Anapproachtothe‘darkartʼ ofschoolschedulingfor thosewhofearit
ThePerfectTimetablegoesbeyondschedulingtorevealprinciplesthatshapecurriculum leadership.Youwillfindyourselfleadingwithclarity,purposeandlastingimpact. INTERVIEWWITH CHRISJONES SPECIAL
THEHEARTOF EDUCATION
W e l c o m e t o
U
P u b l i s h
Welcome to this edition of the PublishU Magazine.
Schoolwasnotaneasyexperienceforme.I was placed in remedial English and maths, and told I could not take computer studies because my grasp of the English language wasnotstrongenough.IleftbelievingIwas stupid,becausethatiswhatIhadbeentold.
But one teacher, Mr Ellul, saw something different.Hebelievedinme,encouragedme andhelpedmebegintobelieveinmyself. Thatexperiencehasstayedwithme.
It is why I am always especially excited to workwithauthorswhoarepassionateabout improving education and creating better experiencesforthenextgeneration.
Becauseonevoicecanchangealife. Andonebookcancarrythatvoicefurther.
MattBird FounderofPublishU
AJOURNEYTHROUGH41 YEARSOFEDUCATION
Interview with Chris Jones, CEO of SMARTcurriculum and author ofThePerfectTimetable.
Chris, tell us about yourself. Wereyouateacher?
I started teaching when I was at school. One of my teachers allowed me into a classroom whenIwasteachingattheageof 15. Went to Uni, did a general degree in product design and then I started teaching. That was 41 years ago. So I've spent 25 yea
years in the classroom, got to leadingschoolsandinthelast16 years I stepped out of that day job. I've worked with 600 school leaders across the world, mentoring and coaching. That's thejourney.
And what would be a way that you've helped a school work towardsgreaterexcellence?
There are several ways in. Some come to us because they're new in post so we mentor and coach n
ew leaders. We also work with leaders who got stuck and want to find a new way. And then, sadly, we deal with a lot of schools that are struggling with money.
What they need to know is that it'snotabookabouthowyoudo the timetabling process. This is an approach to the dark art of scheduling for those who fear it. This is about an approach that shapes our whole school, our whole ethic of education. And I believe that there is more to timetabling than simply I can put this block in that space. That's how a lot of people see timetabling. So The Perfect Timetable is about ambitions. It's about your vision and values. It's abouthowyoudeliverthatwithin theethicofphysicallimitations. And so, what people need to knowaboutyourbook,Chris?
Thatmakessense.It'snotquite asblackandwhiteasthat,isit?
Never, never is. Iʼm passionate about the fact that we have to adapt our systems for children. Adaptive teaching puts the load on teachers. What I talk about is adaptive curriculum. And that's all the experience I've gained about looking and analysing schools to shape them to meet the
the children's needs. You know, noneofusarethesameandyou see that in every classroom. And The Perfect Timetable is that goal.It'snotthebookthatwilltell you how to put blocks in place. It's that challenge to the approach. Our thinking, our values,ourpurpose.
Chris, as we wrap up, what is yourhopeforthisbook?
Genuinely to empower leaders to get involved in something that they fear or don't want to touch, because the lived experience of children is so important in this journey. I genuinely believe that education is so fundamental to the future of our young people thatwe'vegottotakeitalittlebit more seriously. My ambition is that leaders will read it, take it in anddosomethingwithit.
Thisisaboutan approachthatshapes ourwholeschool, ourwholeethicof education.
ChrisJones AuthorofThePerfectTimetable
YOUHAVEA BOOKINYOUTOO
There comes a moment for many people, sometimes quietly and sometimes persistently, when a thought begins to surface…Ihaveabookinme.
It may be a story you have lived, a lesson you have learned or a message you feel called to share, something that could encourage, guide or change the life of someoneelse.Andyet,formany,itremains unwritten, held back by doubt, uncertainty ornotknowingwheretobegin.
Thetruthisthis.Youdohaveabookinyou andyouaremorecapableofwritingitthan yourealise.
Writingabookiseasierthanyouthink,but onlywhenyouknowhow.
With the right structure, support and encouragement, what once felt overwhelming becomes achievable, even enjoyable.
That is why PublishU exists, to walk with you from idea to manuscript, from manuscript to book, and from book to opportunities.
“PublishU helped me rediscover my love of writing and even after publishing once, the course inspired me to grow further and write a secondbook.ˮ
KazGratton
“Before the PublishU writing course I saw writingaswork,butnowI see it as opportunity and creativity. This course will help you find your voice anddiscoverwhatitisyou havetosay.ˮ
ChrisCartwright
“Matt, thank you for the community, structure, and consistent encouragement that took mefrom‘onedayIʼllwrite abookʼtoholdingmyfirst manuscript in my hands. Your course helped me show up, stay sharp and finish strong. Forever grateful!ˮ
Rebecca
McGoff
