Reforming Lessons provides a first-hand account of the ambitious programme of reform that has led to a transformation in English schools since 2010 and seen pupils rise through the ranks of international comparison tests such as PIRLS and PISA.
Co-authored by former Schools Minister Nick Gibb and Headteacher Robert Peal, the book explores the key principles behind the reforms and reveals the impact they had on school leadership, accountability, teaching methods, curriculum design, and pupil behaviour. Addressing the long legacy of ‘progressive’ approaches to teaching in English schools, and the development of evidence-led alternatives, the book shows that approaches to education such as 'warm-strict', 'teacher-led instruction', and 'knowledge-rich curriculum' have been simultaneously both controversial and hugely successful. Chapters cover:
- Reforms to the primary curriculum—phonics and mathematical mastery
- The return of rigour in the secondary curriculum
- School structures—academies and free schools
- Academic standards
- Grassroot reforms
- Changes to teacher training and the introduction of the Early Career Framework
Providing a fascinating insight into the major reforms that have shaped England’s school system and the drivers behind them, this is essential reading for anyone working in the education sector, policy-makers, and those interested in education reform.
Table of Contents:
1. The Inheritance 2. Peak Progressivism 3. Laying the Foundations 4. Creative Destruction 5. Primary Basics 6. Qualification Reform 7. The Network Effect 8. Academies and Free Schools 9. Phase Two 10. The Reform Movement 11. Bedding In 12. Self-improving School System Conclusion
About the Author :
Nick Gibb was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton from 1997 to 2024. Nick’s interest in education policy led to his appointment as Shadow Schools Minister in 2005. He was Schools Minister from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2014 to September 2021. He was reappointed by Rishi Sunak in October 2022 and resigned prior to the cabinet reshuffle in November 2023 to advocate for evidence-led education policy internationally. He received a knighthood in the 2025 New Years Honours List.
Robert Peal is joint Headteacher of the West London Free School, a high-performing state comprehensive school in Hammersmith. He is the author of Progressively Worse (2014), a critique of child-centred teaching methods in English schools, Meet the Georgians (2021), and the Knowing History series of school textbooks. From 2015 to 2016, he worked at the Department for Education as a speechwriter and policy advisor to Nick Gibb. He received an MBE for services to education in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours list.
Review :
'Perhaps the most important story in the education sector over the last two decades. This book should be required reading both for those who seek to develop school systems that achieve similar successes, as well as those who seek to avoid undermining what has been so remarkably accomplished.'
Doug Lemov (author, Teach Like a Champion)
'Reforming Lessons tells the story of how England's schools were transformed in a decade of reform. It's essential reading for any education policy maker who is serious about wanting real improvements in children’s reading and higher academic standards.'
Governor Jeb Bush
'Reforming Lessons compellingly explains how Nick’s close study of effective classroom practice from around the world, underpinned with an understanding of the science of knowledge acquisition, ensured we had a programme ready for government.'
Michael Gove (Education Secretary 2010–14)
‘One of the most important political books published in Britain in the last decade.’
Daniel Finkelstein (The Times)
