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What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club? WELLBEING

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Week 7 — Wellbeing: Feeling Good Together, Learning for Life

In recent years, schools and education researchers have been paying increasing attention to wellbeing — not just as an optional extra, but as a vital factor that influences learning, engagement, relationships, and long-term mental health. The evidence is clear: when young people feel supported, connected, and able to participate meaningfully in school, their wellbeing improves — and so too does their capacity to learn and thrive.

Taskmaster Club isn’t a mental health intervention in the clinical sense — but it does create experiences that support wellbeing in powerful, everyday ways. Through teamwork, laughter, shared success and playful tasks, pupils build strong social connections, confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging — all of which research shows are central to wellbeing in educational settings.

In this post, we explore why wellbeing matters, what the research says, and how Taskmaster Club naturally nurtures it.

What Do We Mean by Wellbeing?

Wellbeing in education encompasses more than feeling happy. Researchers differentiate between:

  • Hedonic wellbeing — feeling good (positive mood, enjoyment), and
  • Eudaimonic wellbeing — feeling purposeful, connected, and capable in meaningful activities.

Both matter for young people’s development. When pupils feel safe, valued and connected at school, they are more likely to engage with learning, build positive peer relationships, and develop the agency to tackle challenges.

Wellbeing is not separate from learning — it supports it.

What the Research Says (UK & Educational Context)

Wellbeing and School Engagement

Research from UK contexts highlights that feeling connected to peers and the school community plays a major role in pupils’ wellbeing. Pupils who feel accepted, supported and heard are more likely to have higher wellbeing and stronger engagement with school life. Participation in extracurricular activities that foster belonging can boost these positive outcomes.

For example, research summarised in the National Children’s Bureau’s Belonging Matters review shows that:

  • Pupils who feel accepted, respected and included in their school community are more likely to engage in learning, build positive relationships and thrive both emotionally and socially.
  • Feeling connected is linked to better mental health, increased confidence and greater happiness among pupils, while a lack of belonging can negatively affect wellbeing.

Additionally, a UCL Institute of Education review highlights that when pupils have a sense of belonging at school, they tend to be happier, more confident and more academically engaged, underscoring the link between connection and wellbeing.

These findings support the idea that environments – like Taskmaster Club – that foster shared success and inclusive participation can boost pupil wellbeing by strengthening a sense of belonging and self-worth.

No Trade-Off Between Wellbeing and Achievement

Findings from the Wellbeing Research Centre (part of the University of Oxford and the International Baccalaureate) emphasise that focusing on wellbeing doesn’t mean compromising academic standards. In fact, a positive educational environment that supports pupil wellbeing often enhances engagement and learning.

Activity, Connection and Positive Mood

Other research shows that physical activity and opportunities to connect socially with others contribute to improved mood, confidence and resilience – all dimensions of wellbeing. Pupils who are active and socially connected tend to report better overall wellbeing.

How Taskmaster Club Supports Wellbeing

Taskmaster Club supports wellbeing through connection, mastery, fun and belonging – elements researchers associate with positive youth development.

1. Positive Social Connections

Wellbeing research emphasises that supportive peer relationships and a sense of belonging are foundational to wellbeing. In Taskmaster Club, pupils work and laugh together, celebrate team success, and support one another through setbacks. This shared social experience builds trust and belonging, which underpin wellbeing.

2. Experiences of Mastery and Enjoyment

Tasks in Taskmaster Club are varied and playful. They offer repeated opportunities for pupils to succeed, try something new, and enjoy the process. Research suggests that these kinds of experiences contribute to better mood and greater self-confidence, which are central components of wellbeing.

3. Movement, Space and Shared Effort

Many tasks involve movement and active participation – whether making, performing or strategising physically. This engagement alongside social connection is known to boost mood and reduce stress, promoting overall wellbeing.

4. Safe Risk-Taking and Resilience

Wellbeing isn’t about never facing challenges – it’s about feeling safe to take risks and recover from setbacks. Taskmaster Club creates a light-hearted context where failure is expected and celebrated as part of learning. Pupils discover that stumbling doesn’t diminish their worth – it’s part of the journey. Research in wellbeing and positive psychology shows that this kind of environment fosters resilience and emotional regulation.

5. Belonging to a Supportive Community

Being part of something larger than oneself – a team, a club, a shared purpose – contributes significantly to wellbeing. Extracurricular involvement has long been linked with a greater sense of identity, connectedness and satisfaction with school. Pupils who feel they belong in their school community report higher wellbeing.

Why This Matters in School and Beyond

Fostering wellbeing isn’t an optional “add-on” – it’s a foundation for learning, growth and long-term resilience. Pupils with stronger wellbeing are more engaged, better able to cope with change and setbacks, and more likely to participate confidently in their communities.

This matters not just for individual pupils, but for whole school cultures. When pupils feel connected, supported and capable, the learning environment becomes more positive, inclusive and productive for everyone.

Practical Ways to Strengthen Wellbeing Through Taskmaster Club

If you run a Taskmaster Club (or are thinking of starting one), here are ways to make wellbeing benefits even more explicit:

  1. Celebrate small wins and collective effort – not just outcomes.
  2. Encourage reflection on social connection – ask pupils what they enjoyed most about working with others.
  3. Insist on movement or performance in task approaches to mix up energy and lift mood.
  4. Reinforce the value of trying and adapting, even when a plan doesn’t succeed.
  5. Foster belonging by affirming that every voice and contribution matters.

Final Thought

Wellbeing is not just the absence of stress – it’s the presence of connection, confidence, enjoyment and a sense of belonging. Taskmaster Club naturally nurtures all of these. Through playful challenge, shared laughter, collective effort and social support, pupils build experiences that not only make them feel good in the moment, but contribute to their broader emotional and social health.

In doing so, Taskmaster Club supports not just learning – it supports young people’s wellbeing for life.

Taskmaster Club materials:

Further posts in the ‘What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club series:

Creativity, Cultural Capital, Learning, Personal Development, Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School, Teaching, Teaching and Learning, Teamwork

What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club? SELF-ESTEEM

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Week 6 — Self-Esteem: Feeling Capable, Connected and Valued

Self-esteem – a young person’s sense of their own worth, capability and belonging – is foundational to wellbeing, motivation and engagement in learning. It helps pupils take on challenges, cope with setbacks, and grow with confidence. Importantly, feeling connected and valued in school supports pupils’ confidence and sense of worth, which in turn enhances learning, attendance and social engagement.

Taskmaster Club nurtures self-esteem in multiple, interconnected ways. It gives everyone the chance to succeed, values a wide range of skills, and builds a strong sense of community and purpose. Pupils feel recognised, included and capable, which matters deeply for how they see themselves both in school and beyond.

What Is Self-Esteem — and Why It Matters

Self-esteem can be thought of as the internal sense that “I can do things that matter” and “I belong here”. In education, strong self-esteem supports:

  • confidence in tackling new, unfamiliar tasks
  • resilience when facing setbacks
  • willingness to participate socially and academically
  • a positive sense of identity within a community

When pupils feel competent and valued, they are more likely to engage willingly with peers, try new strategies, and persevere through uncertainty – all essential for deep learning.

How Taskmaster Club Supports Self-Esteem

Taskmaster Club builds self-esteem because it naturally creates conditions known to support confidence, belonging and valued participation.

1. Multiple Routes to Success

The diversity of the tasks means there isn’t just one way to succeed. Some tasks reward creativity, others logic, others communication or performance. This broad terrain allows many pupils to experience mastery, which research links directly to greater self-worth.

Because everyone’s strengths can shine at different moments, pupils learn that their contributions matter.

2. Shared Achievement Builds Confidence

Unlike in the show, most Club tasks are collaborative. Pupils celebrate together – they laugh, they problem-solve, and they succeed as a team. Research on collaborative school activities shows that positive peer acknowledgement and shared success help pupils feel accepted and competent, reinforcing their self-esteem.

3. Positive Community & Belonging

Feeling “part of something” is vital. Studies show that pupils who feel connected to their peers and to school communities are happier, more confident and more resilient learners. Feeling valued by others — not just standing alone — boosts how pupils see themselves.

Taskmaster Club fosters exactly that kind of connection: team camaraderie, shared goals, mutual encouragement, and inclusive engagement.

4. Encouragement to Try, Fail and Improve

Self-esteem isn’t just about success – it’s also about learning to cope with failure. In Taskmaster Club, failure is temporary, social and often funny rather than punitive. Pupils learn that trying something outside their comfort zone is worth doing even if it doesn’t work first time.

This builds resilience – a core psychological ingredient of robust self-esteem.

5. Everyone is Seen and Heard

Whether a pupil contributes an idea, a practical skill, a creative suggestion, or a supportive comment, their voice matters. Feeling listened to and acknowledged by peers is strongly linked with a sense of acceptance and worth among young people.

Why This Matters in School and Life

Strong self-esteem helps pupils:

  • take on academic challenges with confidence
  • build positive relationships with peers
  • engage more deeply in school life
  • cope with transitions and setbacks
  • pursue personal goals with agency

In a time when many young people report low levels of belonging and decreasing life satisfaction, creating spaces where pupils feel valued and connected is more important than ever.

Practical Ways to Strengthen Self-Esteem Through Taskmaster Club

If you’re running a Taskmaster Club, here are ways to make self-esteem support more intentional:

  1. Celebrate Diverse Successes
    Highlight and value different kinds of contributions – creative, logical, collaborative, supportive – not just the “winning” outcome.
  2. Encourage Reflection on Strengths
    Ask pupils what they did well, what they tried that was bold, and what they learned about themselves.
  3. Rotate Roles and Responsibilities
    Give everyone a chance to lead, present, support and encourage – helping each pupil experience valued participation.
  4. Affirm Effort Over Perfection
    Reward perseverance, clever ideas, and collaborative effort, even when the task result isn’t perfect.

Final Thought

Self-esteem is not a static trait — it is a living outcome of positive experiences, meaningful connections and repeated opportunities to feel capable. Taskmaster Club delivers exactly that: a playful space where pupils succeed, learn from mistakes, feel accepted, are encouraged to contribute, and build confidence both in themselves and with others.

In doing so, Taskmaster Club helps young people develop not just skills — but a stronger sense of who they are, what they can do, and where they belong.

Children’s Mental Health Week

In 2023 we partnered with Place2Be for Children’s Mental Health Week and created some tasks to support the campaign. This YouTube playlist includes the tasks and a few other gems.

Taskmaster Club materials:

Further posts in the ‘What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club series:

Creativity, Enrichment, Learning, Personal Development, Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School, Teaching, Teaching and Learning, Teamwork

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT TASKMASTER CLUB? LEADERSHIP

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Week 5 — Leadership: Guiding, Listening and Adapting

Leadership is often misunderstood as something reserved for a few confident individuals at the front of the room. In reality, leadership is a set of skills and behaviours that can (and should) be developed in young people through practice, reflection and collaboration.

Taskmaster Club offers exactly that kind of environment.

Across each session, pupils take on leadership roles both formally and informally. They communicate ideas, negotiate approaches, make decisions under pressure, bring others with them, and adapt when things don’t work as planned. Leadership here is not about authority – it’s about influence, responsibility and collective success.

What Do We Mean by Leadership in Education?

Educational research increasingly views leadership as:

  • shared rather than hierarchical
  • situational rather than fixed
  • relational rather than positional

This idea of distributed leadership – widely discussed in education research – recognises that leadership emerges through interaction: listening, coordinating, motivating and guiding others toward a shared goal.

Crucially, leadership is not something pupils simply “have” or “don’t have”. It is learned through experience, especially in group-based, problem-rich environments.

Why Developing Leadership Skills Matters

Research and policy consistently highlight leadership as a vital life skill:

  • The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) links leadership-related skills such as self-regulation, communication and metacognition to improved academic outcomes.
    https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit
  • UK educational leadership scholars such as Professor Alma Harris and Professor Christopher Day argue that leadership capacity should be developed early, through collaborative practice and shared responsibility.
  • Ofsted has increasingly emphasised personal development, teamwork, communication and responsibility – all closely tied to leadership behaviours – as part of what schools should be cultivating beyond exam outcomes.
  • Research on youth leadership development shows that pupils who are given structured opportunities to lead develop greater confidence, resilience, and engagement with learning.

In short: leadership skills support success in school, work and wider society – and they don’t develop by accident.

How Taskmaster Club Develops Leadership Skills

Taskmaster Club creates repeated, authentic opportunities for pupils to practise leadership in action.

1. Shared Decision-Making Under Pressure

Teams must make decisions quickly: which idea to pursue, how to use their time, who does what. Someone often needs to step forward to synthesise ideas and move the group on.

Research into leadership development highlights decisiveness and clarity – especially under time constraints – as core leadership skills. Taskmaster Club provides real, low-stakes practice.

2. Communication, Negotiation and Compromise

Leadership in Taskmaster Club is deeply communicative. Pupils must:

  • articulate their thinking
  • listen to others
  • negotiate disagreements
  • compromise for the good of the team

Research on collaborative learning and leadership stresses that effective leaders are strong listeners who create space for others’ voices – not those who dominate discussion.

3. Ensuring Everyone Is Heard

Successful teams are rarely led by the loudest voice. Instead, effective leaders notice who hasn’t spoken, draw out quieter ideas, and help the group weigh different contributions.

This reflects research on inclusive leadership, which shows that teams perform better when leaders actively foster participation and psychological safety.

4. Evaluating and Adapting Approaches

Leadership isn’t just about choosing a plan – it’s about recognising when it isn’t working.

Taskmaster Club tasks often require leaders to:

  • reassess strategies mid-task
  • respond to setbacks
  • adapt roles or approaches
  • keep morale high when things wobble

Educational research links this adaptive leadership closely to metacognition (thinking about thinking) which the EEF identifies as a high-impact teaching approach.

5. Rotating and Informal Leadership

Leadership in Taskmaster Club is fluid. One pupil may lead planning, another execution, another presentation or reflection.

This mirrors the distributed leadership models advocated by education researchers, which argue that rotating leadership roles builds wider leadership capacity and avoids reliance on a single individual.

Why Taskmaster Club Is an Ideal Leadership Environment

Taskmaster Club supports leadership development because it is:

  • Low-stakes — mistakes are safe and often humorous
  • Collaborative — leadership is social, not solitary
  • Time-bound — decisions matter
  • Varied — leadership takes different forms each week
  • Reflective — teams should evaluate both outcomes and processes

Most importantly, leadership is practised authentically, not simulated.

Practical Ways to Make Leadership Explicit in Your Club

If you run a Taskmaster Club, you can strengthen leadership development by:

  • Rotating team roles deliberately (planner, coordinator, presenter, reviewer).
  • Asking teams to identify who helped move the group forward – and how.
  • Highlighting good leadership behaviours in feedback, not just good results.
  • Encouraging reflection on decisions: What worked? What would you change?
  • Valuing listening and facilitation as much as bold ideas.

Final Thought

Leadership is not about standing out – it’s about bringing others with you.

Taskmaster Club gives young people repeated chances to practise leadership in its most meaningful form: guiding discussion, making decisions, adapting strategies, and keeping a team moving forward together. Through communication, compromise and reflection, pupils learn that leadership is not a title – it’s a skill.

And if they learn that while managing a ticking clock, balancing wildly different ideas, and rescuing a plan that’s gone slightly off the rails?
That’s leadership worth developing.

Taskmaster Club materials:

Further posts in the ‘What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club series:

Creativity, Enrichment, Learning, Personal Development, Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School, Teaching, Teaching and Learning, Teamwork

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT TASKMASTER CLUB? PROBLEM SOLVING

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Week 4 – Problem Solving: Thinking Flexibly, Together

Problem solving is one of the most frequently cited “essential skills” in education, and one of the hardest to teach well. It’s not simply about getting the right answer, but about how learners approach unfamiliar challenges, adapt strategies, and apply thinking across different contexts.

Taskmaster Club is particularly powerful here. Each session presents teams with unusual, open-ended problems that must be interpreted, planned for, tested and revised – often under time pressure, often collaboratively, and often with unpredictable results. This repeated exposure to varied problems helps young people build transferable problem-solving habits, not just isolated techniques.

What Do We Mean by Problem Solving in Education?

Educational research defines problem solving as a process, not an outcome. It typically includes:

  • understanding and defining the problem
  • planning an approach
  • selecting and testing strategies
  • monitoring progress
  • adapting when things don’t work
  • reflecting on outcomes and processes

Crucially, strong problem solvers are not those who memorise solutions, but those who can transfer strategies to new situations — a key focus of current UK educational research.

Why Problem Solving Matters (Research & Policy Context)

Problem solving has become increasingly prominent in education policy and research:

  • The OECD highlights problem solving as central to preparing learners for complex, uncertain futures, particularly when problems are ill-defined and collaborative.
  • In England, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) identifies metacognition and self-regulation – closely linked to problem solving – as having a high impact on pupil attainment.
  • UK cognitive science research (including work synthesised by Dunlosky et al., widely used in teacher education) shows that learners improve problem solving when they are explicitly taught how to plan, monitor and evaluate their thinking.
  • Research from the University of Cambridge on dialogic learning demonstrates that reasoning with others improves individual problem-solving ability over time.

Together, this evidence points to a clear conclusion: problem solving improves when it is modelled, practised across contexts, and supported through structured talk and reflection.

How Taskmaster Club Develops Problem Solving Skills

Taskmaster Club is particularly effective because it exposes learners to many different types of problems, requiring flexible application of strategies rather than repetition of a single method.

1. Interpreting Ambiguous Problems

Task instructions are rarely straightforward. Teams must read carefully, clarify meaning, challenge assumptions, and agree on what the problem actually is.

This aligns with research showing that expert problem solvers spend more time understanding a problem before acting — a skill that can be taught, modelled and practised.

2. Strategic Planning and Time Management

Once a task is understood, teams must decide:

  • what their goal is
  • how to use limited time and resources
  • which strategy is most likely to succeed

This reflects research on metacognition, which emphasises planning and monitoring as core components of effective problem solving. Taskmaster Club provides repeated, authentic opportunities to practise these skills.

3. Collaborative Problem Solving

Most Taskmaster Club tasks are approached in teams. Participants must:

  • share ideas
  • justify their reasoning
  • negotiate disagreements
  • compromise and adapt

Research into collaborative problem solving (including studies on dialogic teaching) shows that explaining thinking aloud and responding to others’ ideas strengthens reasoning and improves solution quality. Taskmaster Club embeds this naturally.

4. Trial, Error and Productive Failure

Many Taskmaster attempts fail — sometimes spectacularly. But failure here is informative, not punitive.

Educational research on productive failure shows that struggling with a problem before reaching a solution leads to deeper understanding and better long-term transfer. Taskmaster Club normalises iteration: test, fail, adapt, try again.

5. Questioning and Information Seeking

Successful teams often:

  • ask clarifying questions
  • look for hidden clues
  • check interpretations
  • seek additional information

Inquiry-based learning research consistently identifies questioning as a key driver of effective problem solving. Taskmaster Club rewards curiosity and strategic questioning rather than blind action.

6. Reflection and Transfer

After each task, teams can reflect on:

  • what worked
  • what didn’t
  • why
  • what they’d change next time

Reflection is critical. EEF guidance highlights that metacognitive reflection helps learners transfer strategies to new problems. Taskmaster Club allows this reflective loop into every session.

Why Taskmaster Club’s Approach Is So Effective

Taskmaster Club creates ideal conditions for problem solving because it is:

  • Low-stakes — failure is safe and often funny
  • Varied — problems differ from task to task and week to week
  • Social — thinking is shared and challenged
  • Time-bound — encouraging prioritisation
  • Engaging — motivation remains high

Most importantly, students encounter problems that don’t look like school problems — which is exactly what helps problem-solving skills transfer beyond the classroom.

Practical Ways to Make Problem Solving Explicit in Your Club

  • Ask teams to articulate their plan before starting.
  • Pause mid-task to encourage strategy review.
  • Highlight good questions as much as good answers.
  • Celebrate effective adaptations, not just success.
  • End sessions by identifying one problem-solving strategy teams would reuse elsewhere.

Final Thought

Problem solving is not a single skill but a habit of mind – one that develops through varied practice, collaboration, reflection and the freedom to fail safely.

Taskmaster Club offers young people repeated, joyful opportunities to practise this habit. By tackling strange, unpredictable challenges together, they learn not just how to solve a task — but how to approach problems wherever they appear.

And if they learn that while racing the clock, negotiating with teammates, and defending a slightly ridiculous plan?
That’s problem solving at its best.

Taskmaster Club materials:

Further posts in the ‘What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club series:

Creativity, Enrichment, Personal Development, Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School, Teaching, Teaching and Learning, Teamwork

What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club? ORACY

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Week 3 — Oracy: Speaking, Listening & Thinking Out Loud

In education, we often celebrate reading, writing, arithmetic – but too often we forget the power of talk. That’s where oracy comes in: the ability to express ideas clearly, listen deeply, reason with others, and adapt language to different contexts. For many young people, that’s just as important, if not more so, than any other skill.

With its team-based, often chaotic, always creative structure, Taskmaster Club offers a brilliant environment for oracy to flourish. Teams must plan, defend, revise and sometimes persuade one another that their strange idea is “the one.” In doing so, they practise real-world communication and develop confidence, clarity and collaborative thinking.

Below: how Taskmaster Club builds oracy — and why growing oracy skills matters now more than ever.

What is Oracy — and Why It Matters

  • The term “oracy” was coined in the UK in the 1960s by the British educator Andrew Wilkinson. The idea was to give spoken language skills equal status with literacy and numeracy.cambridge-community.org.uk+1
  • According to the most recent report from the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England (2024), oracy should become the “fourth R” of education — as vital to children’s development as reading, writing and arithmetic.oracyeducationcommission.co.uk+1
  • Oracy means more than just speaking: it encompasses reasoning together, listening, adapting communication, arguing respectfully, and engaging in collective thinking.Artis+2Research Schools Network+2

In a time where clear communication, empathy, argumentation and collaboration are increasingly vital (in school, society and future workplaces), oracy is something we cannot afford to neglect.

What Research & Policy Are Saying (UK Focus)

  • According to the University of Cambridge’s educational research, when students are taught to reason together — to use talk to think with others — they become better at reasoning individually too.University of Cambridge
  • Studies show that purposeful classroom talk and oracy-recognition improve academic achievement, support social and emotional development, and build skills essential for life beyond school: confidence, expression, civic engagement and agency.ESU+2Research Schools Network+2
  • Recent national-level reviews (like that of the Oracy Commission) argue for integrating speaking & listening — across all subjects and extracurriculars — to prepare young people for a world where communication, discussion and collaboration are key.sec-ed.co.uk+2oracyeducationcommission.co.uk+2

In short: oracy isn’t just “nice-to-have”. It’s a foundational competence – socially, academically, professionally.

How Taskmaster Club Nurtures Oracy in Every Session

Here’s how the Club’s structure naturally builds oracy – often without students realising they’re “learning”.

  • Constant justification & persuasion: Teams discuss how to approach tasks, negotiate ideas, and defend why one plan is better than another. That builds clarity of thought — and the confidence to express it.
  • Collective reflection: After every challenge, participants talk through what worked, what failed, and what they’d do differently. That encourages listening, evaluation, and shared understanding.
  • Role-sharing & leadership language: Teams rotate roles — planners, doers, presenters — which gives everyone a chance to speak, lead, or support. That variety cultivates flexible communication styles.
  • Spontaneous collaboration under pressure: Many tasks are time-pressured, chaotic or absurd: teams must think quickly, adjust plans, and communicate on the fly. That helps build adaptability and real-world readiness.
  • Inclusive, low-stakes environment: Because tasks are playful and creative rather than “test-based,” students are more willing to experiment with ideas, make mistakes, speak up and learn from each other.

Why Oracy — and thus Taskmaster Club — Matters More Than Ever

  • With the recent push (via the Oracy Commission) to recognise oracy as the “fourth R,” schools and educators are being encouraged to embed speaking and listening skills across all areas of learning. Taskmaster Club is already doing this — in a way that feels fun, not forced.
  • As workplaces, communities and societies become more collaborative, global and fluid, strong communication, confidence, and the ability to reason with others are increasingly vital. Oracy helps equip young people for that reality.
  • For many learners — especially those less confident in writing or those from under-resourced backgrounds — oracy provides another route to express their thinking, show their knowledge, and contribute meaningfully. It’s equitable, empowering, accessible.

Practical Ideas to Boost Oracy in Your Club

If you run a Taskmaster Club (or are thinking of starting one), here are some concrete ideas to make oracy explicit — and build it intentionally:

  • At the end of each task, spend a few minutes debriefing: ask each team member to say one thing they liked about someone else’s idea, and one improvement they’d suggest.
  • Run tasks that require verbal presentation — so teams have to pitch their ideas out loud, describe their methods, or explain their thinking under a time limit.
  • Rotate roles deliberately — ensure quieter students get a chance to lead discussion, speak, or summarise the group’s thinking.
  • Encourage discussion of choices: when a plan fails, ask teams to reflect aloud on why, what they might do differently — celebrate “good thinking, even if the result was exactly what was hoped for.”
  • Use mixed media: some tasks should require strategy talk (planning, reasoning), others storytelling or performative explanation — giving varied opportunities for oracy development.

Final Thought

Oracy isn’t a luxury. It’s a human right: the right to think aloud, to express, to reason, to contribute. And in a world increasingly shaped by communication — between communities, workplaces, nations — oracy is as vital as reading, writing or arithmetic.

With its blend of teamwork, challenge, play and reflection, Taskmaster Club gives young people a rare gift: regular, joyful, purposeful opportunities to speak, listen and think together. It doesn’t just help them win silly tasks — it helps them find their voice.

Taskmaster Club materials:

Further posts in the ‘What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club series:

Creativity, Learning, Personal Development, Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School, Teaching, Teaching and Learning, Teamwork

Secret Tasks: The Unexpected Key to Obvious Impact

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Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Southway Primary School, where their Year 6 pupils have been running Taskmaster Club this term.

I was there to learn more about a collaborative project they’re planning with their neighbouring secondary school, TRS, and it’s an idea that’s simple but could well be extremely impactful. Older pupils from TRS will take on leadership roles, running Taskmaster Club sessions for the younger pupils and modelling collaborative teamwork and communication. It’s peer-led, it’s practical, and it’s the kind of initiative that quietly builds confidence in all age groups. I can’t wait to see what happens next and the ripple effect it has across both schools.

But that wasn’t the highlight of the visit.

The Teacher Who Introduced Me to the “Secret Task”

While speaking with a teacher who has been running Taskmaster Club with Post-16 pupils, she shared an adaptation she had made to the format. It was so clever, simple, and bursting with potential that I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

She had introduced The Secret Task.

While all of the teams were working on the same task, she privately assigned individual pupils an extra rule or personal mission to complete during the session. These were designed to shape behaviours, build skills, or push pupils slightly outside their comfort zones – all while keeping the playful spirit of Taskmaster intact.

The sorts of secret tasks she shared included:

  • Make sure your team uses your idea for at least one task today.
  • You must agree with everything everyone says.
  • Do not speak at all during the session today.
  • Sabotage your team’s attempt in some way. If your team win, they lose; if they lose, you gain bonus points; if you get caught, you lose points.

Each one requires a different kind of strategy, awareness, and self-management. And each one develops a different skill.

Why Secret Tasks Work So Well

What struck me most wasn’t just the creativity of the idea—it was the intentionality behind it.

Secret tasks give teachers an opportunity to:

1. Personalise the learning experience

Each pupil can be guided toward a specific behaviour, challenge, or strength. A quieter pupil could have a task encouraging leadership; a dominant pupil could be nudged toward active listening; someone who struggles with teamwork could be steered into building or repairing group dynamics. All while attempting the same task.

2. Strengthen inclusion and adaptive practice

We talk a lot about adaptations, but this is adaptive practice disguised as fun. It gives every pupil a way to participate meaningfully, even if their needs or strengths differ from their peers’. No one is singled out. No one is left out. Everyone plays.

3. Encourage reflection and metacognition

Secret tasks aren’t just playful – they support deeper thinking. When pupils debrief afterwards, they start to notice how behaviours influence the outcome of a team task. They learn to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how their own actions shaped the group.

4. Maintain the magic of Taskmaster

Taskmaster thrives on chaos, surprise, and joyful unpredictability. Secret tasks add another layer of mystery that feels perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the format.

An Obvious Impact Through Subtle Means

What I love most is how quietly transformative the secret task can be. It’s a small tweak with the potential for huge impact. When used purposefully, it allows any teacher or facilitator to:

  • build confidence
  • develop communication skills
  • challenge assumptions
  • support social interaction
  • nurture leadership
  • encourage teamwork
  • and gently shift behaviours

…all without breaking the flow of the session or drawing attention to any one pupil’s needs.

This, to me, is inclusive practice at its best: playful, personalised, and powerfully human.

What Secret Tasks Would You Add?

I left Southway feeling inspired – not just by what they’re doing now, but by the possibilities these secret tasks unlock. I’d love to hear other ideas and adaptations people are using in their clubs, classrooms, or youth group sessions.

Sometimes the smallest twist creates the biggest shift. And sometimes, a secret task is the most obvious way to make an impact.

Creativity, Enrichment, Learning, Personal Development, Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School, Teaching, Teaching and Learning, Teamwork

What’s so good about Taskmaster Club? CREATIVITY

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Taskmaster Club is built on unpredictability, play and lateral thinking – exactly the conditions that let creativity breathe. Because the Club’s tasks rarely have a single “right” answer, teams must invent their own routes to success. That open-endedness, combined with a rich mix of music, drama, art and hands-on making, creates repeated, scaffolded chances to practise creative thinking — in other words, creativity isn’t an occasional add-on: it’s the curriculum.

Below we explore how Taskmaster Club develops creativity, what the academic evidence says (with a UK focus), and how these playful tasks nurture the kind of creative thinking young people need today.

Why Taskmaster-style tasks are great for creativity

  1. Open outcomes = generative thinking
    When tasks don’t prescribe a method or final form, teams must ask “what could this be?” not “what must this be?” That shift from replicating a model to possibility thinking is central to creative development: it invites hypothesis, experimentation and risk-taking — the very habits Anna Craft identified as core to creative learning (she coined and championed the idea of possibility thinking). Open University BERA
  2. Constraints actually help creativity
    Paradoxically, tight constraints (time, materials, silly rules) focus creative exploration. Taskmaster tasks often force teams to be inventive within limits — and research across creative pedagogy shows that constraint-driven tasks stimulate fluency and originality by encouraging lateral approaches rather than formulaic solutions. (See examples in creativity collaboratives and school-based action research.) ACE+1
  3. Multimodal practice builds creative flexibility
    Because Taskmaster tasks can require music, drama, visual art, spoken word, or engineered props, students repeatedly practise transferring ideas across modes. This multimodal practice is important: creative expertise grows when learners can move ideas between media, testing which forms best express a concept. The national Creativity Collaboratives and university-school partnerships emphasise this cross-disciplinary approach. Durham Commission on Creativity and Education | Arts Council England
  4. Collaborative creativity is richer than solo creativity
    Teams bring different perspectives and skills; this collision of ideas leads to novel combinations. UK scholars working on creative classroom practice note that well-structured collaboration helps students -externalise ideas, receive immediate feedback, and iterate – turning initial sparks into refined creative products. Professor Teresa Cremin’s work on creative pedagogy emphasises the value of teacher-facilitated but learner-led creative activity, where peer interaction and teacher support combine to sustain risk and exploration.
  5. Low-stakes play creates the behavioural safety to be bold
    Taskmaster Club’s playful framing reduces fear of failure. When “failure” is comical or temporary, learners are more likely to take original risks – which is where real creativity often happens. Research from school collaboratives shows that embedding creative tasks as part of a supportive school culture increases children’s willingness to experiment. University of Exeter News+1

Sir Ken Robinson: Creativity as a Human Right

No discussion of creativity in education is complete without Sir Ken Robinson, whose work transformed how teachers, schools and policymakers think about human potential. Robinson famously argued that “creativity is as important as literacy” — not as a slogan, but as a recognition that imagination and expression deserve the same value as traditional academic skills.

He also emphasised that creativity is not confined to the arts: it is a mode of thinking that cuts across every discipline, powered by curiosity, divergent thinking and the willingness to try something new. Crucially, Robinson championed learning environments where experimentation, improvisation and playful failure are embraced rather than avoided.

Taskmaster Club embodies these principles beautifully. Its open-ended challenges, humorous framing, and celebration of unconventional approaches create exactly the conditions Robinson believed young people need to develop their creative capacities.

What the UK evidence tells us (short takeaways)

  • Possibility thinking matters. Anna Craft’s research established that the move from “what is” to “what might be” is a repeatable, teachable mode of thinking – precisely what Taskmaster-style tasks provoke. BERA
  • Creative pedagogy is most effective when it’s supported, structured and inclusive. Projects like the Creativity Collaboratives and university-school partnerships show that creative teaching yields deeper understanding and longer-term skill development when teachers scaffold opportunities and assessment recognises process as well as product. ACE+1
  • Teacher and peer support amplifies creativity. Teresa Cremin and colleagues emphasise that teachers who model risk, reflect openly, and give careful feedback help students sustain creative efforts beyond momentary sparks. Open University Profiles+1
  • Creativity connects to broader futures skills. National reports and interdisciplinary research (including engineering and design education) emphasise that creative problem-solving is essential for future workplaces — and school-based creative projects are a key route to develop it. Royal Academy of Engineering+1

How Taskmaster Club specifically nurtures those ingredients

  • Regular, varied practice: Weekly sessions give repeated opportunities to ideate, prototype and reflect — crucial cycles described in creativity research.
  • Cross-disciplinary prompts: A single challenge might require story, sound, visuals and a practical build — mirroring real-world creative problems that demand transferable skills.
  • Peer feedback and reflection: Debriefing after challenges turns fun into learning: what worked, what surprised us, what would we try differently next time? That reflective loop is essential for creative improvement.
  • Design for inclusivity: Rotating roles (idea generator, maker, presenter) and mixed-ability teams let different strengths surface; university-school projects show inclusive design increases all pupils’ creative confidence. Birmingham City University+1

Practical tips to amplify creativity in your Club

  1. Value the idea, not just the result. Highlight smart failures and surprising attempts in your feedback.
  2. Introduce micro-constraints. Short time limits or limited materials often spur greater invention than total freedom.
  3. Rotate media. Running a task that specifically requires music or drama helps pupils practise transferring ideas.
  4. Make reflection explicit. Use team reflection time after tasks: what’s one idea we’d keep, one we’d drop, one we’d try differently?
  5. Share and celebrate process. Put up process photos/sketches in school spaces – creativity sees greater uptake when its process is visible.

Final thought

Creativity isn’t a mysterious trait you either have or don’t — it’s cultivated through repeated, scaffolded practice, risk-friendly environments, multimodal tasks and supportive collaboration. Taskmaster Club offers a compact, joyful ecosystem where all of those elements meet. It’s not just entertaining: it’s a practical engine for building future-ready creative thinkers.

Further reading & resources

  • Anna Craft — background and the idea of possibility thinking. BERA
  • Teresa Cremin — creativity, teacher practice and peer-supported creative learning. Open University Profiles+1
  • Creativity Collaboratives / Arts Council England — school–university partnerships embedding creative pedagogy. ACE+1
  • Royal Academy of Engineering — on creativity and engineering education (practical, interdisciplinary creativity). Royal Academy of Engineering

Taskmaster Club materials:

Further posts in the ‘What’s So Good About Taskmaster Club series:

Enrichment, Personal Development, Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School

Personal Develop through Taskmaster Club

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Taskmaster Club isn’t just about fun and games – it’s a powerful tool to help schools meet their personal development objectives while giving students a safe space to explore, experiment, and grow. By taking part in creative challenges, students learn through doing, often surprising themselves with what they can achieve. Along the way, they build essential life skills that go far beyond the classroom.

Here’s how Taskmaster Club links directly to key areas of personal development in UK secondary schools:

1. Character Education

The unpredictable and often quirky challenges of Taskmaster Club encourage students to step outside their comfort zones. They learn resilience when things don’t go as planned, confidence when their ideas shine, and independence by approaching problems in their own way. For example, a challenge that requires inventing a solution from limited materials demands perseverance and creative risk-taking – valuable skills for life.

2. Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)

  • Moral: Many challenges require fair play, honesty, and reflection on the consequences of decisions. A simple rule-bending attempt in a task can spark discussions about ethics and responsibility. Alex might well say that, ‘all the information is on the task’, but where the letter of the law meets the spirit of the law, many a debate can be had.
  • Social: Working in teams helps students collaborate, negotiate, and respect different perspectives. Completing a task together fosters camaraderie and shows the value of collective effort, even when personalities or ideas differ.

3. Citizenship and British Values

Taskmaster Club fosters mutual respect by creating an environment where all contributions are valued, regardless of ability. Students also practise active participation by getting involved, taking turns leading, and supporting their peers – skills that transfer naturally to wider community life and civic engagement.

4. Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)

Decision-making and problem-solving are at the heart of every challenge. Students must quickly assess a situation, weigh up options, and put ideas into action. Whether it’s building, performing, or strategising, the process sharpens their ability to think critically and creatively under pressure.

5. Leadership and Student Voice

Taskmaster Club offers regular opportunities for leadership, whether through taking charge of a team task, volunteering ideas, or reflecting on outcomes. It also empowers student voice: everyone has space to contribute and advocate for their approach, building agency and confidence in expressing themselves.

In summary: Taskmaster Club combines fun with meaningful skill development, helping schools nurture character, teamwork, respect, decision-making, and leadership.

If you’d like to bring the joy and benefits of Taskmaster Club to your school, get in touch via info@taskmastereducation.com to find out how we can support your students’ personal development journey.

Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School

Build 21st Century Skills with Taskmaster Education

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How Taskmaster Club Could Thrive in America — And How It Builds 21st Century Skills

If you haven’t yet heard of Taskmaster Club, imagine this: a group of students laughing, problem-solving, collaborating, and thinking outside the box – all while completing absurd, creative challenges like “Get this potato as far from the school as possible” or “Create the most impressive domino chain using only items in your backpack.” It’s based on the hit British TV show Taskmaster, and it’s taking educational spaces by storm.

So why might Taskmaster Club work so well in American schools, and how does it align with 21st century learning goals? Let’s dig in.

A Perfect Fit for American Classrooms

1. Humour Meets Learning

Taskmaster Club combines the joy of play with the thrill of problem-solving. Think Whose Line Is It Anyway? meets STEM Day. It’s funny, unpredictable, and totally engaging – everything teachers hope for when looking to hook students into deeper learning.

2. Built for Engagement

American educators are increasingly turning to experiential learning – project-based learning, Genius Hour, and game-based education. Taskmaster Club fits right in. It transforms school into a place where fun meets function, and learning becomes something students genuinely want to do.

3. Flexible, Scalable, and Inclusive

Whether you’re in a classroom, running an after-school program, or coordinating summer enrichment, Taskmaster Club can scale to fit your needs. It can be low-tech or tech-rich, competitive or collaborative, silly or serious. Its flexibility makes it accessible to schools across varied educational models and student demographics.

4. A Natural Ally of SEL (Social-Emotional Learning)

From managing group dynamics to learning how to handle failure with a smile, Taskmaster Club supports many SEL goals. It helps students build empathy, resilience, and interpersonal skills – traits that are essential for thriving both in school and in life.

Where 21st Century Skills Come to Life

In today’s world, content knowledge isn’t enough. Students need to master the “4 Cs” (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication), along with digital literacy, adaptability, and leadership. Taskmaster Club delivers all of these – not through lectures, but through lived experiences.

Creativity:
Every task is an open invitation to think differently. Whether students are designing elaborate contraptions or solving abstract puzzles, they’re constantly innovating.

Collaboration:
Team-based challenges teach students how to work together, resolve conflicts, and play to each other’s strengths.

Critical Thinking:
There’s no obvious right answer in most tasks. Students have to evaluate, strategize, and reflect – a perfect playground for critical thought.

Communication:
From pitching ideas to performing presentations, students practice both verbal and non-verbal communication in meaningful ways.

Adaptability & Resilience:
Things will go wrong. That’s the point. Students learn how to improvise, bounce back, and grow from the experience – key skills for navigating the real world.

Leadership & Initiative:
With rotating roles and dynamic teams, students get chances to lead, step up, and take ownership of their learning.

Digital Literacy (when tech is involved):
In schools that incorporate tech into Taskmaster tasks, students can create videos, collaborate online, or edit presentations – building modern media fluency along the way.

Final Thoughts

Taskmaster Club isn’t just fun – it’s transformative. It meets students where they are: curious, social, and bursting with energy. It nurtures the skills they need to succeed – not just in school, but in the unpredictable world beyond.

So if you’re looking for a high-impact, low-barrier way to breathe life into your teaching, Taskmaster Club might be just the challenge you’re looking for.

Taskmaster, Taskmaster in School

Talking Taskmaster at Pedagoo Hampshire 22

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On 10.9.22 I will be visiting #PedagooHampshire22 at Hayling College.

PedagooHampshire22 is the #teacher5aday inspired event that brings together enthusiastic and energetic practitioners who are keen to share their passion projects. With such a range of great people willing to give up their time for free you can not fail to be inspired and set yourself up for the year ahead.

As well as looking forward to seeing a wide range of interesting and inspiring speakers, I will also be hosting a session myself. My session will involve exploring how and when to use Taskmaster in Education. The main points I will be discussing will be around the following questions.

What is Taskmaster?

Taskmaster is an entertainment show where Greg Davies (the Taskmaster), with the help of his assistant (Alex Horne, also the show’s creator), sets out to test the wiles, wit and wisdom of five hyper-competitive comedians through a series of ludicrous tasks.

“Sublimely silly and funny”
Deborah Ross, The Mail on Sunday

“That something so pointless, so silly, so endlessly daft should exist is just delightful” Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

Why would you use it in school?

By using Taskmaster in school, children develop important life skills such as teamwork, problem solving, communication, lateral thinking and resilience, while having a lot of fun. It also supports children’s wellbeing because working as a team improves a child’s sense of belonging, and the varied nature of tasks means that it’s not always the same (sporty or academic) children who do well. Everyone has the chance to succeed, get involved and play their part.

“a big part of it involves problem solving, and it’s never boring to teach because every student will find a different solution to every problem. I did a day of Taskmaster challenges a short while ago (music and all!) and they absolutely loved it.”

Secondary Teacher

“I’ve used Taskmaster tasks within Girl Guiding NZ to teach the kids about problem solving and out of the box thinking.”

Guide Leader

“Taskmaster tasks in lessons…are great for getting students to think around questions and be creative with their solutions. Also, just really great fun.”

Teacher

“They worked in teams and it really boosted their collaboration and problem solving skills.”

Teacher

A recent Teacher Tapp survey found that 63% of the respondents believed that our education system is not currently equipping young people with 21st century skills. Taskmaster Education aims to do something about that.

When can you use it in school?

  • Transition Days
  • Start/End of term
  • Anti-Bullying Week
  • Children’s Mental Health Week
  • #SchoolTasking
  • Lesson starters
  • Topic Days
  • Any lesson, any subject

What tasks can you do?

  • From the show – plastic bag, teabag, score from the furthest distance
  • Subject specific – Learn a poem, put 100g worth of things in this bowl,
  • Positive outcome – Read a book to a child from another class, make someone laugh
  • Challenge – Physical – Quick – Extended – Prize

What should you be wary of?

  • Subjective tasks – can be fun, but also harsh
  • Time limits – allow enough time to get good outcomes, but not so much that the focus is lost – be flexible
  • Carefully consider the wording of the tasks – what’s the worst thing that could happen?
  • Consider groupings
  • Think about what you want the children to get out of the experience and tailor your Taskmaster Education experience accordingly

What next?

Get involved with Taskmaster Education (@TaskmasterEdu) / Twitter

Find out more and register an interest in School Tasking (warwick.ac.uk)

For more information on #PedagooHampshire22 visit

To get free tickets visit #PedagooHampshire22 Tickets, Sat 10 Sep 2022 at 10:30 | Eventbrite