“I think it is an enormous mistake to still have the GCSE examination at 16,” states Michael Young, professor of education at the UCL Institute of Education.

For those that know his work – particularly his research on powerful knowledge and curriculum – such comments will not come as a surprise: an education system that is geared to examinations and accountability is the opposite of what he thinks our children need.

On this episode, Professor Young talks about scrapping not just examinations at 16 years old, but literacy and numeracy, too. He also talks about subject specialisms, the role of education and the power of knowledge to grant access to adulthood for children.