Let's Start a Compassion Revolution in Education with Dr Jon Reid

The Education Support Partnership Teacher Wellbeing Index 2023 is quite revealing.

Teachers are the key in shaping young people's lives, and responsibility comes with a great emotional toll - as 78% of all education staff reported feeling stressed.

Additionally, 71% of staff thought inspections negatively impact their mental health and well-being.

Dr Jon Reid, Senior Lecturer in SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and Inclusion, explores the current state of the education system, with a focus on creativity, collaboration and compassion.

Jon shares his insights on recognising diverse talents beyond formal qualifications and the need for an education system that values arts and creativity, addressing the limitations of the Progress 8 measure, the reduction of arts subjects in schools, and the necessity of adapting teaching methods to support diverse learning needs.

The episode concludes with a vision for a compassionate, collaborative and innovative education system that prioritises the well-being of both students and teachers.

• Rethink the use of the SEND label and consider the implications of grouping diverse needs under one category and explore alternative ways of addressing individual needs.
• Implement a compassionate approach to teaching and school management, where the well-being of both students and teachers is prioritised.
• Advocate for the inclusion of the arts and creative subjects in the curriculum, recognising their importance for holistic education.
• Empower teachers to experiment and innovate in their teaching practices without the fear of negative repercussions, fostering a more adaptive and supportive learning environment.

Dr Jon Reid joined Oxford Brookes University following a teaching career in both Primary and Secondary Education. His teaching career involved mainstream and special education settings, as well as working as a behaviour support teacher for the Local Authority. Jon has taught in a therapeutic residential school that catered for pupils who had experienced severe emotional trauma due to the accumulation of adverse experiences in infancy and early childhood and prior to joining Oxford Brookes University was Deputy Head Teacher of an Independent SEMH Secondary Special School.

Jon is currently the MA Education SEND Strand Leader, teaches on a range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate modules, and is also involved in Initial Teacher Education. Jon is the Liaison manager for Oxford Brookes University and the Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Association collaboration and is a Trustee of the Institute of Recovery from Childhood Trauma. Jon’s Doctoral research explored Teacher’s emotional work, support for their well-being and the role of compassion.

Follow Jon on twitter @JonReidOBU to find out more about the #CompassionEdRevolution!

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• Host: Ed Finch
• Producer: Laura Wilkes, Communicating for Impact
• Executive Producer: Joanna Borysiak, Hamilton Brookes
• Recorded and edited by: Story Ninety-Four

Primary Futures podcast is supported by funding from Oxford Brookes’ Small Knowledge Exchange Awards.