James Nottingham

James Nottingham is the founding director of Challenging Learning, a group of companies with 30 staff in six countries. He is a world-renowned keynote speaker, author, and creator of the Learning Pit®, one of the most popular ways to encourage and structure questioning, challenge, and reflection. Before training to be a teacher, James worked on a pig farm, in the chemical industry, for the American Red Cross, and as a teaching assistant in a school for deaf children. At university, he gained a first-class honours degree (a major turnaround after having failed miserably at school). He then worked as a teacher and leader in primary and secondary schools across the north of England before creating an award-winning, multi-million-pound social regeneration project supporting education, community groups and businesses from the Tees to the Tweed.

Today, James splits his work time between keynoting conferences – often with Carol Dweck or John Hattie; leading staff training in schools, nurseries & colleges; running demonstration lessons; writing and researching; and leading his team of company directors. He is the author of 9 books; father of three kids; owner of one sausage dog (soon to be two); and collector of KWO Räunchermänner.