Education On Fire - Sharing creative and inspiring learning in our schools

Zafra Lerman is a scientist, educator and humanitarian. She received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel and conducted research on Isotope Effects at Cornell and Northwestern Universities in the U.S. and the ETH, Zurich, Switzerland. She developed an innovative approach of teaching science through art, music, drama, dance, and rap which was successful with underprivileged students around the globe.

She worked on human rights cases in the former Soviet Union, Russia, China, Guatemala, Cuba, Peru, and South Africa and was successful in preventing executions, releasing prisoners from jail and bringing...

Mark Taylor talks with Patrick van der Burght — business partner of Dr. Robert Cialdini and founder member of the Cialdini Institute — about the science of ethical persuasion and what it means for teachers, parents, and school leaders.

Patrick explains why 90-95% of our decisions are made by the brain's fast, automatic "System 1" rather than deliberate reasoning, why human attention spans have now dropped below that of a goldfish, and how Cialdini's seven universal principles of persuasion (reciprocity, liking, unity, social proof, authority, consistency, and scarcity) can help educators build trust, motivate students, and lead more effectively — without ever r...

Dr. Sophia Nicole Morgan is an educator, author, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on career literacy, academic advising, and helping students make intentional decisions about their futures. Her career spans Jamaica, the United States, and China.

She is the founder of Explore Career Academy, a platform dedicated to helping schools integrate career exploration and college planning into everyday learning.

Dr. Morgan is the author of several career development resources, including The High Schooler's Guide to College and Career Planning and Reflections: A College and Career Journal for Middle Schoolers. Her work equips students with the...

Adam Adler is a Charleston-based founder and investor focused on building technology that creates healthier, more sustainable systems — for families, communities, and the next generation.

The idea for Wyzly didn't come from a pitch deck or a boardroom. It came from Adam's daughter, Isla. At seven years old, Isla proposed a simple idea that every parent instantly understands: what if kids could earn screen time by learning first?

That moment sparked the creation of Wyzly — a learn-to-earn screen time platform designed to eliminate daily screen battles without punishment or restriction.

Drawing on more than...

Dyslexia, which affects an estimated 15 to 20% of learners, often leads to the frustrating advice of waiting and seeing from educational professionals. Russell Van Brocklen, a dyslexia researcher and advocate, challenges this complacency by presenting actionable solutions for parents and educators. His innovative approach, grounded in structured literacy methods, aims to transform the educational experience for dyslexic students, evidenced by his program that has successfully elevated students from middle school writing levels to college readiness in a remarkably short time. Multi-sensory routines surpass conventional worksheets, enabling observable progress before the next report card arrives.

Takeaways:

Kevin Cripe was a teacher in Modesto City Schools for 27 years and during that time created an award winning after school chess program for students who came from socio-economically challenged backgrounds. He took students to 200+ tournaments and 14 national chess championships and watched as students used chess to become first generation college graduates. After retiring he moved to Central America, continued to teach chess and wrote a "Child Moral Development Trilogy" .

Takeaways:

Jacob Adams is an education leader committed to transforming schools into places of joy, belonging, and critical thinking for Black and Brown youth. He coined the term “disconnection crisis” to describe how traditional education separates young people from their purpose, community, and creativity. In 2017, he founded STEM to the Future, now Inner Spark Learning Lab, which has reached over 40,000 young people and generated insights shaping the broader education field.

Jacob began his career as a Teach For America corps member, teaching 1st and 2nd grade before serving as an instructional coach for three years. He holds a B.A...

In this final episode of the Ger Graus Gets Gritty series, Professor Dr Ger Graus OBE and I wrap up our 10-episode journey through education from early years to higher education and beyond. We explore the difference between schooling and education, the role of universities in an AI-driven world, and whether lifelong learning could — or should — move beyond traditional institutions.

Learning doesn't stop at 18, 45, or even 99. The future of education isn't about replacing what we have, but expanding the menu — so that every curious learner, at every stage of life, can find their own path. And no matter...

Joining Mark Taylor as part of this series with Prof Dr Ger Graus OBE is Rebecca Durose-Croft a Managing Director with over 20 years’ experience in educational publishing and the evolving world of edtech.

Rebecca has built a reputation for bringing together editorial expertise, strategic thinking and a deep understanding of how learners engage with content - leading teams to create high-quality publications and programmes that truly make a difference.

With a strong commitment to inclusion and accessibility, and a track record of working closely with educators, policymakers and partners across the sector, Rebecca is a th...

Today we bring together Prof Dr Ger Graus OBE and Cristian Fabbi, Director of the Fondazione Reggio Children, for a deeply human and intellectually rich conversation about the future of early years education.

Ger and Cristian share personal stories and the work of their friend and colleague Carla Rinaldi — one of the world's most influential educational thinkers. They explore what it truly means to place children at the heart of learning. From the rubble of post-war Italy to classrooms in Soweto, Nairobi, and Napoli, the Reggio Emilia approach has quietly transformed how educators around the world understand ch...

Today I'm delighted to chat with Matthew Kaufman from I Love Camp. He has spent more than three decades creating environments where children and staff thrive and he has done this as a camper, counselor, and now summer camp director.

People learn, grow, and connect best in community settings where problem-solving, creativity, and play come first.

Most workplaces, schools, and families stumble into community by accident, but camp builds it on purpose. It's a practice that can be learned and applied anywhere.

Using these insights Matt has written a book called The Campfire...

Joe Reed, founder of Pulse, discusses how his student support platform is transforming the way schools identify and respond to struggling students. Rather than relying solely on traditional metrics like grades and attendance, Pulse brings together teachers, parents, counsellors, and therapists around a shared, real-time picture of each student's wellbeing. Joe shares the story behind the platform — rooted in over 15 years of community resilience work across South Africa and the United States — and explains how Pulse is designed to reduce teacher burden while delivering faster, more targeted support to the students who need it most.

Five Takeaways

Josh Dorfman is a climate entrepreneur, author, and media personality. He is the CEO and host of Supercool, a media company covering real-world climate solutions that cut carbon, increase profits, and enhance modern life. Josh was previously the co-founder and CEO of Plantd, a carbon-negative building materials manufacturer, which was named to Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024. He has founded two modern design sustainable furniture companies, directed Vine.com, an Amazon e-commerce business specializing in natural and organic products, and served as the CEO of The Collider, the nation’s first innovation center...

As we transition into the Easter break here in the UK, I will take the next couple weeks off to spend time with my family.

But today I share the events and products produced by National Association of Primary Education. These include:

Links to more information below.

Chapters:

Cerys Griffiths is the Head of BBC Bitesize, the BBC's free, online learning resource for students aged 5 to 16, their teachers and parents. Bitesize also aims to support educating the whole child through it's Careers, Study Support and media literacy offer, Other Side of the Story, as well as special educational initiatives like the Bitesize Guide to AI.

Cerys was, for many years, a journalist in the North West, a TV and newspaper reporter and then an editor of news programmes for both ITV and the BBC. She is on the board of the Micro:bit Education Foundation...

Ross W. Greene, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and the originator of the innovative, evidence-based approach called Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), as described in his influential books The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings.

He developed and executive produced the award-winning documentary film The Kids We Lose. Dr. Greene was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for over twenty years and is now founding director of the nonprofit Lives in the Balance. He is also currently adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech.

Dr. Greene has...

In this solo reflective episode, host Mark Taylor wraps up the first part of the Ger Graus Gets Gritty season by doing something personal — instead of a straightforward summary, he weaves the season's key themes through the story of his own life in music. From a secondary school wind band to 30 years as a professional musician and music educator, Mark explores how opportunity, community, practice, and personalised learning shaped his path. He draws on insights from his conversations with Ger Graus to reflect on what great education looks like — and what's at risk when funding, trust, and time are take...

This week I used AI to summarize the 7 episodes I have recorded with Prof Dr Ger Graus OBE about his book Through a Different Lens: Lessons from a Life in Education.

The aim was to give you a short (22 mins) overview of the themes we have discussed in a different way.

I used the transcripts from all 7 episodes to create a summary document in Claude which I then imported to NotebookLM that in turn created a conversation between 2 AI voices.

Link to the GGGG series audio playlist:

https://player.captivate.fm...

Based on the final chapter of Prof Dr Ger Graus's book Through a Different Lens: Lessons from a Life in Education (Routledge), this conversation asks the most honest question of the entire series: So what?

Ger examines what 40-plus years of educational work has truly changed — and what it hasn't.

At the heart of the episode is a sobering reckoning: Wythenshawe, the deprived area of Manchester where Ger dedicated much of his career, remains in the bottom 25% of England's most disadvantaged communities — just as it was in 1999. Yet rather than despair, Ger finds meaning in the...

"More Than a School: Values, Measurement, and What Education Is Really For"

In this episode of the Ger Graus Gets Gritty series, Mark Taylor sits down once again with Professor Dr. Ger Graus OBE to explore one of his most passionate themes — the idea that schools are, and must intentionally become, more than a school. Drawing on his own transformative work leading Education Action Zones in Wythenshawe, South Manchester, Ger makes a compelling case for community-rooted education that puts the whole child first, measures what truly matters, and trusts teachers as the professionals they are.

In...

In this episode of the Ger Graus Gets Gritty series, Professor Dr. Ger Graus OBE tackles what he calls "the most underestimated aspect of a child's learning and growing up"—the role adults play as models in young people's lives. Through personal stories, including his daughter's early obsession with "Mrs. Poole" her nursery teacher, and insights from his global work with Kidzania, Ger reveals how children unconsciously absorb behaviours, values, and dreams from the adults around them, often in ways we never notice.

This conversation goes beyond the surface of role modeling to question the fundamental structures of...

This is the fourth instalment of the "Ger Graus Gets Gritty" series. Based on Chapter 4 of his book Through a Different Lens: Lessons from a Life in Education (published by Routledge), this episode tackles one of the most contentious topics in modern education: technology.

Rather than focusing on the technical aspects of digital tools, Professor Dr Ger Graus OBE reframes the conversation around technology as fundamentally a discussion about human behaviour, courage, and trust. From fountain pens to AI, he traces the historical pattern of moral panic that accompanies each technological advancement, arguing that our concerns reveal...

In this episode we explore the critical distinction between schooling and education—and why it matters more than ever. Drawing from his book Through a Different Lens: Lessons from a Life in Education, Prof Dr Ger Graus OBE challenges us to rethink how we prepare children not just for exams, but for lifelong learning.

From conversations with Reggio Emilia's Carla Rinaldi to insights on India's National Education Plan, this episode examines how different systems approach the fundamental question: is schooling enabling education, or limiting it? Ger and Mark discuss the narrowing of curricula, the disconnect between political ag...

This episode explores how children's aspirations are fundamentally shaped by their experiences and what they're exposed to. Drawing from Prof Dr Ger Graus's groundbreaking work with the Wythenshawe Education Action Zone and Manchester Airport, they unpack the reality that children from disadvantaged backgrounds often can't dream of careers they've never seen.

The conversation moves from airports to universities, examining how partnership between education and industry can transform lives. Ger shares compelling research from KidZania revealing that stereotypes are set by age 4, and discusses the Children's University model that brought families into higher education spaces for the first...

In this first episode of a special 10-part series named Ger Graus Gets Gritty, Mark Taylor sits down with Professor Dr. Ger Graus OBE to launch an honest conversation about education and schooling.

Following the release of Ger's book "Through a Different Lens: Lessons from a Life in Education" this series uses each chapter as a springboard for examining what's working—and what isn't—in our education systems.

In this episode Ger shares his personal journey from a difficult childhood in the Netherlands to becoming a passionate advocate for experience-based learning. He reflects on how one...

Samantha Gourd from Country Space explains the profound benefits and opportunities presented by connecting educational institutions with British farms. The initiative aims to provide immersive, hands-on learning experiences for students, facilitating a deeper understanding of agriculture and sustainability.

By engaging children in activities such as growing vegetables and caring for animals, the program not only enhances educational curricula but also fosters a lifelong respect for nature. The conversation underscores the critical role of primary education in shaping future citizens who appreciate the origins of their food and the importance of environmental stewardship. This dialogue serves as a...

Dr. Cynthia Rapaido, a highly accomplished educator, holds an Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Education and an M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of San Francisco. She earned her B.S. in Applied Arts and Sciences Biology from San Diego State University. With over 30 years of experience in K–12 education, she has served as a high school principal, assistant principal, and teacher, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape across various schools and districts in California.

Dr. Rapaido’s dedication extends to higher education, where she has contributed significantly as a faculty lecturer, diss...

Marie-Claire Parsons is the project lead for Harry's Rainbow, a charity that support bereaved children in Milton Keynes. She has 30 years experience in schools culminating in founding a 6 school federation and being the executive headteacher. Marie-Claire has been a family liaison officer, education lead and beneficiary lead for the charity. She has just completed leading on an art project where 15 young people explored their grief through graffiti, entitled 'Grieffiti'! Harry's Rainbow offer activity based support groups to children bereaved of a parent or sibling, set up by Odette Mould MBE almost 15 years ago after the death of her son...

Jenna Udenberg is a lifelong resident from the Northshore of Minnesota and is a former music educator of 19 years. She has used a manual wheelchair since the age of 8 due to Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Jenna is a 2017 Blandin Foundation Community Leader, a 2020 Bush Fellow, and a 2025 Shannon Leadership Institute Fellow.

Writing for the Lake County Press in her column, Local View from 4 foot 2, inspires vulnerability and the sharing of lived experiences from the seated perspective. Within My Spokes: A Tapestry of Pain, Growth & Freedom is Jenna’s published memoir which you can find on the A&BWU we...

Victoria Lenormand is a former police detective turned holistic coach, Reiki master, and passionate advocate for alternative education and social justice. With a 28-year career in public service behind her, Victoria’s lens is both compassionate and sharp: she’s witnessed firsthand how institutions can sometimes fail those they claim to serve. Her journey took a transformative turn when her youngest son’s autism diagnosis revealed the flaws in rigid educational and medical systems. Choosing to home educate, she and her family embraced a life of flexibility, healing, and empowerment—living in a motorhome before settling in Scotland and explorin...

In the summer of 2024, Irise brought together a diverse group of young people from across the UK, alongside their allies and educators to directly inform a ‘Toilet Policy Toolkit’, to equip schools with the tools they need to create a Toilet Policy that works for everyone. 

https://www.irise.org.uk/uk-schools-toilet-policy-toolkit

Kelly Greenaway is phs Group’s period equality lead. Over the past nine years with the hygiene provider she has led a number of thought-leadership campaigns, which have eventually been sewn into the identity of the business.

From tackling period inequality and cam...

David K Richards is the Founder & CEO of Changemaker Education, a national network of affiliate love-based microschools and an incubator for founders who want to usher in a new paradigm for the future of education. He is also the host of the Changemaker ED“U” podcast.

Previously, he was Founder & CEO of Growth Public Schools, and a founding teacher and leader with Summit Public Schools where he launched several innovative schools. In addition he serves as a leadership and life coach. David has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal, executive, and board memb...

Dr. Robin Harwick is the founder and director of The Pearl Remote Democratic High School—an international, online school reimagining education for youth pushed out of mainstream systems.

A lifelong educator, researcher, and creator of healing-centered programs, she combines lived experience with academic rigor to disrupt the status quo. Her work champions self-determination, culturally affirming curriculum, creativity, and shared power.

Whether she’s launching new models or mentoring others to do the same, Dr. Harwick believes the future belongs to those bold enough to build it, and that education should be a tool for liberation, not...

Jez Alborough is the author and illustrator of over 45 books for children. His Eddy and the Bear trilogy (which began with the much loved WHERE’S MY TEDDY in 1992) has sold nearly four and a half million copies and was made into a Bafta award-winning animated television special and series.

DUCK IN THE TRUCK (1999) heralded the start of another bestselling series, this time featuring the irrepressible Duck and his three friends - Frog, Goat and Sheep. There are nine books in the Duck series (1.3 million copies sold) including DUCK’S KEY WHERE CAN IT BE? which won the...

Kirsty Heap is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and neurodiversity advocate who helps individuals and organisations create environments where people can truly thrive. Drawing on her lived experience of dyslexia, she empowers business owners and leaders to understand their strengths, build confidence, and grow sustainably.

Kirsty is also the author of Silent Snow, a picture book without words, designed to help you create your own stories with your children. Each page is filled with beautiful illustrations to spark your imagination, making storytime fun and personal. Whether reading has always felt tricky, or you just want to try...

Mashood Ahmad is the CEO and founder of Gigabit IQ, an award-winning UK broadband provider dedicated to delivering safer, smarter, and faster internet through fully managed Wi-Fi and industry-leading online safety tools. A recognised voice in digital inclusion and child online protection, Mashood is a Council Member at ISPA UK and a vocal advocate for stronger ISP accountability in protecting families online.

Under Mashood’s leadership, Gigabit IQ has pioneered services like FamilyGuard+, a network-level parental control solution designed to meet the real-world needs of modern families. He has spearheaded initiatives supporting vulnerable communities, including children in ca...

Aurora Orchestra’s creative learning programme supports teachers to bring rich musical education and experiences to all children. The Aurora Classroom programme encompasses:

Music at the heart of your primary school

Bring Aurora Orchestra into your classroom using our free music resources, designed for music specialists and generalist teachers alike. Explore our fully planned 10-week units of work or build your own music lessons from our li...

Dr. Jennifer Berry doesn't just talk about STEM—she redefines how student see themselves in it. As a leading voice in inclusive STEM education, Dr. Berry champions a powerful idea: STEM identity is not something students are born with—it's something they build. As the CEO of SmartLab, she is dedicated to bridging the gap between today's classrooms and tomorrow's workforce.

Takeaways:

Ben Case is part of the Tapestry education team and a former primary and early years teacher. He works closely with settings to support their use of Tapestry and believes tech is only successful if you bring staff with you. As a teacher Ben regularly presented at TeachMeet Sussex and he now helps to host the Tapestry podcast, writes for education publications, and features in many of the Tapestry training videos to support users. He is keen to share actionable insights and foster a positive, confident approach to using technology effectively in early years settings across the UK.

The AI maths tutor that gets pupils reasoning out loud.

Third Space Learning believe an AI tutor should do more than just generate questions and mark answers.

What if it could provide scaffolded support according to knowledge gaps, speaking to students and encouraging them to verbalise their reasoning as they go?

What if every pupil who needs it could work through maths problems in this way for one fixed low cost?

Meet Skye, the low-cost AI maths tutor built by expert maths teachers

Skye mimics the behaviours of a p...