
Making School Unmissable
Schooling that makes sense
Crown House Publishing
Will be published approx. on 5. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-78583-794-4 (ISBN)
Description
Exploring why school no longer feels essential for everyone and how educators can reignite that engagement, meaning and make it impossible to miss again.Making School Unmissable explores a pressing challenge in modern education: too many students, parents and even staff no longer see school as compelling or even interesting. Despite the transformative power of education, rising absenteeism, disengaged students and families and a stressed workforce reveal a disconnect that threatens learning, development and community. Drawing on research, case studies and real-world insights, this book examines why school can too often feel 'missable'and how that perception can be reversed.The authors introduce a framework built around five essential senses: Purpose, Belonging, Success, Empowerment and Adventure. These senses provide the foundation for an education that is engaging, inclusive and meaningful not only preparing learners for the future but making school fulfilling in the present. Through practical strategies, exercises and thought-provoking questions, educators are invited to reflect on their own settings and explore how to foster these senses for students, staff and families alike.From school leaders to classroom teachers, this book offers a flexible approach to developing a culture where school is not just compulsory, but compelling. Optimistic and actionable, it equips educators with the tools and mindset to make every school day count, ensuring that learning is experienced as vibrant, relevant and unmissable.A must-read for teachers and school leaders in any setting.
Reviews / Votes
'What's brilliant about Making School Unmissable is that, without underplaying the extent of the challenges, it offers practical ways of reimagining schools so that everyone wants to be there and all can flourish. We need five 'senses', the authors argue, to understand the point of school, to share a common identity, to celebrate the strengths of all young people, to boost their learning power and to create a sense of adventure. Simple really! Get yourself a copy of this book and you'll see these senses make great sense!'Bill Lucas "Amid so much gloom about education, here at last is a book that is unflinching in recognising the problems, but then setting out a series of solutions. Without being soppy or trite, Macfarlane and Jenkins provide a call-to-arms for how all of us involved in education might better engage those young people who see schooling as marginal or irrelevant. It's a book which mixes principles with strong evidence and practical proposals. Recommended."Geoff Barton Making School Unmissable is a book that will help to make the job of teaching feel really enriching. It speaks to schools about why they exist and how they can make every child believe they matter.Mick Waters Making School Unmissable confronts the uncomfortable truth that school is currently very missable for many young people. Unsurprisingly, as it's written by two authors with a combined seven decades of experience in schools, it is deeply practical about what leaders can do to make education as unmissable as it has been for those like me who have great memories of school. Rachel and Paul go far beyond platitudes about belonging, however, as they deftly grapple with the challenges of contemporary society and schooling. Children whose school leaders engage with this book will see their friends want to, rather than have to, come to school.Tim Coulson Making School Unmissable confronts the uncomfortable truth that school is currently very missable for many young people. Unsurprisingly, as it's written by two authors with a combined seven decades of experience in schools, it is deeply practical about what leaders can do to make education as unmissable as it has been for those like me who have great memories of school. Rachel and Paul go far beyond platitudes about belonging, however, as they deftly grapple with the challenges of contemporary society and schooling. Children whose school leaders engage with this book will see their friends want to, rather than have to, come to school.Tier BlundellMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
442 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78583-794-4 (9781785837944)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
06/2026
Crown House Publishing
€22.79
Available for download
Persons
Rachel Macfarlane is the Director of Education Services at Herts for Learning and has previously served as head teacher at three contrasting schools over a sixteen-year period. Between 2009 and 2018 Rachel was project director of the London Leadership Strategy's Going for Great (G4G) programme, which involved working with leaders of outstanding schools to share good practice and produce case studies for dissemination to London schools. Paul Jenkins has worked in education for over 25 years. Trained in English, Drama and Media Studies, he has taught a range of subjects up to A-level. As a leader, he worked as Head of VI Form, Deputy Head, Headteacher and Executive Headteacher. He currently works as an educational consultant for standards and curriculum. He has mentored and trained new headteachers and written articles and award-winning scripts for theatre and television.