Ep 168: We Started A Maths EdTech Business... Here's The Story! [MathsZoo]

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Hello everyone, welcome back to
another episode of Teach the

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Repeat.
My name is.

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Dylan, my name's Hayden.
And we're here today in a very

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different location.
You're probably thinking the

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blue lights have come with us,
but nothing else because we've

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brought our special friends with
us.

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Hayden, do you want to introduce
our special?

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Friends, firstly you might
recognise this one here we've

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got Sophie and Sophie has been
on the podcast before and is is

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the Co founder of Story Zoo.
Very happy to be back.

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We'll be diving into that a bit
more lazy, probably wondering

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why is she back And we've also
got Mr Ben Sampson who if you

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are an avid listener, you will
recognise we've we've talked

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about Ben a few times.
Ben, have you listened to us

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talk about you on the?
Podcast.

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Yeah.
Loads.

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Yeah, we can't get off of it.
So what we're going to do here

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today is it's very exciting for
us because as you might have

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noticed as well, we've got a
brand new podcast cover, same

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pictures, didn't bother going
for new pictures, but brand new

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design.
And at the bottom it says

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sponsored by Matsu.
And we're here to launch and

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talk about anyone who's been
listening for a while would have

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heard of Matsu repeatedly, but
these are the people.

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Well, some of the people will be
working on on this platform.

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So we want to talk about what it
is, what it does, how it's going

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to help your school.
But I think firstly we should

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just get to know these guys a
bit because we're pretending to

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be serious at the minute.
I think it's going to be nice

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and chilled out.
It's going to be a good.

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Episode for you guys and you can
get to know the team a bit

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better behind Mathsu, right?
Sophie, let's go to you first.

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Like we said, you've been on the
podcast before.

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It's been a little while.
People might not know or

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remember exactly what it is that
you do.

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So I'd like to hear a bit of
your journey, how you came out

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of the classroom and what you do
now.

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Yeah, so it has been a journey,
hasn't it, since I last spoke to

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you.
It's so lovely to be back.

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Thank you for having me.
So I'm a primary school teacher.

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I was a dancer before I was a
primary school teacher.

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And I think that's quite
important, my journey because I

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was a career changer.
And I think that has an effect

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on the kind of teacher that you
are.

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So I wasn't fresh into an into
a, into a classroom.

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I had taught children in a
different situation before

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teaching them to dance.
Obviously a lot less pressured.

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But yeah, so I was a dancer and
then I became a teacher and then

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I feel pregnant with my daughter
as I was going into the

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classroom.
So I think that really switched

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up my priorities.
And I couldn't believe when I

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was in the classroom how much
pressure teachers were under.

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And I think I mentioned this on
the pod before, but the the lack

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of resources and some of the set
up, some of the expectations, I

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just couldn't believe.
And I wanted to change that.

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And so the health of Ben and our
wonderful team, we developed

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Story Zoo and I really wanted to
position Storyzoo as a way of

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getting children reading for
pleasure.

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And that's what it's developed
into, but to really take the

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strain off of teachers and make
everybody's lives just a little

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bit better.
So now I'm out of the classroom

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and I know that that was our
discussion last time before you

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took that leap.
And it's a very different way of

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living and and a lot to get used
to.

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I think we were having a
conversation the other day about

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how there's loads of benefits
and there's loads of benefits

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for my own children, but also
those lines between work and

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home get a bit more blurry
because I wasn't one for doing

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lots of planning and things at
home.

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I tried to keep it all in
school.

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So yeah, the lines are slightly
different now.

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So bit like positives and
negatives I think from the

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change, but all positives work
wise.

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I mean, I love working for Story
Zoo, I love the team that we've

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got and now Maths Zoo, she's
super exciting.

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And you've got to say expense
there now, but I love it.

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I'll sort you out.
That's funny.

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I think it's actually a really
good time to talk to Ben then

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because we've like Ben's been
lurking around, mentioned him

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before.
We're working with Ben.

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And I think when we first met
you guys, so when we were on the

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podcast, we had a meeting after
we met Ben, we met all the team.

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And for me it was really
inspiring because I think we

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have the same aims in terms of
we want to help us make children

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as possible.
Why else would you become a

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teacher?
Like it's not it's not for the

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money, is it?
We know that.

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So I think when we first met you
guys and speaking to Ben for the

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first time, what I got from you,
Ben, was real passion about

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education.
And I think it's easy.

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A lot of the time when you talk
to people who are in this world

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of kind of private companies,
but trying to get into

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education, their first mindset
is just, I'll, I just want to

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make money.
I just see it's an easy way in.

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Schools need to spend to do
stuff.

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Whereas when we spoke to you, it
felt like it was really like a

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passion of yours and almost like
a 'cause you wanted.

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Yeah, yeah.
I mean, I struggled at school

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quite a lot.
So for me it is personal.

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I'm I'm quite lucky on my
business journey.

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I've done many different things
in many different industries and

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I've been an entrepreneur since
I was a young age, even at

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school.
But obviously now things are a

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lot better and, you know,
brilliant teachers like you guys

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are a lot more aware of of kids
that, you know, have essentially

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have special educational needs
that I was one of those kids.

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People watching the pod will
notice I'll be I'll be fidgeting

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and moving around for the whole
the whole episode.

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But yeah, I've got quite severe
ADHD, really struggled at

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school.
You know, I was a square peg in

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a round hole.
And for me this is personal.

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I've been lucky to be relatively
successful in other, in other

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walks of life.
And now it's about making a, an

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impact and making a difference.
And you know, for anyone as well

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that thinks edtech's super
profitable and super easy, they

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can think again, 'cause I can
tell you the one thing it's not

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especially not yet, but for me
that the, the primary driver is

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for us to get these products
rolled out and actually make a

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significant impact.
And I think a lot of Ed techs

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and a lot of people in education
virtually signal and talk about,

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Oh yeah, we're going to do this,
we're going to do that.

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But like for me, I think with
us, we, we provide, you know,

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proven data.
We're really keen to to give

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controlled trials and actually
speak to people and, and prove

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our worth first versus just
talking like the mumbo jumbo and

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not delivering.
So yeah, it's it's personal for

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me.
This versus just being, you

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know, primarily about money.
And you guys are the same like

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when we met you guys after you
met Soph, like talking about the

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maths, what you wanted to
release, how you wanted to do it

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and how passionate you both
were.

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You know, my attitude is
probably partly because of my

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ADHD.
Like instead of thinking about,

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I just do.
So I was like, all right, well,

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let's just do it together.
It moves quickly, yeah, like I'm

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not being funny, so it's good.
From a conversation here in your

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plan, obviously you've had these
plans for a long, long time.

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And and then that day, yeah,
hearing all your ideas, we were

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like, right.
We yeah, just do it.

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I.
Literally, I remember most

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obviously, like, so it's nice to
think the catalyst of all this

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was literally you come on the
podcast talking about that.

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It's funny how things can just
emerge, isn't it?

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Yeah, like just a conversation.
And then I just remember

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whenever it was afterwards where
we had that sort of more

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formalised, deep conversation of
like, OK, well, this is actually

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what we want to do and this is
what you guys are trying to

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achieve.
I just remember being like

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thinking Dylan's like, right, we
have to really sort of pitch

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this correctly and sell it and
bend with about 12 seconds of

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hearing the idea.
And the passion was like, yeah,

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cool, let's do it.
OK, Do you want to hear more?

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Is it?
Yeah, now you win.

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Let's do it.
Let's go.

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It's about the people you work
with.

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I think you can tell very
quickly with people who you

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meet, especially in the sense of
like you're a professional, you

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want to get something out there.
I could tell very quickly with

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you guys, you were the right
type of people.

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You're the type of people I
wanted to be around and work

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with.
And it's nice to feel like you

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had that same trust in us
because I think we've spoken

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about this a lot.
And there'll be a lot of

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teachers this thing now who feel
like trust is just like been

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eroded over time.
What they can like as a

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professional decide to do for
their children.

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It's been stripped away because
it's been told from the top

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down.
Now do this, do this, do that.

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And as a teacher who we've been
in the classroom for 10 years,

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getting into this different
environment and seeing you guys,

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it's scary for us because we
weren't sure what to do.

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But again, within half an hour
we were like, okay, well, we're

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doing this.
We make it work.

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We had so much experience with
Ed tech platforms.

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I mean, obviously over our
career, like so many Ed tech

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things, just generally in our
careers where they were a bit of

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a nuisance, like even just
trying to get support on

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certain.
Things.

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Or Yeah, I know.
But I always remember like I

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wouldn't name the brand, but
even like early in my career, I

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remember suggesting, I remember
like a help desk saying to a

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company like I'll be really,
really useful for like everyone

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if this thing could happen.
They're like, yeah, yeah, we'll,

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we'll put it into development.
It took them like 4 years to

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genuinely action this thing, at
which point I'd moved on.

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And when we spoke to you guys, I
remember thinking, Oh, yes, this

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is this is how it's supposed to
be in terms of like you've got a

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teacher at the at the top,
really like you, you were

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driving story zoo.
Your you know, your business

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sense came in and I was like,
this is the perfect pairing

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because you actually get stuff
done and you do the things that

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matter and you listen to every
single user.

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You listen to all the children
that are using it.

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Like everything you were doing
was built towards it just being

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a great problem solver for
education.

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So then we're like, Oh my God,
we.

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Have to so centric to Story Zoo
and then in turn it's going to

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be centric to Masu because
they're the people use.

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I was the person using it.
You were the people using it.

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And like you said so many times
you're like, oh, this would be

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great if it did this or it would
be great if I didn't have to

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spend half an hour learning how
to use it.

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And that was really important in
our development of Storyzoo,

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wasn't it?
When we it was amazing.

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I sat behind the children using
it and we looked for like where

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they were clicking and where
they intrinsically went to do

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things.
And I was like, this is what it

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should be set up as like this.
It should be built around the

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children and the users and
specifically teachers, because

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why should you spend an hour of
your PPA learning how to use

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somebody's software who's never
stepped foot in a classroom?

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And I think that's what teachers
are getting most annoyed about

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when I speak to them is that we
are being dictated to by people

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that have never stepped foot in
a classroom.

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And that's what I never felt
like with Ben and the team

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because they have been on the
other side of education.

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I don't don't think you mind me
saying not had the easiest

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school journal.
Ben for any teachers listening,

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is the one child who love
teaching in that hate having in

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your classroom for an
observation.

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Yeah.
Like, I was kicked out.

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They sent me on school.
Genuinely, I had more school

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trips than any child ever.
So they would send me on fully

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funded school trips, primary and
secondary, when there was

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assessments.
Whether they should have done

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that or not, I don't know.
But I was never in the class.

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Yeah, I was never in.
Probably not the most inclusive

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ass, yeah.
I just kicked out.

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Yeah, you know the long way.
Actually doesn't happen now, but

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yeah, definitely the one that
used to send to another

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classroom of an.
Yeah, yeah, you.

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Should go into that a bit more
though.

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That's genuinely interesting
because.

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I think that's probably shaped
my approach to business.

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Like I think what it's an
adjustment for all of you and

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you guys won't mind me saying
it's like I'm not.

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I think people when they run
businesses and they grow,

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there's a difference between
kind of dictators and leaders.

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And for me, I feel an obligation
to you guys as stakeholders in

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these businesses.
It's my job to enable you guys

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to do your job the best as
possible.

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And you guys are the experts.
And that's, you know, I walk the

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walk.
I'm not just saying that for the

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sake of the pod.
You guys see it day in, day out.

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So for me, probably being
dictated to as a kid and told

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you must fit in this book and
you must do that probably makes

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me a bit off the wall and not
not really see any limits or

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boundaries in life because
that's what I'm like.

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I met you guys like, yeah,
passion, boom, let's do it end

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of.
So I think, yeah, for me, the

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approach needs to be where where
every other Ed tech I think

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differs is you'll either have
really strong teachers,

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academics that go and build
really brilliant, you know, Ed

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tech, or just educational
resources, of which we've seen,

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00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:30,800
seen a few.
Or you'll have kind of what I

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00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,360
would say a profiteer as these
capitalist companies that come

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in, they see an industry which I
don't mind saying is is pretty

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far behind.
I find it quite shocking that my

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maths, for example, is still
used.

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I was using that 13 years ago.
These things aren't moving on.

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They don't move quick.
So you see these big tech

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conglomerates thing, or we can
just go in there and smash that.

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And they completely ignore the
foundations of education.

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Whereas it for me, it's like you
guys lead, you guys lead on

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maths, SOF leads on, on English.
And my job is to provide you

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with the best tech and the best
resource to deliver.

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And I think where we do differ
is we have the speed of a tech

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company, but we actually have
the the foundation of of an

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education platform, which is
obviously massively different to

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anyone else we've spoken to or
seen so far.

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So it's exciting it.
Must have been quite shocking

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for you to be fair, because
because we've always been in

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this world.
Do you know what I mean?

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So we often talk about how like
one of our biggest gripes of

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education is literally just how
slow it is in all aspects, not

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even just Ed tech.
It's like you just look at how

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classroom practise is developed
and everything.

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And then you've come in from a
from an area where

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realistically, things move like
hyper.

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Speed.
Yeah, we're fast moving tech

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00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,280
like I was full service
marketing agency worked some of

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00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,280
the biggest brands in the world
built, you know, John, our CTO

283
00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,120
together we built some some
huge, huge sort of blockchain

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protocols, you know, the
forefront of technology.

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So we went to a conference then
we saw from Birmingham and I

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00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:43,320
couldn't believe it.
I couldn't believe it it.

287
00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,120
Was an Academy show, yeah.
Yeah, and I was just like, this

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00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,800
is so, so far behind.
But actually I think I've learnt

289
00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:50,360
with time, you need to find that
balance, right?

290
00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,360
Like education, educators are
under so much pressure and

291
00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,400
they're so resource constrained,
they won't have the capacity to

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00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,440
move at lightning speed by no
fault of their own.

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00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:00,320
So like we've kind of found that
middle ground.

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00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:04,000
It's like it's our job to assess
and to study like Soph said, how

295
00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:06,800
how kids using our product, how
they're engaging with it and we

296
00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,160
all in the background do all
that fast work and really with

297
00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,880
the aim of just keep making your
lives or you know, your

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00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:14,120
colleagues lives easier.
Really my favourite thing about

299
00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:16,040
your approach which you often
say because you have a lot of

300
00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,280
meetings and things is like you
are very, very problem solution.

301
00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,920
Like everything you do is always
what is the problem.

302
00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:24,920
Just give us the problem,
whether we have to find it out

303
00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,800
ourselves or we get told the
problem in education and then we

304
00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,360
will think of a solution.
Whereas I feel like, like you

305
00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,160
were saying a lot of the other
companies or just in general in,

306
00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,320
in, in business, I don't know.
I just thinking what is the most

307
00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:37,600
profit we can make?
Yeah.

308
00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,040
And how do you do that rather
than what problem can we

309
00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:41,640
actually?
Or they find the winning problem

310
00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:43,880
solution, then just sit on it.
So they'll get a few thousand

311
00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:46,960
schools and they go right, happy
days, sit back cash cow now, and

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00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,440
they're just complacent.
Yeah, the person for me is I

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00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,760
want to actually transform and
shape education in a positive

314
00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:54,240
way.
Like, you know, I know it's

315
00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,320
cringe, but everyone's like, oh,
you've got see change, you've

316
00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:57,080
got AB change.
It's real.

317
00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,720
Like if you actually want to see
a difference, we've got the

318
00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:01,040
opportunity now to actually do
it.

319
00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,880
I think, like I said earlier in
the pod, like everyone goes on

320
00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:05,520
about everyone talks about these
big changes.

321
00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,760
We've got a few campaigns that
we're looking at now where we've

322
00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,720
signed up for them, you know,
they're funded or government

323
00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:11,400
backed.
And it's just a bunch of virtue

324
00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:12,400
signal.
And we're, we're trying to say

325
00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:13,600
to them like, OK, how do we
engage?

326
00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:14,840
What can we do to drive this
forward?

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00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:16,120
We can't even get a reply to an
e-mail.

328
00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,080
So it's like for us, it's we
actually want to be that change

329
00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,120
and demonstrate it.
And I think another thing I

330
00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,200
would say that shocked me about
Ed tech is the lack of data and

331
00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,680
the lack of like proof of like,
here's a product that works and

332
00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:30,600
This is why you should use it.
That I think there should become

333
00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,720
a point where Ed techs publicly
disclose all of them, their data

334
00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,600
and how it's being engaged with
in school.

335
00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,080
So everyone knows it's a level
playing field and everyone knows

336
00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:40,400
where they stand.
And so teachers know.

337
00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:42,920
Like I would say, I know
teachers get dictated to by CE

338
00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,040
OS and maths, but like they
should hold these Ed techs

339
00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:46,320
accountable and hold us
accountable.

340
00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,120
Like we're obviously talking
about maths and story zoo.

341
00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,760
Ask us about our data, ask us
about our usage, ask us about

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00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,200
why we built these features
because the amount of products

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00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:55,960
we see where I'm seeing a mad
disconnect between oh, kids are

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00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,240
struggling to read.
Oh, and this is the number one

345
00:13:58,240 --> 00:13:59,800
product.
Well, 2 + 2 = 4.

346
00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,160
There's a reason why kids are
struggling to read, and that's

347
00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:03,400
the biggest product.
Maybe we should change the

348
00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:04,200
product?
Right, so.

349
00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,200
That's that's a big thing for me
is like that needs to be thought

350
00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:10,000
about and in the public
consciousness, I think.

351
00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,920
It's wild, isn't it?
Decline in reading, but this is

352
00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:14,760
our number one.
Product, so reading goes like

353
00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,120
this and then the product's
popularity goes like that and no

354
00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,560
one sees the correlation.
I'm like, come on, guys.

355
00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,240
But do you find again, so if
you've worked in schools, we've

356
00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,840
worked in schools and Ben,
coming from the outside, I'll be

357
00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,600
really honest and this is we've
got to be self look at ourselves

358
00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,280
here a bit.
As a profession, I feel like

359
00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,720
sometimes we're very reluctant
and against change if we know

360
00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,480
stuff's worked for a long time.
We've said it before when people

361
00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:37,480
have come into schools and said
we're doing it this way now and

362
00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,520
we've been the first people to
say we know what we're doing,

363
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:40,680
leave us alone, we're cracking
on.

364
00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,480
But there's got to be a point
where, like you said there of

365
00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:47,320
the data, I think as a
profession we need to make that

366
00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:52,000
leap and be able to change our
practise when it's backed up.

367
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:53,920
And I think maybe that's
probably a stumbling block.

368
00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:55,720
Yeah.
Do you not think it comes from

369
00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,800
because I think about my time in
the classroom where people that

370
00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:03,400
would come to do observations
weren't necessarily backed by

371
00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:08,720
the the experience or the the
specific knowledge to back up

372
00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,720
what they were telling me to do.
I think of one example when I

373
00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:16,400
had a send specialist come in
and the advice was to give

374
00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:18,680
everybody blue tack and you
could, you can imagine how that

375
00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,200
ended.
So we had blue tack in eyes and

376
00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,120
blue tack in mouths and God
knows where else.

377
00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,920
But the, the, you're taking away
the autonomy of that

378
00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:29,800
professional.
And that doesn't happen in many

379
00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,600
other.
You wouldn't see somebody in a

380
00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:33,840
hospital saying to a doctor,
well, actually, I'm going to

381
00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,960
come and watch what you're doing
and, and take that that autonomy

382
00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,960
away from you.
And then I'm going to tell you

383
00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,960
what you need to do to improve.
It's a really bizarre situation

384
00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,480
that we've created in education
where we don't fully trust

385
00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,000
professionals.
We're also going to tell them to

386
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,280
change on the on the switch of a
of a queen like.

387
00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,280
It makes sense, doesn't it?
Why would you?

388
00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:56,440
Why would you change when you
feel like the person tenure has

389
00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:57,840
no authority?
Of exactly that.

390
00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,920
And when you've been burnt so
many times, like these schools,

391
00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,440
we say all the time, don't we
have been burnt so many times by

392
00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,320
not just Ed tech companies, but
professionals, government,

393
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:12,360
everybody that has, has, has a
play in the education system

394
00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,480
that why would they trust us?
Yeah, we have to earn that

395
00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:16,800
trust.
And that's what we do every day.

396
00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:21,680
And we, we will put our product
on that test and show you that

397
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,400
it works.
And we have things like no

398
00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,760
minimum licence fee because
there's a whole group of schools

399
00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,360
that can't access Ed tech
because you have to have a

400
00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,000
certain number of children.
Or if you've only got 35

401
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,040
children in your specialist
provision.

402
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:39,080
Like there's a lot of things
that we can do to prove our

403
00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,000
worth before somebody has to
invest.

404
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,200
And I think that's really
important.

405
00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,800
I think, I think as well there's
I've noticed from someone that

406
00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,880
wasn't an educational in a
classroom, there's a real and

407
00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:49,040
and it's I don't know who's at
fault.

408
00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,000
It's maybe mutual fault, but
there's a real kind of and I

409
00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:52,760
remember broaching it with you
guys quite early on.

410
00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:56,280
There's quite a mutual kind of
animosity and friction between

411
00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,920
trust and school, which I think
really needs to be solved.

412
00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:00,880
And I and I would love to as
part of our journey if we can.

413
00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,280
I said it to you guys like once
again, problem solution.

414
00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,000
Why don't we go and get aceo of
a trust and a teacher on the

415
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,760
couch and actually let them have
that conversation and air their

416
00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,400
frustrations in a public format,
because I think there's a lot of

417
00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:12,920
miscommunication and
misunderstanding.

418
00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,079
I've been fortunate enough to
meet some CE OS of trust, meet

419
00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:16,960
some people at that level that
are that are brilliant.

420
00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:18,920
And obviously I've got you
brilliant teachers who work with

421
00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:20,760
me on this journey.
So like, I think there's a lot

422
00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,960
of misconceptions and I think
unfortunately, the worst actors

423
00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,000
in every area of education
essentially make it worse for

424
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:28,800
everyone else.
The same as you get these chance

425
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,360
or Ed techs that come in,
provide an awful product, charge

426
00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:33,600
an absolute fortune, effectively
RIP schools off if we're being

427
00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:35,880
honest about it.
And then as a result, then any

428
00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:38,120
other Ed tech that tries to get
into that mat or speak to that

429
00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:40,960
school indefinitely is
completely tied with the same

430
00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:42,040
brush.
And I think it's the same with

431
00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:43,680
CE OS.
It's the same with trust.

432
00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:45,960
You get 1 bad CEO, you get 1 bad
head.

433
00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,480
And naturally as a human being,
your back's up there and, and

434
00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,400
any other new things that come
in, you're completely against it

435
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,160
because, and you know by lived
experience, you can't really

436
00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,320
diminish that and say a
teacher's in the wrong feeling

437
00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,120
like that because they've been
made to feel like it, right?

438
00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:01,120
So, but vice versa, when you've
probably got a real boundary

439
00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:04,400
pusher of ACEO, which similar to
similar to your CEO really,

440
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,880
she's brilliant, she's amazing.
She's really pushing the

441
00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,560
boundaries.
I, I would love to speak to her,

442
00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,840
for example, and she probably
has come up against so much

443
00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,960
friction as a result of the CEO
prior to her other maths and bad

444
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,000
experiences.
So I think there's work to be

445
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:18,920
done there.
I don't know how I can't really

446
00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,200
give the solution to that.
It's quite a big one, a new one.

447
00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:22,840
But a new member of the zoo
group by the man.

448
00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:24,880
Yeah, yeah.
But there's just a lot of of

449
00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:28,040
animosity and you're not going
to, no one's going to grow and

450
00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:29,400
learn from a position of
animosity.

451
00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,360
When people are coming into your
school and your backs up

452
00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:32,960
immediately, you're not going to
learn.

453
00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,840
But vice versa, there are some
CEOs and some trusts that have a

454
00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,480
blatant disregard for teachers
and almost treat them like the

455
00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,360
haves and the haves, not to
their second class citizens.

456
00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:45,080
It's just not right.
So yeah, it's a tough one, but

457
00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:47,680
it's a challenge we're we're
excited about.

458
00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,480
I agree because like, you know,
it's being those last example of

459
00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,120
people we call out that sort of
stuff a lot.

460
00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:54,200
And we have historically on our
podcast called out that sort of

461
00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,360
thing because we feel like we
need, there needed to be a voice

462
00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:57,600
to stand up for.
Those people, well, there was a

463
00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:58,800
power imbalance.
Exactly.

464
00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:00,640
That's the that's the right way
to say it, yeah.

465
00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:02,280
But you're absolutely right
though in terms of long term,

466
00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:04,720
and we've actually discussed it
like as a team that we'd love to

467
00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:08,680
get some people on the podcast
who absolutely just embody the

468
00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:09,920
opposite of that job.
I mean because we know they

469
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,560
exist well.
We've, we've, there are so many

470
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,040
out there loads.
Of them and they're.

471
00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:15,160
Special people.
But I wouldn't have seen that

472
00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,880
unless I had changed lines.
I've gone into developing

473
00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:20,280
stories.
I wouldn't have met.

474
00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:23,040
I wouldn't have had the
opportunity to meet CEOs because

475
00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:28,480
I wasn't in that playing field.
So that for your average

476
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,280
teacher, not going to experience
those and you don't know what's

477
00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:33,240
out there.
And I think that's really

478
00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:35,560
important.
This is my recruitment advice,

479
00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,960
if you want to do a little
snippet of this, is that you're

480
00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:40,240
interviewing that school as much
as they're interviewing you

481
00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,760
100%.
And there are so many amazing,

482
00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,440
like you said, trailblazing
schools and trusts and CEO's out

483
00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,680
there.
And you've just got to find

484
00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,480
where your ethos fits within
that.

485
00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,560
And I think that's one thing
that I wasn't very experienced

486
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:56,480
in.
I would have taken any job

487
00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:58,400
because that was how I was
brought up.

488
00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,240
Like you, someone offers you a
job that's amazing, you take it.

489
00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,160
But actually you've got to find
those real people that fit with

490
00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:06,480
your E fast.
And that's different for

491
00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,600
everyone, isn't it?
And I love that you guys call it

492
00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:10,920
out, though, because I think
what people struggle with and I

493
00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,240
think people transitioning from
education into kind of

494
00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:18,000
entrepreneurship is not imposter
syndrome, but that kind of that

495
00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,800
respectful authority.
Yeah.

496
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:21,920
And I remember when I went to
soph school, when it was first

497
00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,480
on the story of your journey, I
instantly reverted back to

498
00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:26,600
scared little Ben that was
always in trouble.

499
00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,120
I was like, yes, miss, No, Miss.
Hi, miss.

500
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:30,360
That was like.
You've come with your backpack.

501
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,040
Yes.
Soph was like, I mean, you guys

502
00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:34,360
know me.
I'm not nervous about anything.

503
00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:36,080
I walk into anyone of anyone.
So I was like, are you all

504
00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,400
right?
I was like, yeah, I'm fine, but

505
00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:39,280
it was all a bit much with your
kryptonite.

506
00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,680
Yeah, literally.
So I think I think it's similar

507
00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:44,560
coming from education.
I think teachers are so used to

508
00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:46,640
being dictated to and it's such
a professional environment.

509
00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:50,160
It's so high pressure and you're
essentially told you do X and

510
00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,480
you must do Y.
It's such a it's so hard for,

511
00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:55,840
like you said, so for teachers
to understand that, you know,

512
00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:57,520
they've got a voice as well.
And it's as much about them as

513
00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,360
it is about the trust.
And I would encourage teachers,

514
00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:02,320
although it's scary and daunting
when from the top down and

515
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,800
including ours, right there will
come a time with most of you

516
00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,920
listeners, I'm sure the top down
will say you stories are used

517
00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,320
Masu hold them to account and
ask them, OK, why?

518
00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:11,560
Like what's the reasoning behind
this?

519
00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:13,960
What can you demonstrate to us
if you're ahead, if you're a

520
00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,560
deputy, what can you demonstrate
for us, for our school, how this

521
00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:18,040
is going to make a difference,
how it's going to work?

522
00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,440
Hold these people to account and
it has to start there.

523
00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:23,160
And that will get pushed up the
chain because you're only, I

524
00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:25,480
always say, if anyone you meet
in life, we're all just humans,

525
00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:26,400
right?
We all bleed the same.

526
00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:27,960
We all leave with nothing.
Like end of the day.

527
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:30,200
I know they might be your deputy
head or your head or your boss.

528
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,560
But the fact is if you ask them
to prove something and they

529
00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,200
can't, it says it all, right?
And you can do it in a

530
00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,920
professional way.
So I think it, there is a real

531
00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,560
struggle for teachers to feel
like they have a voice, they

532
00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,520
have a right to speak and they
can say stuff because they're so

533
00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:42,640
used to being told, Oh, what do
you know?

534
00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:44,720
Just this is how we do it and
blah, blah.

535
00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:46,640
You shouldn't do that.
You should hold hold these

536
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:48,720
people to account.
Problem if you do that.

537
00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:49,680
Right.
No.

538
00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:51,240
Why?
Yeah, I know.

539
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:52,920
How dare you question.
Yeah.

540
00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:54,920
Exactly.
Mean we can't do this.

541
00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:58,280
I'm you do this right now, it's
like, mate, I've done this for

542
00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,200
10 years.
Villa Villa obviously worked to

543
00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,800
eat and then.
What is the charge?

544
00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,360
He took a meal.
I didn't know he worked to the

545
00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:07,760
king there, I didn't know.
That.

546
00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:10,880
That's a good point though.
I get posh when I'm angry, yeah.

547
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,400
I think typically then you fall
into, oh, you can be union Rep

548
00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:19,440
because you make I think I had,
I did see some an ex colleague

549
00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,680
who's also a friend and said
they said, oh, our staff

550
00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:24,440
meetings are so quiet since you
left.

551
00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,200
And I was like, but why are
they, they shouldn't be because

552
00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:31,080
I, I'm not the only person and I
know I'm not the only person

553
00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:33,760
that felt like that.
So just because my voice has

554
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,680
left doesn't mean that those
issues don't need to be raised.

555
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,240
You're not a problem if you
raise those issues.

556
00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:41,640
I was always professional.
You can always do it in a

557
00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,880
professional way.
It doesn't have to be personal.

558
00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,200
I mean, I am an emotional wreck,
so I probably did have a few

559
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,280
tears along the.
Way we all are.

560
00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:50,640
I mean like there's there's
loads of.

561
00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:51,920
Times because you care, isn't
it?

562
00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:53,360
Yeah, exactly.
Like we've, we've joked about

563
00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:55,160
anyway, where where actually we
look back and reflect.

564
00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,440
There's probably sometimes where
I could have quite and you and

565
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,560
you to be fair, a few times
where we maybe could have dealt

566
00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:02,320
with the situation a bit
differently and not, not that

567
00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,840
emotional in that moment and
then made it into a bigger thing

568
00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:06,560
and actually just walked away
and thought, you know what, I

569
00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:08,240
want to give them this feedback.
I'm going to think of a

570
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,160
professional way.
Not even professional, literally

571
00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:11,600
just polite.
Yeah, I'm going to think of a

572
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,720
polite human interaction that I
can have with this other person

573
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:16,600
who, like you said, it's just
another human being at the end

574
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,840
of the day doing a different,
different job role to you.

575
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:20,360
Yeah.
I may just have a different

576
00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:22,480
perspective on it and that's
what I've learnt since leaving

577
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:26,440
is that although I always had
the best intentions, maybe I

578
00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,080
didn't have all of the vision
and the view of what was going

579
00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,040
on because obviously I never ran
a school at head level like I

580
00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,960
didn't.
So I had what was going on in my

581
00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:39,040
classroom and I didn't have that
overarching view of the rest of

582
00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,000
the school, so.
But I think it's a school's job

583
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,640
to educate other stakeholders.
Even with our business, everyone

584
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,000
got different roles.
Everyone got different

585
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,680
percentages, different
involvements, different pay

586
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:48,560
packets.
And I'm not like a traditional

587
00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,840
employer or entrepreneur.
Like I'm very transparent.

588
00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,440
Everyone should know and
everyone should be educated on

589
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,440
whose role is what, why it is
what it is and why they're being

590
00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:58,400
compensated for that and how it
compares to market, right?

591
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,760
I think maybe that is part of
the of the solution with trust

592
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,760
is CEO's grounding themselves,
being more human and actually

593
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,080
meeting with it for every time
they think to themselves, I'm

594
00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:08,520
going to dictate.
Like I try and do it.

595
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,480
Like if I'm going to get on a
court and say right, so if I

596
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,000
need to do this or guys, should
we do this?

597
00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,000
I try and at least ask as much
as I'm telling, right?

598
00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,560
And I think it'd be good for for
people, you know, in those

599
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:21,080
positions to come in and when
they're being dictorial, to

600
00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:24,080
explain the reason and to
explain why, but also ask what's

601
00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,040
your live experience?
How are you dealing with XYZ?

602
00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:28,640
Where can we help you?
Because really at the trust

603
00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:30,800
level, they should be looking at
how they can enable all of their

604
00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,640
teachers and their operatives,
shall we say, in school to do

605
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:35,760
the best possible job.
So they need to be asking as

606
00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:37,080
much as they're telling them.
And they're not asking.

607
00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,040
They haven't got the right data
or information to write it, make

608
00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,040
an informed decision.
That's just a fact because we

609
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:42,720
wouldn't be able to build the
products we build without

610
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:44,480
asking.
We ask many more questions than

611
00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:47,040
we do tell, right?
So like I think that is part of

612
00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,200
the solution.
Like you at a school should have

613
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,920
been in a position where you was
educated on what that role is,

614
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:54,560
what it consists of and how and
you wasn't.

615
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,720
And that's not your
responsibility to go and self

616
00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:58,280
learn that.
It's the responsibility of

617
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:02,280
senior stakeholders to explain
and make it clear to those that

618
00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,800
are less senior, shall we say,
in the hierarchy of what their

619
00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,680
role is, why is important, why
it's so compensated so

620
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:09,480
significantly because that's the
elephant in the room as well.

621
00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,920
You've got teachers that are
getting paid, paid half or 1/3

622
00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:13,080
of what these guys are getting
paid.

623
00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:14,480
And and they don't, they're
thinking how are you getting

624
00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:16,040
paid all this money?
Yeah, you're coming in here

625
00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,240
telling me what to do.
But it's their job.

626
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,560
In my opinion, it's their
responsibility to explain that

627
00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,040
to teachers and say we're
compensated for X because we

628
00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,040
take responsibility for Y and we
actually have outcomes that are

629
00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,280
Z.
Like I'm all for academisation

630
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,120
if it's, if it's positive and
it's having an impact and you're

631
00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:33,120
going into schools and you're
making a huge difference, you're

632
00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:35,320
turning outcomes around.
But the problem is you have also

633
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,520
got academies that are just
straight profiteers.

634
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,080
They'll go in, take a bunch of
money off the government, get

635
00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,680
swaths of grants.
They'll put CEOs on big fat pay

636
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,240
packets and change nothing.
And that's where that kind of.

637
00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:46,840
And that's who you see, isn't
it?

638
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:48,520
Exactly.
That's who teachers see in the

639
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:49,920
news.
Because teaching is quite

640
00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,240
isolating sometimes.
I just know my school, my little

641
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:53,320
school.
Yeah, when I trust the three or

642
00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,960
four schools.
But I've read online this trust

643
00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:57,480
CE OS on 500 grand.
Exactly.

644
00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,720
Disgusting.
And then you're making generic

645
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:01,640
points.
And we do that a lot, like we'll

646
00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,840
say SLT when they do this or
trust CE OS when they do that.

647
00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,680
It's probably as problematic.
And we should probably

648
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,160
definitely, you know, we should
draw it back a bit because if

649
00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,560
someone was saying teachers when
they can't teach properly, I'd

650
00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:14,640
be like, yeah, what do you mean?
We're not all the same?

651
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:16,560
What do you mean all teachers?
Well, no, in the same way I

652
00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,800
don't mean all trust members,
all trust CEO's.

653
00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,360
And as controversial as it is to
sat on the pod, the quality of

654
00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:23,560
teaching as someone that's
outside is getting impacted by.

655
00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:25,920
No fault of teachers though,
because funding is getting cut.

656
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,720
Like with all due respect to the
teaching profession, it's, it's

657
00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,520
the government's job to make it
an appealing career that people

658
00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:34,720
want to go into.
I don't know the stats on it,

659
00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:36,640
but I would be shocked if it's a
growing career.

660
00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:39,120
It must be a declining one
because it's getting harder and

661
00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:41,400
harder.
It's clear for every stakeholder

662
00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:43,320
in teaching that it's getting
harder and harder and stuff

663
00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:45,200
like, oh, we're going to give
out free school meals, but

664
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:46,160
actually it comes out of your
budget.

665
00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:47,560
Well, you're not giving out free
school meals, you're just

666
00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:49,120
chopping their legs off even
further.

667
00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,320
So like, you know, you get this,
like you say, the generalised

668
00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:54,200
people could generalise, all
teachers are bad, this bad

669
00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:55,960
teaching, there probably are bad
teachers.

670
00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,080
I was unfortunately the victim
of some very bad teaching.

671
00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,040
I was told I've never made
you're not going to do this,

672
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:01,880
you're not going to do that.
Oh, you're a nuisance.

673
00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,280
I was made to feel awful growing
up and you know, it affected my

674
00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:05,360
confidence.
Everyone can tell.

675
00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:09,880
By the way, it.
Really affected me.

676
00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,800
I'm just so shy, but I think
that yeah, I think that they're

677
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:15,920
yeah, yeah, I'm labouring the
point.

678
00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:17,640
But yeah, I just.
It could have though.

679
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:21,960
Yeah, if it had been me and my
personality type, it could have

680
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,520
definitely affected me.
Lucky for me, I just flew under

681
00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:26,160
the radar.
I didn't make too much noise,

682
00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,880
didn't make a fuss of myself,
didn't draw retention, but if I

683
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,320
had been told that, that could.
Have I had a teacher I won't

684
00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:36,000
name when I was in year 8 or 9?
So I was, I was diagnosed early

685
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,280
by today's standards, but late
by those standards.

686
00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,120
I know now there's a huge
waiting list and it's so

687
00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:42,360
difficult to get diagnosed.
But I was diagnosed probably

688
00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:45,040
year nine, year 10.
And I remember sort of year

689
00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:46,800
eight-year 9 when my mum was
really advocating for me.

690
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:48,400
They didn't really understand it
at schools then.

691
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:49,800
I mean, I'm talking like it's
the 70s.

692
00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:51,840
It wasn't long ago.
I'm only 28 now but.

693
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:57,200
You're 17 now it.
Was last year but like 10-15

694
00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,760
years ago my mum was up the
school constantly advocate for

695
00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:01,000
me.
Like just engage him, give him

696
00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:02,880
more.
If you engage him, he'll, he'll,

697
00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,120
he'll be sort of bought in.
And my head of year told me when

698
00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:08,280
I was at school that he didn't
believe in in ADHD.

699
00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:09,880
I don't believe it's, it's just
a lot of rubbish.

700
00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,720
Use it as an excuse and where I
was, I'm obviously hugely

701
00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,000
fortunate in life, but I was
unfortunate in a school setting

702
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,960
as I was bright with ADHD.
So what happened is my

703
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:22,400
brightness enabled me to to mask
a lot of what I struggle was so

704
00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,080
because I would excel
academically, they would they

705
00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:26,320
would give me almost too much
credit.

706
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,840
They would think I was so clever
that I was just manufacturing

707
00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:30,960
all these symptoms so I could
get away of being in class.

708
00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:32,120
So it's like, Oh yeah, we are
clever.

709
00:28:32,120 --> 00:28:34,080
So you can't have ADHD, which is
insane.

710
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:37,440
So in year 8 or 9, my head of
year told me that ADHD is not

711
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:39,960
really using it as an excuse.
A completely diminished call, my

712
00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:43,880
sense of self and how I felt.
By year 10 or 11 that same head

713
00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:45,720
teachers son was diagnosed with
ADHD.

714
00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:47,680
He was Year 5 or year 6.
It was real.

715
00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,640
Now, yeah, this individual had
the audacity to come to me and

716
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:53,440
say I just wondered how it's
been sort of being of ADHD and I

717
00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:54,320
could get your opinion.
Some.

718
00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:55,040
Tips.
Yeah.

719
00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:58,600
And I'm like yeah, yeah.
So I had some bad teaching, but

720
00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,880
I think teach bad teachers get
the wider teacher community tied

721
00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,760
with the same brush.
Yeah, the same way, The same way

722
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,040
that bad CE OS and bad trust get
the wider trust and CEO

723
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:10,360
community tied with the same
brush.

724
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:12,120
I've seen it with you guys.
You're some of the best people

725
00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,480
I've ever met.
And if I had taken my attitude

726
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,240
towards teachers from what my
lived experience was, I would

727
00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:18,920
never be sat here now.
We wouldn't be making the change

728
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:20,560
we were and I wouldn't be
working with you because I think

729
00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,400
our teachers are inherently bad.
So I think everyone can change

730
00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,600
their attitude towards each
other and hopefully it can make

731
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,480
a big difference.
It's just sad, isn't it?

732
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,400
Like hearing that story
genuinely makes me feel, like,

733
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,720
quite sad that if it has got
worse since then as well, which

734
00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:35,240
it has, realistically.
And we've talked about lots of

735
00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:37,520
reasons why I like declining
pay, you know, increased

736
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,000
expectations.
It's obviously going to put

737
00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,280
talented, amazing people off of
the job and they're going to go

738
00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,160
work somewhere else.
But just to think that, like it,

739
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:46,160
it only affects the kids at the
end of the day.

740
00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:47,640
That's what we say on a podcast
all the time.

741
00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:49,640
Like, it sounds like sometimes
when moan is like, Oh yeah,

742
00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:51,480
teachers need more pay.
So yeah, they do.

743
00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:53,960
But there's always this
underlying thing of everything

744
00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,680
we ever have a gripe with or
complain about or critique or

745
00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:01,000
whatever, which is that if we
don't fix it, the kids miss out.

746
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,640
Like, but I think what's mad
about society, you talk to the

747
00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:06,920
NHS is like you teachers and
doctors and nurses are held like

748
00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,360
on the on this pedestal, right.
But on the same way that might

749
00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,240
be a British culture thing.
They're not advocated for as if

750
00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:15,400
they're on the pedestal.
So like everyone will treat a

751
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:16,760
teacher like, oh, wow, you're a
teacher.

752
00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,080
What a good job, da, da, da.
But then also it's taboo for

753
00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:21,560
teachers to ask for more money.
These are the same people that

754
00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,160
will have quarterly reviews in
their nine to fives and ask for

755
00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:26,440
a pay rise periodically because
they're entitled to.

756
00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:28,840
Like, why is there this weird?
Because it's stigma, kids.

757
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:30,320
Yeah.
Like why is there this weird

758
00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,480
stigma of like any business,
any, any, anything you're

759
00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:36,840
involved in, any, any
institution, the best payer and

760
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:38,760
the best working environment
gets the best talent.

761
00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:42,160
So if it's about the kids, then
make sure you have the best pay,

762
00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:44,320
the best work environment to get
the best talent and then you'll

763
00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:45,440
have the best outcome for the
kids.

764
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,760
It shouldn't be like it
shouldn't be that taboo.

765
00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:49,760
It really shouldn't.
And I think they forget that the

766
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,720
children of today are the adults
of tomorrow.

767
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:55,160
We want.
To set them up, that's a line.

768
00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,880
We want to set them up with the
best opportunities so that we

769
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:05,800
are like thinking in, in terms
of countries, we want to be at

770
00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:08,400
the forefront of tech, We want
to be at the forefront of that

771
00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,080
industry, in this industry.
But how do we achieve that

772
00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:13,560
without And that's why you see
the disconnecting like social

773
00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:17,280
mobility, which we mentioned my
CEO earlier, that's her, her

774
00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:21,000
driving force is to make sure
that there is social mobility,

775
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:22,800
but that that doesn't just
happen.

776
00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:26,160
That has to be factored in to
give children the best

777
00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,640
opportunity to achieve.
And that's just not happening

778
00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:30,440
is.
It and I can say wholeheartedly

779
00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:32,880
from our lived experience, the
average CEO that we've met and

780
00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,800
the average teacher we've met
both care and equal measure and

781
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,520
actually some brilliant people
like and most people do

782
00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,160
fundamentally care about the
kids and the outcomes for the

783
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:43,760
kids.
And I just think that so much of

784
00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:47,760
the conversation gets, you know,
blown outside of that.

785
00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:49,280
And you hit the nail on the
head.

786
00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:51,440
Ultimately, it's about the kids.
And that's why it's important

787
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,000
for us.
Like we're building.

788
00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,800
That's why we listen to the kids
like if they like a feature, a

789
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:57,640
product like.
So if you loved it when you was

790
00:31:57,640 --> 00:31:59,760
still in school making the
transition coming up to a oh,

791
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:01,440
miss, I've just connected some
stories.

792
00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:03,440
I've just got why coins like
it's amazing.

793
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,280
It's brilliant.
And we're all beaming and just

794
00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:06,840
thinking about it and talking
about that's what it's all

795
00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:08,600
about.
And that's why I've chosen this

796
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,520
industry because it's not just a
pay packet, It's not just cash

797
00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:13,200
at the end of the quarter.
I mean, it's it's the opposite

798
00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:16,040
at the moment which.
Is fun.

799
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:21,080
You guys.
It's, it's this is the most

800
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:23,600
rewarding, even though, like I
say, we haven't made a pound yet

801
00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:25,680
and we will don't be wrong.
It's, you know, we're not

802
00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:29,080
charity, but for me, it's the
most rewarding business already

803
00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,560
I've ever been involved in
because we, we know from our

804
00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:33,120
user data that we're actually
making a difference.

805
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,960
We had like a good few dozen
kids read on Christmas Day, like

806
00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:38,720
they out of their way on
Christmas Day, wanted to engage

807
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:40,000
with stories and read for
pleasure.

808
00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:42,400
When we know there's a reading
problem in this country, a huge

809
00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:43,720
one.
Reading is declining an

810
00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:45,800
unprecedented rate and kids just
aren't reading.

811
00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,760
So for us also a bit of product
where kids are choosing to go

812
00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:52,000
and read in their spare time and
like the usage that every half

813
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,040
term are getting stronger and
stronger, better and better.

814
00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,680
And to be fair, your school is
the the landmark in it.

815
00:32:56,680 --> 00:33:00,320
So if you're allowed labour, but
but it's just so rewarding.

816
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:03,200
It just it's one of the best
achievements I've had, you know,

817
00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:04,240
amongst all the things I've
done.

818
00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,360
It's it's so cool.
This is the thing I've I've

819
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:08,120
really, really interested in
because we've moved obviously

820
00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,160
from school into this private
business and you're talking

821
00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:11,960
about how you can have an impact
and we're like, that's what we

822
00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:13,000
want.
We want to have an impact on

823
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,040
children and we get sometimes
people say things to us almost

824
00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:17,320
like along the lines of what
you're saying here.

825
00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:20,240
It's just a pay packet like
Hayden and I.

826
00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:22,320
We've grown on social media a
bit and now it's our payday,

827
00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:24,160
which gonna take.
It's like you don't

828
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:26,600
fundamentally understand the
only reason we're doing any of

829
00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:28,800
this, like you said, but it
starts with the kids.

830
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,040
You're gonna end up with a
product that's good.

831
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,720
If you think about Master in
general, obviously we're

832
00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:35,680
launching math soon now and
we're really passionate about

833
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:37,680
it.
You gave us that freedom to

834
00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,000
basically as teachers, we got
our heads together and we were

835
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:41,400
like, well, actually we want
this.

836
00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:44,120
This is the the niche we think
needs needs focusing on.

837
00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:46,240
Children's foundations are shaky
than ever.

838
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,440
You have the same thing with
reading, reading for pleasure.

839
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:51,800
And it feels sometimes like I'm
trying to make these effects and

840
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,480
these changes with you, with you
as a team because we're trying

841
00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:56,360
to help the kids.
And then like you mentioned

842
00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:58,360
before, well, we'll just call
the government will just call

843
00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:00,640
next year, the year of reading.
And it's like we've got to do

844
00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,240
both.
We've got to be working on the

845
00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,200
same sheet.
And who's going to affect more

846
00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,160
change?
Hopefully as being teachers

847
00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:10,480
ourselves and experience in the
classroom, we should be the ones

848
00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:12,560
leading that discussion.
And then people like you, Ben,

849
00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:15,480
who are so passionate and come
from that education sector, from

850
00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:17,239
yourself when you're younger,
who didn't have the best

851
00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:19,000
experience and want to make it
better for the kids.

852
00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:22,600
The one thing connecting all of
us here is we want quality

853
00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,280
outcomes for the children and to
build really good products.

854
00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:26,639
So it's going to be a good
product.

855
00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:28,120
I don't know if I told you guys,
but we had a really nice

856
00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:29,760
experience yesterday.
I can't remember if I fed back

857
00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:32,600
to you, but obviously we're
launching MASU right now and we

858
00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:34,440
had our first demo called.
Which you can book you can book

859
00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:38,840
a demo you can book you wanna
beat your schools arithmetic

860
00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,080
masu wow I.
Like that, that was good.

861
00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:42,360
That was good.
That was a little.

862
00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:44,159
Thumbs up but the demo but you.
Guys should think about

863
00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:48,360
podcasting for a living.
So we had our first demo, right?

864
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:50,280
And, and the guy, it was really
interesting.

865
00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:51,719
So he's never listening.
He might be listening to this

866
00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:54,679
this episode right now.
And he said, I really wanted to

867
00:34:54,679 --> 00:34:58,600
see if the product that you show
me actually delivers on what you

868
00:34:58,600 --> 00:34:59,960
say.
Because obviously of course we

869
00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:01,360
talk that everyone talks about
their own stuff.

870
00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,960
But like you said, in in the
private industry, you get a lot

871
00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:05,720
of virtual signalling, a lot of
people saying, yeah, we're

872
00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:08,120
solving this problem or yeah,
our product does this and it

873
00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:09,960
just doesn't really do the thing
it says it does.

874
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:12,480
And I was really pleased to say
that at the end of the call, he

875
00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:16,120
like properly spent some time
bigging up that that what I

876
00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:19,080
showed him is exactly what he'd
hoped based on what we said on

877
00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:20,480
the podcast.
And like the, you know, the

878
00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,360
little teases and things we said
in the past about we are going

879
00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:24,560
to solve arithmetic in this
country.

880
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,680
We are going to get kids will be
better at the foundations and

881
00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:30,760
fundamentals of maths, Big claim
showed in the products.

882
00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:33,240
He was like, yeah, fair enough.
And he literally said on the

883
00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:35,320
call he was like, this is going
to be so good for schools.

884
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:36,680
Like schools are going to want
this and need this.

885
00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,120
But our ethos as a business that
we're happy to share publicly is

886
00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:42,680
good feedback is useless,
although it's great and bad

887
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:45,240
feedback is brilliant.
So like we want you to critique

888
00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:47,520
our product.
We want you to like critique our

889
00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:49,800
methodology, like keep
critiquing us so we can

890
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:51,280
consistently and constantly
improve.

891
00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:54,000
And like for me, like that's
good for us.

892
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,080
Like that's what I thrive on.
Like you said, I'm a problem

893
00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,600
solution driven person.
Like give us more and more

894
00:35:58,600 --> 00:35:59,920
problems and just keep solving
them.

895
00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:03,080
And I want everyone listening to
hold us to account, hold us to

896
00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,160
the best standard ever because
we will match up.

897
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:07,960
And what I'm really grateful for
and excited for, we're having

898
00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,200
conversations with very senior
stakeholders in education.

899
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:12,120
We're looking like we're gonna
go down the route of people

900
00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:15,720
having to provide studies and
data to support their outcomes.

901
00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,160
We as a team are buzzing about
that because for me it just

902
00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:20,920
weeds out all the rubbish.
It does a job for the teachers

903
00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:22,760
and the CEO.
So at the moment have to get

904
00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:24,600
bombarded by dozens of editor
companies.

905
00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:26,800
Please, please, please, if
anyone from the part of

906
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,680
education is listening, bring
some regulation in and make it

907
00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:31,440
so that these companies have to
prove their worth.

908
00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,520
Have to prove that that like
it's in America, the Advertising

909
00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:36,720
Standards, if you, if you make a
claim, you have to substantiate.

910
00:36:36,720 --> 00:36:38,440
It should be the same,
especially in education in the

911
00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:40,160
UK.
If you claim something, you

912
00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:42,240
should have to substantiate, and
we know we can.

913
00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:43,960
Yeah.
So we're not wasting their time.

914
00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:45,600
You shouldn't.
I don't think it should be on

915
00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,160
teachers to investigate products
that obviously you've got

916
00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:51,120
amazing listeners and they're
going to know your products and

917
00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:53,040
they're going to trust you and
that's incredible.

918
00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:56,000
But it shouldn't be down to them
to prove that it works.

919
00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,600
It's our job.
And that's like all the claims

920
00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:00,400
that you're making aren't
claims.

921
00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:02,800
They're they're factual.
We're going to prove to you that

922
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:06,080
this is where a child starts and
this is where a child finishes.

923
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,680
And my conversation with you
after the pod last, last time I

924
00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:13,920
was on, I was so infused by your
passion and your knowledge and

925
00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:18,200
and the way that you broke down
arithmetic, even to me as a

926
00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:22,360
teacher, I was like, wow, OK, I
should have been thinking about

927
00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:24,440
it like this.
This makes so much sense.

928
00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:27,560
So that is is completely
amazing.

929
00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:31,680
And I don't think, I don't think
that that gets enough credit,

930
00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:33,400
does it?
They are incredible.

931
00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,600
That's why we brought you.
On guys, kids aren't going to

932
00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:39,240
pick you've.
Got your work power on the left

933
00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:39,920
side though.
Do you remember?

934
00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:43,760
I was doing a demo once,
remember?

935
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:46,120
And this, yeah, it's going to
really, really show me in a good

936
00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:47,080
light.
And I was like core.

937
00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:48,480
These maths questions are hard,
man.

938
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,480
What year is this?
Aims like like year 4.

939
00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:56,600
And that's why you need masking.
Which I knew.

940
00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:02,080
Yeah, Oh yeah, it's so easy.
Yeah, it's exciting though,

941
00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:04,160
isn't it, that we're at the
stage now where with the

942
00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:07,720
development team, John, it's
just what wonders and seeing

943
00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:10,080
something that's come from our
heads, it's like this would be

944
00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:11,680
useful to it.
Seeing actually on the screen

945
00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:13,960
now and the impact it's going to
have is unbelievable.

946
00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:16,880
And talking to other
professionals, like I know I

947
00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:19,480
joked about booking a demo
before, but please just book a

948
00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:21,600
demo because it's the kind of
thing I think as soon as

949
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,080
teachers see it, they'll think I
can use this in my classroom

950
00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:27,640
every single day.
And children will get better at

951
00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:29,640
maths.
And a lot of people kind of look

952
00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:31,680
sometimes at arithmetic and
think, well, this new

953
00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:33,840
curriculum, you know, problem
solving is a really important

954
00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:34,840
thing.
That's what you want to do for

955
00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:36,520
maths, isn't it?
And I'm, and I want to say to

956
00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:39,920
them, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is.
And This is why I want to build

957
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:41,480
this.
This is why we've got maths too.

958
00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:44,680
Because if you can't do the
foundational maths itself first,

959
00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:48,200
if your children can't really
confidently find a fraction of

960
00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:50,640
an amount or add 2 numbers
together or do long

961
00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:53,560
multiplication or long division.
If they can't do that, they're

962
00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:56,280
going to spend so much of their
time thinking about the process

963
00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:58,720
and not enough of their brain
time thinking about actually how

964
00:38:58,720 --> 00:39:01,200
do I solve this problem.
So we're going to create problem

965
00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:03,920
solvers, not necessarily because
they're solving problems on a

966
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,920
platform, but because they've
got so good at fluency and

967
00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,960
they've become really good at
doing maths that they've aced it

968
00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:11,760
now and then what the teacher
can do.

969
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:13,760
We're not taken away from the
teacher, we're not taken away

970
00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:15,760
from the lessons because what
they're going to be able to do

971
00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,560
then after they've done 10-15
minutes, just fluency every

972
00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:20,320
single day.
That's your maths lesson.

973
00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,800
Now let's do your maths lesson,
let's explore it, let's explain

974
00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,880
it, Let's solve these problems
that are really tricky but have

975
00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:28,320
been made easier because you've
been on Mathsu consistently.

976
00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:30,920
You've got better teaching.
Exactly, that's it.

977
00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:34,080
Because if you free that up,
even Mathsu itself, where we

978
00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:37,120
talk about instant generation of
questions constantly of exactly

979
00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:39,360
the type of question you want to
practise, filling gaps, getting

980
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,600
your live analysis that allows
the teacher again to teach.

981
00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:44,240
That's what I wanted as a
teacher.

982
00:39:44,240 --> 00:39:47,280
I wanted that instant feedback.
What can my kids do and what

983
00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:49,320
can't they do?
Because I know for a fact they

984
00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,200
have to all do this.
They have to be able to do every

985
00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:53,560
single one of these arithmetic
processes.

986
00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:56,240
Now, can you quickly give me
that information?

987
00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:58,400
Can you quickly give me
questions that are tailored

988
00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:00,400
exactly to that gap?
Cool.

989
00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:03,320
That's the bit that sunk my time
and was honestly felt like God I

990
00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:05,040
just need to get this done
because I want to do the actual

991
00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:06,840
bit.
Nasty is going to do that for

992
00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:09,720
you immediately and then you can
go and work with your kids.

993
00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:11,560
You can start and.
Change what really stood out to

994
00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:15,640
me, Whiteboard mode, which I
would have eaten up every single

995
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:17,240
day.
OK, they've all got this

996
00:40:17,240 --> 00:40:19,880
question wrong.
I just need that exact question

997
00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:22,560
on repeat until we get it right.
White boards up, white boards

998
00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:24,640
down all the time is that.
Button at the bottom, Isn't it

999
00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:25,960
that magic button?
Amazing.

1000
00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:29,840
And also the ability to be able
to have those children that are

1001
00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:34,520
working so far below or Even so
far above, but we still got to

1002
00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:38,600
work within the parameters of
you for my Ofsted inspectors out

1003
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:41,920
there.
But to be able to cater to that

1004
00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:44,000
massive, because that's what I
felt in the classroom.

1005
00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,680
And you probably felt the same,
that the gap was becoming

1006
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,880
enormous between my highest
achieving and my ones that

1007
00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:54,280
needed the most help.
They're all getting exactly what

1008
00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:56,480
they need.
They're not having to sit there

1009
00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,480
and do a year one test in year 4
and then sit there for the rest

1010
00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:02,560
of the time reading a book or
whatever other filler activity

1011
00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:03,920
you give them.
They're actually getting

1012
00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,480
targeted questions that you have
created, which is just.

1013
00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:08,880
Amazing.
I think that's the commonality

1014
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:12,080
though between the stories of
Master and why we gel so well.

1015
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,080
So people are already wondering
why we started where we started.

1016
00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:18,680
But for our perspective, English
and maths is your foundation to

1017
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:21,120
access any any level of higher
education.

1018
00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:23,760
There isn't a level of higher
our education that you can tell

1019
00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:26,040
us you could access apart from
maybe being an athlete

1020
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:27,080
physically.
Yeah, yeah.

1021
00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:29,240
Apart from that, there's no
level of kind of high

1022
00:41:29,240 --> 00:41:32,320
achievement that you can access
without either maths, English or

1023
00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:34,240
both.
And I think what resonated of us

1024
00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:36,200
when you started talking about
your big idea for Mathesu was

1025
00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,040
that it's similar to stories and
the fact that we want to at

1026
00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:42,680
primary school level now the
foundations and equip these

1027
00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:45,120
children with the ability to go
into secondary on to higher

1028
00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,520
education with those foundations
nailed, because then they can

1029
00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:50,240
just become sponges and absorb
learning so much better.

1030
00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:53,640
And for us, that's where it's we
feel like the, the, the, the

1031
00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:55,280
industry and education is so far
behind.

1032
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:56,680
That's where actually we need to
start.

1033
00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:59,680
It's, it's a necessity really.
We have to nail foundations.

1034
00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:02,240
I mean, we're now getting
inbound demand from secondary

1035
00:42:02,240 --> 00:42:04,000
schools for kids that that need
to.

1036
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,560
We built stories, admittedly,
for primary school, that that

1037
00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:11,120
product is designed from the top
down for primary schools.

1038
00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:13,000
We've been in dozens of primary
schools, spoke to dozens of

1039
00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:15,000
teachers, spent hundreds,
thousands of hours on that

1040
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:18,280
product for primary school.
But kids have been let down.

1041
00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:21,800
And it's the kids that have been
let down so badly that we're now

1042
00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:24,000
getting inbound from secondary
schools that don't even need us

1043
00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:26,560
to adapt any of the features.
And no, no, it works as it is.

1044
00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:29,000
We need to give this to kids in
year 7, year eight-year 9.

1045
00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:32,480
So for us as our business, we
want to nail the foundations,

1046
00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:35,160
get maths to write, get stories
you write and give people you

1047
00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:36,600
know that access to higher
education.

1048
00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,360
Then really what we want to do
as a group is just continues

1049
00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:42,320
continuously solve problems.
And I always say to the team,

1050
00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:45,720
don't like our current products
today aren't our biggest USP.

1051
00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:48,640
It's our attitude and our ethos
as a team to constantly solve

1052
00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:50,600
more and more problems.
That's our biggest USP really

1053
00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:52,520
well.
We've spoke to thought like huge

1054
00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:54,160
thought leaders in education
space, haven't we?

1055
00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:56,440
I won't name anyone right now,
but I remember speaking to

1056
00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:58,600
someone really big in the space
who's developed an incredible

1057
00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:02,040
product over the last decade
within primary education, who

1058
00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:03,680
literally looked at our team and
looked at John, our, our

1059
00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,920
developer, our CTO and was and
was almost like, Oh my God, this

1060
00:43:06,920 --> 00:43:09,640
is, I wish, I wish I could have
had this, you know what I mean?

1061
00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:11,960
Like they would have to go
through hoops or they, they had,

1062
00:43:11,960 --> 00:43:13,840
you know, different structures
in their business that would

1063
00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:15,640
just make things difficult.
They didn't have the development

1064
00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:17,280
team that didn't really
understand the nuances of what

1065
00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:20,200
they were building in education,
whereas we've got John who is,

1066
00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:22,440
who just understands what we're
building.

1067
00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,400
And then like Dylan said, we get
giddy because what was in our

1068
00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:29,360
heads, it's great.
But we can't, we can't make that

1069
00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:30,600
Like they've got to.
We've got to a point where we're

1070
00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:33,000
like, we can't actually make
this real and work and give.

1071
00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:36,960
It to people you can't.
Fight by the way, shout out to

1072
00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:38,320
him because he's a vibe coder as
well.

1073
00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:42,840
He was listening.
We'll keep that in there in case

1074
00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:45,040
he comes on the.
Podcast and you'll look back and

1075
00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:47,120
think, but but it's just
amazing.

1076
00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:50,880
Like I feel so privileged to
have met you guys and be be a

1077
00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:53,520
part of this team because I feel
like this is the best chance we

1078
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:56,200
are ever going to get.
All of us really actually made

1079
00:43:56,280 --> 00:43:58,400
making a significant impact.
Yeah, I agree.

1080
00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:00,880
You know, you guys are already
doing that with Storyzoo and

1081
00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:02,760
Masu is launching now, and I
know we're gonna.

1082
00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:06,800
I have no doubt in my mind that
all we need to do is get the

1083
00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:08,240
word out there.
Get people on demo and it's

1084
00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:09,880
advocacy.
It's advocacy as well, right?

1085
00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:11,680
Like I was talking about earlier
in the pod, it's probably

1086
00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:14,160
pointed to mention it.
It's really important if you do

1087
00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:16,440
book a demo, if you do see not
just our product, by the way,

1088
00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:20,440
any headset product that you see
can demonstrate proven outcomes

1089
00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:23,680
for kids, advocate it from the
bottom up because we see such a

1090
00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:27,440
disconnect, don't we between
trust CE OS dictating downward

1091
00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:29,440
to use it.
That really hurts engagement.

1092
00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:32,800
But equally, we have really good
trials that we roll out at

1093
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:35,240
school level that just doesn't
get out of the chain for

1094
00:44:35,240 --> 00:44:37,120
whatever reason.
It's not a blame game.

1095
00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:40,000
If you see a product, whether
it's ours or someone else's, I

1096
00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:43,200
would honestly implore everyone
to to advocate for it.

1097
00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:45,360
Show the data because we'll
present on our platform and

1098
00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:47,440
others should show the data.
This is the outcomes that it's

1099
00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:50,680
given and really push to get it
done because ultimately teachers

1100
00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:53,640
in that instance, if you do
that, you can, all teachers care

1101
00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:55,560
about kids.
Fundamentally, as a teacher, if

1102
00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:57,880
you see a product that works and
you advocate for it, you can not

1103
00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:00,120
only affect the outcome to kids
in your class, but you can do it

1104
00:45:00,240 --> 00:45:01,880
trust wide or even multi trust
wide.

1105
00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:04,160
Because this is a journey that
we are not going to be able to

1106
00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:06,000
do what we're setting out to do,
which is a huge mission on our

1107
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:06,960
own.
We need everyone that's

1108
00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:09,440
listening, everyone that's
involved to get to get on side

1109
00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:11,240
and do it with us.
Yeah, 100%.

1110
00:45:11,720 --> 00:45:15,280
It's just so exciting because I
look at it and I think, like you

1111
00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:18,320
said, getting it in front of the
eyes of the right people is the

1112
00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:19,560
thing we're always talking
about, isn't it?

1113
00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:20,520
Like, who can we get it in front
of?

1114
00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:22,800
And you're right, it's everyone.
We need to get it in front of

1115
00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:24,480
everyone.
There's not one group of people

1116
00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:26,920
in school who need to see this.
Teachers need to see it.

1117
00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:28,280
The teaching assistants need to
see it.

1118
00:45:28,480 --> 00:45:30,400
The middle management need to
see it, the math leaders, the

1119
00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:32,400
English leaders, the CEO's and
the kids.

1120
00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:34,800
Exactly.
I want to see kids doing it

1121
00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:38,280
because that that to me, I can't
describe to you how happy that

1122
00:45:38,280 --> 00:45:43,120
make me feel when I see a child
SAT doing some maths work on the

1123
00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:45,440
platform that we've built and
it's making the and better at

1124
00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:46,880
mass and it's given them what
they need.

1125
00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:48,320
Like what?
What bigger buzz?

1126
00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:50,320
And we're doing our bit like
we're working.

1127
00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:52,880
We won't name names yet 'cause
it's pre announcement, but we

1128
00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:55,480
are working really, really hard
to get some huge names.

1129
00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:57,960
Like for us, it's not just
teachers, Eva and Trust and

1130
00:45:57,960 --> 00:45:59,760
CEOs, it's the public
consciousness, right?

1131
00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:02,560
Like as you guys know, you've
seen my journey back into

1132
00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:05,920
education and I've been
absolutely gobsmacked by how far

1133
00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:08,640
behind the technology is, how
poor some teachers got.

1134
00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:11,200
Like I say, it's not a blame
game, but just how poor the

1135
00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:14,160
industry has become by no
thought of any one individual

1136
00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,640
stakeholders just become some of
a broken system.

1137
00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,240
We're trying our absolute best
and we're hoping we can get it

1138
00:46:19,240 --> 00:46:22,480
done to get some big, big names,
professional athletes involved,

1139
00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:26,560
big news coverage and try to,
to, to get them involved, get

1140
00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:29,080
them to understand and care and
really advocate for our

1141
00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:30,360
platform.
And really what we want to try

1142
00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:33,240
and do is get on BBC, get on
ITV, get on all these big

1143
00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:37,040
publications and these big news
outlets and, and make this part

1144
00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:38,760
of the public consciousness.
So problem solution.

1145
00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:39,880
Let's see if we can do it.
There you go.

1146
00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:41,600
The listeners will see.
Manifest it.

1147
00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:43,240
Yeah, someone's listening,
right?

1148
00:46:43,240 --> 00:46:46,480
Yeah, someone can make it out.
Yeah, I just wish people could

1149
00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:49,560
like like a demo or yeah
actually people could get that

1150
00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:52,360
mass lead involved and they
could only in the.

1151
00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:54,640
Description of this podcast
episode if there's.

1152
00:46:54,640 --> 00:46:56,480
Like a link down the bottom and
then you click on it and it goes

1153
00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:57,640
click.
On it, if you're a mass lead,

1154
00:46:57,640 --> 00:46:58,640
even better.
Like it's getting.

1155
00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:00,200
Then they could get a trial for
that story.

1156
00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:02,520
Or an English lead Stories.
I think it's a shared calendar.

1157
00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:03,600
We can talk to you about
everything.

1158
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:05,200
Yeah.
Education.

1159
00:47:05,200 --> 00:47:06,120
We'll, we'll think about this
one.

1160
00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:07,520
Yeah, we have to do this.
Did you know this?

1161
00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:09,360
This episode's actually broken a
new record as well.

1162
00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:11,040
What's that?
This is the least you've ever

1163
00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:12,960
spoken?
Because I'm.

1164
00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:16,200
Yeah.
So by percentage normally, you

1165
00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:19,880
know, you dominate at least 60%,
like on a on a good day, 6080%

1166
00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:22,120
if I'm sort of asking questions,
you know, whereas when Ben's

1167
00:47:22,120 --> 00:47:23,320
around, this is the same for our
calls.

1168
00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:25,000
And through what I'm saying,
you've actually got a

1169
00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:26,160
challenger.
This is brilliant.

1170
00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:28,120
I love seeing calls because
you're trying to speak over me

1171
00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:29,120
and then Ben's speaking over
you.

1172
00:47:29,400 --> 00:47:31,320
This is why we're we're on the
opposite end here.

1173
00:47:32,240 --> 00:47:34,720
Actually the problem that got
done is just.

1174
00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:36,960
To what you don't know, there's
actually 3 hours of filming that

1175
00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:37,480
we've done here.
I can.

1176
00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:41,440
Barely get away.
Sorry, Ben, I'll just say

1177
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:44,000
something.
You could just want it.

1178
00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:46,520
No, no one.
Second, I'm sorry, one second.

1179
00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:49,760
We're just talking about you on
your mouth.

1180
00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:51,200
I'm.
Sorry.

1181
00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:54,800
Anyway, I was gonna say I.
Was gonna say This is why

1182
00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:59,760
sometimes on demos you'll see me
and Hayden me and Dylan just

1183
00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:01,040
there to break it up when
there's.

1184
00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:03,200
Dylan and Ben so and Ben will
never.

1185
00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:05,520
Be it's an internal running joke
with Dylan and I are always the

1186
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:06,920
same person.
And the reason?

1187
00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:09,720
And you can tell that because we
both RIP each other more than

1188
00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:12,040
anyone else in the team, because
Dylan's exactly like me.

1189
00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:16,240
Massive heads.
Both of us talk far too much

1190
00:48:16,240 --> 00:48:18,960
interrupt people, so I'll.
Anyway, Ben, that's nice to

1191
00:48:18,960 --> 00:48:21,840
hear.
Yeah, so and you'll RIP me

1192
00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:23,840
because we're basically the
identical person.

1193
00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:26,360
The best time ever, the best
story ever was we had a that

1194
00:48:26,360 --> 00:48:29,160
huge thought leader we'd be
speaking to on a call and Priya,

1195
00:48:29,160 --> 00:48:30,880
it was like, yeah, Hayman do the
demo.

1196
00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:33,080
Hayman runs the off already,
give him a chance.

1197
00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:35,120
And then Hayden that she went
speaks.

1198
00:48:35,120 --> 00:48:38,320
She went oh, so and Dylan went,
sorry, Hayden, just give me two

1199
00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:39,640
seconds.
Can I just say something?

1200
00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:41,360
Yeah.
Dylan went on the most colossal

1201
00:48:41,360 --> 00:48:43,800
rant we've ever seen.
It was like Luther King.

1202
00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:46,720
It.
Was a podcast episode speech

1203
00:48:46,720 --> 00:48:48,600
inspired the nation.
I must say it was a great

1204
00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:50,240
speech.
And then he had the audacity to

1205
00:48:50,240 --> 00:48:52,360
say, yeah.
So that's all from me.

1206
00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:54,240
And Hayden, if you want to add
anything, yeah, feel free to

1207
00:48:54,240 --> 00:48:55,200
have nothing.
Left to add.

1208
00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:56,960
At this point there is nothing
left.

1209
00:48:57,160 --> 00:48:58,360
All I can do is look like an
idiot.

1210
00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:00,560
All I wanted you to do was say
Dylan, that's fantastic.

1211
00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:05,520
I said Ditto, and I think that
was missed by a lot of people.

1212
00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:07,920
Yeah, it was because you then
started talking just like

1213
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:09,760
laughing or something happened.
So no one even heard me say

1214
00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:12,720
Ditto, but one word I
contributed was not was not

1215
00:49:12,720 --> 00:49:14,160
there.
So good.

1216
00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:15,520
That's all good fun.
We have a lot of fun with the

1217
00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:16,680
team, which I'm enjoying as
well.

1218
00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:18,880
You look, you looks like you had
a lot of fun in their face then

1219
00:49:18,880 --> 00:49:20,160
we had a lot of fun.
Yeah, we do.

1220
00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:22,480
I have to say this, we have we
have a lot of fun with our team,

1221
00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:23,800
but.
Very quickly there are people

1222
00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:25,640
listening to a teacher right
now, I thinking I want to get

1223
00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:26,920
out of teaching eventually.
It's just great.

1224
00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:30,360
And like we fell on our feet I
think meeting you guys and I

1225
00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:32,200
just want to put a shout out to
the whole team.

1226
00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:34,640
I know it's just you 2 hear of
us today, but there's a load of

1227
00:49:34,640 --> 00:49:37,440
people working on maths stories
all in the background who we

1228
00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:40,720
work with a lot and they are
such, such good people.

1229
00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:42,160
And that's what I'd say to
people right now.

1230
00:49:42,360 --> 00:49:44,720
If you're working in a school
and you think it's a great

1231
00:49:44,720 --> 00:49:47,520
school, I bet it's because of
the people you work with 100%.

1232
00:49:47,520 --> 00:49:50,040
And that is always the case I
think and that's why we were so

1233
00:49:50,040 --> 00:49:52,360
willing to make this leap.
And if you're thinking about

1234
00:49:52,360 --> 00:49:54,400
leaving teaching or you think
about moving schools, whatever

1235
00:49:54,400 --> 00:49:57,320
it is, I just implore you to
think who is it you're going to

1236
00:49:57,320 --> 00:49:59,040
spend your time with as a
professional because they will

1237
00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:01,040
shape who you are hundreds and
the outcomes you can have.

1238
00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:02,920
I agree 100% with that.
We've got a good family.

1239
00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:05,760
It's about a dozen of us now and
it's a good all of us.

1240
00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:07,240
We're like a big family, like it
is.

1241
00:50:08,000 --> 00:50:10,120
And I know that's so cliche and
cringe and usually that's used

1242
00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:13,000
by like, capsulist companies,
but yeah, we're a work family.

1243
00:50:13,000 --> 00:50:15,760
So like, you know, you could do
70 hours this week part of your

1244
00:50:15,800 --> 00:50:17,760
family.
But like, genuinely, we are a

1245
00:50:17,760 --> 00:50:19,520
family.
Ben like literally let's me go

1246
00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:21,120
to the toilet whenever I work.
Yeah, as.

1247
00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:23,200
A teacher.
Yeah, Oh my goodness to wait

1248
00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:24,960
till.
As long as she puts her hand up.

1249
00:50:26,760 --> 00:50:28,120
Yeah.
No, that's already trained that

1250
00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:29,560
out of her.
Yeah, first you got she'd bring

1251
00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:31,360
me Ben.
Can I just go for the toilet?

1252
00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:35,120
I'll be like.
No, it is a completely different

1253
00:50:35,120 --> 00:50:36,760
way.
Like when you step out of that,

1254
00:50:36,760 --> 00:50:38,640
it is a completely different way
of working.

1255
00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:40,480
What club does he make you do?
Yeah, yeah.

1256
00:50:40,600 --> 00:50:41,840
He's very.
Clever Lego Club.

1257
00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:47,760
Yeah, with Ben's kids.
So childcare lead for my two

1258
00:50:47,760 --> 00:50:50,760
kids shout.
Oscar and Leo shout.

1259
00:50:50,760 --> 00:50:53,480
Yeah, amazing children.
And we've all got children.

1260
00:50:53,480 --> 00:50:54,520
I was gonna mention that
earlier.

1261
00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:57,440
Like the reason why we want this
change is is because I don't

1262
00:50:57,440 --> 00:50:59,160
want my children.
Apart from John, John.

1263
00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:01,360
John's got an amazing dog called
Steve.

1264
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:05,240
He's got a very human named dog,
so we'll let.

1265
00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,280
Him and that's why to do there's
the animal part, John.

1266
00:51:08,320 --> 00:51:11,560
Yeah, no, like if it's not, I'm
going to get really serious now.

1267
00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:15,120
But if it's not for the change
of the masses of the children, I

1268
00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:17,680
want to see change for my kids.
I don't want them to have to go.

1269
00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:21,800
Papa's year 4 and she has
already had a rough primary

1270
00:51:21,800 --> 00:51:26,040
school journey with staff
leaving no fault of their own or

1271
00:51:26,040 --> 00:51:28,200
different issues or changing
stuff.

1272
00:51:28,200 --> 00:51:31,600
And her confidence has been like
knocked massively.

1273
00:51:32,000 --> 00:51:33,920
And that's the change that I
want to be.

1274
00:51:33,920 --> 00:51:37,440
I want her to have those
foundations that mean that she

1275
00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:39,440
doesn't have those issues and I
think.

1276
00:51:39,440 --> 00:51:42,040
That's I don't think if we, I
don't think if we wasn't if, if

1277
00:51:42,040 --> 00:51:43,800
all of us wasn't parents, I
don't think this business would

1278
00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:45,400
be around.
I think that is my why as well.

1279
00:51:45,400 --> 00:51:47,960
I think it's spot on.
Like my oldest Oscar, I mean, my

1280
00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:50,760
youngest is 1, but my oldest
Oscar, he's, he's 3, but he's, I

1281
00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:53,680
can already tell he's me 101.
Like he's.

1282
00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:56,240
Jack-in-the-box and the second
his eyes ping open, he's a

1283
00:51:56,240 --> 00:51:57,920
nightmare.
But I love him to pieces because

1284
00:51:57,920 --> 00:52:00,240
he's he's just me and.
And now actually my poor mum,

1285
00:52:00,240 --> 00:52:02,760
I'm I'm looking at my son and
I'm thinking, Oh my God, my mum

1286
00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:04,360
had twins.
She had two of us and me.

1287
00:52:04,360 --> 00:52:08,240
So, yeah, God bless my mum, my
dad, but for me, I said that to

1288
00:52:08,240 --> 00:52:10,640
you, didn't I say originally I
said like, if, if I want to

1289
00:52:10,640 --> 00:52:12,760
change, if I want to stay in the
UK because there's a lot of

1290
00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:14,600
talks with entrepreneurs and
high net worth leaving the

1291
00:52:14,600 --> 00:52:16,400
country.
I love England and I just want

1292
00:52:16,400 --> 00:52:18,280
to see it change.
And, and for me, instead of

1293
00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:20,320
just, you know, taking the next
flight off to Dubai, wherever

1294
00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:22,600
anyone goes, if I want to see
the change, I've got to make

1295
00:52:22,600 --> 00:52:24,200
that difference.
And I said that, I said by the

1296
00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:26,920
time my kids go to school, I
want to have enough poor and

1297
00:52:26,920 --> 00:52:29,480
enough kind of clout in the
industry to make sure that their

1298
00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:31,640
journey is a seamless 1.
And all of our kids journeys are

1299
00:52:31,640 --> 00:52:34,600
a seamless one, but not just
for, for Oscar and Leo, but for

1300
00:52:34,600 --> 00:52:36,160
all kids.
So that is definitely a huge

1301
00:52:36,160 --> 00:52:39,160
wire driver for me because I
know that and my kids are for

1302
00:52:39,160 --> 00:52:41,120
anyone that probably doesn't
know, almost everyone won't

1303
00:52:41,120 --> 00:52:43,440
know, but you guys do.
My kids have got albinism, so

1304
00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:45,120
they're obviously severely site
impaired.

1305
00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:46,600
They're going to struggle
immensely.

1306
00:52:46,600 --> 00:52:49,720
So my oldest Oscar has got ADHD
like me so he'll have that

1307
00:52:49,720 --> 00:52:52,200
struggle but equally he'll have
the struggle of being site

1308
00:52:52,200 --> 00:52:56,360
impaired and he obviously will
need the EHCP plan or or ECHP.

1309
00:52:56,800 --> 00:53:00,320
EHCP for helping well for.
You EHCP plan they'll need all

1310
00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:04,200
that stuff, but for me, if I can
create products that that are

1311
00:53:04,200 --> 00:53:08,040
kind of equal access for all and
are accessible and can be used

1312
00:53:08,360 --> 00:53:10,960
and help my son, I know if it
helps Oscar, it'll help It'll

1313
00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:13,640
help you know many other kids.
So and I know with all of us it

1314
00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:15,800
is the same wire and that's
another thing about working

1315
00:53:15,800 --> 00:53:17,520
together right.
Like we all get parent life like

1316
00:53:17,600 --> 00:53:21,040
school runs kids are real.
The amount of times all I think

1317
00:53:21,080 --> 00:53:23,920
all of our kids at some point
have been on our team calls and

1318
00:53:24,040 --> 00:53:26,760
like we all know each other's
kids and each other's lives,

1319
00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:27,840
which is.
Even last week, there's

1320
00:53:27,840 --> 00:53:29,480
probably, there's probably
nothing to do in the moment

1321
00:53:29,480 --> 00:53:31,320
because it was just normal.
But I really appreciated it.

1322
00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:33,480
Like I was having, I was having
a struggle, wasn't it in terms

1323
00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:34,920
of childcare?
Like, yeah, some things were

1324
00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:36,520
going on and I was like, and we
had meetings booked that

1325
00:53:36,520 --> 00:53:37,920
morning.
I was like, I literally, I have,

1326
00:53:38,000 --> 00:53:40,440
I have to be of river and you're
like, it's all good, bro.

1327
00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:41,880
Just family first.
We'll just change them.

1328
00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:44,560
But it was so it was so easy and
I was getting myself worked up

1329
00:53:44,560 --> 00:53:46,000
thinking because any other
industry you'd be.

1330
00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:47,240
Like you're used to it in some
way, yeah.

1331
00:53:47,600 --> 00:53:48,760
Annoyed.
Oh, we have a council.

1332
00:53:48,760 --> 00:53:51,040
You're going to get those like
sarky comments or the passive

1333
00:53:51,040 --> 00:53:52,960
aggressive.
Time in two weeks if it's your

1334
00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:57,000
child yeah, like my child is ill
and I've got a feeling about my

1335
00:53:57,040 --> 00:53:59,600
pay getting docked it's.
Just and I'm working a school.

1336
00:53:59,600 --> 00:54:01,320
Yeah, this is what I know.
From the.

1337
00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:03,480
Small one.
Yeah, well, we all love the

1338
00:54:03,480 --> 00:54:05,160
outcomes for the children.
We care about the kids so.

1339
00:54:06,840 --> 00:54:09,440
Primarily, if you look at school
like a fundamental level,

1340
00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:12,040
outside of the teach element,
primarily you guys are very

1341
00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:15,080
skilled childcare professionals.
You shape and care for these

1342
00:54:15,080 --> 00:54:16,960
children.
So imagine the irony that you're

1343
00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:19,680
not allowed to and you can't get
paid to care for your own kids.

1344
00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:21,720
Yeah, that is actually mad.
You put.

1345
00:54:21,720 --> 00:54:25,440
Someone else can do that.
You're putting on the show for

1346
00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:27,240
the kids nativity and you're
like, you've got to be there.

1347
00:54:27,320 --> 00:54:28,880
Can I go to my child's nativity
at their school?

1348
00:54:28,880 --> 00:54:30,960
No, what do you mean?
But.

1349
00:54:31,160 --> 00:54:33,360
I can't believe little Johnny's
parents didn't come.

1350
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:34,880
Yeah.
That's a safe.

1351
00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:38,680
Yeah.
Honestly, I've had that and I've

1352
00:54:38,760 --> 00:54:40,960
I've heard some of your
listeners say it where they work

1353
00:54:40,960 --> 00:54:43,720
in the same school as their
child and they cannot go to the

1354
00:54:43,720 --> 00:54:46,920
nativity that is in.
We have to What do you mean?

1355
00:54:46,960 --> 00:54:50,800
You can't leave my classroom
where I'm on my own 99% of the

1356
00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:53,120
time I will be fine.
Yeah, let's go and watch.

1357
00:54:53,120 --> 00:54:55,080
Your and none of us will get
these years back with our kids,

1358
00:54:55,080 --> 00:54:56,720
right?
Like we need to make sure we're

1359
00:54:56,720 --> 00:54:58,640
all around for those moments.
And obviously I want to make

1360
00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:00,080
sure we can all do that.
And we do, to be fair.

1361
00:55:00,120 --> 00:55:02,800
Yeah, but the good thing is that
also comes down to good people

1362
00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:06,000
because you 3 sat here and all
the rest of the team, if Soph

1363
00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:08,280
has an Arthur and off to go and
see a nativity, Soph will have

1364
00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:10,760
three hours off until work 9.
And that's not the reason we do

1365
00:55:10,760 --> 00:55:13,000
it.
But that's also what makes it so

1366
00:55:13,000 --> 00:55:16,080
easy for me because I know with
everyone involved in the team

1367
00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:18,440
and no one's going to take the
Mick, no one's going to try and

1368
00:55:18,440 --> 00:55:21,040
abuse that that generosity.
No one's going to try and abuse

1369
00:55:21,040 --> 00:55:23,480
that flexibility.
And all of us are rolling in the

1370
00:55:23,480 --> 00:55:24,960
same direction for the same
common goal.

1371
00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:27,560
So you know, I'm flexible as
long as you get to work.

1372
00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:29,480
Same.
In schools as well, like I think

1373
00:55:29,480 --> 00:55:33,040
that's why it was so.
It hurts so much to those people

1374
00:55:33,040 --> 00:55:36,520
because they were there early,
they were there late, they were

1375
00:55:36,520 --> 00:55:38,880
there on the sports day that
you.

1376
00:55:38,880 --> 00:55:41,400
Can work late for them, you just
can't work early for yourself.

1377
00:55:41,520 --> 00:55:44,040
It's a one way, it's a one way
system.

1378
00:55:44,040 --> 00:55:47,400
And then people have to start
thinking about, well, maybe I'm

1379
00:55:47,400 --> 00:55:50,160
ill that day or maybe I've got
and that's not nice.

1380
00:55:50,160 --> 00:55:52,920
Like nobody wants to go down
that like shady.

1381
00:55:52,920 --> 00:55:54,960
I need this afternoon off to
watch my daughter.

1382
00:55:54,960 --> 00:55:57,400
It's just horrible.
So I think yeah, we.

1383
00:55:57,680 --> 00:55:59,720
Best approach is what we did,
which is just be horribly

1384
00:55:59,720 --> 00:56:03,200
stubborn and and if someone
said, oh, you've got to do this,

1385
00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:04,280
I was top down.
We'd be like, Nah.

1386
00:56:04,520 --> 00:56:05,680
Just crash out.
Just crash out.

1387
00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:07,280
I just do.
I won't know because I know I'm

1388
00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:08,840
doing so.
But that's the issue of when you

1389
00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:11,520
know, if you can or can't, it
can still be people worried

1390
00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:13,560
about putting their head above
the parapet and being the person

1391
00:56:13,560 --> 00:56:15,400
to say it.
So that's why we basically

1392
00:56:15,400 --> 00:56:19,040
started this podcast was to be
like, guys, you can just not do

1393
00:56:19,040 --> 00:56:21,560
these things like, and it's OK.
Funny that we've all ended up

1394
00:56:21,560 --> 00:56:24,000
working difficult because I was.
That yeah hang.

1395
00:56:24,720 --> 00:56:27,880
On how many hours did you say we
do?

1396
00:56:27,920 --> 00:56:30,480
How many hours was that parents
evening that I did?

1397
00:56:30,760 --> 00:56:33,520
I find it mad when you told me
that you have work contracts

1398
00:56:33,520 --> 00:56:36,840
where it says that you can work
with uncapped to a reasonable

1399
00:56:36,840 --> 00:56:40,000
expectation.
Like that to me is bonkers.

1400
00:56:40,000 --> 00:56:41,640
I don't know what happens in
corporate because I've seen it

1401
00:56:41,640 --> 00:56:44,440
but like I don't know I just
maybe although I had a bad

1402
00:56:44,440 --> 00:56:48,560
experience of teaching, I still
some for some reason put teacher

1403
00:56:48,560 --> 00:56:50,160
on a pedestal.
Even though I personally had a

1404
00:56:50,160 --> 00:56:52,560
really bad lived experience, I
still did put teachers and teach

1405
00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:53,880
on this pedestal.
When you went back in.

1406
00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:55,440
And yeah, yeah.
Hi, Miss.

1407
00:56:55,440 --> 00:56:58,120
Yeah.
So yeah, I just find that mad.

1408
00:56:58,160 --> 00:57:00,040
Did you have any good teacher?
Did you have any teachers where

1409
00:57:00,040 --> 00:57:02,040
you look?
I had a business teacher that

1410
00:57:02,040 --> 00:57:04,280
really advocated for me getting
diagnosed.

1411
00:57:04,280 --> 00:57:07,480
And I actually think that you
can't understate, I've never

1412
00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:09,360
really said this, but you can't
understate how much a teacher

1413
00:57:09,360 --> 00:57:11,040
can actually change your life
and your outcome.

1414
00:57:11,040 --> 00:57:13,480
And I was in the time of my I
was about year or nine year 10

1415
00:57:13,480 --> 00:57:15,320
just before getting diagnosed
and my granddad had just died,

1416
00:57:15,320 --> 00:57:17,600
which obviously was my first big
loss in my life.

1417
00:57:17,600 --> 00:57:19,880
So I was struggling with that.
I was struggling with anxiety

1418
00:57:19,880 --> 00:57:22,280
and I was struggling with the
fact that I would go into school

1419
00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:24,240
and think, I'm going to go into
there and be really good.

1420
00:57:24,240 --> 00:57:26,080
I'm going to now my report green
to my report.

1421
00:57:26,080 --> 00:57:28,440
And I would find myself in the
head teachers office at

1422
00:57:28,440 --> 00:57:31,320
lunchtime and I would generally
sit there myself and think, how

1423
00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:32,360
am I here?
Like, what have I done?

1424
00:57:32,520 --> 00:57:34,280
I promised and I'd feel like I'd
let myself down.

1425
00:57:34,280 --> 00:57:36,480
I think I promised myself I'm
not going to end up here.

1426
00:57:36,480 --> 00:57:38,920
But I didn't know that it was
completely not my fault.

1427
00:57:38,920 --> 00:57:40,840
I mean, don't be wrong.
There was times where it was.

1428
00:57:40,840 --> 00:57:42,720
Definitely my fault there was
choices.

1429
00:57:42,720 --> 00:57:45,960
Made and there were bad choices,
but there were also times where

1430
00:57:45,960 --> 00:57:47,360
I went in with all the best
intentions.

1431
00:57:47,360 --> 00:57:49,360
Like I got to a point in my
school life in secondary school

1432
00:57:49,360 --> 00:57:52,280
where I would go in and in the
staff room, any new teacher

1433
00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:54,160
would be told, I'll make a
beeline for Ben.

1434
00:57:54,480 --> 00:57:56,000
You need to assert your
dominance in the classroom.

1435
00:57:56,000 --> 00:57:57,680
So I would walk into a class on
those days.

1436
00:57:57,680 --> 00:57:59,640
Imagine you're a child, Bram.
And I think some of these

1437
00:57:59,640 --> 00:58:02,080
teachers forgot I'm a child.
I would go in were like, right,

1438
00:58:02,080 --> 00:58:03,560
I'm going to be a good day.
I'd built myself up.

1439
00:58:03,560 --> 00:58:05,200
I had sort of good self esteem,
was ready for a good day.

1440
00:58:05,200 --> 00:58:08,000
And they'd go, right, Sansom out
and you'd be like, I've done

1441
00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:09,440
nothing wrong.
Like, what the hell?

1442
00:58:09,760 --> 00:58:12,160
So I had one teacher.
Yeah, Mr Aponghi's name was.

1443
00:58:12,160 --> 00:58:15,040
And he, he basically advocated
for me to get diagnosed.

1444
00:58:15,040 --> 00:58:17,160
Fortunately, he became my deputy
head of year and he was actually

1445
00:58:17,160 --> 00:58:19,280
a business teacher.
And one thing I struggled with

1446
00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:20,600
being a problem solution
mindset.

1447
00:58:20,600 --> 00:58:22,720
As arrogant as it may sound,
when I was a kid, I wanted to be

1448
00:58:22,720 --> 00:58:24,240
an entrepreneur.
I wanted to be a successful

1449
00:58:24,240 --> 00:58:26,800
businessman and I had this kind
of a bit of arrogant chip on my

1450
00:58:26,800 --> 00:58:28,760
shoulder of like, well, if you
haven't been there and walked

1451
00:58:28,760 --> 00:58:30,520
with a walk, how can you teach
me achieve what I want to

1452
00:58:30,520 --> 00:58:32,680
achieve, right.
So he'd been there and done it.

1453
00:58:32,680 --> 00:58:35,520
He'd worked in the city and he'd
end up caring for his mum and,

1454
00:58:35,520 --> 00:58:37,200
and Mr Pong's story was
effectively, he said, I'm going

1455
00:58:37,200 --> 00:58:39,040
to go into teaching and teach
kids, but he'd been there, he'd

1456
00:58:39,040 --> 00:58:42,040
done it.
So for me, he was the biggest

1457
00:58:42,040 --> 00:58:46,680
impact on my, on my journey in
school because he saw in me what

1458
00:58:46,680 --> 00:58:48,440
now many other people have seen
in my career.

1459
00:58:48,440 --> 00:58:50,680
And he said that he would
advocate for me as long as I've

1460
00:58:50,680 --> 00:58:52,960
done business effectively.
So he had to be doing business

1461
00:58:52,960 --> 00:58:56,600
GCSE, he had to do business A
level, Yeah, but no.

1462
00:58:56,840 --> 00:58:59,520
He's genius, though, because he.
Focused and he focused me and

1463
00:58:59,520 --> 00:59:00,560
engaged.
Me successfully.

1464
00:59:00,560 --> 00:59:03,400
Yeah, like he even when we used
to do Enterprise week, so you'd

1465
00:59:03,400 --> 00:59:06,160
ever want to be able to go buy,
you know, sweets and sell them,

1466
00:59:06,160 --> 00:59:08,120
they'd be the one wiki you could
do it without being in trouble

1467
00:59:08,120 --> 00:59:09,480
with everyone every other week
of the year.

1468
00:59:09,800 --> 00:59:11,880
But he really empowered me.
Then instead of giving me like,

1469
00:59:12,560 --> 00:59:14,680
you know, 1 little shop, he
would let me judge and give

1470
00:59:14,680 --> 00:59:16,640
input on everyone's profit and
loss and what everyone was

1471
00:59:16,640 --> 00:59:18,640
doing.
Like he really, really engaged

1472
00:59:18,640 --> 00:59:20,720
me.
And yeah, it's not all such a

1473
00:59:20,720 --> 00:59:22,960
bad story.
Like without him, who knows what

1474
00:59:22,960 --> 00:59:24,160
could happen.
I could have just got into a

1475
00:59:24,160 --> 00:59:26,720
worse and a worse spiral on by
year 11, year 12, I could have

1476
00:59:26,720 --> 00:59:29,080
completely disengaged.
Whereas thanks to him, I did

1477
00:59:29,080 --> 00:59:30,000
actually get.
I've done all right.

1478
00:59:30,000 --> 00:59:32,840
I've got 5-6 GCCS I've done.
I got what I needed to get and

1479
00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:35,480
obviously it gave me the, you
know, the foundations to go and

1480
00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:36,320
kick on.
So yeah.

1481
00:59:36,640 --> 00:59:38,400
I'd say you've not done too bad.
Well, he's been.

1482
00:59:40,840 --> 00:59:42,840
On the pod now, yeah.
Exactly I've made.

1483
00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:45,560
It I've when's his ranking?
I think it's all downhill from.

1484
00:59:47,320 --> 00:59:51,200
Here, I think to be honest with
you, we should try and wrap it

1485
00:59:51,200 --> 00:59:52,640
up there.
Unbelievable.

1486
00:59:52,640 --> 00:59:55,600
I just want to say to everyone
listening right now that you can

1487
00:59:55,600 --> 00:59:57,000
book a demo.
I knew you.

1488
00:59:58,280 --> 00:59:59,640
Excuse me, I just say something.
I'm sorry.

1489
01:00:01,560 --> 01:00:04,680
But yeah, I mean, what I wanted
to say to people is amazing.

1490
01:00:04,680 --> 01:00:07,320
People are working on this
story, Zoo Maths, to book a

1491
01:00:07,320 --> 01:00:10,000
demo, just talk to us.
And even if the worst happens

1492
01:00:10,000 --> 01:00:12,520
where you see us for half an
hour and you go, this is wrong,

1493
01:00:12,520 --> 01:00:14,960
this is wrong, that doesn't
work, That doesn't work book,

1494
01:00:14,960 --> 01:00:17,080
because we want to hear it from
people who are on the coalface

1495
01:00:17,080 --> 01:00:18,600
delivering every single day to
the kids.

1496
01:00:18,760 --> 01:00:21,240
And if you think it doesn't work
because of that reason, let us

1497
01:00:21,240 --> 01:00:22,720
know.
And if you think, oh, this will

1498
01:00:22,720 --> 01:00:25,240
be amazing, which I think you
might do, why don't you

1499
01:00:25,240 --> 01:00:27,000
literally just you can get a
trial.

1500
01:00:27,280 --> 01:00:29,720
I want to see people trying this
out and ultimately helping the

1501
01:00:29,720 --> 01:00:31,400
kids.
We will listen is what you say

1502
01:00:31,400 --> 01:00:33,720
exactly that we didn't forget.
There is one tiny thing.

1503
01:00:33,720 --> 01:00:35,840
Let's see if you can remember
that's got a couple of days left

1504
01:00:35,840 --> 01:00:37,080
as of when this podcast is
coming out.

1505
01:00:37,080 --> 01:00:39,840
So if you're listening to it on
the day, not leave a review you.

1506
01:00:40,000 --> 01:00:41,440
Can't leave a review.
That's got a couple of days.

1507
01:00:41,440 --> 01:00:43,600
Definitely Dylan.
Still think about the giveaway.

1508
01:00:44,280 --> 01:00:46,240
New way?
Glue sticks.

1509
01:00:46,240 --> 01:00:47,800
Yeah, glue sticks.
Actual Pritch.

1510
01:00:47,800 --> 01:00:49,800
Sticks, This is how we know
you're the next teacher because

1511
01:00:49,800 --> 01:00:51,360
you're like, what A?
100 and prick sticks.

1512
01:00:51,360 --> 01:00:53,880
When that was suggested on the
whole of giveaway I was like OK

1513
01:00:53,880 --> 01:00:55,400
fair, but I didn't realise
they're gone.

1514
01:00:55,400 --> 01:00:58,080
That'd be like 20. 4.
The messages, the messages we've

1515
01:00:58,080 --> 01:01:00,160
had saying are the Pritch sticks
actual Pritch sticks, Do you?

1516
01:01:00,160 --> 01:01:03,120
Mean that my sheets aren't gonna
fall out after two days This.

1517
01:01:04,440 --> 01:01:06,400
Is amazing.
If you have no idea what we're

1518
01:01:06,400 --> 01:01:08,560
talking about, go and check out
the massive Instagram or or I'll

1519
01:01:08,560 --> 01:01:10,360
teach you repeat Instagram as
well because the giveaway

1520
01:01:10,360 --> 01:01:12,040
details are on there.
How much is it worth, Hayden?

1521
01:01:12,040 --> 01:01:15,760
1000 lbs all together, 500 lbs
for your school and £500 for

1522
01:01:15,760 --> 01:01:20,000
yourself if you win. £500 of.
Stuff including the Pristiqs,

1523
01:01:20,000 --> 01:01:21,080
which is the only thing
realistically.

1524
01:01:21,080 --> 01:01:22,720
Yeah.
So that's £490.00 gone.

1525
01:01:22,840 --> 01:01:27,120
Yeah, we got you 10 Pristiqs and
I.

1526
01:01:27,240 --> 01:01:30,480
Think.
I think they'd be.

1527
01:01:31,680 --> 01:01:35,640
Happy.
I've won a lifetime.

1528
01:01:35,720 --> 01:01:37,200
It's amazing.
There is actually loads of stuff

1529
01:01:37,200 --> 01:01:39,800
in there like Netflix money and
there's the cost of thing you

1530
01:01:39,800 --> 01:01:43,320
sell it for electric sharpener,
HelloFresh, this so much stuff

1531
01:01:43,400 --> 01:01:45,800
with all the stuff, press
sticks.

1532
01:01:46,000 --> 01:01:47,080
Yeah, that's all we need to say
really.

1533
01:01:47,240 --> 01:01:49,680
There's a few days left, so if
you listen to this late souls,

1534
01:01:49,680 --> 01:01:53,520
it might be over now.
Better luck next time.

1535
01:01:53,600 --> 01:01:55,000
You can still like and share if
you wanted.

1536
01:01:56,120 --> 01:01:57,000
That's a scrap.
Oh, wait.

1537
01:02:00,920 --> 01:02:02,240
Should we make Ben and Sophie
sign?

1538
01:02:02,280 --> 01:02:03,680
Off, I think so, Yeah, over to
you guys.

1539
01:02:03,840 --> 01:02:06,680
Go on, Yousuf, ladies first.
Oh, I just want to say thank you

1540
01:02:06,680 --> 01:02:09,200
for listening and it was lovely
to be here again.

1541
01:02:09,200 --> 01:02:14,640
And I want to say that the
effort and the the passion that

1542
01:02:14,640 --> 01:02:16,680
you 2 have put into Masu is
really amazing.

1543
01:02:16,680 --> 01:02:18,440
And so please.
No, thank you.

1544
01:02:18,520 --> 01:02:20,760
Thank you for joining us.
Like honestly, yousu, sincerely

1545
01:02:20,760 --> 01:02:21,880
thank you for joining us on this
journey.

1546
01:02:21,880 --> 01:02:23,680
Thank you obviously for bringing
your product to the to the

1547
01:02:23,680 --> 01:02:25,680
group.
And yeah, thanks for giving us

1548
01:02:25,680 --> 01:02:27,040
this platform to talk about what
we're doing.

1549
01:02:27,040 --> 01:02:32,000
That's what we're all.
Love it.

1550
01:02:32,000 --> 01:02:32,800
No.
Thank you for coming.

1551
01:02:33,400 --> 01:02:33,880
On look at demo.