TEDx and Troubles
November 4, 2025
 This was taken in the FAB building. It used to be where I parked my motorcycle. 300million good English pounds later and it is very different! The title of my talk was: Refuse to be Written Off.  Rebecca Mander is a truly inspirational woman! She overcame the immense grief of losing her child and her mother in quick succession to build a career helping people navigate grief whilst continuing in their career. She calls this the bounce back mindset. We had a chat about this int wo episodes and you can find her podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfZfwqYEslYI also joined my friend Jason Clark for a chat in the Magic Video Box to discuss growing up with racism, for him due to his Irish heritage and looking up to the wrong people. You can find that here: https://youtu.be/56u8Kcm9TM4?si=xzqdEBI99QxjKcVv   It was great to beat the cancellation of trains due to flooding and finally arrive in Coventry for FMATs conference on belonging. I discussed my story in the context of exclusion removing any sense of belonging for myself until I found it at 32 through my mental health work. I will be following a similar patter at an online conference next week which can be found here: https://www.hfleducation.org/events/hfl-education-disadvantage-conference Below is a picture of Rosie who me and Jason helped to get on to a plumbing apprenticeship after being rejected for not having functional maths. She is thriving and very happy! Her example as well as mine is proof we need to look again at the rigidity of qualification requirements at college. If you work at a college, please get in touch, I would like a chat! I wrote this on LinkedIn with the help of a chatty gpt:Disadvantaged children don't need 'fun' classes—they need support so they can enjoy learning.A recent Times article highlights rising exclusions in schools, with critics suggesting that more enjoyable lessons might keep disadvantaged students engaged. This is part of the governments new curriculum review.https://lnkd.in/eug2zzfRDisadvantaged children, especially those with ADHD or mental health challenges, don't need novelty—they need support. This also extends beyond those that we traditionally see as disadvantaged, it is universal.  What does support look like? Treatment & Reasonable Adjustments for Neurodiversity:ADHD is often misunderstood, with students labelled as "disruptive" rather than supported. Research shows that proper adjustments (like flexible seating or task modifications) significantly improve engagement.According to the ADHD Foundation:ADHD students are 9x more likely to be excluded without interventions.Exclusion from school may result from a failure to provide timely and effective support rather than a failure to recognise psychopathology Accessible Mental Health Support:A child's ability to learn hinges on their mental health. Yet, many schools lack resources for timely interventions.Data from Mind highlights that 1 in 6 children aged 5–16 has a probable mental health condition, with unmet needs driving disengagement. Engaging Lessons Rooted in Real-World Goals:Education must resonate with students' aspirations. I spoke to a mother recently who explained that when her child asked the teacher why they had to learn a certain subject, the teacher responded with "because you do." This is lazy educating and is the fastest way to disengage a student possible! As someone who overcame exclusion and now advocates for systemic change, I’ve seen what happens when we shift the focus from compliance to compassion. Children disengage not because they lack interest but because they lack the scaffolding to climb back into learning. Let’s push for a curriculum underpinned with whole child support. Then and only then, can every child enjoy learning.What are your thoughts? I have had some useful conversations with local councils and have some engagement with violence reduction units coming up. One of the requirements for a grant available to me in March is that I have another director at Excluded from School. Would anyone be willing to join me in this? I am told it is risk free and you would not have to do anything. It would open things up for me to mentor more young people though, so would be a great charity!In all honesty I am struggling to find new places that would like me to speak, train, mentor and consult and this is my living. I have tried some outreach but I am not very good at it. Any help or recommendations would be appreciated. I have a few things coming up in London which are unpaid, for example, I am speaking at London Violence Reduction Unit about mentoring on the 6th of February. If anybody could support this by donating a fiver towards the train fares that would be very appreciated or better still, give me a lift! There is also some exciting research coming opportunities coming up! If you would like to be involved in research in any capacity, get in touch! Hope to chat with you all soon,Tier |
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