Creating Tomorrow's Schools Today: Education - Our Children - Their Futures

by Richard Gerver

Overview

'It's time to focus on the needs of our children, not the whims of our politicians, to provide a way forward for a new landscape in education.'

Is our education system working?
What future are we preparing our children for?
What future do we NEED to prepare our children for?
Are we at risk of failing a generation?

In this updated edition of renowned education speaker Richard Gerver's book we are faced with these worrying questions and many more regarding the schools our children are attending, the curriculum they are following and the testing system used to catagorise them. In this rousing call for educational revolution, Richard argues passionately that we must fight harder for our children's futures and we must do it today!

Richard describes the strategies he used when he was brought in as head teacher to turn around Grange Primary school. It was there that he implemented his vision for a school system that caters for every child; a system that helps nurture self-confidence, self-worth, creativity, innovative thinking, team-working and communication skills - all key employability skills that children will need in the fast-moving world of technology and information they are growing up in.

Richard is now the second most successful education speaker in the world behind Sir Ken Robinson, who describes Richard as 'one of the clearest and most passionate voices for radical change in education' and wrote the foreword for this book. Richard has updated Creating Tomorrow's Schools Today based on his visits to schools on every continent, his conversations on education with teachers and industry-leading visionaries such as Steve Wozniak, and in the context of an education system that he fears is forgetting the future we need to prepare our children for.

Reforms, tweaks and new policies are not enough – a radical transformation is needed. If you read only one Education manifesto in the next year, this is it!

Join the conversation: #Edvision

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472912831
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/25/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Richard Gerver is an internationally renowned education speaker and expert. He has done a TED talk in Brazil and was a keynote speaker at BETT this year. He is the author of the bestselling title CHANGE, published by Penguin in 2013. He was formerly Headteacher of the internationally respected Grange Primary School in Long Eaton, UK, where he put into action his passionate belief in child-centric learning that focuses on experience and context. A former National Teaching Award winner, Richard has been described as one of the most innovative and inspirational school leaders of our time by Sir Ken Robinson.


Sir Ken Robinson is an internationally recognised leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources in education and business and a bestselling author. His famous TED talk in 2006 is the most viewed talk in TED's history and his talks have been viewed over 25million times reaching an estimated 250 million people in 150 countries.
Richard Gerver is a world-renowned speaker on education, leadership and change. He worked in education for 20 years and was the award-winning headteacher of Grange Primary School. Richard is now an international speaker who works regularly with schools and global businesses, including Google, Visa, Microsoft, and elite and professional sporting organisations. Richard was named one of the world's Top 30 Education Gurus in 2020 by Global Gurus. He is the bestselling author of Creating Tomorrow's Schools Today and is a regular media commentator. Follow Richard on Twitter: @richardgerver.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword by Sir Ken Robinson
Preface - The Moral Imperative
Section One: The Challenge

1: Our children, their futures/ 2: Tomorrow's natives/ 3: Selling school/ 4: Encouraging the mistake makers/ 5: Who is school for/ 6: What should we teach?/ 7: Learning that matters/ 8: An end to factory schooling/ 9: For their futures?/ 10: Making school magical!/ 11: Beyond only schools /12: The way forward?

Section Two: The Way it Could Be

Ch 13 - Creating The Vision
The thinking behind the 'Grange way'

Ch 14 - Developing the Whole Child
Putting personal development at the heart of the process

Ch 15 - Beyond Subjects
Developing a thematic approach

Ch 16 - The Grangeton Project
Creating three dimensional learning

Ch 17 - A Curriculum of all the Talents
Nurturing every individual and finding what makes them tick

Ch 18 - Into the Unknown
Moving forward from the book



Afterword - Leading into the Unknown
Bibliography and References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Richard Gerver is one of the clearest and most passionate voices for radical change both in education and in business. As a highly successful and revolutionary school principal he has transformed the expectations and achievements of children, teachers and communities alike. In his compelling presentations and books he now takes his powerful message of hope and possibility to educators, policy makers and business leaders around the world. It's a message that has to be heard.” —Sir Ken Robinson

“There is a battle for the soul of education going on. Who wins matters terribly. Read Gerver's beautifully written book, see what's at stake -and come down on the right side!” —Professor Guy Claxton, author of Building Learning Power and What's the Point of School?

“An excellent book that will make you think critically about learning and how to create an education system that cherishes the talents and abilities of young people.” —Nikhil Goyal, author and activist

“What should be the future for our children and our schools? Instead of speculative academic theory, this visionary, practical and at times poetic book shows us real examples of what the future of education already looks like. Gerver is a leadership hero and a storytelling genius. His book is an absolute treasure.” —Andrew Hargreaves, education researcher and adviser

“OF FIRST EDITION: In the internationally recognised Grange Primary school, high standards and an inspiring and magical learning experience are not mutually exclusive...Richard explains the pedagogy and culture at the root of this successful approach and the vision we need for teachers and heads everywhere.” —Dr Des Hewitt, Assistant Head of Teacher Education (Primary Education) and Acting B.Ed Programme Leader, University of Derby, UK

“OF FIRST EDITION: Richard Gerver throws down a gauntlet to all those involved in the education of young people...this is not a book just about theory. Richard has walked the talk. He tells us the story of how, together with students, staff, parents and the local community, Grange Primary School climbed out of the depths of failure to being described as outstanding by Ofsted. And how did they do it? They did it by espousing the principles outlined in the book. By a faith in the development of a curriculum with creativity at its centre, and a passion for a process that had living, learning and laughing at its core.” —Sir John Jones, international speaker, author and Associate Director of ALITE Ltd, UK

“OF FIRST EDITION: Infectiously optimistic, this book will be heartening for those who believe schools must evolve, and will raise uncomfortable questions for those who want to turban back the clock on primary curriculum. It may be accessible, and it may take inspiration from Disney, but Mickey Mouse this ain't” —TES

“OF FIRST EDITION: We must prepare our children for the challenges of tomorrow, writes Gerver, where adaptability, and emotional, social and intellectual awareness, are vital. If you want to understand that future, read this book, and join the revolution, now.” —Sublime, July 2010

“OF FIRST EDITION: This is an inspiring book in its ability to challenge the conventional wisdom about what education is for. It reminds us that children need to be at the heart of any successful system of education and that it is possible to swim against the tide and create a community of successful teachers and learners despite the pressures to give in to the data machine model of schooling.” —Celia Dignan, former London primary school teacher and Editor of Education Review

From the Publisher

OF FIRST EDITION: This is an inspiring book in its ability to challenge the conventional wisdom about what education is for. It reminds us that children need to be at the heart of any successful system of education and that it is possible to swim against the tide and create a community of successful teachers and learners despite the pressures to give in to the data machine model of schooling.

former London primary school teacher and Editor of Celia Dignan

OF FIRST EDITION: We must prepare our children for the challenges of tomorrow, writes Gerver, where adaptability, and emotional, social and intellectual awareness, are vital. If you want to understand that future, read this book, and join the revolution, now.

July 2010 Sublime

OF FIRST EDITION: Infectiously optimistic, this book will be heartening for those who believe schools must evolve, and will raise uncomfortable questions for those who want to turn back the clock on primary curriculum. It may be accessible, and it may take inspiration from Disney, but Mickey Mouse this ain't

TES

OF FIRST EDITION: Richard Gerver throws down a gauntlet to all those involved in the education of young people...this is not a book just about theory. Richard has walked the talk. He tells us the story of how, together with students, staff, parents and the local community, Grange Primary School climbed out of the depths of failure to being described as outstanding by Ofsted. And how did they do it? They did it by espousing the principles outlined in the book. By a faith in the development of a curriculum with creativity at its centre, and a passion for a process that had living, learning and laughing at its core.

Sir John Jones

OF FIRST EDITION: In the internationally recognised Grange Primary school, high standards and an inspiring and magical learning experience are not mutually exclusive...Richard explains the pedagogy and culture at the root of this successful approach and the vision we need for teachers and heads everywhere.

Dr Des Hewitt

What should be the future for our children and our schools? Instead of speculative academic theory, this visionary, practical and at times poetic book shows us real examples of what the future of education already looks like. Gerver is a leadership hero and a storytelling genius. His book is an absolute treasure.

education researcher and adviser Andrew Hargreaves

An excellent book that will make you think critically about learning and how to create an education system that cherishes the talents and abilities of young people.

author and activist Nikhil Goyal

There is a battle for the soul of education going on. Who wins matters terribly. Read Gerver's beautifully written book, see what's at stake -and come down on the right side!

author of Building Learning Power and What's the Professor Guy Claxton

Richard Gerver is one of the clearest and most passionate voices for radical change both in education and in business. As a highly successful and revolutionary school principal he has transformed the expectations and achievements of children, teachers and communities alike. In his compelling presentations and books he now takes his powerful message of hope and possibility to educators, policy makers and business leaders around the world. It's a message that has to be heard.

Sir Ken Robinson