How a bit of competition stopped Ludo being an educationally subnormal moron

As someone trying to set up a school, I’ve been doing a bit of research into different pedagogic philosophies. What’s the most effective way to teach child-ren, particularly if they’re not that interested to begin with? Should we embrace an old-fashioned approach, with masters standing in front of blackboards reciting Latin verbs? Or a ‘personalised learning programme’ in which children acquire ‘skills’?

People on both sides of the argument can point to successful examples. For instance, Maple Walk in Harlesden, one of the schools set up by Civitas, is conservative with a small ‘c’, favouring traditional pedagogy, and has proved a huge success. Kunskapsskolan, by contrast, the most prominent of the Swedish ‘free school’ companies, believes in tailoring the curriculum to suit the child and boasts results that are 15 per cent higher than the Swedish average. Until recently, I was inclined towards the Maple Walk philosophy, but the experience of trying to help my four-year-old son learn how to read has given me pause for thought.