How do we make space for the curious child?

In a society where we are eroding subjects such as music, art and dance from the curriculum, where knowledge and achievement are valued above play and creativity, how do we encourage curiosity in children and allow it to thrive inside and outside the classroom?

Ross Borthwick, Isabel Rich and David Marshall approach the question of curiosity in Episode 5 of Season 3 with...well, curiosity. It's something all schools want to promote - or say they want to promote - but what exactly is it, and how do we keep the spark alive in the children we teach, particularly in an age of instant access knowledge?

Episode Links & Other Things

• Article from The Atlantic: How the Ivy League Broke America, a thought-provoking look at the way exclusivity in education has increased the divide in the States. Essential reading for anyone involved in education, with lots of relevance to the UK system: https://bit.ly/4iibPOw
• Michael Rosen's Book of Play is wonderful, not just because of all the creative ideas but because of Rosen's own commentary on the ideas behind play, referencing Jean Piaget among others: https://wellcomecollection.org/books/michael-rosen-s-book-of-play
• Francis Alÿs' study of different children's games around the world explores play across different countries. Following the exhibition at The Barbican Centre earlier this year, you can find videos on this site showing different games in different countries, a window into the ingenuity of children everywhere: https://francisalys.com/category/childrens-games/
• How to Develop Curiosity in Kids: 9 engaging ideas from the International School in Ho Chi Minh City: https://bit.ly/3BAxcdd
• For anyone alive in the 90s, Dorling Kindersley (DK) were the go-to for information and fact-based learning, especially their cross-section books: https://www.dk.com/uk/book/9780241379783-stephen-biestys-incredible-cross-sections/
• We also love the range of non-fiction books you can get today. Flying Eye is one of the best around, with plenty to inspire curiosity: https://flyingeyebooks.com/
• Dunkeld Cathedral in Perthshire can be visited all year round: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dunkeld-cathedral/

The Rest is Education is a podcast created by teachers for teachers, parents and anyone interested in education. Please follow, share and recommend whenever you can. You can email us at [email protected] or find us on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening!

Part two of our mini-series on school curriculum sees co-hosts Isabel Rich and Ross Borthwick interview Neil Burch, Senior Master and former Deputy Head Academic at Bradfield College, a leading independent senior school.

Neil has been teaching for over twenty years having worked in both state and independent sector, here in the UK and overseas. His role has enabled him to be involved with, amongst other things, curriculum design. He has also been a governor at The Willink which is a comprehensive school in Berkshire and at an international school in France.

Isabel is a former Head of English, current educational consultant and visits a multitude of schools in her role as an educational consultant.

Ross has worked in independent prep and senior schools across the UK, was an Assistant Head at a leading independent prep school in London, Scholars' Master at a former independent boarding 'Prep School of the Year' in the South-East of England and is now a Housemaster at a leading independent boarding senior school in Scotland where he is part of the team responsible for curriculum development.

In this episode, David Marshall welcomes guests James Page and Dr Cindy Gause-Vega to discuss the question:

What makes an excellent primary curriculum?

James Page is Chief Executive of Haringey Education Partnership (HEP) which has 120 member schools and supports 35,000 school-age children.

Dr Cindy Gause-Vega is an educational consultant based in Prague focused on professional learning and collaborative inquiry-based learning. She is former elementary school principal in the Czech Republic with experience working across three countries and two continents.

This episode is part 1 of 2 looking at the value of curriculum, with a focus this week on the primary sector.

The word curriculum stems from the Latin verb currere, meaning 'to run'. The noun translates as 'racecourse' an apt metaphor for all the things curriculum has come to mean for schools today.

Early in this episode, the idea of a road map is mentioned as another metaphor for a curriculum, something which can both define and limit what a it is and can be. What is not in question, is the value of curriculum design to excellent education and the importance of a well-thought-through curriculum to children everywhere.

Mentioned or linked to the episode:

• Haringey Education Partnership website can be found here: https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/
• HEP has recently been working with Christine Counsell and Steve Mastin to develop the Opening Worlds curriculum. https://openingworlds.uk/what-is-opening-worlds/
• Jerome Bruner was an influential psychologist who has set the groundwork for thinking about inquiry-based education: https://www.structural-learning.com/post/jerome-bruners-theories
• Michael Young developed the term 'powerful knowledge' and expanded the concept as a foundation for curriculum design: https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/applying-the-powerful-knowledge-principle-to-curriculum-development-in-disadvantaged-contexts/
• The ResearchEd Guide to the Curriculum, edited by Clare Sealy and published by John Catt educational is a great collection of articles on curriculum development and can be found here: https://www.johncattbookshop.com/products/the-researched-guide-to-the-curriculum-an-evidence-informed-guide-for-teachers
• HEP runs its own podcast 'HEP Talks' which can be found here (and on all podcast providers: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hep-talks/id1608692574

The Rest is Education is a podcast founded by Ross Borthwick, David Marshall and Aaron Huber, now with Isabel Rich as a co-host. Email any questions or comments to [email protected].

We hope you enjoy the podcast. Please do follow us, wherever you get your pods and, if you liked it, please give us five stars and recommend us to friends and colleagues.

In Scotland, the government states that all children will have the opportunity to experience a four-night residential trip at some point during their time at school. With at least two-thirds of our educational experts based in Scotland, we took this opportunity to examine the role of education outside the classroom.

This week co-hosts Ross Borthwick and Isabel Rich are joined by Tom Mason, Head of Outdoor Learning, to discuss the value and impact of learning outside. Together, they look at the origins of outdoor education and its transition from the periphery of the education world to its central role in our understanding of wellbeing and child development.

Some of the resources mentioned in the episode or linked to it are listed below:

Learning Through Landscapes

https://ltl.org.uk/

The Field Studies Council, UK

https://www.field-studies-council.org/

The John Muir Trust

https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/

The Royal Geographical Society

https://www.rgs.org/

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

https://www.dofe.org/

The Outward Bound Trust, UK

https://www.outwardbound.org.uk/

The Adventure Society, UK

http://www.adventuresociety.co.uk/

PGL, UK

https://schoolsandgroups.pgl.co.uk/

Oppidan Education, UK

https://culdenfawestate.com/oppidan-camps-2/

Salem School, BadenWürrtemberg, Germany.

https://www.schule-schloss-salem.de/en/

Glenalmond College, Pertshire, Scotland.

https://www.glenalmondcollege.co.uk/

Gordonstoun School, Morayshire, Scotland.

https://www.gordonstoun.org.uk/

Kurt Hahn: Inspirational, Visionary, Outdoor and Experiential Educator

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kurt-Hahn-Inspirational-Visionary-Experiential/dp/9460914675?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A2D6DCNETSBBFU

Since the age of smart phones, navigating friendship, safety and self-esteem is ever more perilous and challenging for young people. Parents are seeing their children grow up in a world increasingly different from their own, while schools are having to adapt to a blurring of home life, school life and the online world.

In Episode 1 of Season 3 of The Rest is Education, we ask what an education centred around the child and seen through the eyes of a child might look like.

In this episode, David and Isabel are joined by Ramita Anand, educational consultant and founder of Elevate RA. Ramita has worked in many educational settings as a teacher and SENCO. She is the author of Girl Elevated and presents the podcast Elevate, which can be found wherever you get your pods and here: https://www.elevate-ra.com/podcast/

Books or websites recommended or mentioned in the episode:

· The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/

· OECD (2024), What Does Child Empowerment Mean Today?: Implications for Education and Well-being, Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/8f80ce38-en.

· Girl Elevated https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60712996-girl-elevated

· Elevate RA https://www.elevate-ra.com/ book

· Jonathan Haidt https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/jonathan-haidt-wants-you-to-take-away-your-kids-phone

· Marc Brackett – Permission to Feel & The Ruler Programme https://marcbrackett.com/permission-to-feel/

· Michael Ungar – I Still Love You https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24792938-i-still-love-you

· Lisa Demour – Untangled https://drlisadamour.com/books/untangled/ podcast Ask Lisa

· Becky Kennedy – Good Inside https://www.goodinside.com/

· Big Feelings – Mollie West Duffy & Liz Fosslien https://www.lizandmollie.com/big-feelings

· The School of Life https://www.theschooloflife.com/

· Elizabeth Day – Friendaholic https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67353385-friendaholic

Email us: [email protected]

In this week's episode, we discuss the mental health crisis affecting staff in schools and look at some of the best ways to help develop a supportive wellbeing culture in schools. David talks with Hilary Plant and John Ansell, both experts in their own fields and experienced at providing support for schools in this area.

Hilary is a local authority governor at a North London primary school. In addition to being the vice chair, link governor for SEND and inclusion and wellbeing governor, she is also a practising psychotherapist and has worked for many years in public health as a cancer nurse, researcher and senior manager.

John is an expert trainer specialising in data machine learning and data science and a leadership coach, who has worked for numerous schools and education groups on one-to-one coaching with leaders, mostly in the independent sector.

Some of the resources and websites mentioned in this episode include:

The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter

On The Key, you can find a series of articles on workload and staff wellbeing, including a toolkit for line managers, You can sign up for a trial to access 3 free articles: https://schoolleaders.thekeysupport.com/staff/managing-school-staff/staff-wellbeing/

The Anna Freud Institute: https://www.annafreud.org/resources/schools-and-colleges/ten-ways-to-support-school-staff-wellbeing/

You can find John Ansell's coaching website here: https://www.johnansellcoaching.com/my-story

If you are concerned about your welfare or the welfare of someone else, please reach out to speak to a trusted friend or colleague. You can also contact the Samaritans for free at any time day or night on 116 123: https://www.samaritans.org/?nation=scotland

You can find out about the NEU (National Education Union) mental health charter here: https://neu.org.uk/latest/library/mental-health-charter

If you have any questions for the team, want to clarify anything we misunderstood or add further details to the discussion, you can email us at [email protected]

Thank you, as always, for listening and supporting this podcast.

The Rest is Education

With increasing numbers of pupils boarding, both within the UK and overseas, Ross is joined by highly experienced boarding practitioners Vicky and James Eales. The trio discuss the reasons why, despite the stereotypes, boarding is on the rise*.

*ISC Census 2023

In episode 5 of season 2, David and Ross are joined by Rebecca Kennedy de Lorenzini to discuss the question, 'Is history the best subject?' Our working title 'The best is history' riffs off the popular UK-based podcast The Rest is History, a far grander and more established purveyor of fine historical discussion than us: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-history/id1537788786

However, we think you'll agree, once you've listened to this 47-minute episode, that the historical discussion on offer here is as good as any you'll find. We have educational thinking, historical philosophy and a few grisly anecdotes thrown in for good measure!

Rebecca is a history teacher at an independent day and boarding school in California, a former history and interdisciplinary humanities professor, and an expert on the cultural history of the African Diaspora.

Ross is a housemaster at a leading independent boarding school in Scotland. He is also a former Head of History with over a decade’s experience teaching the subject to Common Entrance and Scholarship. Whilst he is currently in the Geography department, perhaps once a history teacher always a history teacher is as true a saying as any?

You can find out more about Adam Frost's work, mapping and digitally documenting sites and collections here: https://www.engineshed.scot/about-us/teams/digital-documentation-and-innovation/

If you liked this episode, please leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your pods. You can email us at [email protected] and also find us on LinkedIn and (sometimes) Instagram.

The Rest is Education is a small, not-for-profit podcast run by three teachers. Thank you for listening and for supporting us with your time. We appreciate it so much and each download is an encouragement to us to keep recording and making episodes.

In this assessment-focused episode, Ross interviews Julia Martin, the ISEB's effervescent CEO, on how the UK's oldest examination board is pioneering new forms of assessment after 120 years.

The Independent Schools Examination Board, founded in 1903 and utilised by 340 schools worldwide, is leading the way with a raft of innovative assessments from the project-based iPQ to revolutionary creative writing analytical tools designed to assess comparative judgement.

Join Ross and Julia as they explore what drove the creation of each assessment and discuss how the assessment landscape is changing at an extraordinary pace.

Julia has very kindly offered all The Rest is Education listeners with a generous discount code to the ISEB's upcoming conference on comparative judgement. Simply enter the code 'EDUCATION' at: https://conference.iseb.co.uk/

Assessing Change, Awarding the Future is a one-day conference for independent schools on the future of assessment taking place on Wednesday 24th April, 2024. 10 Union Street, London. SE1.

For more information about the ISEB and the assessments it offers, please visit: https://www.iseb.co.uk/

If you would like to enter Time to Write you can do so at: www.write.iseb.co.uk

Later in the episode we mention Classics For All and refer to our episode ‘Should we teach Classics?’ In which we interview Classics For All’s very own Anna Bell and inspirational classics teacher Julia Gray. Find out more at: www.classicsforall.org.uk

You can contact Julia's team at: [email protected]

If you would like to comment on the episode, ask questions or suggest content for future episodes, please get in touch with us at: [email protected]

In Episode 3 of Season 2, we address the pressing question of AI in education.

David is joined in The Rest is Education (digital) studio by Holly Thomas and Barry Cooper.

Barry is Principal of The Global College, an IB institution based in Madrid: https://theglobalcollege.com/

Holly Thomas is Head of IT and Digital Innovation at a prep school in North London.

Organisations mentioned on the podcast include IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools): https://iaps.uk/ and IE Business School in Madrid: https://www.ie.edu/business-school/

Open AI and Chat GPT are mentioned in conversation: https://openai.com/

Reportal was the subject of Season 1, Episode 15: https://reportal.ai/

You can find out more about Robert Bjork's concept of 'desirable difficulties' here: https://bjorklab.psych.ucla.edu/research/

The Rest is Education is an independent, self-funded podcast which has no links or affiliations to any organisation or company referred to in any episode.

We hope you are enjoying series 2. Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or corrections or just if you want to chat and suggest a topic or person for our next episode.