Edufuturists

In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, Ben gets to sit down with AI pioneer and award-winning school leader Matthew Wemyss to unpack what AI literacy actually looks like when you stop treating it as a bolt-on subject and start building it into lessons teachers are already planning.Guest introMatthew Wemyss is Assistant School Director at the Cambridge School of Bucharest, a former Edufuturists AI Pioneer award winner, and founder of the AIDucation conference. He's the author of AI guides for teachers, students and (soon) parents, and creator of the AI Lit Kit - a tool that maps AI literacy activities directly onto existing lesson plans and curriculum standards.We cover:- Life inside a British international school in Bucharest and what makes international school culture different- Growing the AI Education conference from three workshops to hundreds of attendees, and what's next for 2027- Writing AI guides for teachers, students and now parents and why the tools change but the principles don't- Inside the AI Lit Kit: turning existing lesson plans into AI literacy opportunities without adding a new initiative- Navigating the EU AI Act, evolving deepfake definitions, and what schools are legally responsible for- Why "just try it and see what breaks" beats waiting for permissionWhy listenIf you're a school leader, teacher or parent trying to work out how AI literacy, compliance and everyday classroom practice actually fit together, without piling another initiative onto an already packed calendar, this conversation gives you a practical, grounded way to think about it, from someone living the compliance side and the classroom side at once.Chapters00:00 Highlights01:53 Welcome and Edufuturists updates03:59 Matthew's route into teaching09:03 Life in a British international school in Bucharest20:29 Building the AI Education conference25:53 Writing AI guides for teachers, students and parents30:36 Inside the AI Lit Kit38:30 Is AI illiteracy the real problem?42:39 EU AI Act, deepfakes and AI governance in schools49:34 Quick-fire questions53:12 Wrap-up and what's nextGrab a copy of Matthew's new AI book (which he wrote with Ben!)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 bookJoin the Wolfpack - our annual membership

In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Alexandra Levit and Stephanie Loeck for a conversation about whether youth unemployment is really a "crisis" and what we should be doing about it either way. Alexandra Levit is a workforce futurist who has spent over two decades tracking the disconnect between what education provides and what employers actually need. Stephanie Loeck is VP of Strategic Development at GPS Education Partners, a nonprofit that bridges education and industry through work-based learning, a model borne out of a very real local talent 'crisis' rather than theory. Together they've co-written Make School Work: Solving the American Youth Employment Crisis Through Work-Based Learning, and their combined lens - one futurist, one practitioner - is exactly what makes this conversation land. We cover: - Whether youth unemployment is a genuine "crisis" or a slower-moving "wicked problem" - The demographic cliff, labour shortages, and the "twindemic" reshaping the future workforce - Why this is as much a moral and equity issue as an economic one - The "presentist" trap - why business adapts fast and education doesn't, and what that costs young people - Why "preparing young people for work" is the wrong goal and what to aim for instead - AI, curiosity, and the "four A's" of authentic work-based learning- Real examples of applying work-based learning thinking to your own kids' choices Whether you're a parent, teacher, school or college leader, or someone shaping policy around education and work, this episode will change how you think about what young people actually need to be ready for their future. Chapters 00:00 Highlights 01:16 Welcome to the podcast 02:49 Meet the guests 03:09 Alexandra Levit: workforce futurist 06:12 Stephanie Loeck: GPS Education Partners 09:27 Crisis or wicked problem? 13:07 The moral and equity crisis underneath it all 14:34 Presentism: why business and education move at different speeds 17:00 Why GPS Ed was built to solve a real local talent crisis 20:43 Inside the Make School Work framework 27:27 Anxiety, agency, and what work-based learning is really for 30:24 Preparing young people for the world, not just for work 34:33 AI, UBI, and the future of work 40:48 Applying work-based learning to your own kids 43:13 Curiosity beyond employment 45:55 AI and the four A's of work-based learning 50:28 Quick fire questionsThanks 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 book

What if the one thing standing between a child and a lifetime of struggle is simply which adult happened to notice them today?Turning down a pro wrestling contract to study Shakespeare isn't the usual route into running a multi-academy trust but nothing about Stephen Steinhaus's journey has followed the usual route, and that's exactly why this conversation is so good. Stephen is co-founder and CEO of the Solihull AP Multi-Academy Trust, and on this episode he sits down with us to talk about what actually gets him up in the morning: a genuine, fired-up belief that permanent exclusion isn't inevitable, and that every single person in a school - from the cleaner to the CEO - has the power to change a child's trajectory. From Chicago Bears fandom to Falstaff, from a heritage archive project that changed his career to the hard truths about what happens to kids after they're permanently excluded, this one covers a lot of ground. And yes, there's a quick fire round at the end. Yes, he smashes it. We cover: - Stephen's route from American football and professional wrestling to Shakespeare scholarship and teaching - How a heritage archive project called "Other People's Children" reshaped his whole approach to education - The real statistics behind permanent exclusion in the UK and why they should make you angry - Why "alternative provision" should really just be called "provision" - The JFK/NASA mindset - why every role in a school, not just teachers, is a difference-maker - Rethinking behaviour policies: culture, language, and moving away from a punishment-first mindset- Practical starting points for anyone dealing with complex behaviour in mainstream, AP or special settingChapters 00:00 Highlights 01:33 Welcome to the podcast (and Ben's brand new overshirt) 02:50 Meet Stephen Steinhaus 03:55 From Chicago to Solihull: building an AP trust 08:03 Turning down a wrestling contract to study Shakespeare 18:15 How Shakespeare led to alternative provision 23:14 The "Other People's Children" project that changed everything 29:20 The truth about permanent exclusion 39:33 Every role matters: the JFK/NASA mindset 50:51 Rethinking behaviour: culture, language and leadership 59:09 Quick Fire QuestionsFind out more about StephenRead his Let’s tackle the SEND exclusion crisis one child at a time articleThanks 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 touch Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book

What if the most important people in your school or college never set foot in a classroom?In this milestone 350th episode of the Edufuturists podcast, we sit down with Chris Loveday for a conversation years in the making - one that reframes who really drives an education organisation.Chris Loveday is Deputy Principal for Digital, Data and Funding at City of Portsmouth College, and the author of Operational Intelligence: The Power of Digital, Data and AI. His route into education leadership is anything but conventional - from leisure assistant on a school site, to running a 5,000-capacity music festival, to senior leadership in schools, sixth form and FE. That breadth is exactly what makes his thinking on systems, data and AI so distinctive.We cover:- Why "co-professionals" - the people who support learning beyond the classroom - are often the unsung backbone of education- The real value and untapped potential of Further Education in the UK- Why schools and colleges are "data rich but insight poor" and how to fix it- Using live data and AI to spot at-risk learners early and actually measure whether interventions work- Moving from "can we?" to "should we?" - guardrails, ethics and red-teaming AI in education- Building one of the UK's first student digital assistants - safely, at scale, for 5,000 students- Practical first steps: auditing legacy systems, writing a digital strategy, and getting an AI policy in place- Freeing humans up to be human by automating the mundaneWhether you're a teacher, school or college leader, EdTech professional, or someone working in operations, IT, data or finance, this episode will change how you think about the systems that hold education together and the people who run them.Chapters00:00 Highlights01:49 Welcome to Episode 35002:57 Meet Chris Loveday: an unconventional journey into education06:30 What is FE — and why it matters more than people realise11:29 Running a 5,000-capacity music festival13:23 Challenging convention and the power of rebel ideas16:28 Why he wrote Operational Intelligence — and why now18:44 Data rich, insight poor: the problem with education data23:30 Data with context: the story behind the numbers25:10 AI, natural language and at-risk early warning systems28:19 IT as a service: ego, vision and working in tandem38:25 From "can we?" to "should we?": ethics and guardrails42:14 Building one of the UK's first student digital assistants45:10 Solving the workforce crisis: freeing humans to be human49:55 Practical first steps you can take tomorrow53:07 Quickfire questionsThanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.
Ben & Steve xFind out more about ChrisGet a copy of his latest book, Operational IntelligenceCheck 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

In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, Ben and Steve sit down with Shahneila Saeed for an extended version of a conversation that began at the Brilliant Festival. They dig into why play-based learning is rigorous pedagogy, how computing can be taught without a single computer, and what the games industry can teach the classroom about preparing young people for the world as it actually is.
Shahneila Saeed is Head of Education at Ukie, the trade association for the UK's video games industry, and the founder and director of the Digital Schoolhouse programme. A former IT and computing teacher, she is also the author of How to Raise a Tech Genius.
We cover:
Why play is serious pedagogy, not a break from real learning
How "Just Dance with the Algorithm" teaches programming concepts through dance
Teaching in-game AI with nothing more than a playground and some beach balls
The classroom with no computers that reshaped Shahneila's entire approach
Motivation, failure, and the problem with the GCSE "finish line"
Whether schools are really preparing children for the jobs that exist right now
What industry actually says about the skills graduates are missing
Game IP in the classroom, and how to use it without losing the pedagogy
Digital Schoolhouse as a bridge between the games industry and education
How parents can support computing and tech learning at home, including free resources
Whether you're a teacher, school leader, edtech professional, or a parent trying to make sense of your child's screen time, this conversation will change how you think about play, computing, and the gap between school and the real world. Expect practical, low-cost ideas you can use on Monday morning, free resources you can access today, and a sharp case for why engagement has to come before assessment.
Chapters:
00:00 Highlights
02:01 Welcome and the new Edufuturists book
03:42 From IT teacher to Ukie and Digital Schoolhouse
06:02 The classroom with no computers
10:36 Why play is serious pedagogy
12:56 Just Dance with the Algorithm
15:13 Teaching game AI with a game of dodgeball
16:24 Motivation, failure and the GCSE "finish line"
24:01 Computational thinking at home
27:44 Are we preparing kids for jobs that exist now?
28:34 What industry really says about graduate skills
32:08 What is Game IP and why it works in the classroom
36:14 Digital Schoolhouse as a bridge to industry
41:10 Parents, tech and the home conversation
46:14 Quick-fire questions
Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.
Ben & Steve x
Book  a Digital Schoolhouse workshop
Digital Schoolhouse free computing resources
Digital Schoolhouse Playful Computing Conference
Check 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 book