Amba Press is proud to announce the upcoming publication of Building Schools for Boys: How Character, Relationships and Leadership Form Good Men by Professor Phil Cummins and David Atkinson.
This is a book the field of education has been waiting for. At a time when the conversation about boys and men is louder and more complex than ever, Cummins and Atkinson offer something rare: a hopeful, research-informed and deeply practical framework for educators committed to building schools where boys genuinely thrive.
Drawing on nearly a decade of collaboration and decades of combined experience working in and alongside schools across Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, the authors make a compelling case that character is not an enrichment program or a values statement on a wall. It is the whole work of a school. And it is best done through intentional relationships, clear leadership and a shared commitment to forming young men of integrity, empathy and purpose.
The book is structured around six key dimensions of school life – contribution, hope, intention, expectation, value and experience – and draws on rich case studies from outstanding schools around the world, including Brisbane Grammar, Dr Challoner's Grammar School, Auckland Grammar, Maritzburg College and Saint David's School in New York. Each chapter weaves together frameworks, research insights and real stories from educators doing this work every day.
Professor Phil Cummins is the Hooke Family Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership at the University of Sydney and founder of CIRCLE Education, one of the world's leading research institutes in character education. David Atkinson is Headteacher of Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Buckinghamshire, a recipient of the Farmington Trust Headteacher's Scholarship and a respected voice in international boys' education.
Building Schools for Boys will be essential reading for school leaders, educators and anyone who believes that helping boys become good men is one of the most important things a school can do.
Pre-order here.
