Our next #FinnemoreFireside this term is with Brett Griffin, CEO and Founder of Pupil Progress, a specialist tracking and assessment platform designed by teachers, for teachers.

Before launching Pupil Progress, Brett spent over a decade in the classroom as a teacher, Head of Faculty and Assistant Principal in London. His first-hand experience of the pressures teachers face in tracking student progress led him to build a solution that’s now used by hundreds of schools across the UK.

Brett’s brings a combination of empathy, innovation and deep understanding of school life, so we were really pleased to welcome him to the fireside chat series. It’s a thoughtful, energising conversation and, amongst other things, we discuss:

• What happens when a former Assistant Principal builds edtech? You get someone who deeply understands how messy school life can be — and how to create tools that actually help.
• There’s a big difference between opinion and fact when it comes to assessment. And a surprising amount of unconscious bias that sneaks into how students are judged.
• AI isn’t here to steal jobs – it might just be the assistant teachers have been crying out for. The trick is using it to bring clarity, not confusion.
• Progress tracking doesn’t have to be a spreadsheet nightmare. And yes, it can empower students and save time for teachers.
• Building the right product isn’t just about feature lists — it’s about knowing that a teacher’s “free period” can vanish in seconds. Empathy isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the whole point.
• Edtech doesn’t need to do everything — just do one thing brilliantly. Especially if it plays nicely with the other tools schools already use.
• Going for the cheapest option often ends up costing more in the long run. Whether it’s table tennis tables or tracking software, quality matters.
• What’s next? A better-connected edtech ecosystem, less friction for schools, and more power in students’ hands.