About
A confession here.
The idea for the Centre actually came from one of the Primary School’s children.
11 year old Tom, who’s autistic, would visit his Headteacher’s office daily.
One Friday he announced, “the problem is the adults are not teaching us how to be better in the world… you know what I mean… to deal with climate change and where people could be nicer. You see? What’s the point if we can’t find out about ourselves?”
The Centre for Educational Possibilities is our unique solution to Tom’s profound and resonant question, as our Chief Executive explains:
Our Mission
Our mission is simple, but bold:
To empower teaching and learning to tackle the critical problems facing humanity today.
Our Expertise
Calling on the expertise of the University of Cambridge, and educationalists across the UK and from around the world, the concept of Social Imagination will frame the focus of the centre’s work.
Social Imagination is the “capacity to invent visions of what should be and what might be in our deficit society, in the streets where we live and our schools. Social imagination not only suggests but also requires that one take action to repair or renew.”
(Maxine Greene, 2020: p.20)
A good idea...
By the way, you may be wondering what Tom thinks about the Centre he originally conceived.
He paused, thinking.
The answer is he smiled and said emphatically, “Woah… cool… that’s a really good idea”.
Our Team
Dr James Biddulph
Living and working as a volunteer teacher in Nepal transformed my life. I saw the impact of education and how it changes mindsets, communities and people’s lives. Following a degree in English and Music from Durham University, a PGCE at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, I taught and led in four urban schools in East London, UK.
In 2002, I gained Advanced Skills Teachers (AST) status and in 2003 I was awarded Outstanding New Teacher of the Year for London. I am the founding Headteacher of the University of Cambridge Primary School, the first primary University Training School in the UK.
I completed a doctorate which focused on creative learning in ethnic minority immigrant children’s homes. I love learning and am inspired to build networks of possibility.