Part one of an exceptional edition of the Crown House EduTalk Podcast

One that marks the amazing contribution of Juliet Robertson, one of the most effective and successful authors with whom we have ever been associated.

Juliet wrote three books for us. Dirty Teaching and Messy Maths are both outdoor learning titles which have seen tremendous success and capture much of the wider work that Juliet did to promote outdoor education

Blood Lines our first poetry publication was a significant departure, both for Juliet and for us. It is a collection of poems describing her experience of living with terminal cancer

We believe that all of these books are remarkable, but we know that Juliet’s contribution to education went far beyond the printed word. She was a teacher, a headteacher, a trainer, a mentor and campaigner. Her website https://creativestarlearning.co.uk/ was a groundbreaking source of advice, resources and support and is now managed on her behalf

Juliet’s death in December unleashed an outpouring of admiration, appreciation, love and grief and we wanted to honour that with our own tribute to her life in education as a friend, colleague and supporter

It took two podcasts to even begin to capture who Juliet was

This first one features Ian Gilbert, founder of Independent Thinking. Juliet was an associate with Independent Thinking and part of the family of consultants that Ian values enormously. It also includes Dr Cathy Francis from the University of Aberdeen who knew Juliet from her time in teaching and who sees her as a seminal influence on education in Scotland and beyond. Finally, we have contributions from Juliet’s husband, Mark Paterson who brings a wonderfully deep personal element to the conversation. We are grateful to all who took time to share their memories and anecdotes

This is an episode full of joy, a genuine and moving celebration of an amazing educator and lovely person, please listen and then enjoy these links:

The Last word: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002pqgs

The Out of Doors Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002k306

The Juliet Robertson Interview with David Cameron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH4lshDoUWE

The Taking Action with Juliet Robertson: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1uEnoyCz3mvuahdMhMCD6x?go=1&sp_cid=7cb39b058bbdaa10b9bfa681609d9317&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1&dlsi=94e1eada5c1a46c6

We’re already on episode 5 of the Crown House EduTalk podcast, and this is our very first, not to mention “Unfinished Business – the Life and Legacy of Sir Tim Brighouse” (something David Cameron never misses a chance to plug!).

To make up for it, we have an outstanding guest addressing some of today’s most pressing education issues.

Graham Chatterley brings a wealth of experience as a teacher, school leader, and supporter of disadvantaged children and young people. He draws on his book Changing Perceptions and his work with his company of the same name to discuss behaviour, relationships, attendance, and motivation.

What also sets Graham apart is his perspective as a parent of a child with significant additional support needs. He understands SEND from both sides, offering remarkable insights into diagnosis, over-diagnosis, and school-parent relationships.

This episode is full of thought-provoking ideas and practical advice—truly not to be missed.

There will, no doubt, be plenty of brilliant conversations about Becky Francis’s 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Review, but this one certainly sets the standard!

We have two outstanding guests, Rachel McFarlane and Hywel Roberts (whose website is now live), and they really live up to their reputations.

This discussion doesn’t shy away from the big questions, probing major issues in the review and interrogating its fundamental assumptions. It remains positive throughout, recognising the outstanding work of Becky Francis and her team and the review’s promise for education in England. And it’s frequently, and gloriously, entertaining, packed with analogies you’d never expect in a conversation about curriculum and assessment.

Above all, it offers a courageous and perceptive examination of what the review means for teachers and educators.

It goes far beyond “what does this review mean for me and my stage or subject?” and questions whether this sort of systemic approach to change is the right one to take. And it never loses sight of the reality of classrooms or staffrooms.

We think that it will also make you want to return to Rachel and Hywel’s books and those to which they have contributed, so here are the links:

Obstetrics for Schools: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/obstetrics-for-schools

Powering Up Your School: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/powering-up-your-school

Oops: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/oops

Uncharted Territories: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/uncharted-territories

Botheredness: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/botheredness

We are delighted to be speaking with Jon Coles in episode 3 of EduTalk.

Jon’s career has been remarkable: he was the lead civil servant on the London Challenge and later held senior national roles as Director 14–19 and Director General for Schools and Education Standards. He is now the Chief Executive of United Learning.

Jon is one of our many Unfinished Business: The Life and Legacy of Sir Tim Brighouse contributors and knew Tim well. In this episode, he builds on topics from our previous conversation with Mick Waters and Steve Munby, continuing the discussion on tackling inequity and inconsistency in our education system. He saw the London Challenge from the inside and carried that ambition for higher, more consistent standards into his later roles and into United Learning.

Thoughtful, measured and reflective, Jon’s insights carry real weight. This is an episode well worth the time of anyone committed to a better future for all young people.

We promised to match the standard of our first Crown House EduTalk episode, which featured Andy Hargreaves (still available here), and we think we have!

This episode features education legends, Mick Waters and Steve Munby, as well as our host, David Cameron. All are prolific educational speakers, and our listeners can purchase the books that they have published (and mentioned in this episode) with Crown House Publishing with a 10% discount using the EDU10 code at the checkout: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/

All have extensive careers to draw upon, but for this conversation, they focus on their roles as the editors of Unfinished Business: The Life and Legacy of Sir Tim Brighouse.

Tim was a significant influence on them all, but as in the book, they note that his influence still rings true today. All three editors remind us about what we can learn from Tim’s work, especially regarding the London Challenge, at a time when equity remained elusive across schools, regions, and social and ethnic groups.

Unfinished Business is a genuine effort to find a way forward while also looking back to see what has worked in addressing disadvantage and underachievement in London.

As educators, we believe that this is a conversation that we really need to have, and we hope that it inspires you to ask the questions

Welcome to the very first episode of Crown House EduTalk!

Each episode engages with authors and thinkers who are breaking new ground, informing practice, challenging our thinking or doing all three!

This is certainly the case with our first guest, Andy Hargreaves.

Andy’s career is simply remarkable. His new book, The Making of an Educator, is a powerful blend of autobiography intertwined with educational history and the great shifts in thinking that Andy has witnessed over the years, accompanied by his own challenging thinking, advice and ideas. It is a brilliant starting point for anyone who is new to Andy’s work and a superb bringing together of that work for those who have followed Andy’s career. It is also available to listeners with an exclusive discount using the code: EDU10, which will allow you to take 10% off your purchase at checkout from the Crown House Publishing website.

The conversation ranges widely across all aspects of Andy’s thinking and ideas, and draws in his contribution to Unfinished Business - The Life and Legacy of Sir Tim Brighouse, which is also available to listeners with a 10% discount using the code above.

Essentially, you get the insights of two huge educational figures, two generous and marvellous human beings and lots to take away and apply in your own role.

We are setting the bar pretty high here, but we are confident that we can keep matching this standard, time and time again!