The Curious Cat and the Quest for School Improvement
Reclaiming Wonder in Education
Dr Wayne Craig
What happens when curiosity returns to centre stage in schooling? In The Curious Cat and the Quest for School Improvement, Dr Wayne Craig invites educators to pause, reflect and reimagine the answer. Drawing on decades of system and school leadership, Craig puts forward a compelling case for reclaiming curiosity as a central driver of meaningful improvement, both for students and the adults who support them.
Using the metaphor of the “Curious Cat”, this book is as much a provocation as it is a framework. It explores three key pillars: curiosity, moral purpose, and school capital. Together, they offer a lens through which schools might examine not just what they do, but why they do it, and whether those reasons still hold up.
One of the strengths of this book is how it invites thoughtful dialogue. Craig encourages schools to lean into inquiry, to shape their own questions, and to work from a place of shared purpose. There’s a deep respect here for the complexity of schools and the people within them.
Whether you’re in a leadership role, teaching in a classroom, supporting students, or preparing to enter the profession, you’ll find ideas that speak to your context and challenge your thinking.
This book reminds us that the spark of learning, for students and educators alike, depends on a culture that values curiosity, courage and care.
It’s not a loud book, but it’s a brave one. And it just might leave you wondering: what kind of school would we create if curiosity led the way?
