Product reviews for About Our Schools

This is a truly magnificent piece of writing from two of the greats in education over the last 30 years. Brighouse and Waters have extensive experience of how the education system works land
doesn't). Through interviews with a variety of key figures in education past, present and hopefully future, they have sensitively, and with clarity, addressed the many issues surrounding how we got to this point. 

I confess to being disheartened at the weight of the book, but once l opened it, I only put it down to give my wrists a well-deserved rest. The book starts from the 1976 reforms and presents the history of education in England, taking you through to how we arrived at the current system with its plethora of exams, accountability, and over-centralisation.

Early in the book, one of the values they extol is that achievements should be recognised in ways that are helpful to the pupil and their future, "with this being separate from the accountability arrangements for our schools". This change alone could see inclusion skyrocket in the secondary sector. Self-regulation is discussed as being a vital aspect of growing up and how adolescence impacts this. 

Our school system needs to be able to support this but anyone looking at the exclusion figures and the dramatic increase around puberty will recognise the current limitations. With insight from best practice examples from the past and present, insightful comments from a variety of education professionals and their own common-sense approach, I guarantee this book will have you demanding their "six foundation stones and 39 steps to success" become policy.