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Our History, Vision & Values

Stronger learning for stronger lives

Challenging Learning Purpose

We exist to strengthen learning and strengthen lives.

Our head office is in Northumberland, the border country between England and Scotland that once marked the edge of the Roman Empire, as well as the site for Britain’s first contact with the Vikings.

This sense of place gives us a CLEAR purpose, one that brings:

Clarity
Learning
Edginess
Agility
Relevance
Challenging Learning is an independent consultancy group, comprised of six companies in six countries, all founded by James and Jill Nottingham.

Our mission is to share teaching and leadership practices that have the biggest impact on learning progress.
We walk alongside educators to ensure significant, sustainable gains are achieved. We don’t just inspire; we also build capacity by coaching, demonstrating, encouraging and leading.
We have built up a team of 30 full-time staff, all dedicated to long-term support for schools, pre-schools and colleges.
Challenging Learning is an independent consultancy group, comprised of six companies in six countries, all founded by James and Jill Nottingham.

We walk alongside educators to ensure significant, sustainable gains are achieved. We don’t just inspire; we also build capacity by coaching, demonstrating, encouraging and leading.
We have built up a team of 30 full-time staff, all dedicated to long-term support for schools, pre-schools and colleges.

Our mission is to share teaching and leadership practices that have the biggest impact on learning progress.

Challenging Learning Values

Challenging Learning History

1999: Thinking CAP?

Following a TV documentary about his work in schools with Philosophy for Children (P4C), James Nottingham founded Thinking CAP? (Thinking Children Asking Philosophical Questions). This allowed him to support schools across the UK and Norway with the development of P4C, classroom talk, challenge, and thinking skills. In effect, Thinking CAP? was the precursor to Challenging Learning.

2000: N-RAIS

In September 2000, the 22 schools in the Berwick Partnership of Schools invited James Nottingham to collaborate with headteachers Mike Henry and Elizabeth Brown to create N-RAIS, (Northumberland’s Raising Aspirations In Society project) to boost the aspirations and achievement of the young people in North Northumberland. This project was so successful that two years later, One North East increased the funding to £1.6m to enable a roll-out across the 170 first, middle and high schools in Northumberland. Such was the impact – as identified through independent studies by the Universities of both Newcastle and Sunderland – that the project received national and international acclaim. Public-funding restrictions prohibited the sharing of these processes beyond the funded region of North East England, which is why James created the independent company, Challenging Learning, to share the best ideas further afield.

2006: Challenging Learning

In March 2006, James and Jill Nottingham left the comfort of full-time employment to run Challenging Learning. It seemed a strange time to do so, having just had their first child and bought a family house! However, determination got the better of them and so it was that Challenging Learning became a full-time consultancy supporting schools, pre-schools, colleges, and public-sector organisations with challenge, dialogue, P4C, thinking skills, and growth mindset.

2007: James Nottingham publishes the first article about The Learning Pit®

2009: Martin Renton joins Challenging Learning

2010: James Nottingham publishes his first book, Challenging Learning

2013: Challenging Learning is awarded the Visible Learning+™ licence Scandinavia (until 2019)

2014: The Challenging Learning Group

As the work and number of staff continues to expand, so the number of Challenging Learning companies grow. In 2014, Challenging Learning created companies and employed staff in all three Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The following year, they set up Challenging Learning Australia and then in 2019, Challenging Learning USA.

2021: Challenging Learning – a new dawn

At the start of 2021 after forging on with innovative thinking for virtual professional development through the Pandemic, the Challenging Learning Group is now made up of full-time staff in six countries. They have published ten books in many different languages; secured the trademark for James Nottingham’s Learning Pit®; and developed a plan for expansion to ensure their approach to learning and leadership strengthens the lives of many more thousands around the world.

Challenging Learning History

1999: Thinking CAP?

Following a TV documentary about his work in schools with Philosophy for Children (P4C), James Nottingham founded Thinking CAP? (Thinking Children Asking Philosophical Questions). This allowed him to support schools across the UK and Norway with the development of P4C, classroom talk, challenge, and thinking skills. In effect, Thinking CAP? was the precursor to Challenging Learning.

2000: N-RAIS

In September 2000, the 22 schools in the Berwick Partnership of Schools invited James Nottingham to collaborate with headteachers Mike Henry and Elizabeth Brown to create N-RAIS, (Northumberland’s Raising Aspirations In Society project) to boost the aspirations and achievement of the young people in North Northumberland. This project was so successful that two years later, One North East increased the funding to £1.6m to enable a roll-out across the 170 first, middle and high schools in Northumberland. Such was the impact – as identified through independent studies by the Universities of both Newcastle and Sunderland – that the project received national and international acclaim. Public-funding restrictions prohibited the sharing of these processes beyond the funded region of North East England, which is why James created the independent company, Challenging Learning, to share the best ideas further afield.

2006: Challenging Learning

In March 2006, James and Jill Nottingham left the comfort of full-time employment to run Challenging Learning. It seemed a strange time to do so, having just had their first child and bought a family house! However, determination got the better of them and so it was that Challenging Learning became a full-time consultancy supporting schools, pre-schools, colleges, and public-sector organisations with challenge, dialogue, P4C, thinking skills, and growth mindset.

2007: James Nottingham publishes the first article about The Learning Pit®

2009: Martin Renton joins Challenging Learning

2010: James Nottingham publishes his first book, Challenging Learning

2013: Challenging Learning is awarded the Visible Learning licence for Scandinavia (until 2019)

2014: The Challenging Learning Group

As the work and number of staff continues to expand, so the number of Challenging Learning companies grow. In 2014, Challenging Learning created companies and employed staff in all three Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The following year, they set up Challenging Learning Australia and then in 2019, Challenging Learning USA.

2020: Challenging Learning – a new decade

At the start of 2020, the Challenging Learning Group is made up of 30 full-time staff in six countries; they have published nine books in many different languages; secured the trademark for James Nottingham’s Learning Pit®; and developed a plan for expansion to ensure their approach to learning and leadership strengthens the lives of many more thousands around the world.

Contact Us

Stronger Learning for Stronger Lives

Contact Us

Stronger Learning for Stronger Lives