On starting this review, I must admit that I was ignorant of the life of Tim Brighouse, but on reading this book, I wish I had known of him, but more importantly, had the opportunity to hear him speak.
The book is written as both a celebration and tribute to his life, but also as an opportunity to share his ideas, passions and commitment to his many causes of education.
The book has been edited by David Cameron, Steve Munby and Mick Waters, who also paid tribute to him in the first half of the book.
Each of the 64 chapters has been written by a different contributor, but they all have a common theme, that the man was inspirational, motivational, passionate and empathetic.
Throughout his long and varied educational career he had many hats including teacher, Educational Officer, commissioner and lecturer. He worked in London, Suffolk, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Birmingham in a wide variety of roles.
Everyone who contributed to this book clearly respected him and he left everyone he met, or who listened to his lectures, with a feeling that they had listened to something remarkable and memorable. He seemed to have the ability to stay humble whilst making differences to both individuals and communities.
There were so many positive tributes in the book, all of them reflecting his passion for his beliefs, his very hands on approach and his impatience to make a difference. He appeared to be a man who was always looking for the good in people, winning their trust and respect. As David Cameron said in the introduction, ‘Tim didn’t use his laurels for siestas’. Stand out and somewhat beautiful anecdotes from these tributes were ‘a man of infinite patience, courtesy and kindness’ he had a ‘restless, even incorrigible intellectual energy’ and ‘teachers gave and did more because Tim made them feel part of a team’. ‘He was such an inspirational speaker that no one wanted to follow him’. I think any of us would be happy with just one of these tributes, let alone a 287-page book dedicated to his legacy and life.
The second part of the book focuses more on his passions and his projects: His interest in engaging pupils in climate change, the significance of AI and the importance of retaining teachers, equality and diversity.
He certainly packed so much into his life and his positivity, ideas and commitment radiates from every page. The very last page, suggested for a staff room poster, is just perfect ‘twenty things that teachers do’ and its definitely going into our staffroom.
Three of my favourites were: -
Praise in writing
Acknowledge something they are better at than you
Find the invisible child
What an inspirational man and to finish on a statement of his own... My life belongs to the whole community. The harder I work, the more I live.
This book is available directly from the Crown House Publishing website here
A tribute to Sir Tim Brighouse and a call to action based on his approaches, commitment and ideas.
A visionary leader and champion of teachers, Sir Tim Brighouse was responsible for significant and lasting change in the education sector over the course of his lengthy career. He held the pivotal role of Chief Education Officer in both Oxfordshire and Birmingham, each one for a decade, and Schools Commissioner for London, where he led the highly regarded London Challenge. His unique approach, characterised by a steadfast belief in the power of teaching and the potential of every student, revolutionised educational practices and outcomes.
Tim’s passing on the 15th of December 2023 was felt keenly by the education community, prompting a wave of heartfelt tributes from friends, family and colleagues alike. Knighted for his services to education in 2009, he was completely dedicated to improving education and in his last few years worked tirelessly with Mick Waters on their important book, About Our Schools.
Edited by David Cameron, Steve Munby and Mick Waters, Unfinished Business is both a tribute to Tim and a call to action based on his approaches, commitment and ideas. It includes contributions from numerous experienced and diverse authors on a wide range of issues, including policy, politics, accountability and governance; curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; school improvement, leadership and technology; and inclusion, equity and diversity. Throughout the book, contributors draw inspiration from Tim’s work to offer advice and guidance on their various areas of expertise. It is full of ideas and insights that will inspire readers to continue the work to which Tim devoted his life.
The first part of the book celebrates Tim’s life and his many achievements. This includes contributions from his son Harry and longstanding colleagues and friends such as Bob Moon, David Woods and John Coles. These accounts provide a rounded picture of Tim and make the case for listening to him and commemorating him in action not just words. This part also includes contributions from David Blunkett and Estelle Morris, underlining Tim’s national status. The picture of Tim that emerges is that of an inspiring, charismatic, eccentric and a formidably wise and competent figure.
The book is titled Unfinished Business because it acknowledges the work still to be done to realise Tim’s ambitions. Hence the second part of the book is forward-looking, with contributions from close friends, colleagues, policy makers, politicians and the people that Tim thought made the most difference: teachers in schools. They explore what we need to do now in order to continue Tim’s work in their particular area of expertise. They prompt the reader to grapple with the complexity of our schooling world, to think more widely, deeply and creatively about the future of education and, above all, to help young people create a better future.
With the government’s review into curriculum and assessment about to get underway, the book is also extremely timely as it recommends many improvements to these vital aspects of education, in particular improving provision for the most disadvantaged children in our society.
Unfinished Business is a must-read for anyone passionate about education, from teachers and school leaders to policymakers and parents. It is a celebration of the extraordinary life and work of Sir Tim Brighouse and a compelling roadmap for educational progress based on his enduring legacy.
In the closing chapter, David Cameron shares some final thoughts on his colleague and close friend: “Tim always saw education as being central, not only to individual lives but to society more generally. He got results and made lasting, significant and substantial change. He showed us how to be more Tim. He showed us the qualities that make a difference and, in doing so, set a path to ensuring the business can be finished.”
By combining a celebration of past achievements with a clear-eyed look at future challenges, this book offers a blueprint for the future of education. It is a call to arms for all who share Tim’s vision of a more equitable, humane and effective educational system. Only through delving into the life and work of this pioneering figure can we continue to address the unfinished business that Tim so passionately pursued.
Suitable for all educators and readers interested in the future of education.
David Cameron has been a teacher, a senior manager in schools and in local authorities, most recently as Director of Children’s Services for Stirling Council. He was President of the Association of Directors of Education Scotland and has been centrally involved in virtually every major development in Scottish education over the last 40 years. More recently he has been an independent speaker and consultant working across the UK and internationally.
A former head teacher, Mick Waters works closely with teachers and leaders in schools, MATs and local authorities to support the development of teaching approaches and curriculum to ensure the best learning outcomes for children. For some years he was Director of Curriculum for England, based at the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA), and before that held the post of Chief Education Officer for the City of Manchester. He is also invited to work at a policy level with government in different parts of the world.
Steve Munby has spent his whole career in education, first as a teacher and then as an adviser and inspector before moving into leadership. Between 2005 and 2017 he was chief executive first of the National College for School Leadership in England and then of Education Development Trust, an international education charity. He is now a self-employed consultant and speaker on leadership and on system reform. @steve_munby
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