Powerful Knowledge

"Forgotten", "Left behind", "Written off" - Schools and the white working class (Part 3)

The final post in a series about how English schools could be made to work better for children from white working class homes.

Sep 16 • 

Alex Crossman

August 2025

"Forgotten", "Left behind", "Written off" - Schools and the white working class (Part 2)

The second post in this three-part series suggests five actionable strategies that could begin to address underachievement in schools by white…

Aug 15 • 

Alex Crossman

3

"Forgotten", "Left behind", "Written off" - Schools and the white working class (Part 1)

The recently-announced Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes has an opportunity to re-frame the narrative around white…

Aug 11 • 

Alex Crossman

3

2

July 2025

Could votes at 16 deliver a politics that works for young people?

Labour's decision to lower the voting age to 16 across the UK could start to redress the imbalance between generations when it comes to policy making.

Jul 18 • 

Alex Crossman

1

Have we “had enough” of expert teachers? Populism and public education - Part 1

The rise of populist politics is already distorting public education around the world. The first in a series of posts on this topic explores populism’s…

Jul 11 • 

Alex Crossman

2

What would education be like in a 'post work' world?

The lure of rewarding employment has been a critical motivator for students. What will we do without it?

Jul 7 • 

Alex Crossman

June 2025

A Framework for Responsible Use of AI

What we believe in and what we value should determine how we use AI in schools.

Jun 22 • 

Alex Crossman

2

The Winter Warming Grant is Back. Now Give it Away.

The Government has chosen to prioritise the wellbeing of the older generation over that of the next generation. Pensioners should take matters into…

Jun 16 • 

Alex Crossman

How should we think about the 'engagement crisis'?

Persistent absenteeism says something important about schools, but not only about schools.

Jun 11 • 

Alex Crossman

2

Expectations of support for poorer students are being re-set

The British state is rightly focused on combating hunger. Providing a quality education for all children? Not so much.

Jun 9 • 

Alex Crossman

1

May 2025

Has the plane already crashed? How to rescuing critical thinking

Critical thinking is the essential skill to survive in an AI-powered world. Why aren't schools and colleges better at teaching it?

May 27 • 

Alex Crossman

2

AI is having its Black Mirror moment. We should not look away

The potential for AI misuse is real. So is the need for education in what that looks like.

May 19 • 

Alex Crossman

1