueness of how we learn . You will be invited to leave behind old methods that merely categorise pupils, moving towards empowering strategies of adaptive teaching . Prepare to shift your mindset forever: education is no longer about climbing a narrow, exhausting mountain peak, but an opportunity to invite children to explore a vast, boundless ocean where each of them has the right to discover their own depths .

If you've ever felt that education is changing faster than the systems meant to support you, this podcast gives you a clearer and more human way to understand that shift. You'll explore how inclusion, data literacy, AI and school culture can be viewed through a lens that actually reflects real lived experiences. In this episode you join Dr Nicole Ponsford, a former teacher turned researcher and founder of a platform built on more than twenty six thousand voices from schools around the world. Her work challenges long standing assumptions about data, belonging and leadership in ways that might change how you see your own role in education. Each conversation is designed to give you insights you can apply directly, whether you're an educator, school leader, policymaker or edtech professional looking to create real impact. With expert interviews and grounded perspectives, the podcast helps you cut through buzzwords and understand what truly drives meaningful change in schools. Follow the show to stay close to ideas and discussions that can shape the way you lead, teach and contribute to the future of learning.

Before you dive in, make sure not to miss the key developments connected to this conversation. These show how the ideas discussed in this episode are already creating real momentum beyond the conversation itself.

• BETT 2026 Finalist Announcement We're thrilled to share that the Global Equality Collective (GEC) has been named a finalist for the BETT 2026 Transformational Impact Award!
• Sky News Feature GEC recently appeared on Sky News discussing the launch of the second edition of the Inclusion Index. Watch the short clip here: YouTube Short Read more: Sky News Article
• Exclusive Offer for School Leaders School and trust leaders can access an exclusive 10% launch discount on the GEC Platform. Simply email [email protected] and use the code EDTECHPODCAST10 before the end of November.

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