Why Did You Become an Educator?

Why Did You Become an Educator? Rethinking Assessment for Every Learner

Ahead of the Outstanding Schools event in Dubai this November, Dr Helen Wright sits down with Gemma Peebles, Chief Executive of Harrison College, to explore the purpose of education, the future of assessment and why every young person deserves an opportunity to succeed.

"Nobody answers, 'to prepare a kid for an exam.' Nobody answers, 'to tick lots of boxes for Ofsted.' The answer is always that they wanted to change young people's lives."

It's a simple observation from Gemma Peebles, but one that gets to the heart of this conversation. As Chief Executive of Harrison College, an independent post-16 college in Yorkshire supporting neurodiverse young people, Gemma has spent her career challenging traditional ideas about education, assessment and what success should look like.

With assessment firmly in the spotlight ahead of her panel at Outstanding Schools Dubai 2026, her conversation with Dr Helen Wright goes beyond how we measure learning. It asks a more fundamental question: are our education systems giving every young person the opportunity to discover what they are capable of?

What this conversation is really about

This isn't simply a conversation about assessment frameworks or educational qualifications. It's about recognising that young people do not all learn, develop or demonstrate their abilities in the same way. At Harrison College, the focus is on developing the skills employers actually need, from communication, leadership and teamwork to problem solving, digital skills and personal finance. That requires a different approach to assessment: one that measures the development of practical skills rather than relying solely on academic knowledge and recall.

For Gemma, this thinking comes from years spent working in mainstream education and witnessing young people being pushed towards university, even when it wasn't necessarily the right path for them. Two students in particular changed her perspective. They were young men in her sixth form who didn't fit the traditional routes of A-levels, university or the apprenticeships available to them. Rather than accepting that the system had no answer for them, Gemma decided to create something different. That experience continues to shape her approach today. She believes education needs to move away from the idea that every learner must fit the same mould, and towards a system that recognises different strengths, ambitions and ways of learning.

The conversation also explores the role of employers in making that change happen. Neurodiverse young people have valuable skills and perspectives to offer across industries, including accountancy, hospitality, construction and the trades. Often, supporting them doesn't require significant financial investment.

It requires greater understanding, flexibility and a willingness to look beyond conventional expectations.

Inside the full recording, The conversation also looks at the wider opportunities for change, both in the UK and internationally. Gemma discusses the UK skills review commissioned by the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, and led by Alan Milburn. While she welcomes the openness to rethink how skills are recognised in education, she also raises the concern that meaningful reform could become tokenistic if it isn't translated into practice.

Dubai presents another opportunity. Gemma highlights the Ministry of Education's openness to change and its ambitions to bring more people of determination into the workforce. For her, it's an opportunity to demonstrate how established programmes can evolve to place greater emphasis on skills and individual potential. Looking ahead to her Outstanding Schools panel, the discussion turns to some important questions for education leaders: how can practical skills be embedded into new assessment frameworks? How do we measure progress in communication, leadership and problem solving? And how can assessment demonstrate a young person's growth and development, rather than simply capture what they can remember at a particular moment?

And if you'd rather start with the headlines,There are several ideas from the conversation worth taking back to your own school or organisation:

• Assess skills, not just knowledge. Communication, leadership, teamwork and problem solving are essential capabilities, and assessment needs to recognise their development.

• One size does not fit all. As Gemma puts it, "We are a whole hodgepodge of shapes and sizes." Education should reflect the diversity of the young people it serves.

• This is a moment for change. There is growing openness to rethinking skills and assessment, both in the UK and in Dubai. The challenge is turning that willingness into meaningful action.

• Neurodiverse talent is an economic asset. Employers have an opportunity to recognise and develop talent that traditional recruitment and education pathways may overlook.

• Be part of the solution. Gemma's message to educators is clear: "Don't be part of the problem and keep complaining about it. Try and be the solution."

Perhaps the most important takeaway comes right at the beginning of the conversation. Before we talk about qualifications, frameworks, performance measures or inspection results, we should return to a much simpler question:

Why did you become an educator?

It's a question worth revisiting, particularly as education leaders come together to discuss what the future of learning should look like.

Gemma Peebles will join fellow education leaders at Outstanding Schools Dubai 2026, where she will chair a panel exploring the future of assessment and how schools can better recognise the skills young people need to thrive.

Join us in Dubai this November as we continue the conversation about what it means to go beyond outstanding.