Friday August 30, 2024 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Housmans look forward to welcoming teacher, and former member of the Social Mobility Commission, Sammy Wright. Sammy will be discussing his latest book Exam Nation: a first hand account of the struggles student and teachers face in the relentless pursuit of performance table ranking.
In Exam Nation, Sammy asks the fundamental question; what is school really for? Current assessment infrastructure bases student merit and access to FE/HE almost entirely on pressurised performance. Sammy argues that exams function better as benchmarks for progress – like driving tests – than a definitive dictation on what doors open for whom. He asks: how best do we support those children who show an inclination towards vocational work, and how should educators engage when education isn’t valued in the home?
Sammy interviews parents, students and colleagues to get to the root, digging into community, complex developmental needs, familial support structures and trauma (all possessing the ability to make or break a child’s performance). He isn’t anti-exams – recognising the true need for assessment – but believes schools are much more effective when focused on community integration, fostering genuine engagement with subjects, and preparing students for the realities of adulthood. Drawing upon twenty years of experience, Exam Nation is hopeful as it is at times heart-breaking – a rallying cry for cross-sector critical evaluation.
As always, tickets are priced on a sliding scale. If you are unable to pay for a ticket please do not hesitate to contact us at shop@housmans.com, and a free ticket will be made available.
If you choose ‘book + event entry’ or ‘special bundle’, your copies of the book will be available to collect on the evening. If you would like to collect it earlier, or arrange for delivery, please contact us (postage is £2.95). Telephone 020 7837 4473 or email shop@housmans.com.
Doors Open at 7pm, Event Starts 7:30
Feel free to Bring Your Own Bottle!