Edufuturists

What if the biggest problem in education isn't AI, it's that almost nothing we already do has ever been tested for evidence the way a new drug would be?
In this episode
In this episode, Ben and Steve sit down with Dr Yusuf Ben-Tarifite - A&E doctor, social mobility researcher, and founder of Ava - to talk about what happens when you apply medical-grade evidence standards to education. From email-blasting a thousand consultants to get work experience, to building the UK's first randomised control trial comparing AI tutoring against video, Yusuf makes the case that education's real crisis isn't too much AI scepticism; it's not enough rigour applied everywhere else.
We cover:
- Yusuf's journey from a Hertfordshire state school to Oxford medicine, and why he founded Aspiring Medics a week before Freshers' Week
- The Diana Award, Prince William, and "leaving the ladder down" for others
- Ava's mission: equality of opportunity, not just support for disadvantaged students
- Why AI is a continuum, not a chatbot and how Ava uses it as a Socratic tutor and interview coach
- Building an actual evidence base: doubling Oxbridge odds, and the UK's first randomised trial of AI vs video tutoring
- The real hope for AI in education and the risk of turning students into "AI zombies"
- Why writing and thinking are the same skill, and what that means for assessment
- "I call bullshit": how often is high-quality face-to-face teaching actually happening?
- The GCSE resit numbers that expose a one-size-fits-all system already failing thousands
- Why cognitive discomfort, like progressive overload in the gym, is the point of learning, not a bug
- The shrinking half-life of technical skills, and what it means for lifelong learning
Chapters
0:00 Highlights
0:58 Welcome
3:20 Introducing Dr Yusuf: A&E doctor, researcher and founder of Ava
3:57 From a Hertfordshire state school to Oxford medicine
5:33 Who Ava is for: narrowing the gap, or equality of opportunity for all?
7:15 The AI revolution and democratising education8:17 The Diana Award, Prince William, and "leaving the ladder down"
10:25 What still drives him after the recognition
11:44 From Aspiring Medics to Oxbridge: his North Star for social mobility
13:33 Mirroring the Edufuturists journey, and the shrinking half-life of skills
16:18 Why social mobility is complicated and why tech alone won't fix it
18:04 Inside Ava: a "training course" for university applications
19:38 The "who you know" problem, and levelling the playing field
20:56 AI as a Socratic tutor and why "the genie can't go back in the bottle"
22:49 Building the evidence base: doubling Oxbridge odds, and the UK's first AI vs video trial
23:44 Beyond the hype: the real hope for AI in education, and the risk of "AI zombies"
26:33 Outsourcing the doing, not the thinking
28:13 Teaching cognitive biases, and why writing is thinking
29:58 Is high-quality face-to-face learning really happening as often as we assume?
31:47 The longitudinal evidence question, and a one-size-fits-all model that's already failing
33:04 Why AI should face the same scrutiny as every other intervention
34:07 The COVID hangover, and why we're asking the wrong question about online learning
36:10 Is there a gap between policy and technology?
37:35 Cognitive discomfort: why learning should feel like exercise
41:28 Has the fundamental nature of learning really changed?
42:43 Quickfire Questions
Find out more about AVACheck out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touch Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book
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What if the man who invented modern American schooling didn't actually believe in it, not enough to send his own kids?
In this episode, Ben and Steve take Edufuturists live on stage in front of an audience at Minerva Virtual Academy's (MVA) 5th birthday celebration, launching their new book, Pick 'n' Mix Education. They're joined by MVA founder and CEO Hugh Viney and home educating parents Hannah and Olivia for an unfiltered conversation about why "one size fits all" schooling is failing families and what choice actually looks like in practice.
About our guests
Hugh Viney is the founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA), returning for his second appearance on the Edufuturists podcast. MVA has been named Edufuturists Online School of the Year for two years running.
Hannah has home educated her children for nearly 16 years, previously worked in behaviour management at a pupil referral unit, and now has two of her older teens studying at MVA. She is on social media
Olivia is a home-educating mum of two who built an online following around family life before opening up about choosing education outside the mainstream system. She is on social media
We cover:
- The Woolworths "pick and mix" analogy at the heart of Ben and Steve's new book
- Horace Mann: the godfather of standardised American schooling who homeschooled his own kids
- Why every penny of profit from Pick 'n' Mix Education goes to youth mental health charity Beyond
- Hannah's move from unschooling to MVA, and the exam results that surprised her
- Redefining success beyond grades and dismantling the "they won't socialise" myth
And lots more!
Why you should listen
Recorded live in front of a festival field full of parents, educators and home-schooling families, this is Edufuturists at its most unfiltered - real stories from people who've chosen a different path, not theory about it. If you've ever wondered whether there's a genuine alternative to "the school at the end of the road," this conversation makes the case, live, warts and all.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:17 Welcome live from the MVA stage
2:27 Meet your hosts: Ben and Steve
3:52 The Woolworths analogy: what "pick and mix" education means
5:18 New book: Pick 'n' Mix Education and where the profits go
6:13 The Horace Mann paradox: he built standardised schooling, then homeschooled his own kids
7:47 Bringing the panel to the stage: Hugh, Hannah and Olivia
8:32 Hugh Viney: founder and CEO of MVA
9:45 Hannah: 16 years of home educating, now at MVA
10:32 Olivia: home-educating mum of two
11:28 The End of Average: the cockpit built for everyone that fit no one
12:39 Hannah's story: relationships, safety, and the results that surprised her
14:01 Beyond grades: celebrating the whole learner, and choosing rather than rejecting school
15:42 "But how will they socialise?"
17:26 What if parents controlled a share of education funding, like some US states allow?
19:06 What pick and mix actually looks like, day to day
20:24 Curiosity, autonomy, and the bedtime analogy
22:04 Inside MVA: weekly mentors, live lessons and self-directed learning
24:23 Why the trip is remembered and the lesson isn't
26:11 From unschooling to formal learning: what the transition actually looks like
27:50 Deferred starts, academy takeovers, and choosing freedom
29:12 "What works for my child" not what works at scale
30:27 MVA's mission for the next five years: first choice, not last resort
32:23 Quickfire Questions
36:35 MVA 5th Birthday Highlights Video
Find out more about MVA
Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book
Join the Edufuturists Community

What if the real danger of AI in schools isn't plagiarism, it's your own child telling you off for not saying "thank you" to Alexa?In this episode, Ben and Steve sit down with Trudi Barrow - Edufuturist of the Year 2026 - to talk about the messy, brilliant middle ground between traditional craft and generative AI. From a late-night Midjourney experiment for a Year 10 design class to co-authoring the DfE's national AI toolkit now reaching over 30,000 schools and colleges, Trudi explains why she refuses to pick a side in education's most polarising debates.About our guest:Trudi Barrow is a former Head of Design & Technology turned AI and creativity specialist, trained at RADA in theatre design before moving into the classroom. She co-authored the Department for Education's national AI toolkit with Chiltern Learning Trust and Charter College, coined the concept of "creative fidelity," and was crowned Edufuturist of the Year 2026 in June.We cover:- How a rushed exemplar for a Year 10 D&T class led Trudi into her first real experiment with AI image generation- Why she refuses to be labelled an "AI evangelist" and how she holds two opposing truths at once- What it's really like being a woman walking into a D&T workshop- Inside the DfE's national AI toolkit: reaching 30,000+ schools, and the subjects still being left out of the conversation- Why anthropomorphised AI - and her daughter telling Alexa to say thank you - worries her more than most classroom AI use- Safeguarding in the AI era: "same risks, different vectors"- The truth about AI and sustainability, beyond viral "one image = boiling a kettle" stats- What it actually felt like to be named Edufuturist of the Year 2026Why you should listenIf you've ever felt caught between the AI hype and the AI fear, or wondered how creativity, craft and technology can genuinely coexist in the classroom, this conversation offers a rare, grounded middle ground from someone who has lived both sides.Chapters0:00 Highlights1:14 Welcome back and Wolfpack community updates2:40 Introducing Trudi Barrow, Edufuturist of the Year 20263:52 From RADA and theatre design to Head of D&T6:35 Discovering Midjourney and Discord as a non-gamer8:06 The Year 10 keyring exemplar that changed everything13:46 Holding two truths: neither AI evangelist nor AI sceptic15:34 Being a woman in a Design & Technology workshop18:29 Pottery wheels and AI awards: why both fit20:37 Knowledge vs skills, and finding a third way23:55 Co-writing the DfE's national AI toolkit27:27 The subjects still missing from the AI conversation30:06 Creativity isn't just for the "creative subjects"31:58 Inside the toolkit: reaching 30,000+ schools35:55 The Alexa story: anthropomorphising AI at home39:03 Safeguarding: same risks, different vectors42:27 Why sustainability has to be part of the AI conversation48:05 What winning Edufuturist of the Year 2026 really meant53:17 Quick-fire questionsConnect with TrudiFind out more about herCheck out the DfE AI Toolkits she co-authoredThanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about Edufuturists Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education bookJoin the Edufuturists Wolfpack

What if the biggest problem in education isn't too much choice but not enough of it, for the people who need it most?

In this episode, we sit on the other side of the mic as David Cameron puts our new book, Pick 'n' Mix Education, under the microscope. Built around the analogy of choosing sweets at Woolworths, the book argues that education shouldn't be something done to parents and young people - it should be something they actively navigate. David pushes back hard, and the conversation ranges from school choice and social mobility to "place not politics," community regeneration, and why the book ends up working more like a permission slip than a manifesto.

We cover:
The Woolworths "pick and mix" analogy at the heart of the book
Why we wrote it for parents, not educators
Parental choice vs. parental choices and why the distinction matters
How supplementary education (tutoring, enrichment) favours families with money
Turning choice into an engine for equality rather than inequality
Why the book isn't proposing a new pathway, just permission to choose one
The link between active parenting and continuous, revisable choice
"Place not politics": rethinking education around community, not just the individual
"It takes a village" - why schools can't carry social care and mental health alone
A real-world regeneration case study rebuilding a whole community at once
The Open School concept and expanding access beyond your local catchment
Vouchers, online learning, and rethinking who gets access to what

Why listen?
If you've ever felt like education choices are something that happen to your family rather than decisions you get to make, this conversation reframes the whole picture. David Cameron doesn't let Ben and Steve off easy - he opens by saying he fundamentally disagrees with the book's premise - and what follows is a genuinely challenging, well-argued debate about choice, community, and what parents are actually entitled to ask for.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:21 A Birthday, the Fringe, and a Lifetime Achievement Award
6:11 What Is Pick 'n' Mix Education? The Woolworths Analogy Explained
10:06 Parental Choice vs Parental Choices: Why the Distinction Matters
14:18 Turning Choice Into an Engine for Equality, Not Inequality
19:04 Active Parenting: Why Choice Should Never Be a One-Off Decision
23:40 Place Not Politics: Rethinking Education Around Community
25:46 "It Takes a Village": Why Schools Can't Fix Everything Alone
32:26 Accrington, Regeneration, and Rebuilding a Whole Community
37:22 The Book as a "Permission Slip," Not a Manifesto
40:50 The Open School Vision and the Girl Who'd "Never Been to Edinburgh"
44:51 Coffee Shops, Vouchers, and Rethinking Access to Learning
49:11 Bringing It Together: Choice, Compassion, and Community
Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xFind out more about Crown House Publishing
Check out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book
Join the Wolfpack Community

What if the biggest risk in AI and education isn't the technology at all, but the questions we've stopped asking?In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, Ben and Steve sit down with Laura Knight, former teacher and leader turned AI and digital education consultant, to pull apart what "human-centred AI" actually means when you strip away the marketing gloss.Laura doesn't do easy answers. She talks about the innovation fatigue hitting schools right now, why nobody quite owns AI strategy in most organisations, and why the "personalisation" narrative sold by EdTech might be quietly building a two-speed education system. Ben and Steve push back throughout, including a proper debate on whether education was ever really less competitive than the tech sector in the first place.The conversation covers the teacher recruitment crisis, whether AI tutors are filling genuine gaps or replacing human relationships that matter, and what "joy" in the teaching profession could look like if schools stopped treating change as a race. It closes with quickfire questions that get properly reflective: what myth stops educators from changing, and what you'd actually tell a ten-year-old about why they have to go to school.Laura Knight is a former teacher and school leader who now runs her own consultancy working on digital and AI strategy in education. She works with schools, trusts, and systems around the world, alongside a growing body of work with parents and families. She is currently writing a book for Hachette on helping parents navigate AI and technology, and is soon launching her own podcast, Switched On Parents.We cover:- What a genuinely "human-centred" approach to AI in schools actually looks like- Why innovation fatigue is hitting teachers and leaders so hard right now- Who really owns AI strategy in a school, and why that's often nobody- Whether education was ever less competitive than the tech sector- Why "slice teams" with diverse voices build better innovation than one appointed lead- The problem with AI and "personalisation" as it's currently being sold- What schools and teachers add to the mix when information is a click away- The difference between AI replacing teachers and AI filling genuine capacity gaps- Whether AI can meaningfully help the teacher recruitment and retention crisis- Using AI to build more joy and professional satisfaction into teaching- Advocacy versus evangelism, and why being in the room matters- What today's AI debates might look ridiculous in five years' timeChapters00:00 Highlights00:46 Welcome to the episode01:47 Edufuturists community news (Uprising 2027 & Wolfpack)02:59 Introducing Laura Knight03:59 What "human-centred AI" actually means07:31 Innovation fatigue and the noise around AI in schools10:36 Who actually owns AI strategy in a school?14:30 Education vs EdTech: who's really competition-driven?17:24 Building diverse "slice teams" for real innovation20:00 The truth about AI and personalised learning22:58 What schools add when knowledge is a click away24:18 Replacing teachers vs filling real gaps with AI27:44 Can AI solve the teacher recruitment crisis?29:42 Using AI to bring joy back into teaching32:47 Advocacy, not evangelism: why being in the room matters38:56 What will look ridiculous about AI in five years?42:05 Quickfire Questions45:06 Laura's new book and upcoming podcastFind out more about LauraThanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.
Ben & Steve xCheck out all about EdufuturistsWant to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touchGrab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education bookJoin the Wolfpack Community