ABSTRACT
This chapter takes a personal perspective on the theories of fixed and growth mindsets, exploring the author’s own experiences of education from earliest memories of primary school through secondary school to university, teacher training, and beyond. It explores the pros and cons of academic competition in education through the author’s own experiences and those of his students. It tackles the question of whether growth mindset is an educational fad, before concluding with the experiences of other schools which have attempted to adopt a growth mindset ethos, including the remarkable story of New Heys School in Liverpool, which found success even as it was faced with closure.
