In this episode, Anna Stokke interviews The Right Honourable Sir Nick Gibb, former Minister of State for Schools in England. Nick discusses the bold, evidence-based reforms he led over a decade to reverse declining academic performance in English schools. From phonics-based reading instruction to math mastery, he explains how high expectations, rigorous curricula, and a focus on teacher training transformed outcomes—helping England rise to 4th in the world in reading on PIRLS and one of the highest-performing countries on TIMSS. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in meaningful education reform.
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00:00] Introduction [00:04:05] The state of English education in 2005 [00:05:50] Problems with progressive education [00:08:12] Math teaching in England before the reforms [00:13:13] Education: A non-partisan issue [00:14:48] Learning about math teaching from Shanghai and Singapore [00:18:01] Competency-based curriculum debate [00:22:00] Reading reforms [00:26:09] Resistance to the phonics movement [00:32:10] Math reforms implemented for primary education [00:38:08] Attention to detail in curriculum development [00:41:11] Debates on educational standards [00:42:41] Reforming initial teacher training [00:48:24] The Education Endowment Foundation [00:50:21] Liberating the teaching profession [00:55:07] How the reforms improved student outcomes [00:57:42] Educational outcomes in Scotland and Wales [01:00:38] The future of education reforms [01:06:24] Advice for policymakers and advocates [01:16:00] Reflections and closing remarks
RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES
Education myth-busting with Daisy Christodoulou https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-z2q9q-14ce080
The tweet that roared with Tom Bennett https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bpgqn-14326ef Using evidence in education with Pamela Snow https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-jc9mq-161ecac
Exploring evidence for equitable education with Nidhi Sachdeva and Jim Hewitt https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-fjdnt-1685615
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-49-transcript
EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.annastokke.com/resources/ep-49-resources
MUSIC
Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it
Oy Studio: Light comedy
Blue Dot Sessions: Avoiding the Backroom, Neatly folded, Momentary Ease, Balti
Website: www.annastokke.com
X: @rastokke
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c
Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social
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