Creating the Conditions to Thrive | Yamina Bibi on Creating Value In Schools

Yamina Bibi explores how removing barriers, creating belonging and providing the right support can help people thrive – and why that matters for recruiting, retaining and getting the best from our school workforce.

Episode: 41
Listening time: 24 minutes
Released: 6 October 2026

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Episode content

Drawing on learning from the Mission 44 Diversity in ITT project, Yamina talks to host Liz Worthen about how schools can remove barriers to recruitment, retention and progression for staff with protected characteristics.

They discuss:

The connection between inclusion, retention, belonging and thriving.
The importance of building your own awareness of racial literacy and the impact of other protected characteristics.
How organisations need to be proactive in putting processes in place to respond to discrimination, learning from safeguarding approaches and recognising that just because it’s not been reported so far, it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
The responsibility of leaders to be active in removing barriers, rather than expecting individuals to overcome them.
How reasonable adjustments and inclusive practice can benefit everyone.
What a portfolio career can look like and bringing your authentic self to work.

“We're talking a lot about belonging for young people, but are we talking about it for staff and staff with protected characteristics?”

Guest contributor

Yamina Bibi FCCT is a former deputy head and English teacher, a consultant, CPD trainer and author of A Little Guide for Teachers: Thriving in Your First Years of Teaching. She is the Chiltern Teaching School CTS Lead for Strategic Partnerships and School Transformation.