Beyond the Frameworks with the Digital Futures Group: Futureproof or Fossilised? Time to Unlearn the System

Episode Overview

In this special episode of The EdTech Podcast, host Philippa Wraithmell brings together the Digital Futures Group—a collective of leading UK and European educators and digital strategy experts—to challenge the assumptions driving today’s education systems.

Through a fast-paced, honest discussion, the group explores whether schools are truly innovating or simply layering technology onto outdated structures. They dive into AI, policy, leadership pressure, inclusion, infrastructure, digital divides, and the uncomfortable truth: meaningful transformation requires unlearning much of what schools currently take for granted.

This is a rare conversation featuring seven leaders whose on-the-ground experience spans school trusts, digital strategy, policy influence, and global consultancy. Their insights offer clarity for educators trying to navigate rapid technological change, overwhelming frameworks, and shifting expectations.

Key Themes in This Episode

• Fragmented progress: why some schools innovate fast while others lag
• Framework overload: DfE, EU & OECD guidance vs. real-world capacity
• AI adoption gaps and the urgent need for frontline teacher training
• Infrastructure as the foundation for equitable innovation
• Leadership bottlenecks: decision-making, motivation & bias
• Digital divides driven by mindset, funding & access
• Global collaboration vs. national systems
• Unlearning old assumptions for genuine digital transformation

Why Listen to This Episode?

This episode is essential for anyone leading digital strategy, navigating AI adoption, or rethinking long-term educational change. It clarifies:

• What’s blocking meaningful innovation in schools
• Why frameworks alone will not prepare educators for AI
• How equity gaps are shifting—not shrinking
• What leaders must prioritise now to avoid future failure
• Why the next phase of EdTech requires courage, collaboration, and unlearning

Whether you’re a school leader, policymaker, EdTech founder, or educator, this episode will give you a clearer, more actionable view of how to futureproof learning.

Who This Episode Is For?

This episode is ideal for:

• School and trust leaders
• Digital strategy and EdTech leads
• Policymakers and education advisers
• AI and EdTech product teams
• Researchers in digital learning
• Educators seeking clarity on the future of teaching & learning

Full Episode Description

This landmark conversation marks the first time the Digital Futures Group appears together on a podcast—a moment that brings seven influential voices into the same room to decode the future of education.

Philippa opens with the reality many educators feel: technology and AI are accelerating faster than schools can process. The Digital Futures Group shares how they formed organically from a shared frustration—schools trying to solve enormous digital problems alone.

Together, they break down the most pressing questions facing modern education:

Are we innovating, or just adding flashy tools to old systems?

Some schools are experimenting boldly; others haven’t even started. The group exposes the widening gap between early adopters and overwhelmed leaders. Without clear strategy and capacity, frameworks alone cannot spark change.

Do current frameworks help or overwhelm schools?

With DfE digital standards, EU AI Acts, OECD models, and vendor “best practice,” leaders are drowning in guidance. The missing link? The time and expertise to translate frameworks into action.

Is EdTech narrowing or widening the equity gap?

Technology is changing quickly, but exam-driven systems remain rigid. The group pushes a provocative question:

Can meaningful innovation occur when accountability is tied to outdated assessment models?

What must we unlearn to truly move forward?

The group highlights the behaviours that must be left behind:

• Treating digital strategy as “someone else’s job”
• Seeing technology as a threat, not a tool
• Confusing shiny tools with real impact
• Expecting change without investing in staff capability
• Designing schooling for a world that no longer exists

The conversation ends with practical advice for leaders: build strong foundations, collaborate widely, train your people, and remember that innovation starts with purpose—not products.

Above all, the Digital Futures Group reminds us that technology alone changes nothing—people do.
Real transformation begins when systems are brave enough to unlearn.