I have been working on a topic around 'wounding' lately in various contexts and what has been most enlightening is learning about the nature (and science) of stress.

The wellness community often presents stress as the enemy-and it is, in…

Why Do High-Achieving Students Still Feel Lost? 

There are a number of factors that can get in the way of capable students—even if it doesn’t look like it. 

Too much choice is one problem. Because each subject is enjoyable they…

Voice Theory 

I have just completed an MA in Voice Theory at Warwick. My professor very kindly let me, actually encouraged me, to draw from the work I had written in my book, The Creative Voice. 

This was not a…

Is passion valuable? Yes.

The idea of “finding your calling” isn’t new.
The debate about whether calling even exists is even older.

But as a graduate of now an MA in Career and Coaching Studies, I did find the article…

Over the past few months, I’ve been speaking to a number of independent and international schools about my work in youth development and early careers guidance.

I assumed we would be discussing exam performance, university applications, or study skills.

We…

If ever I could recommend a book on learning, it would be this one: How Learning Happens by Paul A. Kirschner and Carl Hendrick. 

Published this year in its second edition it debunks so many of the myths that we…

What a refreshing read first thing on a Sunday morning. It is heartening to know that someone in a position of influence recognises the shortcomings of GCSE English Language. I agree wholeheartedly.

Having tutored students from 11+ through to university…

When Keir said, “AI wasn’t coming; it was already here,” he was not exaggerating.

On Monday and Tuesday morning, I attended two UNESCO webinars focused on AI in education. This morning, I continued the conversation with an AI consultant, exploring…

If I haven’t said already, the theme of the month is conflict (prevention)! 

One of the biggest things to come out of the the panelled talk at UCL on conflict in the workplace was the central need of emotional intelligence…

Are you stuck in workplace conflict or difference and don’t know how to solve the issues? Are you frustrated in your career because there is so much stress and anxiety getting in the way of your work? 

Work should be…

Wellbeing. Mental health. Education mental health practitioner (MHET). Education wellbeing practitioner. These are the current job titles and catchwords dominating the growing space on the topic of mental health and wellbeing among students today. But there is a missing entry…

As someone who has worked in youth development—tutoring and early careers planning for teenagers and young adults—for almost twenty years, I can say that the majority of my clients attend private schools. That reality naturally raises questions. Why is additional…

If you are a parent with children in school and feel like you don't know how best to support their development, that there are things other parents are doing that you're missing, then you might like to delve into some…

It was very distressing to read about this latest report on sexual misconduct in the tutoring industry - people posing as tutors to gain one-to-one access to students in a confined space. It's truly disturbing for me personally because I…

Opportunity and obstacle are presented as polar opposites when so often it's simpy just about the way you are seeing the same scenario.

If you’re stuck in old ways and want a change, think about the role that your perspective…

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s latest statement on how to use equity in education as a launch pad to furthering social mobility in the UK is a decent read.

She talks about sacking off one-line Ofsted reports, raising teacher pay, bringing…

Wishing all of you A-level students the best of luck today on your results! 

Looks like more boys are doing better this time, and there are more top grades than last year but a few less overall passes. 

Good luck!!! 

My memoir-album, the Creative Voice, is soon to be available as an ebook on Kindle and an Audiobook! 

This is the project of my lifetime and it underpins everything I do as a career coach and educator. 

Which school?

Parents often ask my opinion when it comes to choosing schools for their children. They feel torn between wanting to do the best thing for their child, while being uncertain of how to judge a school before their…

I've never been so grateful for anything as much as the times I've fallen flat on my face.   

- My A-levels were one long string of poor grades until my final exams.   

- I have never had…