Books
Ben has authored two books in the field of education and is currently writing his third. Themes in Ben’s writing reflect his passion for teacher professional development, professional judgement and expertise. Ben’s new book, to be published in 2026, explores how school leaders can navigate complexity, develop judgement-orientated mindsets and build schools that adapt and learn. Details about Ben’s current books, including links for purchasing, are below.
Nurturing Professional Judgement (2023)
In-the-moment dilemmas and situational awareness are central to teachers' work, but these concepts may not always find their way into teacher education or early career mentoring - as they often get pushed aside in favour of curriculum coverage and compliance agendas.
This book challenges a technicist and mechanistic view of teaching and learning to examine how best to prepare novice teachers to make sound professional judgements in their classroom practice. It discusses evidence that teaching does not directly 'produce' learning and that nurturing learning is a complex business which relies on both 'art and science'. Current policies and compliancy agendas influencing teacher preparation and professional development are analysed, and the text provides practical suggestions for how to nurture professional judgement in novice teachers through HE provision and school-based mentoring.
It describes the dynamism of those who teach in classrooms and reminds us of the value and necessity of managing structure and improvisation, protocol and intuition which are at the heart of what it means to be a professional.
Planning and Facilitating Group Learning (2025)
This is an innovative text for teacher educators and early career mentors exploring detailed research and information that novice teachers need to know about group work in school settings. There is more to learn about group work than simply sitting children together and letting them get on with it!
Group work across schools is very common and novice teachers will step into classrooms where small groups are the predominant structure. Research has suggested that there is a great deal more to understand about group work, however there is a tacit presumption that novice teachers will simply pick up the expertise associated with organising and managing group work. This book aims to fill in the gaps and educate training and novice teachers on the subtleties and complexities of group work to ultimately make their teaching more impactful and effective.
In this accessible and informative guide, the authors delve into the existing research on how children learn in collaborative groups and what novice teachers need to learn and understand about planning and executing group learning. It examines the skills teacher educators and mentors should aim to develop in novices to help them build expertise in this important area. Following other books within the series, this book is packed with case studies and opportunities for critical thinking.
Navigating Complexity in School Leadership (coming Jan 2027)
Navigating Complexity in School Leadership is an essential guide for today’s school leaders, grappling with the ever-shifting realities of modern education. From evolving curricula and staffing crises to the mental health of both pupils and teachers, this book tackles the ‘wicked problems’ that define the educational landscape—and offers grounded, thoughtful strategies for addressing them.
At its heart, this book embraces the reality that schools are not simple machines to be fine-tuned, but complex systems—dynamic, unpredictable, and deeply human. Drawing on Complexity Theory and real-world case studies, the book unpacks how complexity manifests in schools and trusts, and how leaders can respond not with rigid control, but with adaptive, thoughtful, and resilient leadership practices.
Rather than offering quick fixes or formulaic models, Navigating Complexity in School Leadership invites readers to reframe their thinking: to see uncertainty not as a threat, but as an opportunity for growth, innovation, and authentic change. Through accessible explanations, practical frameworks, reflection points, and application tasks, the book explores how leaders can balance top-down coherence with bottom-up innovation, make sound decisions amid uncertainty, harness the power of teams, and foster cultures of servant leadership.
With chapters on adaptation, change, and the art of enabling rather than dictating, this book challenges the myth of the all-knowing leader and instead champions the idea of the school that learns—where leadership is distributed, collective wisdom is valued, and complexity is not just navigated, but embraced.
Whether you're an experienced headteacher, a new school leader, or part of a trust leadership team, this book will provide fresh insights, clarity, and confidence to help you lead with purpose in an increasingly complex world.
