Both Ally Baker and I will be at the Festival of Education at Wellington College this weekend. The festival promises to be a smorgasboard of educational treats, and I am in no way sore that the weather forecasters predict a heatwave this weekend as there are enough controversial figures in this year's line-up to ensure the event sizzles with passion and ire.
On Saturday we'll be going to see the head of Jamie's dream school, John D'Abbro or 'Dabbs' as he's more generally known getting to the bottom of the question 'who is failing our kids?' alongside our own 'Behaviour Guru', Tom Bennett. I wonder if there will be any fisticuffs with his 'ex-employee' David Starkey who'll be waiting in the wings?
Shadow Secretary, Andy Burnham will be making a keynote address, as will Michael Gove (if he turns up this time). Author of 'The If Machine', Peter Worley is teaming up with A C Grayling (yikes), Julian Baggini, Angie Hobbs and Emma Williams to talk philosophy in schools (let's hope the rest of the panel bring a change of clothes in case the crowd get rowdy). Other Continuum authors speaking their minds include Guy Claxton, John Abbott, Phil Beadle, John Murphy, Francis Beckett and Frank Furedi.
Other big names in the education world making an appearance over the weekend include Gove's biggest fan and author of 'To Miss with Love', Katherine Birbalsingh (you know, the one who got fired for saying that the British school system was 'fundamentally broken' at the Tory conference), Editor of the TES, Gerard Kelly, and err, former Welsh Rugby player, Scott Quinnell. Oh, I almost forgot, all round philanthropist Sir Bob Geldof will be making an appearance too.
I can feel my temperature rising in anticipation already.
Melanie Wilson
Commissioning Editor (Professional Education)
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