As 2025 draws to a close, James and David come together for a wide-ranging Christmas conversation that reflects on a turbulent year in education – and looks ahead to where hope, change, and renewal might yet be found.
Kicking off with a powerful metaphor drawn from winter sea swimming, the discussion explores why schools currently feel so ‘choppy’, from behaviour and attendance to widening inequality and system-level pressures. Along the way, we reflect on what really matters in education – relationships, belonging, and being known – and why these often get squeezed out by accountability and assessment.
The episode revisits key debates sparked by the Curriculum and Assessment Review, including the future of GCSEs, the limits of ‘manageable change’, and the uneasy separation of curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy.
A detour into restorative justice, inspired by Punch and the story of Jacob Dunne, deepens the conversation about connection, responsibility, and what happens when people are truly seen. The parallels with schooling – and with how society treats its most vulnerable young people – are stark.
The episode closes on a hopeful note, spotlighting examples of schools doing brave, relational, and imaginative work within the current system, and outlining plans for the podcast in 2026: fewer trench wars, more light-shining on practice that actually helps children and young people thrive.
James also shares upcoming programmes and projects focused on oracy, behaviour, botheredness, and learning beyond subjects – all grounded in the belief that meaningful change is possible when we start with relationships and implementation.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why education feels ‘choppy’ – and what the winter swim metaphor reveals
- Behaviour, discipline, and the limits of coercive models
- Restorative justice, Punch, and the power of being known
- What the Curriculum and Assessment Review did – and didn’t – make possible
- GCSEs, adolescent development, and the problem of high-stakes exams at 16
- Why relationships matter more than systems – and what the evidence says
- Examples of hopeful practice already happening in schools
- What’s next for the podcast in 2026
Support #repod
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.
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 and convey your appreciation for these conversations, you can:
Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/repod
Buy us a coffee: https://www.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.
As 2025 draws to a close, James and David come together for a wide-ranging Christmas conversation that reflects on a turbulent year in education – and looks ahead to where hope, change, and renewal might yet be found.
Kicking off with a powerful metaphor drawn from winter sea swimming, the discussion explores why schools currently feel so ‘choppy’, from behaviour and attendance to widening inequality and system-level pressures. Along the way, we reflect on what really matters in education – relationships, belonging, and being known – and why these often get squeezed out by accountability and assessment.
The episode revisits key debates sparked by the Curriculum and Assessment Review, including the future of GCSEs, the limits of ‘manageable change’, and the uneasy separation of curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy.
A detour into restorative justice, inspired by Punch and the story of Jacob Dunne, deepens the conversation about connection, responsibility, and what happens when people are truly seen. The parallels with schooling – and with how society treats its most vulnerable young people – are stark.
The episode closes on a hopeful note, spotlighting examples of schools doing brave, relational, and imaginative work within the current system, and outlining plans for the podcast in 2026: fewer trench wars, more light-shining on practice that actually helps children and young people thrive.
James also shares upcoming programmes and projects focused on oracy, behaviour, botheredness, and learning beyond subjects – all grounded in the belief that meaningful change is possible when we start with relationships and implementation.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why education feels ‘choppy’ – and what the winter swim metaphor reveals
- Behaviour, discipline, and the limits of coercive models
- Restorative justice, Punch, and the power of being known
- What the Curriculum and Assessment Review did – and didn’t – make possible
- GCSEs, adolescent development, and the problem of high-stakes exams at 16
- Why relationships matter more than systems – and what the evidence says
- Examples of hopeful practice already happening in schools
- What’s next for the podcast in 2026
Support #repod
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.
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 and convey your appreciation for these conversations, you can:
Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/repod
Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/repod
“We need a new language!" Jaz Ampaw-Farr on hope, trauma tourism and teachers as everyday heroes
Rethinking Education
2 hours 22 minutes 59 seconds
4 months ago
“We need a new language!" Jaz Ampaw-Farr on hope, trauma tourism and teachers as everyday heroes
In this episode, David and James sit down with Jaz Ampaw-Farr to talk about her powerful new book Because of You, This is Me: The stories we tell, the stories we change and the power of everyday heroes. We explore the big themes of the book, including:
The lies we’ve agreed to and how to rewrite them
Why we need a new vocabulary for education
And the everyday heroes who changed the ending for Jaz
Along the way we also touch on the importance of listening to voices of lived experience – a conversation that was sparked by Darren McGarvey’s work and led to some of Jaz’s most insightful reflections.
This episode is a rich mix of personal story, educational insight and practical wisdom.
Links and resources:
Jaz’s book: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/because-of-you-this-is-me
Jaz’s TEDx talk ‘The power of everyday heroes’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3xoZXSW5yc
Jaz’s website: https://jazampawfarr.com/
Find out more about the Open School: https://www.theopenschool.uk/
Enjoyed the episode?
Please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend or colleague. You can also support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/repod
Outro track: ‘How it is and how it should be’ by Grit Control: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ud69RIV1eOV9poMR7AORI
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.
Rethinking Education
As 2025 draws to a close, James and David come together for a wide-ranging Christmas conversation that reflects on a turbulent year in education – and looks ahead to where hope, change, and renewal might yet be found.
Kicking off with a powerful metaphor drawn from winter sea swimming, the discussion explores why schools currently feel so ‘choppy’, from behaviour and attendance to widening inequality and system-level pressures. Along the way, we reflect on what really matters in education – relationships, belonging, and being known – and why these often get squeezed out by accountability and assessment.
The episode revisits key debates sparked by the Curriculum and Assessment Review, including the future of GCSEs, the limits of ‘manageable change’, and the uneasy separation of curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy.
A detour into restorative justice, inspired by Punch and the story of Jacob Dunne, deepens the conversation about connection, responsibility, and what happens when people are truly seen. The parallels with schooling – and with how society treats its most vulnerable young people – are stark.
The episode closes on a hopeful note, spotlighting examples of schools doing brave, relational, and imaginative work within the current system, and outlining plans for the podcast in 2026: fewer trench wars, more light-shining on practice that actually helps children and young people thrive.
James also shares upcoming programmes and projects focused on oracy, behaviour, botheredness, and learning beyond subjects – all grounded in the belief that meaningful change is possible when we start with relationships and implementation.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why education feels ‘choppy’ – and what the winter swim metaphor reveals
- Behaviour, discipline, and the limits of coercive models
- Restorative justice, Punch, and the power of being known
- What the Curriculum and Assessment Review did – and didn’t – make possible
- GCSEs, adolescent development, and the problem of high-stakes exams at 16
- Why relationships matter more than systems – and what the evidence says
- Examples of hopeful practice already happening in schools
- What’s next for the podcast in 2026
Support #repod
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.
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 and convey your appreciation for these conversations, you can:
Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/repod
Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/repod
