Books by Mary Myatt

For one reason or another, mainstream education does not suit every young person. Many young people are educated in alternative provision, which is defined by the Department for Education as educational provision 'for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education'. As of 2023, over 25,000 young people are enrolled in alternative provision, and those numbers continue to rise.

Huh is the Egyptian god of endlessness, creativity, fertility and regeneration. He is the deity Mary Myatt and John Tomsett have adopted as their god of the curriculum. Their Huh series of books focuses on how practitioners design the curriculum for the young people in their schools.

Supported by their primary colleagues, Rachel Higginson, Lekha Sharma & Emma Turner, Mary and John interviewed over 30 primary practitioners about how they design the primary curriculum.

There’s plenty to do when planning the curriculum in primary schools. If it feels daunting, then one of the most helpful things is to talk to other people about how they have developed the curriculum for their particular subject or key stage.

Schools need to have purchase on the curriculum: why they teach the subjects beyond preparation for examinations, what they are intending to achieve with the curriculum, how well it is planned and enacted in classrooms and how they know whether it’s doing what it’s supposed to.

There are a lot of redundant processes in schools. We need to take a hard look at these and consider whether they are adding value to the core purpose of schools.

Inspiring and helpful in equal measure, this book is going to make a significant contribution to the work schools need to do to make the vision of a coherent curriculum a reality.’ Tom Sherrington, former teacher and headteacher; consultant and author of The Learning Rainforest.

Hopeful Schools' is a breath of fresh air and reminds you 'why' we do 'what' we do, whilst making you think 'how' we go about it. Mary encourages us to consider what soulful schools; heart-based education and courageous leadership could and should look like. This book will nourish you and restore your faith in the future of our education system. It will reassure you that by being hopeful we can affect change.

This is a book about the things that wise leaders do. It is informed through thousands of conversations with leaders and argues that these leaders do not shy away from the tough stuff. It points to the conditions which these leaders create to allow colleagues to engage with difficult issues enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.