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Rethinking Education Podcast
We are collaborating with the Rethinking Education Podcast to bring you new episodes and a brand new co-host!
Since its launch in 2020, James Mannion's Rethinking Education podcast has been a staple for teachers, school leaders and education policymakers alike. Now approaching its 100th episode and with over half a million downloads to date, it features in-depth conversations with a cast of fascinating guests from across the full spectrum of the educational ecosystem.
The podcast returned in late January 2025 with a new co-host, David Cameron, who co-edited the recently published Unfinished Business: The life and legacy of Sir Tim Brighouse – a tribute and a call to action.
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Episodes:
Introducing the new co-host, (The Real) David Cameron
Welcome to this episode in which we get to know our new co-host, The Real David Cameron!
David Cameron is an incredible educator, public speaker, and human being whose work James has admired for many years. He has been a teacher and a senior manager in schools and local authorities, most recently as the Director of Children’s Services for Stirling Council.
He was President of the Association of Directors of Education Scotland and has been centrally involved in virtually every major development in Scottish education over the last 40 years. More recently he has been an independent speaker and consultant working across the UK and internationally.
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In this episode - their first rodeo as co-hosts - James and David are joined by Dr Debra Kidd, the author of A Curriculum of Hope, and by Tina Farr and Clare Whyles, the headteacher and deputy head of St. Ebbe’s Primary School in Oxford. Tina, Clare and the St Ebbe’s team have done some incredible work in recent years bringing a curriculum of hope to life for their learners, and spreading a little joy and belonging along the way.
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This episode features an astonishing conversation by two remarkable educators, Hywel Roberts and Tim Taylor. Tim kindly stepped in as a guest host for this episode, to explore some of the big ideas that underpin Hywel’s excellent book, Botheredness: Stories, stance, pedagogy.
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In this special episode, James and David take a look at the education systems in the four nations of the United Kingdom and ask: what can we learn from one another?
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Lewis Wedlock is an academic, mental health professional and masculinities educator from Bristol, England. He has spent the last five years working with thousands of young men across the UK in secondary and higher education, engaging them in topics such as feminism, allyship, accountability, sexism, misogyny and VAWG.
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For a whole range of reasons, mainstream education does not suit every young person. In 2023, there were over 25,000 young people are enrolled in alternative provision in the UK - a number that continues to rise.
In this post, James and David bring you a fascinating conversation with John Tomsett and Mary Myatt – two people who have done a great deal to shape thinking about curriculum and school leadership in recent years.
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In this powerful and timely episode, James and David speak with two leading commentators, Warwick Mansell and Dr Naomi Fisher, who contribute to the education debate from very different perspectives.
They dig into the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill currently making its way through parliament, and ask: who gets to decide what’s best for children?
Warwick examines how the academies system has paved the way for growing inequality, secrecy, and reduced local oversight, while Naomi outlines how the Bill could ramp up state control over home education.
From local authorities to parental rights, this episode reveals what’s at stake – and why we should all be paying attention…
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In this powerful and practical conversation, Dr James Mannion and The Real David Cameron are joined by the inspirational Amjad Ali – teacher, leader, inclusion expert, founder of Try This Teaching and author of A Little Guide for Teachers: SEND in Schools – to explore what it would take to fix the SEND crisis.
With over 20 years of experience across a wide range of educational settings, Amjad brings a wealth of knowledge and deep compassion to the question of how we can better serve learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Together, we explore:
- Why the SEND system is currently under such immense pressure
- The barriers that children, families and teachers face every day
- What inclusion really means – and how to move beyond tokenism
- Practical ideas to create more equitable, compassionate classrooms
- The mindset shifts needed at every level of the system
This is a must-listen episode for anyone who wants to make education more inclusive, sustainable, and humane – not just for SEND learners, but for everyone.
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In this joyful and thought-provoking episode, we’re joined by Tom Veck and Andy Hawkings from Rocktopus – the world’s greatest rock band for kids (and educators, as it turns out).
At the last Rethinking Education conference, Tom and Andy did something truly remarkable: in front of a live audience of 500 people, they wrote a brand new song on the spot. With lyrics provided by the audience and four chords chosen entirely at random, they created a tune that’s both hilarious and haunting – and just wait until you hear it. Fair warning: it’s an absolute earworm.
But this episode is more than a musical moment. Tom and Andy – both former teachers – use the lyrics of the song as a springboard for a fascinating conversation about the perks and peculiarities of the English education system. We explore the power of creativity, the limits of conformity, and what it might take to build a system that helps everyone to thrive.
Whether you’re a teacher, parent, policymaker or student, this one’s for you.
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