Great Learning, Great Teaching, or Great Fun - Which Matters Most?

If you’ve ever had the privilege of working with the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), you’ll likely be familiar with this thought-provoking question:

What’s more important—great learning, great teaching, or great fun?

I was reminded of it last week during a meeting of current and former headteachers and educators, many of whom have shaped or delivered the IPC across a group of schools. As one of the newer members of this professional collective, I listened with interest as someone shared how this very question had once been posed to them at an interview. It was left intentionally unanswered—an invitation to reflect.

So here’s my take.

Each of the three—learning, teaching, and fun—can exist independently. I’ve seen children learn deeply with minimal teacher input, driven by curiosity or collaboration. I’ve also watched teachers deliver inspiring, well-crafted lessons that, despite their brilliance, didn’t quite lead to meaningful learning. And of course, schools are full of opportunities for fun that have nothing to do with academic progress.

But something transformative happens when these three elements align.

Great teaching becomes more than delivery—it becomes design: providing purposeful, engaging activities pitched at the right level of challenge. Great learning is no longer accidental, but intentional: children know what they’re learning, how, and why it matters. And great fun? That emerges naturally—not just from games or laughter, but from the joy of understanding, of overcoming difficulty, and of knowing you’ve grown.

As always with this group of peers, I left the conversation feeling both challenged and energised. That’s the beauty of strong professional networks. I learned from those with more experience who once again, taught me well. I reflected on how much I still have to learn. And in the midst of it all, we had fun.