A Practical Guide to a Big Education
Balancing Head, Heart and Hand
Published on 12. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-80199-792-8 (ISBN)
Description
A Practical Guide to a Big Education offers a bold new vision of an expansive education that is academic, relational and creative and shows you how you can make that shift in your school.
Discover practical guidance and tools to help you offer a more holistic education, balancing 'Head, Heart and Hand' (academic learning, relational wellbeing and creativity) across your leadership, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment practice. Covering a broad range of topics from belonging to behaviour, lunchtimes to learner profiles, design thinking to developing agency in teachers, school leaders from across the UK bring advice and insights to help you in your transformational journey. Each chapter explores inspiring changes you can make, the difference these can make to learners and practical, realistic ideas of how to achieve this change along with case studies and reflective questions.
Big Education is a Multi-Academy Trust and charity working to transform the education system, ensuring young people receive a balanced education. Big Education run their own schools, as well as provide programmes to develop leaders and teachers.
Discover practical guidance and tools to help you offer a more holistic education, balancing 'Head, Heart and Hand' (academic learning, relational wellbeing and creativity) across your leadership, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment practice. Covering a broad range of topics from belonging to behaviour, lunchtimes to learner profiles, design thinking to developing agency in teachers, school leaders from across the UK bring advice and insights to help you in your transformational journey. Each chapter explores inspiring changes you can make, the difference these can make to learners and practical, realistic ideas of how to achieve this change along with case studies and reflective questions.
Big Education is a Multi-Academy Trust and charity working to transform the education system, ensuring young people receive a balanced education. Big Education run their own schools, as well as provide programmes to develop leaders and teachers.
Reviews / Votes
For igniting student agency, curiosity, deeper learning, emotional and academic health, this book is overflowing with ideas, practices, and guidance - not theoretical, but proven strategies documented by headteachers and leaders. -- Ron Berger * Bestselling Educational Author and Speaker * This a big guide for a big challenge facing all of us today - how to transform schools so that they provide a curiosity-rich education for all young people. As Kurt Lewin said, there's nothing more practical than a good theory. And this collection of compelling voices hits the sweet spot between practical action and sound research. I love it! -- Professor Bill Lucas * Co-Founder of Rethinking Assessment * Head, Heart, Hand is a powerful antidote to a world obsessed with standardized testing and narrow measures of success. Lobatto and Seleznyov have brought together a brilliant group of deeply experienced practitioners who showcase a compelling vision for the future of education. This is a vision that is both grounded and aspirational, full of empathy and urgently needed. For any school leader ready to move beyond compliance and toward transformative practice, this book is an indispensable companion. -- Kate Robinson * Director, Sir Ken Robinson Foundation *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 154 mm
Width: 234 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
396 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80199-792-8 (9781801997928)
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
03/2026
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Education
€21.99
Available for download
Persons
Sarah Seleznyov is co-headteacher of School 360, a primary school which opened in London in September 2021. She was formerly Director of the London South Teaching Alliance and previously worked for UCL Institute of Education.
Robert Lobatto is the Headteacher of King Alfred School, a child-centred all-through school in London. Before this, he was Executive Head of an award-winning Multi Academy Trust in West London. He is also a frequent contributor to conferences and sits on a number of education advisory Boards.
Big Education is a Multi-Academy Trust and a charity that is working to transform the education system to ensure young people receive a balanced education of the Head, Heart and Hand. They run schools and develop leaders and teachers across the country.
Robert Lobatto is the Headteacher of King Alfred School, a child-centred all-through school in London. Before this, he was Executive Head of an award-winning Multi Academy Trust in West London. He is also a frequent contributor to conferences and sits on a number of education advisory Boards.
Big Education is a Multi-Academy Trust and a charity that is working to transform the education system to ensure young people receive a balanced education of the Head, Heart and Hand. They run schools and develop leaders and teachers across the country.
Content
Part 1: Leadership
1. Leading for a Big Education: Building a culture of agency and creativity by Liz Robinson
2. Design thinking: School improvement that empowers stakeholders and designs more effective solutions by Matt Morden
3. What it means to be evidence-informed: How to engage teachers with evidence and help them to generate their own by Sarah Seleznyov
4. Developing teaching and learning: How professional development can build teacher agency and improve learning by Moray Dickson
5. Peer review: A better way to 'inspect' schools by Sarah Marriott and Tom Raw
6. Behaviour and culture: Exploring non-punitive approaches to relationship and culture building by Helen Gourley
7. Collaborative pastoral support: Teamwork to improve learner wellbeing and accelerate learning by Kathryn Puch
Part 2: Curriculum
8. Project-based learning: How interdisciplinary projects support knowledge, skills and competency development by Paddy Russell
9. Real-world learning: How preparation for the world of work can be built into the school curriculum by Chris Anders
10. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging: Ensuring that learners, parents and staff feel a sense of belonging by Andrea Silvain
11. Entrepreneurialism: How to construct a curriculum that develops learners' entrepreneurial spirit by Hayley Peacock
12. Citizenship education: Preparing young people to shape society by Seb Chapleau
13. Health matters: A curriculum for health and wellbeing by Ben Levinson
14. Lunchtimes: How lunchtimes can enable learning experiences for our young people by Tim Stayner
Part 3: Pedagogy
15. Play-based learning: Why play matters and how playful pedagogies improve learning by Sarah Seleznyov
16. Imagination matters: Shaping the conditions for creative learning experiences by Tom Doust
17. Outdoor learning: How outdoor learning can improve engagement and progression by Gemma Goldenberg
18. Oracy: Progressively developing learner talk to build confidence and raise attainment by Daniel Thomas and Emily Thomas
19. Mantle of the Expert: Using drama and role-play to bring learning to life by Tim Taylor
20. Design thinking as pedagogy: The importance of the Maker{Cycle} in practical subjects by Alison Buxton
Part 4: Assessment
21. Competency progression: How can we teach and assess transferable competencies? by Robert Lobatto
22. Learner profiles: Assessment that evidences the full breadth of learning by Rosie Clayton and Fran Wilby
23. Interdisciplinary qualifications: New qualifications for future-facing schools by Bertie Cairns
24. Beyond the curriculum: Qualifications that enable learners to explore their own lines of enquiry by John Taylor
1. Leading for a Big Education: Building a culture of agency and creativity by Liz Robinson
2. Design thinking: School improvement that empowers stakeholders and designs more effective solutions by Matt Morden
3. What it means to be evidence-informed: How to engage teachers with evidence and help them to generate their own by Sarah Seleznyov
4. Developing teaching and learning: How professional development can build teacher agency and improve learning by Moray Dickson
5. Peer review: A better way to 'inspect' schools by Sarah Marriott and Tom Raw
6. Behaviour and culture: Exploring non-punitive approaches to relationship and culture building by Helen Gourley
7. Collaborative pastoral support: Teamwork to improve learner wellbeing and accelerate learning by Kathryn Puch
Part 2: Curriculum
8. Project-based learning: How interdisciplinary projects support knowledge, skills and competency development by Paddy Russell
9. Real-world learning: How preparation for the world of work can be built into the school curriculum by Chris Anders
10. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging: Ensuring that learners, parents and staff feel a sense of belonging by Andrea Silvain
11. Entrepreneurialism: How to construct a curriculum that develops learners' entrepreneurial spirit by Hayley Peacock
12. Citizenship education: Preparing young people to shape society by Seb Chapleau
13. Health matters: A curriculum for health and wellbeing by Ben Levinson
14. Lunchtimes: How lunchtimes can enable learning experiences for our young people by Tim Stayner
Part 3: Pedagogy
15. Play-based learning: Why play matters and how playful pedagogies improve learning by Sarah Seleznyov
16. Imagination matters: Shaping the conditions for creative learning experiences by Tom Doust
17. Outdoor learning: How outdoor learning can improve engagement and progression by Gemma Goldenberg
18. Oracy: Progressively developing learner talk to build confidence and raise attainment by Daniel Thomas and Emily Thomas
19. Mantle of the Expert: Using drama and role-play to bring learning to life by Tim Taylor
20. Design thinking as pedagogy: The importance of the Maker{Cycle} in practical subjects by Alison Buxton
Part 4: Assessment
21. Competency progression: How can we teach and assess transferable competencies? by Robert Lobatto
22. Learner profiles: Assessment that evidences the full breadth of learning by Rosie Clayton and Fran Wilby
23. Interdisciplinary qualifications: New qualifications for future-facing schools by Bertie Cairns
24. Beyond the curriculum: Qualifications that enable learners to explore their own lines of enquiry by John Taylor