Achieving Education Equity: What does it ask of us?

This episode explores the profound impact of childhood trauma on education and society, featuring insights from Benjamin Perks (author of Trauma Proof: Healing, Attachment and the Science of Prevention) and trauma expert, Megan Corcoran (author of Beyond Survival Mode, Thriving as a Trauma-informed Professional ).Together with Tim, Benjamin and Megan discuss trauma-informed practices, the importance of strong relationship-building in schools, and a vision for trauma-proof, healing-centred education systems. Benjamin also zooms us out from the work of schools, to provide a powerful call-to-action on the need to empower families to enable all children to thrive beginning in early childhood.In the episode, Benjamin mentions wonderful examples of schools and system's doing intentional work around the student relationships, including Harvard Graduate School of Education's relational mapping approach and the Scottish Government's landmark child safety and wellbeing reforms which commit to all young people having a strong, healthy relationship with a key adult. Megan references a recent study by Deakin University on teacher stress and burnout, which finds that teachers are currently experiencing higher rates of secondary stress then other professions and the national workforce norm.Benjamin's book, Trauma Proof: Healing, Attachment and the Science of Prevention, is available to purchase ⁠here⁠.Megan's book, Beyond Survival Mode, Thriving as a Trauma-informed Professional, is available to purchase ⁠here⁠.

In this episode, Tim is joined by current teacher Tara Richardson, who makes a welcome return to the podcast after having been a constant fixture of the first series. Tim and Tara recap and review our new Visions for Education Equity series, picking out key insights and learnings from the episodes released so far. Tara also shares her experiences working in a low-SES school, and the takeaways from the episodes which she’s already putting into action in the classroom.Get your ticket to the Achieving Education Equity Gathering here.

In this enriching episode, Liz Robinson, CEO of Big Education in the UK, shares her expansive vision for equitable education, emphasising the importance of holistic approaches, community engagement, and systemic change. Liz and Tim discuss practical strategies and inspiring stories that highlight how to create inclusive, resourceful, and student-centred learning environments.You can find more on Big Education's multi-academy trust here and their Enrichment for All coalition here.A great overview of the enrichment gaps faced by UK students, and the change the coalition is seeking to see can be found in their recent report Enrichment for All: Benchmarks to build belonging, skills and opportunity. Tim referenced Australian data and research regarding access to enrichment activities and the equity gap in Australia, including that one-third of Australian children in low-income suburbs do not take part in any extracurricular activities compared to 13% from higher-income suburbs.  This is despite the known benefits of engagement in these activities.Liz shared her experience of leading multi-academy trusts, which are currently being explore in the Australian context through a trial by the Tasmanian Department of Education supported by McKinnon Foundation. 

Tim is joined by esteemed paediatrician and researcher, Professor Sharon Goldfeld, for a conversation which spans a reimagining of Australian schools to address inequities, to integrating health and education, and fostering community-centred approaches. Tim and Professor Goldfeld also talk innovative strategies and principles for creating more equitable, child-focused educational systems.Professor Goldfeld shared the importance of the Australian Early Development Census and the implications of its most recent results — check out a webinar Sharon hosted unpacking these results here. The Reinventing Australian Schools white paper by University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children's Research Institute, which provides principles for placing the whole-child at the centre of our schools and education system. Check out the work of the Child and Family Hubs Network and the evidence-base behind this model of support through their recent report 'Child and family hubs: an important ‘front door’ for equitable support for families across Australia'  here.The Getting it Right from the Start initiative looks at the evidence-based interventions and approaches for enabling equitable learning opportunities for all students. 

In this insightful episode, Tim is joined by Tom Greenwell and Chris Bonnor, authors of Waiting for Gonski, to explore the current challenges in Australia's education system, including funding disparities, segregation, and systemic assumptions. They propose a framework for a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse education system and funding model, drawing lessons from international models and advocating for systemic reform.  Throughout our Visions for Education Equity series, we have been discussing the Three Horizons process, and we would love for as many of you to get involved as possible. If you’re interested in coming along to the workshops, please reach out to [email protected].  We will also be holding the Achieving Education Equity Gathering on Thursday 30 July, bringing together hundreds of low-SES schools and organisations committed to progressing education equity, for a hands-on day of learning and action. If you’d like to participate in The Gathering, you can sign up here. Grab a copy of Chris and Tom’s book, Waiting for Gonski, while stocks last!  Mentioned during the episode were Chris and Tom’s paper on the Choice and Fairness framework for Australian schools, for a more equitable model of funding and regulation.  Be sure to also check out the paper Chris and Tom wrote on their learnings from studying the Canadian education system, and how some of them might be applied to Australian schools.  And don’t miss Chris’ brilliant article on Lessons for Australian schooling.