Review by Sanum Jawaid Khan

We know that educators are burning out and working towards some seemingly unattainable standards – often ones which they don’t even believe to be just. We need systemic change and these can’t be achieved by people working in schools alone. What Jo Clemmet offers with Tilting Education is neither radical nor revolutionary. But, if implemented well, it could be the solution we all need.

Clemmet starts with values and it makes no sense to begin elsewhere. In a system where the goalposts seem to move regularly and the sky is the limit with regard to what can be asked of us, we are desperately in need of something to help us decide what is enough and what is reasonable.

My mother has always said that a tree, no matter how tall, will blow over with one gust of wind if it does not have strong roots. The chapter on values is the roots of this book. Clemmet writes that “the argument is not that values are more important than results but that focusing more on values will relieve the pressure associated with succeeding at all costs”.

He goes on to suggest that ‘good’ is actually good enough. We need to understand success as part of an interconnected web of projects and people, where binary models of success are harmful. Kindness, here, begins with expressing it to ourselves and becomes the measure of success we use for our own pursuits.

The narrative evolves well and perhaps it helped that I read it as someone new in senior leadership and part of a committed, kind and progressive team. The thought that “the type of person you are is far more important for motivating others than your organisational skills or stunning vision for your team” did give me ease, and indeed a sense of security, that I was recruited for who I am rather than what outcomes I can evidence. I reflected on my own position often as I read this book and could easily identify successes that were planned for, and those which I need to unpack further.

There are a few key threads running through Tilting education and an important one is the need for diversity of thought among a team and across a school. As the range of perspectives grow, so too should the understanding of ‘success’ that goes beyond the seemingly measurable. This cements the view that discussions of wellbeing, values, diversity, equity and inclusion all sit under the umbrella of ‘school culture’ and such a step towards this understanding is certainly welcome.

The pessimist in me does have reservations, however. Clemmet points out that leadership is about mindsets, not hierarchy. Coupled with the idea that ‘good’ is good enough, this perspective certainly sounds wholesome but it is perhaps too idealistic at the moment. Unless every stakeholder in every school in the country is willing to buy into this manifesto in order to prioritise wellbeing and immeasurable means of success, Clemmet’s suggestions can only be fully embraced by the privileged few who don’t need to compete against respected local peers.

This book is packed with ‘nudge’ behaviours we can employ to work towards kinder schools, and it is worth reading to see which of these can be adopted for your practice. Clemmet edges us towards embracing the notion of everyday leadership – a leadership that is rooted in a strong set of organisational values where each person is fully represented, engaged and empowered to drive a culture of kindness. Exam data and Ofsted inspections do not tell us all there is to know about the success of a school and Clemmet outlines a good case for this, as well as some sound suggestions for how else to identify our own achievements.

On balance then, Tilting education is neither radical nor revolutionary but that is not what Clemmet sets out to do. It is insightful and influential, but only if you begin with your values and reflect along the way.