Toxic Education

Chris Bonell is a sociologist and public health researcher who specialises in adolescent health and interventions to improve this. He teaches at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and previously worked at the University of Oxford and the Social Exclusion Unit. He provided scientific advice to the UK government and the World Health Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he is a member of the Department for Education Science Advisory Council. He lives in Walthamstow with his partner and two children.

• 1. Introduction: How Schools Can Seriously Damage Young People’s Health2. Toxic Experiences: What Young People Say About Schools3. Toxic Trends and Patterns: Data on Young People’s Health4. Toxic Policy? Education Policy and its Consequences5. Health Interventions in Schools as Sticking Plasters 6. The Learning Together Intervention: Effective School Detox in England 7. International Examples of Effective School Detox 8. What works, for Whom and Where 9. Detoxifying Education Policy 10. Conclusion: Detoxifying Education

“A must-read for all interested in children’s mental health and educational outcomes. Clearly explained and evidence-based practical advice to improve both.” Tamsin Ford, University of Cambridge