Stories

Welcome to the Value for Schools Stories Page

 This is a space created to motivate, inspire and celebrate the people, partnerships and ideas making a positive impact across education.

Working across schools, organisations and communities over the years, I’ve seen first-hand how many powerful stories often go unseen beyond the people and settings creating them.

This page exists to shine a light on those moments, reflections, collaborations and experiences that remind us why working in service of education matters.

Browse our stories below and be sure to check in regularly for motivation, inspiration and celebration from across the education ecosystem. If you have a story worth sharing, we’d love to hear from you.

Stories of Motivation, Inspiration & Celebration

15th June 2026
How Olex.AI’s marking tool is giving teachers back time and headspace — and why the real value isn’t speed, but what that time then allows: better conversations, faster feedback loops, and more confident young writers.
12th May 2026
Reflecting on his first year as an E-ACT trustee, Baasit visits Blackley Academy and finds a community hub that’s grown far beyond the school gates — a reminder that schools working with their community, not just within it, changes everything.
19th April 2026
A visit to Sweet Cherry Publishing and their accessible imprint, Every Cherry, reminds Baasit why inclusion has to sit at the centre of education, not the edges — and offers a first look at the partnership bringing his own books to life.
28th March 2026
Hosting the inaugural Bridge the Gap Gala Dinner in Derby, Baasit reflects on what actually stayed with him – not the stage, but the young people’s stories, and a simple truth: potential is everywhere, but opportunity is not.