Introducing Awedinary
A philosophy, a mindset and an approach built on the power of brilliant questions, and what they unlock for learning, wellbeing, progress and possibility.
Why is awe so important in everyday life, and why does it play a key role in effective education?
Awe shifts the brain into a state of open, expansive thinking. Curiosity rises and defensiveness drops. The brain's default mode network activates in ways directly linked to creativity and meaning-making.
For education, this matters enormously. Children who experience awe are measurably more intrinsically motivated to learn. They ask more questions, they retain more and they connect ideas across subjects in ways that rote learning simply doesn't produce. Awe also builds what psychologists call "small self" thinking, where the individual ego quietens and people become more collaborative, more generous, and more open to ideas that challenge their own.
In everyday life, awe interrupts the autopilot. Even brief experiences of it, wondering about the night sky, reading something that genuinely surprises you, sitting with a question that has no answer, have been shown to improve wellbeing, reduce anxiety, and increase a sense of connection to something larger than ourselves.
The tragedy is that our education system has largely designed awe out. When every lesson has a learning objective, a success criterion, and a right answer, we are essentially telling children that the world is already mapped. But some of the most interesting terrain in science, ethics, art, mathematics, in every subject, is precisely the stuff that isn't mapped yet. Awe lives there. And if we want children who are genuinely equipped for an uncertain, complex, rapidly changing world, we need them to be comfortable in that unmapped territory, not unfamiliar with it.
Kate Wadsworth
What if Education?® Founder
Awe is not a nice-to-have, it is the neurological, psychological, and educational foundation for developing a lifelong love of learning.
Here are three ways to bring Awedinary into your world.
1.
An Awedinary school day.
For schools ready to bring curiosity, wonder and connection into everyday learning.
An interactive, curiosity-led school day exploring how brilliant questions can bring learning to life in the classroom. These sessions inspire young people (and us) to notice the wonder in everyday things and explore the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Questions can link directly to the topics you are currently exploring, or evolve naturally from the curiosity in the room. The book Awedinary: The Wonder of Everyday Things provides a constant guide– grounding the day in thoughtful questions, wonder and meaningful learning.
Led by Kate Wadsworth and run alongside your educators, these sessions become a shared learning experience that works naturally within your existing curriculum.
This is just the beginning…
The aim is not a one-off moment of inspiration, but the beginning of a lasting shift – discovering the power of awe and wonder in learning and in everyday life.
2.
An Awedinary training day.
For schools ready to bring curiosity, wonder and connection into everyday teaching.
The Awedinary approach shows how even micro-moments of awe can shift how learning feels in the classroom – without adding workload or introducing another initiative.
No overhaul. No extra scheme.
Just small, intentional shifts that open the door to curiosity, connection and deeper learning.
Research shows that when awe and curiosity are present in learning environments, powerful things begin to happen:
– Increased focus and learning readiness. When children feel curious, they lean in. (Lean in!)
– Calmer nervous systems and less rumination. (At last!)
– Greater patience and perspective, with students becoming less reactive and more reflective. (Err, yes please.)
– Expanded thinking and creativity, bringing new energy into teaching and learning. (Here for that.)
– Stronger connections between school and home as curious conversations continue beyond the classroom. (Now we’re talking.)
During the training day we work together to gently infuse your existing curriculum – and the moments in between – with thoughtful questions that invite awe-filled learning across subjects.
Simply small shifts that can:
Increase engagement
Strengthen wellbeing
Deepen thinking
Build connection
Make learning more meaningful – in the moment and for the future.
The training day is simply the starting point.
Teachers leave with practical ways to notice and nurture moments of curiosity within their existing lessons, helping awe and wonder become a natural part of everyday teaching.
Awedinary is not something extra to add, but a shift in how learning can feel across your school.
“Ask BIG questions, find BIG answers.”
– Sugata Mitra
3.
Awedinary coaching.
For leaders, educators and parents ready to bring curiosity, wonder and connection into everyday life.
This is where the philosophy becomes the practise. Where What If? meets Awedinary and we begin with a question most of us are too busy to stop and ask:
What if the way things are isn't just hard, what if it's actually extraordinary that we've all accepted this as ordinary?
Because when you stop long enough to really look at the treadmill you're on, something shifts. And from there, small but mighty changes become not just possible, they become doable.
This is about autonomy, agency and freedom in what your work and life feel like.
Not burning it all down. Not a reinvention. Just a fresh look at what's within your control, and what changes when you use it.
Because when leaders, teachers and parents reconnect with what matters, great things happen:
-A slower nervous system and less mental noise. (At last.)
-Conversations with your children that go beyond logistics. (The ones you've been meaning to have.)
-A renewed sense of agency - small shifts, real change. (You're closer than you think.)
-More presence in the moments that are already there. (They're happening. You just need a bit of room to notice them.)
-The quiet confidence that you don't have to choose between being good at your job and being present for your kids. (You don't.)
And from there, things begin to shift.
Awedinary coaching is not about changing everything. It’s about creating the space to notice what matters, ask better questions, and make the small changes that quietly reshape how life and work feel.
Awedinary coaching through three simple options:
A. 1:1 Hour
One hour. Big impact.
Using tried and tested coaching techniques to help you find clarity and a way forward with a challenge that is keeping you stuck.
Ready to take back control on something specific?
An hour is all you need.
£220
B. Set of Six
6 x 1:1 hour sessions.
When you are not looking for a quick fix, but you are ready for a total shift.
• Designed to help you break free from the constant juggle and struggle.
• Find clarity on what’s keeping you stuck and how you want to move forward.
• Get bespoke tools that save time, reduce stress, and boost impact.
•Feel a renewed sense of control and purpose in your day-to-day.
£900
C. In a Group
6 group sessions over 12 weeks.
Share the cost, maximise the impact (Max 6 participants)
• Shared support. Lasting change.
•This coaching programme brings your group together for six power-packed sessions over 12 weeks, combining expert coaching and mentorship with the power of community.
•Coaching gives you the clarity. Mentorship gives you the solutions. Community gives you the momentum.
£1050