A New Education Story with Big Change

Adam Grant is an organisational psychologist, TED speaker and leading expert on motivation, meaning and creativity. He was recognized as one of the world’s 10 most influential management thinkers and is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 5 books that have sold millions of copies and been translated into 35 languages: Give and Take, Originals, Option B, and Power Moves. His new book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know is out now.

Laura McInerney is a columnist for the Guardian and the former editor of Schools Week. She co-founded Teacher Tapp & Parent Ping, the daily apps uncovering the secret lives of thousands of teachers and parents. Laura was also once taken to court by Michael Gove for asking difficult questions about free schools, eventually winning, and is regularly heard on BBC radio shows such as More or Less and the Today show.

Jaiden Corfield is an award-winning activist and campaigner from North Manchester who is currently at Oxford studying PPE. He began fighting for change seven years ago at Reclaim, a charity that aims to create the next generation of working-class leaders, launching national campaigns and delivering talks across the country. Jaiden is a trustee for Rekindle school, an advisor for Big Change and a project manager for Ashoka; and the founder of his new venture Outliers.

Charlotte Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress, TV presenter and personality. In 2019 she launched the Awen Project, a school for the future built to excel in the present, from her own home. She first shot to fame as a classical singer then quickly emerged in the world of pop music, selling over 10 million records worldwide. Charlotte also hosted her own chat show on Channel 4 entitled The Charlotte Church Show.

Andria Zafirakou won the Global Teacher Prize in 2018, using the $1 million prize to set up Artists in Residence, a charity that brings professional artists into disadvantaged schools across the UK. In 2019, she was appointed an MBE for her services to education.

Big Change is a small but disruptive force for positive change, working for young people and those who support them. We back pioneers and projects that deliver bold approaches on the frontline, create a community to support them, and activate diverse allies who want to reimagine and transform education.