Right now in education

Where do we put our attention?

I don’t think we need a new education system. I think we need a more human one - a system that values time, relationships and emotional development as much as test scores and data.

The focus on improving educational outcomes and best-practice teaching is loud and front and centre, while the people inside the system are under enormous pressure. That tension is hard to ignore.

So I keep coming back to this question:

What would education look like if we actually meant it?

Right now, I’m reaching out and speaking with some of the most respected voices in education and wellbeing on my new podcast, and if I’m honest, it’s got me pretty excited. It’s also stirred up more emotion than I expected.

Because this matters.
Teaching matters.
Children’s experiences at school matter.

When I look at what’s happening in schools - the anxiety, disengagement, bullying, scattered attention and students who are really struggling - I can’t help but feel that something essential is being missed. Every classroom and school looks different, and the challenges teachers and students face can vary widely, but from a societal perspective, it’s impossible to turn away from the realities many children and families are navigating while teachers and schools are doing their best to meet everyone’s needs.

We talk about wellbeing. We talk about academic outcomes. We talk about behaviour, policies, culture, boundaries, systems, data, curriculum, best practices, strategies and frameworks. All of these are important.

But underneath all of it are human nervous systems, adult and child, trying to survive in a world that feels fast, pressured and overwhelming. When I strip it all back, I keep coming back to the same things:

Our relationships and connection. Our capacity for joy. Our sense of safety and belonging. Our ability to think, feel, relate and solve real problems and to help our students do the same. Our ability to show up as the best version of ourselves.

For a moment, let’s forget about the collective noise around education.

Let’s ask a simpler question:

How are we actually showing up in our classrooms, right now?

Because what we do every day - the compassionate way we speak to each other, the care we show, the way we listen, the boundaries we hold, the pace we move at, the space we make for challenge and emotions, the way we care for ourselves each day, the way we are present with children - at every level - this is what truly shapes a school.

This is how nervous systems settle.
This is how trust is built.
This is how motivation grows.
This is how teachers and students begin to feel safe and energised.

Yes, there are issues with pay. Yes, we need to talk about workload. Yes, we need to talk about retention and resourcing. And culture, systems and best practice teaching are incredibly important.

But we also need to talk about how we calm and regulate nervous systems because without this, nothing else changes.

I’m genuinely uplifted by the people I’m speaking to. People who work with thousands of teachers, schools, young people and families and who bring such depth of care, wisdom and insight to this work.

With all the knowledge, experience and care that exists in education, we can do better.
Teaching matters. Our children’s futures matter.

That’s what Right Now is about. Not quick fixes. Not shiny solutions. But coming back to what really matters in education. The humans inside it.

Even when it feels like there’s no time for these conversations, or no point in having them because nothing will change, I believe that making room for them might be one of the most important things we can do right now.

Our first interview will be released on the 20th February, and I couldn’t be more excited.