The Learning Exchange Library

School improvement: getting coasting schools up to speed   Sir Michael Wilshaw speaks to Radio 4's World At One about the challenges that face school leaders and his role as Ofsted's chief inspector. (Listen on BBC iPlayer from 21:03 to 29:19 until 26 December).

New Ofsted boss' secret of school success   A feature from Radio 4's Today programme about Michael Wilshaw, the Mossbourne Academy headteacher who has just been made Ofsted's new chief inspector.

Geoff Mulgan: a short intro to the studio school   Geoff Mulgan from the Young Foundation gives a TED talk on the innovative school type which encourages learning based around real-world projects.

Unsure about Sure Start   Amidst the current climate of cuts, Analysis on Radio 4 asks a controversial question: is Sure Start worth saving?

Discussing the public services white paper   Chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander speaks on Radio 4's Today programme about how proposals will effect public services, including schools.

Bradford girls take up boxing   A video about how Springwood Community Primary's after-school boxing club has proved a hit with girls.

Adventure Playgrounds in the Community: Garston   Play England's video about the children and staff who have made the Garston Adventure Playground such a success.

Who wants to work in a free school?   The BBC's Daily Politics Show talks to some of the teachers who will be working in Langley Hall Primary, a free school in Berkshire.

Should schools hold more lessons outside?   BBC Breakfast looks at the campaign to make more lessons 'al fresco'.

'I think I must have been born bad'   Moving short documentary created by the Office of the Children's Commissioner about young people in the youth justice system.

Michael Gove talks about academy conversions   Radio 4's Today programme interviewed the Secretary of State about his plan to convert 200 primary schools and recent reports of budget errors.

'Gone to bed crying with hunger'   Radio 4's Today programme talks to families that are struggling to keep themselves going as prices and VAT rise and work opportunities decrease.

How will free schools affect existing schools?   Now that the Education Bill readings have moved into the House of Lords, BBC One's Politics Show looks at the free school debate with interviews from school leaders and council members.

Oldham schools bridging the race divide - one year on   BBC Newsnight visits Waterhead Academy where extra-curricular activities are being used as opportunities to mix children from formerly segregated schools.

How do you tackle child poverty?   Radio 4's Today programme discusses the new report from the Organisation for Economic Development which says progress towards ending child poverty has stalled.

EYFS interview with Dame Tickell   Video of the head of the early years review being interviewed on BBC1's Breakfast show to talk about her recommendations. You can also see her speak on the DfE's Youtube channel.

Learning Without Frontiers   Video highlights from Sir Ken Robinson's talk on encouraging creative learning given on 16 March 2011, in which he gives his view on how to improve the landscape of both education and well-being.

How can we get children to find their niche?   Listen to creativity expert Ken Robinson talk about education and curriculum on Radio 4's Saturday Live using the BBC iPlayer (from 01.30min onwards).

Why you should reply to the SEN green paper   In this short video, Sarah Teather MP explains how the green paper is just a start and the new consultation period is vital for bringing about improvements in special education needs.

Yes, but how much are good extended services co-ordinators worth to the economy?   This Planet Money podcast from NPR considers how much a good teacher is worth to the economy. We'd like to see some serious number-crunching analysis about how much extended co-ordinators are worth...

Lord Baker and the creation of the national curriculum   A short BBC video interviewing the education secretary who first came up with the idea for standardised learning and league tables.

Who Owns England's Schools?   A BBC Radio 4 report about the movement of schools from state to academy status, discussing the reactions around the country and the likely repercussions in future.

Education White Paper: Teacher Training   Mike Baker looks at the impact the recent education white paper will have on teacher training.

Education White Paper: Ofsted and Accountability   Mike Baker's video predicts the effect the recent education white paper will have on school inspections.

Education White Paper: Curriculum   Mike Baker examines the impact the recent education white paper will have on school curriculums.

'I want to slim down the National Curriculum'   On the morning of the release of the new education white paper, Michael Gove gives Radio 4's Today programme an in-depth interview.

Keynote speeches from Closing the Gap   Video highlights from the event hosted by Save the Children, TES and FILMCLUB about tackling disadvantage, including how cultural experiences can help.

Secondary education and discipline   Ex-deputy headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh and John Bangs from the Institute of Education debate discipline on BBC Radio 4.

Britain's Street Kids   Channel4's Dispatches explores the world of runaway and evicted teenagers, looking at the causes of their problems and how they deal with them. Available to view on 4OD until 30 November.

Young care leavers interview Tim Loughton   The Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families is interviewed by five young people about the key care issues that affect them.

Academies in Detail   Mike Baker visits some of the newly-converted academies and finds out what differences they've experienced.

Restorative Justice in schools   An RSA videoed talk about how restorative justice works in schools, with examples. (On Teachers TV)

The man who inspired Obama's 'promise neighbourhoods'   Geoff Canada, founder of the Harlem Children's Zone, talks on an American Progress panel about his work in the Harlem Children Zone. And here, he speaks at the Conservative Party Conference 2010, putting the 'supply side of education' into terrifying perspective.  Also, in conversation with Charlie Rose in 2008. And here, listen to some of the people involved in the Harlem Children Zone. (From section: Videos)

Thinking of Becoming an Academy   A series of TeachersTV videos where well-known academy headteachers explain how the status effects different aspects of running a school.

The Classroom Experiment   Two-part BBC documentary about Professor Dylan William's radical application of unusual classroom rules to improve the quality of teaching for all pupils. Available on iPlayer until 5 October.

Unequal Opportunities   Part of the BBC's School Season. John Humphrys examines the attainment gap between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils by travelling around the country and visiting different types of school. Available on iPlayer until 27 September.

Schoolgirl Mums   A TeachersTV video on how to ensure school-aged mothers get the right educational opportunities.

My Life Inside a Suitcase   A personal short film offering insight into the life and emotions of a girl who has lived in care since she was one.

'It's really transformed the school'   Sally Coates, headteacher of Burlington Danes Academy in London, describes the postive effects academy status has had since their switch four years ago.

Gareth Malone's Extraordinary School for Boys   Documentary series following an experimental teacher who tries to bring risk, competition and adventure back into lessons. The first episode is available to view on BBC iPlayer until 30 September.

The Child-Driven Education   In this enlightening TED video, education scientist Sugata Mistra talks about his experiments across the world to get disadvantaged children teaching themselves an astonishing range of information through self-supervised access to the web.

"I'm inspired by their example"   Video of Education Secretary Michael Gove talking about the announcement of sixteen new free schools and what other reforms he wants to concentrate on.

The expense of after-school clubs   Video report about Save The Children's drive to get more funding for activities so that less children miss out.

Breakthrough in Oldham   A 2006 film about the efforts to connect primary schools in racially-segrated Oldham through the LEA's linking project.

What really motivates us? Is this the secret that makes out-of-school-hours activities excite young people about learning?    Watch Daniel Pink's brilliant animated demonstration about autonomy, mastery, self-direction and the purpose motive. You'll be surprised.

Oldham school merger: racial cohesion?   A Newsnight film about a bold attempt to combine two deeply segregated schools in the town that saw race riots nine years ago. Watch the complete film on iplayer until 12 August (from 2 minutes onwards).

Community cohesion in an era of super diversity   Ted Cantle from the Institute of Community Cohesion gives a lecture on how cohesion has emerged as a widely adopted policy and the key challenges ahead.

How do you rebuild community spirit?   A report from West Yorkshire about how life on housing estates has changed over the years.

Big Society in the North   Listen to what some of the speakers said about the launch of the Big Society away from Whitehall.

Sex education in Holland   A video about how the Dutch keep their teen pregnancy rates so low.

The Young Carers' revolution has begun   Find out more about the Young Carers' Revolution - and if you are offering extended service to young carers, visit the Young Carers Revolution BlogSpot.

Improving Primary Schools: The Extra Mile   Video about two primary schools tha thave attained higher standards due to parental and community involvement and activities such as breakfast clubs.

Cuts and the future of infrastructures   Guardian podcast featuring various charity chiefs discussing cuts and how to make the most of partnership working.

Emmanuel's Story   A short video following an ambassador for young people in Southwark as he offers his community advice and raises awareness about positive behaviour.

Need to Know: The Budget and School Funding   Mike Baker's video looks at the financial future for schools, including the pupil premium.

Teaching Awards: an opportunity for opinions   Shirley Williams discusses how she used the awards as a chance to get views on education and its future from some of its brightest stars.

Education innovation in the slums   In his TED talk, Charles Leadbetter discusses the informal, disruptive new kinds of schools he found in some of the world's poorest slums and what other schools can learn from their experiences.

Let's raise kids to be entrepreneurs   In this TED video, entrepreneur Cameron Herold discusses how some children branded as failing may just need different educational aspirations to develop their natural talents.

Need to Know: The New Academies   Mike Baker's video looking at the coalition's academy drive and the pros and cons these schools face.

A lesson in sustainability from Tanzania   An inspirational film about a school in Arusha where everyone works hard to ensure nothing is wasted.

Bring on the learning revolution   Sir Ken Robinson wonders why we keep trying to reform a broken education model? Innovation is hard, he says, but we need to challenge what we take for granted, and challenge the ‘tyranny of common sense’ so that our children’s natural talents can flourish. Hear him speak at the 2010 Ted Talks.

Nurture creativity - but are schools killing it?   Sir Ken Robinson, author of Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative believes education should nurture creativity, rather than undermine it.

Michael Gove talks about free schools   The new education secretary discusses the new school policy announcements on Radio 4.

How do you set up a school academy?   Radio 4's Today programme talks to a parent group in Wandsworth who are preparing to open a new academy.

Young Carers: personal stories   A video looking at the hardships young carers face at home and how it affects their school life.

Children's centres and parent voice   How two different children's centres are focusing on parent feedback to improve outcomes.

Maths class needs an update   American high school teacher Dan Meyer gives a TED talk on why pupils should learn how to formulate problems, not just solve them.

Daily Politics education debate   Mike Baker and Andrew Neil fire a range of questions at Ed Balls, Michael Gove and David Laws on their education policies.

An interesting take on collaboration   Tom Wujec says it's a contact sport - and you'll never guess who always beats the average in his famous 'marshmallow challenge'?

Aspiration in the face of a hurricane   Video about the methods a school in New Orleans is using to inspire its pupils to better themselves.

In the Money: Outside Help   A video about Gospel Oak School where a need in the budget causes the headteacher to seek advice from a business guru.

Extended Schools at Penryn College   A video of the inspirational activities at Penryn, including peer-led clubs and programmes in co-operation with local social services and police.

Speed stacking takes school by storm   A video about Berger primary school in Hackney where the unusual indoor sport of stacking cups has the children learning team skills and improving their dexterity. Check the comments for varied views.

Lucy's Team: Common Assessment Framework   A video portrait about how the CAF has been used to help a troubled Year 9 pupil.

Show and tell: Extending learning both within and beyond the classroom   The headteacher of Grays School in East Sussex leads a video on how an ICT learning platform has enhanced the school.

Election 2010: Testing the Parties   Three videos featuring the education minister for each of the main political parties being grilled by a panel of education experts.

The TES Pre-Election Debate   The two-hour debate from 15 March between Ed Balls, Michael Gove and David Laws. For a summary of the session, click here.

What should everyone know?   In preparation for their public debate, RSA asked a series of thinkers and activists what they believe everyone should be taught in school.

Scottish children feel benefits of yoga   Pupils in Quarry Brae Primary School talk about how their morning yoga sessions are making them feel happier and more focused. For more practical insights on how to set up a yoga club, check out this video.

Kids transformed by music   In this TED video, Jose Antonio Abreu talks about how he founded El Sistema in 1975 to help poor Venezuelan kids learn to play a musical instrument and be part of an orchestra. 30 years on, El Sistema has seeded 102 youth orchestras and thousands of happy lives.

World of Difference   A short series of Channel 4 documentaries following groups of young students as they travel to foreign countries to support community projects.

The benefits of failure   A must-listen - even if you aren't a Harry Potter fan! J.K Rowling's address to Harvard's graduates in 2008.

All of us have a genius...   Listen to Elizabeth Gilbert give her TED talk about ‘radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius’.

Infected children start infecting adults and other children, all over India   What Kiran Bir Sethi shows you will take your breath away…

A Tale of Two Film Clubs   The stories of two successful after-school film clubs. The first in a primary school where a pupil's suggestion to replace the condemned local cinema has brought the children together; and the second in a secondary school where the student-run group encourages discussion and democratic film selection.

What's the best way to educate children with special needs?   The Politics Show looks at the debate over whether special needs children ought to mix with other pupils in mainstream schools.

Support Staff: What Matters to You   A series of 4 videos by Teachers TV about extended services support staff and their impact on school life.

The formula for changing maths education   Mathmatician Arthur Benjamin offers a bold proposal on how to make maths education relevant in the digital age.

Family-style dinners for school lunch   A pupil shows us how the City Academy in Hackney encourages socialising and responsibility by giving children individual tasks at group meals.

Teaching children about conflict resolution   Tottington High School in Bury talk about how they use a role-playing day for pupils to learn about history, politics and social issues.

Does Ofsted feed people's fears?   DCSF select committee chairman Barry Sheerman MP on criticisms of Ofsted on the day of their annual report.

Why education is so important   Introducing the WISE summit, former UN Secretary Kofi Annan talks about education and the obstacles we must all face.

Too many initiatives not enough teaching   Harriet Sergeant, author of 'Wasted: the betrayal of white working class and black Caribbean boys', talks to young men in West Norwood who feel the school system has failed them.

If it works in two schools – let’s take it to ten   U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says education is the civil rights issue of our age. Watch him in a recent address to the Wallace Foundation at their conference on educational leadership in Washington DC.

UNICEF-sponsored school shows dramatic improvements   Porchester Community School near Portsmouth has encouraged pupils to bloom by using a rights-focused approach to teaching and learning.

Welcome to Somalishire   Somali teenagers Nura and Ilias live in London's East End but visit an authentic Somalian camp at Degmo in Wales, a place which mirrors the traditional rural culture of their homeland - a far cry from the negative media images of Somalia.

Death to the Deficit!    In BBC Radio 4's Analysis programme on 9 November 2009, Frances Cairncross argued that deep cuts across the public sector are the only way to shore up our national finances. You can subscribe to the Analysis podcasts on iTunes or go straight to the BBC Radio 4 website.

Labour is a long way off its target to end child poverty   Labour has done more to lift children out of child poverty than any other government before it. But if the 2020 goal isn't achieved, could this be its greatest failure? Listen to Polly Toynbee's short comment made in February 2009 - and weight it up against the Best of Today podcast in which David Cameron gives his views on ending child poverty.

From BBC Radio 4's Best of Today podcast, 9 November 2009:

• Tories 'will look at causes of poverty'   David Cameron sets out his party's policies to combat poverty.
• What approach to parenting works best? The Demos think tank gives its advice on parenting - saying both warmth and discipline builds a good character in children. The report suggests children of married couples and wealthier backgrounds also tend to fare better. Co-author of the report Richard Reeves and Camila Batmanghelidjh of charity Kids Company, discuss the report.

The Our Lives Project    Be sure to set aside some time to watch this series of inspiring and moving short films, which focuses on over 100 women between the ages of 14 and 80 in all walks of life. The project aimed to reach wider audiences but also policy makers while enabling women to present themselves through participatory video, documentary film, audio, oral history/narratives and the internet.  (The films were produced by Speak-it Productions and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation www.jrf.org.uk.

Nurture creativity - but are schools killing it?   Sir Ken Robinson, author of Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative believes education should nurture creativity, rather than undermine it.

Let them fiddle…   Educator Jonathan Drori (who commissioned the BBC’s first website) looks at the gaps in our knowledge (gaps that may surprise us), and at how children learn.

Video: Ed Balls visit Reddish Vale Co-operative Trust School in Manchester  
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Video: What does David Cameron think of Co-operative trust schools?

21st Century schools in the UK   A DCSF video

Whole-school issues (Teachers TV)   A series of videos about whole-school issues in secondary schools

The 21st Century School in the USA   Hear Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education talk about 'extended schools' on the Charlie Rose show.

The Coalition For Community Schools in the US   Extended schools are being created everywhere - keep up with what is happening in the United States.

Take a walk round Dudley with Linden   What has Romeo and Juliet got to do with communities in Dudley? Linden Walcott Burton explores the link - this is an excellent video! Congratulations to Linden, the Dudley Community Partnership and the Dudley Borough Council who produced it.

What do we need to do to build community cohesion today?   Baroness Valerie Amos's Coventry University Cathedral Lecture on the challenges that we need to overcome to build community cohesion in Britain today

Community cohesion - what ICoCo does   The Institute for Community Cohesion (ICoCo), established in 2005, provides a new approach to race, diversity and multiculturalism. 

Perspectives on how the media portrays Islam   A visual representation of the Muslim peer research that Fitzrovia Youth in Action carried out.  

Community cohesion projects in St. James' ward, Oldham

A community cohesion initiative in East London

Religion in British schools   The Big Debate, January 29 2008 Richard Dawkins, Jonathan Dimbleby and a panel of experts debate the controversial subject of religion in Britain's schools (this is the first in a series of six videos - you can download the rest of the series on Youtube.com)

Transforming school food   Jamie Oliver talks about the state of childrens health in the UK. Also features Alice Waters and Kelly Brownell. .

The 'renegade lunch lady'   Ann Cooper (Head of Nutrition for Berkeley, California schools, talks about the revolution going on around the food children eat at school.

Enjoy a little diversion...   Thought provoking clips from The Lorax to Cat Stevens' 'Where do the Children Play?'

Flirt? Fantasise? Play? - it's all more than just plain fun   A pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown, pioneer play researcher says we should keep up humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy - it'll keep us smart at any age.

Five dangerous things we should let our children do   Gever Tulley of the Tinkering School doesn't have his own children - he borrows other people's!

The Tinkering School   Gever Tulley shows, with photos and footage, what children learn at his Tinkering school when they are given the tools, materials and guidance. Problem-solving on a rollercoaster... !

US perspectives on special education    Three special education teachers in the US discuss the considerations and benefits of using inclusion to meet individual student needs in the least restrictive environment.

Digging deeply into your data   A quick overview of a research project that explored hidden pockets of deprivation in rural areas of Norfolk, England. It demonstrates the value of using IstantAtlas software.

Building Knowledge: A blueprint for Big Picture Schools   A cluster of schools with a difference: a look at the Big Picture school concept in the United States (compare with Building Schools for the Future here)

The case for truly cross-disciplinary education   Liz Coleman, President of Chicago's Bennington College proposes an education that combines all areas of study. Find out more about Big Picture Schools at www.bigpicture.org.

Throw away the text books?    Professor Richard Baraniuk of Rice University explains the vision behind Connexions, an open source online learning system. 

Create bold thinkers   Mae Jemison, astronaut, doctor, art collector, dancer tells stories about her education and her time in space, calling on educators to teach both the arts and sciences, intuition logic... 

Can children teach themselves?   Speaking at LIFT 2007, Hear Sugata Mitra talks about how children in the Hole in the Wall project figured out how to use a PC on their own - and then taught other kids.