Review by Sam Parrett CBE

As CEO of both a MAT and a further education college, I found Reinventing education a thought-provoking and useful read. It doesn’t just diagnose the challenges we all face but provides a blueprint for real change.

Burnout, disillusionment, stress, low productivity. These aren’t abstract concepts; they are everyday realities we see in our schools and colleges.

What our sector doesn’t need is more critique. There’s already plenty of that. What we need is a way forward – a map to connect what we already understand about the problems with the solutions we know can work.

This book delivers that, offering a fresh perspective on how education must evolve if we are to develop young people who can truly thrive in the modern world.

Watkins and Silver argue that the traditional education model – one built on standardised assessments, rigid knowledge transfer and arguably outdated curricula – is failing our young people. As someone who leads schools and colleges across different communities, my team and I see this every day.

Our learners are growing up in a rapidly-changing world, one that demands adaptability, emotional resilience and problem-solving skills. Yet we continue to assess their success through narrow academic measures that do little to prepare them for life beyond the classroom.

Like many before it, this book identifies these shortcomings in our current system. More uniquely, it manages to offer hope through a ‘deliberately developmental’ approach.

The authors make a compelling case for education that prioritises social development alongside academic learning, equipping young people with the skills and mindsets they need to develop and progress successfully.

For me, one of the most striking aspects of this book is its focus on what we are not teaching. In a post-Covid world where anxiety and mental health issues among young people are at all-time highs, the need to develop emotional intelligence and resilience is essential.

I hope policymakers take note as we rethink curriculum and assessment

Meanwhile, our schools and college work closely with employers who tell us they are crying out for young people who can think creatively and manage stress in high-pressure environments.

These aren’t just ‘soft skills’, they are the foundation upon which knowledge and technical ability are built. Watkins and Silver rightly highlight that if we want young people to be successful, we must rethink what and how we teach.

What sets Reinventing Education apart is its practicality. Unlike many books that diagnose problems without offering solutions, this book provides clear frameworks and real-world case studies that demonstrate how change can happen.

One excellent example is the Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT), which implemented a developmental approach with tangible success. They improved reading scores and phonics test results through a focus on personal growth as well as academic progress.

This is exactly the shift we need. We often talk about system reform, but before we can change the wider landscape we must first examine our own internal systems – our mindsets, priorities and willingness to embrace different ideas and practices.

And this is what Reinventing Education challenges us to do. For all its (justified) critique of the current system, it ultimately leaves us with hope, yes, but also some tangible ways to start making that hope into a reality.

The authors refer to ‘glimmers of change’. As someone who works every day to improve outcomes for young people, I hold onto that optimism. Change is possible, but it requires bold thinking, compassionate leadership and a desire to put human development at the heart of education reform.

I hope policymakers and reformers take note. As we rethink curriculum, assessment and inclusion across the system, we must move beyond knowledge transfer and embed emotional literacy, creativity and wellbeing into our practices as standard, not as add-ons.

It’s the right thing to do, and it’s what the future workforce demands. As John Dewey wisely said, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”

Reinventing Education is a must-read for anyone committed to building an education system that works for all – one that goes far beyond preparing students for exams to equip them far more fully for the challenges of life and work.