The SLT Podcast (Serious Leaders Talking)

Who develops the leaders in education? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Ben Hobbis, founder of Step Up Network, to explore leadership, networking, community, accessibility, career progression, and why educators need better spaces to connect and grow. Ben shares his journey from working in retail management to becoming a primary teacher, middle leader, assistant headteacher,...

How do we build a profession that great teachers never want to leave? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Sufian for a powerful conversation about teacher development, leadership, belonging, networking, recruitment, AI, and the future of education. From his journey growing up in Luton to becoming a teacher, faculty leader, director of teacher development, system builder, speak...

Why does representation matter in primary schools? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Lawrence D’Souza, a primary school headteacher in the London Borough of Enfield, for a powerful conversation about leadership, representation, belonging, inclusion, aspiration, and the importance of positive male role models in education. Lawrence shares his journey from recruitment into tea...

What is the biggest problem in education that nobody is talking about? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Yamina Bibi — award-winning deputy headteacher, English teacher, coach, consultant, keynote speaker, author, and education project specialist — for a powerful conversation about leadership, representation, systemic barriers, coaching, and the future of education. Yamina s...

Are you burnt out — or is it time to leave teaching? In this Q&A episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down again with Hugo Trace, the former teacher known as “The One Who Got Away,” for an honest conversation about what happens when teachers start thinking seriously about leaving the classroom. Hugo talks openly about burnout, money fears, career change, starting a business, using AI to plan...

Should under-16s be banned from social media? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy and Rena discuss the proposed under-16 social media ban and what it could mean for young people, parents, schools, and safeguarding. The conversation explores whether a ban can realistically be enforced, how children may try to find loopholes, and what happens when social media — one of the main ways many young...

Why are good teachers leaving education? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Hugo Trace, a former Head of Humanities who left teaching and moved into digital marketing as the founder of his own company. Titled “The One Who Got Away: Why Good Teachers Leave,” this conversation explores the reality behind teacher retention, burnout, school culture, workload, pay, staffroom polit...

Are you actually leading — or just managing pressure? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Adrian McLean, executive headteacher, TEDx speaker, consultant, governor, trustee, and advocate for more diverse leadership in education. Adrian shares his journey from PE teacher to executive headteacher, reflecting on ambition, imposter syndrome, leadership progression, values, characte...

Can you be successful and still be a bad leader? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Adrian McLean for a powerful conversation on why leadership cannot be separated from character, identity, pressure, and personal values. Together, they explore what it really means to lead in education today — beyond strategy, systems, outcomes, and performance metrics. Adrian shares why some...

What do teachers really want to ask about safeguarding — but are often too scared to say out loud? In this Q&A episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with safeguarding expert AnneMarie Christian to answer the questions many teachers, teaching assistants, and school leaders quietly carry but may hesitate to ask. Together, they explore what staff should do when a safeguarding concern is rep...

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📱 Join Our FREE WhatsApp Community → ‎https://chat.whatsapp.com/LiTpC4FbUA2CqWHP1Mcrwz📲 Follow Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_slt_podcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@slt.podcast Listen to us on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13hI6StbuMcYhX8LmYtt5S?si=73aaabe9fa394d43Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slt-podcast-serious-leaders-talking/id177...

📱 Join Our FREE WhatsApp Community → ‎https://chat.whatsapp.com/LiTpC4FbUA2CqWHP1Mcrwz📲 Follow Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_slt_podcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@slt.podcast Listen to us on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13hI6StbuMcYhX8LmYtt5S?si=73aaabe9fa394d43Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slt-podcast-serious-leaders-talking/id177...

The emails you draft at 11pm but delete before hitting send. The frustrations whispered in the staff room. The career doubts you're too afraid to voice. In this raw Q&A episode, Ziggy and Rena tackle three real questions from teachers that cut to the heart of what it's really like in education right now. The Questions: Why does it feel like teachers are expected to manage behavior but...

After 25 years in education working with the most vulnerable children, Rena Johnson finally won Best School Leader of the Year at Future Ed Awards—but Ziggy literally had to drag her to the ceremony. In this brutally honest 2nd anniversary episode, the hosts break down why networking makes educators uncomfortable, the imposter syndrome that keeps great teachers invisible, and the events that trans...

In this raw and unfiltered Q&A episode, Ziggy Moore sits down with Hussain from Cape Mentors to tackle three challenging real-world scenarios that school leaders face daily. From Year 8 students with multiple fixed-term exclusions to Year 10s whose parents resist assessments, and Year 9s caught in cycles of antisocial behaviour—Hussain breaks down what actually works (and what doesn't). Ke...

In this episode of the SLT Podcast , we’re joined by Hussein , former assistant headteacher and founder of CAPE Mentors , for a powerful, unfiltered conversation about exclusion, behaviour, and the realities facing children pushed out of mainstream education. Hussein shares his journey from the classroom to pupil referral units (PRUs) and into community-based mentoring, working directly with young...

What really happens behind the scenes of elite football — and how does it shape the emotional lives of boys and men? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Rena and Ziggy sit down with Kevin George — former West Ham/Charlton player, therapist, author, and founder of Psychology — for a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, and emotional literacy. Kevin opens up about growing up in Lewisham...

In this Q&A episode, educator and speaker Joy Mbakwe joins the SLT Podcast to answer parent questions about talking to children about race, representation, and identity. She explains why these conversations should start early — not as a single “talk,” but as everyday affirmations through books, music, and culture. Joy also shares how parents can spot whether a school’s commitment to diversity...

In this episode, educator Joy Mbakwe joins the SLT Podcast for an honest and powerful reflection on identity, representation, and the realities of teaching while Black. Joy shares how her classroom experiences exposed deep inequalities and how she teaches her students the lesson she had to learn early: “You don’t get to be unlikable.” We talk about what it means to advocate for change when self-pr...

What does it take to lead a school for nearly 20 years? In this episode, we sit down with Patrick Cozier — headteacher, leadership coach, and co-vice chair of Show Racism the Red Card. Patrick shares the philosophy behind his Calm Leadership approach, the reality of headship, and why resilience, humility, and honesty matter now more than ever. We also dive into funding cuts, staff support, and the...

We sat down with Kemi Oluyinka, educator and co-author of Black in Schools, to explore the rising trend of Black teachers relocating from the UK to the UAE. In this candid episode, Kemi shares her personal journey of over 300 job rejections, her leap of faith to the Middle East, and why she believes more teachers are choosing sanity and safety over surviving the UK system. From salaries and utilit...

In this powerful episode, we sit down with author, community organiser, and education leader Kemi Oluyinka to discuss the heart behind the Black in Schools anthology and her journey building the Black Teachers Network UK. From surviving SLT roles to the impact of early role models, Kemi shares candid reflections on identity, leadership, and the challenges Black educators face in the UK school syst...

In this Q&A episode, we’re joined again by Nana Otrit from SEN Bytes to tackle some of the big questions parents and teachers are facing right now: Is an apprenticeship a good fit for a teen who isn’t academic? What if you don’t agree with the college your local authority has named for your child with SEND? Why is work experience getting harder to secure—and what can parents do? How do you sup...

In this episode, we sit down with Nana Okyere from SEN Bytes—Preparing for Adulthood Team Manager and SEND consultant—to unpack the real story behind EHCPs. We explore why many parents feel let down by the system, how schools use (or misuse) funding, and the government’s controversial plans to narrow or replace EHCPs altogether. Nana also shares his journey from TA to local authority panel chair,...