How to Educate a Citizen by E. D. Hirsch Jr.

I have read Hirsch’s last few books as he is a leading light in the arguments for knowledge rich teaching. This was a slightly different book and had the feeling of a swansong. It was based on the premise that knowledge rich education is crucial to reversing the damage done by progressivism. It provided some

How the Other Half Learn by Robert Pondiscio

This was a great read. It reminded me of a book like Cleverlands where an educationalist who is clearly an outstanding writer takes an in-depth look at a school. The book benefited from the objective and curious stance he could take. He immersed himself in a Success Academy school in New York for a year

Collaborative Professionalism by Hargreaves and O’Connor

Books on teacher collaboration, agency and the mechanics of educational change can be dry affairs, so I started this book with a certain trepidation. However, it was a pretty well written and relatively quick review of what makes collaboration work. The key thing that maintained its flow was its review of five case studies from

Natural Born Learners by Alex Beard

This was a book I had seen on a couple of year-end recommendation lists. To an extent, it was a bit like Cleverlands, as the author visited many of the worlds ‘leading’ educational systems. Although it lacked the clarity of Cleverlands it was perhaps more ambitious. The author aimed to find out what the schools

Creating the Schools our Children Need by Dylan Wiliam

This is a fascinating read covering a range of the most interesting educational debates. For this book Wiliam is trying to write for a wider audience and hopes that it will be read and inform a range of educational stakeholders. I loved the pace and tone of the book and as always, the clarity with

Cleverlands by Lucy Crehan

This is a wonderful book. Part travelogue part educational review. Crehan travelled to a few countries with differing educational systems and tried to work out what makes them tick. She writes in a lovely style, very engaging. I think it is a book that is accessible beyond the teaching profession- partly because everyone loves travel,