In this rich crossover conversation, Chris Braitch and Dr James Mannion interview one another about trauma, healing, and the deep structural shifts needed in education.
Chris Braitch is a father of three whose mission is to move himself and others towards connection and compassion. He works as an emotional health coach, a leadership coach with Compassionate Leaders Global, and is the founding director of Seen & Heard, a not-for-profit supporting the wellbeing of past and present pupils of the private school system - many of whom have experienced institutional neglect, emotional harm or abuse.
After two decades in global sales and marketing, Chris realised that his life had been shaped by powerful, unexamined forces: early separation, boarding school culture, unresolved childhood experiences, and profound personal grief. Through coaching, men’s groups, the Emotional Freedom Technique, and a life-changing spiritual awakening, he discovered a new sense of purpose rooted in authenticity, service, and compassion. This journey transformed his parenting, his perspective, and the work he now offers to others.
James shares the origins of the Rethinking Education Podcast, his work with the Learner Effectiveness Programme, slice teams, implementation science, and the Education Policy Alliance, and explores why so many top-down reforms fail to shift what actually happens in classrooms.
Together, they explore:
- The “myth of privilege” and why suffering in elite institutions is so often minimised
- How early separation and boarding school cultures shape adult hypervigilance, self-protection, and leadership
- The emotional and spiritual turning points that redirected Chris’s life
- How Seen & Heard supports former pupils, works with schools, and campaigns for safer legislation
- Why spoken language (oracy) is an overlooked equity issue
- Why the system keeps “locating the problem in the child”
- How learner-effectiveness, self-regulation, and holistic education can transform outcomes
- The cultural assumptions baked into British schooling and politics
- Why compassion-centred leadership matters now more than ever
This is a deeply human, hopeful conversation about trauma, awareness, systemic change, and learning to live - and lead - with compassion.
LINKS
- Chris’s not for profit supporting the wellbeing of past pupils of boarding and independent day schools and their families – https://seenheard.org.uk
- Chris’s not for profit supporting the wellbeing of present pupils of boarding and independent day schools and their families – https://seenheardschools.org.uk
- Chris’s coaching business where I support men and women through 1-2-1’s and groups – https://growthwave.uk
The Compassionate Leader Pathway Course - designed to help people lead with purpose, perform with clarity and live with integrity. https://compassionateleadersglobal.com
CREDITS
- The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean.
- Outro track: How it is and how it should be by Grit Control
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
This podcast is a labour of love, with the emphasis on both the labour and the love.
If you’d like to support the podcast or convey your appreciation for these conversations, you can:
Become a patron: https://patreon.com/repod
Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/repod
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with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
In this rich crossover conversation, Chris Braitch and Dr James Mannion interview one another about trauma, healing, and the deep structural shifts needed in education.
Chris Braitch is a father of three whose mission is to move himself and others towards connection and compassion. He works as an emotional health coach, a leadership coach with Compassionate Leaders Global, and is the founding director of Seen & Heard, a not-for-profit supporting the wellbeing of past and present pupils of the private school system - many of whom have experienced institutional neglect, emotional harm or abuse.
After two decades in global sales and marketing, Chris realised that his life had been shaped by powerful, unexamined forces: early separation, boarding school culture, unresolved childhood experiences, and profound personal grief. Through coaching, men’s groups, the Emotional Freedom Technique, and a life-changing spiritual awakening, he discovered a new sense of purpose rooted in authenticity, service, and compassion. This journey transformed his parenting, his perspective, and the work he now offers to others.
James shares the origins of the Rethinking Education Podcast, his work with the Learner Effectiveness Programme, slice teams, implementation science, and the Education Policy Alliance, and explores why so many top-down reforms fail to shift what actually happens in classrooms.
Together, they explore:
- The “myth of privilege” and why suffering in elite institutions is so often minimised
- How early separation and boarding school cultures shape adult hypervigilance, self-protection, and leadership
- The emotional and spiritual turning points that redirected Chris’s life
- How Seen & Heard supports former pupils, works with schools, and campaigns for safer legislation
- Why spoken language (oracy) is an overlooked equity issue
- Why the system keeps “locating the problem in the child”
- How learner-effectiveness, self-regulation, and holistic education can transform outcomes
- The cultural assumptions baked into British schooling and politics
- Why compassion-centred leadership matters now more than ever
This is a deeply human, hopeful conversation about trauma, awareness, systemic change, and learning to live - and lead - with compassion.
LINKS
- Chris’s not for profit supporting the wellbeing of past pupils of boarding and independent day schools and their families – https://seenheard.org.uk
- Chris’s not for profit supporting the wellbeing of present pupils of boarding and independent day schools and their families – https://seenheardschools.org.uk
- Chris’s coaching business where I support men and women through 1-2-1’s and groups – https://growthwave.uk
The Compassionate Leader Pathway Course - designed to help people lead with purpose, perform with clarity and live with integrity. https://compassionateleadersglobal.com
CREDITS
- The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean.
- Outro track: How it is and how it should be by Grit Control
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
This podcast is a labour of love, with the emphasis on both the labour and the love.
If you’d like to support the podcast or convey your appreciation for these conversations, you can:
Become a patron: https://patreon.com/repod
Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/repod
John Tomsett & Mary Myatt on Alternative Provision and our splintering education system
Rethinking Education
1 hour 10 minutes 19 seconds
6 months ago
John Tomsett & Mary Myatt on Alternative Provision and our splintering education system
In today’s episode, I bring you a fascinating conversation with John Tomsett and Mary Myatt – two people who’ve done so much to shape thinking about curriculum and leadership in schools over recent years.
Mary Myatt is an education adviser, writer and speaker. She started out as an RE teacher and has written extensively about curriculum, leadership and school improvement – books like High Challenge, Low Threat, The Curriculum: Gallimaufry to Coherence and of course the original Huh.
John Tomsett taught in state schools for over three decades, including 18 years as a headteacher. He’s written widely about leadership and mental health in schools, including Love Over Fear, Mind Over Matter, and Putting Staff First. He’s also one of the leading figures in the evidence-informed education movement and former leader of Huntington Research School in York.
This conversation centres around their latest collaboration, AP Huh, which is part of their brilliant Huh series. The idea behind the Huh books is simple but powerful: to elevate the conversation around curriculum design by listening closely to the people doing the work – subject leaders, senior leaders, teachers, and in this case, those working in alternative provision.
The term Huh comes from the Egyptian god of endlessness, creativity and regeneration – and that spirit runs through everything they write. The Huh books are deeply rooted in the real world of schools, but they always look to what’s possible, what’s better – what could be.
Together, John and Mary bring a huge depth of experience, a deep moral commitment to young people, and a keen eye for what actually works. This was a really enjoyable conversation – and I hope you get as much out of it as I did.
LINKS
Buy AP Huh - https://www.johncattbookshop.com/products/alternative-provision-huh
Follow John - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tomsett-38ba74b3/
Follow Mary - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marymyatt/
Follow James - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mannion/
Outro track: ‘How it is and how it should be’ by Grit Control: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ud69RIV1eOV9poMR7AORI
DON'T BE A STRANGER
The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean. Drop us a line at https://www.rethinking-ed.org/contact.
SUPPORT THE RETHINKING ED PODCAST:
Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/repod
Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/repod
Rethinking Education
In this rich crossover conversation, Chris Braitch and Dr James Mannion interview one another about trauma, healing, and the deep structural shifts needed in education.
Chris Braitch is a father of three whose mission is to move himself and others towards connection and compassion. He works as an emotional health coach, a leadership coach with Compassionate Leaders Global, and is the founding director of Seen & Heard, a not-for-profit supporting the wellbeing of past and present pupils of the private school system - many of whom have experienced institutional neglect, emotional harm or abuse.
After two decades in global sales and marketing, Chris realised that his life had been shaped by powerful, unexamined forces: early separation, boarding school culture, unresolved childhood experiences, and profound personal grief. Through coaching, men’s groups, the Emotional Freedom Technique, and a life-changing spiritual awakening, he discovered a new sense of purpose rooted in authenticity, service, and compassion. This journey transformed his parenting, his perspective, and the work he now offers to others.
James shares the origins of the Rethinking Education Podcast, his work with the Learner Effectiveness Programme, slice teams, implementation science, and the Education Policy Alliance, and explores why so many top-down reforms fail to shift what actually happens in classrooms.
Together, they explore:
- The “myth of privilege” and why suffering in elite institutions is so often minimised
- How early separation and boarding school cultures shape adult hypervigilance, self-protection, and leadership
- The emotional and spiritual turning points that redirected Chris’s life
- How Seen & Heard supports former pupils, works with schools, and campaigns for safer legislation
- Why spoken language (oracy) is an overlooked equity issue
- Why the system keeps “locating the problem in the child”
- How learner-effectiveness, self-regulation, and holistic education can transform outcomes
- The cultural assumptions baked into British schooling and politics
- Why compassion-centred leadership matters now more than ever
This is a deeply human, hopeful conversation about trauma, awareness, systemic change, and learning to live - and lead - with compassion.
LINKS
- Chris’s not for profit supporting the wellbeing of past pupils of boarding and independent day schools and their families – https://seenheard.org.uk
- Chris’s not for profit supporting the wellbeing of present pupils of boarding and independent day schools and their families – https://seenheardschools.org.uk
- Chris’s coaching business where I support men and women through 1-2-1’s and groups – https://growthwave.uk
The Compassionate Leader Pathway Course - designed to help people lead with purpose, perform with clarity and live with integrity. https://compassionateleadersglobal.com
CREDITS
- The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean.
- Outro track: How it is and how it should be by Grit Control
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
This podcast is a labour of love, with the emphasis on both the labour and the love.
If you’d like to support the podcast or convey your appreciation for these conversations, you can:
Become a patron: https://patreon.com/repod
Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/repod
