Sammy Wright is a teacher. He was brought up in Edinburgh, worked in London for twelve years, and now lives in Newcastle. He has served on the Social Mobility Commission and is currently head of a large secondary school in Sunderland. His short stories have been published in a variety of anthologies and his novel Fit, which won the 2020 Northern Book Prize, was published by And Other Stories in 2021. His non fiction debut, Exam Nation, will be published by The Bodley Head in August 2024.

Twitter: @SamuelWright78

‘A tremendous book, like the best lesson ever – informed, funny, fair – I’d defy any reader not to learn much of value, and not just about school.’ – Richard Beard, author of Sad Little Men

‘At last a report from the front line of schooling that tells the truth: British education has become swamped by the cult of the exam, a gargantuan and fanatical exercise in government quantification that contributes nothing to preparing children for modern life.’ – Simon Jenkins