Non-fiction

  • The Mindful Creative Writing Teacher

    This blog introduces The Mindful Creative Writing Teacher—my book for anyone teaching or facilitating creative writing, whether in schools, universities, prisons, or community spaces. Drawing on decades of experience, I offer a fresh, practical, and compassionate approach to teaching writing that blends mindfulness, creativity, and social justice. In the blog, I explain why I wrote the book: to move beyond rigid workshop models and embrace a more humane, dynamic, and inclusive pedagogy. The book is filled with real-life case studies, poems, hands-on activities, and reflective prompts designed to help you cultivate creativity, wellbeing, and critical thinking in your classroom. It’s for English teachers, creative writing tutors, and writers alike—especially those looking to empower diverse voices, support reluctant or neurodiverse learners, and find joy in their own writing again. You’ll find strategies for teaching storytelling, feedback, decolonisation, and multimodal writing, as well as guidance on developing your own mindful teaching identity. This blog offers a glimpse into the book’s ethos: writing not just as a craft to be perfected, but as a transformative act of attention, empathy, and expression. If you’re looking to teach writing in a way that’s more authentic, creative, and connected, this book—and blog—are for you.

  • The Mindful English Teacher: A Toolkit for Learning and Well-Being

    Mindfulness isn’t mystical—and it isn’t just for monks. Like regular exercise, it’s a simple, powerful practice that helps us work with calm, clarity, and compassion—even in the busy, demanding life of a teacher. The Mindful English Teacher offers a fresh, practical approach to English teaching that centres presence, purpose and play. Whether you’re deep in Shakespeare, tackling pre-1900 literature, guiding students through exam stress, or trying to make grammar meaningful, this book will support you to teach with greater confidence and less anxiety. Drawing on classroom stories, educational research, and years of lived experience, the book is packed with usable ideas, mindful prompts, and rich case studies. At its heart is a compelling contrast between the Mindful English Teacher and the Unmindful one—two vivid teaching personas that show how small shifts in awareness can radically change the learning experience. This is not a book about sitting silently on cushions. It’s a toolkit for making the teaching of English more human, inclusive, and joyful. With strategies for decolonising the curriculum, supporting neurodiverse learners, and reigniting your passion for literature, The Mindful English Teacher is an essential companion for early-career and experienced teachers alike. Because mindful teaching isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present—and building a classroom culture where everyone can thrive.

  • Working The System: How to Get the Very Best State Education for your Child

    Written by an experienced teacher who has established a reputation as a voice of candour and clarity in the world of modern educational doublespeak, this highly readable guide will help you navigate the complexities of the system and get the very best education for your child.

  • Parent Power

    The one-stop book for any parent who wants their child to get the most of the British education system.

  • Teacher on the Run

    Francis Gilbert has been offered a job in the English department at his old school, a nice suburban comprehensive. He feels like he’s landed in toytown. But how long can Gilbert’s dreamland last?

  • Yob Nation

    A devastating look at the state of Britain today – a country being steadily corroded by the advance of yob culture.

  • I’m a Teacher, Get Me Out of Here!

    The book that tells you the unvarnished truth about teaching. By turns hilarious, sobering and downright horrifying, this contains the information you won’t find in any school prospectus.