Inspiring Women in Education Podcast

Inspired by International Women's Day, our 'Leadership Stories: Inspiring Women in Education' podcast series features our CEO, Jan Shadick, in conversation with six accomplished female leaders in education. The podcast will highlight their journeys, the challenges they overcame, and their insights into achieving leadership roles. By sharing these stories, we aim to empower future leaders, particularly those who may feel underrepresented in education leadership.

Episode 1 - Jennese Alozie

In the first episode of Inspiring Women in Education, host Jan Shadick, CEO of Haberdashers' Academies Trust South, speaks with Jennese Alozie, CEO of University of Chichester Academy Trust. Jennese shares her journey to leadership, the barriers black female leaders face, and her drive to create a clearer path for future women in education. An inspiring conversation on resilience, representation, and leadership.

About Jennese Alozie

Jennese Alozie is the CEO of University of Chichester Academy Trust because she is passionate about what education and learning must mean for generations of children, young people, and adults. She began her career as a secondary school English teacher and has held a range of senior and executive leadership roles within schools, local authorities and school Trusts. Jennese is an experienced board member and believes that as system leaders and architects, collectively we have the expertise and innovation required to reshape our society and how we see ourselves within it.

Episode 2 - Ali Oliver

Ali Oliver MBE, CEO of the Youth Sport Trust, is our guest for the second episode of Inspiring Women in Education. She shares her journey from teaching PE to leading a national organisation dedicated to transforming young lives through sport. She discusses leadership lessons from sport, the challenges girls face in accessing physical activity, and how fostering confidence and competence can change outcomes. Ali also reflects on resilience, culture in leadership, and the power of standing out rather than fitting in.

About Ali Oliver

Ali is the Chief Executive at the Youth Sport Trust, an independent charity devoted to building a brighter future for young people through the power of sport.

Ali joined the Youth Sport Trust in 2004 as a member of the senior leadership team and became the CEO in 2016. Prior to this Ali was the Deputy Director of Sport at the University of Bath having joined as the course leader for the Physical Education Initial Teacher Training programme. Before this Ali was Head of PE at Millfield School, having started her career as teacher in Essex.

Ali is a Trustee of the ‘Youth United Foundation’ and sits on the Board of the ‘Sport for Development Coalition’ and sports committee of the HMC.

In 2019 Ali received an honorary doctorate of the University of Bath. She was recognized as the Best Leader (not for profit category) in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies in 2020, and in the same year was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Episode 3 - Gulcin Sesli

In our third episode, Gulcin Selsi, Co-CEO of the Spring Partnership Trust, opens up about her journey from classroom teacher to trust leader, driven by a deep commitment to serving disadvantaged communities. She reflects on overcoming impostor syndrome, the importance of resilience, and the role of cultural heritage in shaping leadership. Gulcin also discusses the challenges she has faced—including racism—and the power of collaboration in making lasting change.

About Gulcin Sesli

Born in South East London to immigrant parents from Cyprus, Gulcin grew up on a working-class council estate where education was her path out of poverty. Aspiring to be a teacher from a young age, she qualified in the 1990s and began her career in London, serving the community that shaped her.

Gulcin’s passion for teaching led her to implement the Numeracy Strategy at her school, inspiring a move into leadership. Gaining experience across Early Years, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2, she became a curriculum lead and Lead Literacy Teacher in Kent, supporting teachers and improving practices.

As deputy headteacher, Gulcin amalgamated an infant and junior school, leading the school from good to outstanding within 15 months. Later, as headteacher in a deprived London borough, she transformed the school into a beacon of hope, achieving an Outstanding Ofsted rating in 2012 and maintaining it in 2024.

In 2017, her school improvement expertise earned Gulcin the role of executive headteacher. Now as Co-CEO within the same Trust, she remains dedicated to improving educational outcomes and empowering schools to thrive.

Episode 4 - Bushra Nasir CBE

In our fourth episode of Inspiring Women in Education, Bushra Nasir CBE shares her inspiring journey from science teacher to headteacher and CEO of Drapers’ Multi-Academy Trust. She reflects on key moments in her career, facing rejection, the power of family support, and embracing new opportunities. Bushra also discusses her work beyond school leadership—mentoring, consultancy, and championing underrepresented communities.

About Bushra Nasir CBE

Bushra Nasir CBE is a trailblazing educational leader with a distinguished career spanning nearly five decades. She was the first Muslim female CEO of a Multi-Academy Trust when appointed to lead Drapers’ MAT in 2018, overseeing five schools and building strong, collaborative teams committed to improving outcomes for students and their communities.

Previously, Bushra served as Headteacher of Plashet School for nearly 20 years, where she secured two Ofsted Outstanding ratings and national recognition, including being named TES Headteacher of the Year in 2012. Her leadership was also featured in Ofsted’s national report 12 Outstanding Schools – Excelling Against the Odds.

Bushra’s influence extends well beyond school leadership. She has served as a mentor, coach, and trainer for aspiring leaders, contributed to national education policy through the DfE's Reconnect London initiative, and champions underrepresented voices as Chair of EQUI, a Muslim think tank focused on ethically driven research.

Among her many honours, she was awarded a CBE in 2004 for services to education, appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Greater London in 2016, and became Chair of the Faith Council of the Lieutenancy in 2024. She was also featured in UCL and TfL’s London Women’s Tube Map in 2023 for her contribution to education in East Ham.

Bushra has been recognised as the Asian Professional Woman of the Year, listed among the top ten Muslim women by the Equality Commission, and is a Fellow of Queen Mary University of London. She also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of East London.

Episode 5 - Dr Vanessa Ogden CBE

In the fifth episode of our Inspiring Women in Education podcast, Dr Vanessa Ogden CBE, CEO of Mulberry Schools Trust, discusses her unconventional path from banking to education and how her belief in empowerment through learning led her to school leadership. She shares insights into the principles that guide her leadership, the importance of inclusion and equity, and how leaders can combat impostor syndrome. Vanessa also reflects on the responsibility of leaders to create a thriving environment for all in schools.

About Vanessa Ogden CBE

Dr Vanessa Ogden CBE is CEO of the Mulberry Schools Trust (MST), a family of 7 schools and a Teaching School Hub in the East End of London. Vanessa is an NLE and has undertaken a range of school turnaround work, in which she has a long track record of success in urban and rural settings. Vanessa has a doctorate specialising in education policy and school improvement. She continues to work on initiatives to deal with London poverty. Vanessa is the Chair of the Fair Education Alliance and of the Unicorn Theatre. She is a member of the Education Committee for the Haberdashers’ Livery Company.

Vanessa features in the first ‘Female Lead’ book by Edwina Dunn. Vanessa has founded Global Girl Leading, a global sisterhood of girls advocating for girls’ leadership, voice and visibility through investing in girls’ education. In 2015, she welcomed Michelle Obama to Mulberry School for Girls and was invited to take students to the White House to visit the First Lady. Vanessa was awarded a CBE in the King’s 2024 New Year Honours List.