The 1944 Education Act introduced free secondary education for all pupils, but only came about thanks to a meeting with Winston Churchill leaning back in bed wearing a night cap.

Matt looks at the impact of the reforms and how schools have changed since with Michael Barber, Joan Bakewell, Britain's oldest teacher and Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Bell react to Rishi Sunak's warning to the House of Lords not to block the Rwanda bill, and ITV's Anushka Asthana explains what it was like filming with Keir Starmer for three months.

Columnist Panel (03:10)

Happy Birthday, Schools! (22:10)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.