● Educator · Speaker · TV Personality
I’m Baasit Siddiqui; keynote speaker, conference host, and educator with over a decade of experience helping students, teachers, and organisations across the UK believe in what they’re truly capable of.
20+
Years in education
400+
schools worked with
12+
Years on gogglebox
20+
Years in Education
400+
schools & organisations
TES
tutor since 2018
C4
gogglebox personality
DSIT
cyber explorers ambassador
(01) — The Challenge
Young people are entering a world that’s moving faster than most school systems can adapt to.
They’re talented, resilient, and full of potential but too often, they don’t have the language, the confidence, or the connections to turn that potential into opportunity.
And the educators working with them are doing extraordinary things in impossible circumstances.
Every school is a microcosm of its community shaped by everything happening in the news, in politics, in the lives of the families outside the gates. The goalposts never stop moving. Not because teachers aren’t good enough. Because that’s the reality of working in a business of hope.
That’s where I come in.
(02) — The Framework
The 7Cs to Thrive emerged from a decade of real delivery with real young people and real teachers. You’ll find them in every keynote I give, every workshop I run, and the programme I built to help young people understand what they’re truly capable of.
Curiosity
Ask better questions. Stay hungry.
Creativity
There is more than one right answer.
Collaboration
Your best thinking is rarely your solo thinking.
Compromise
Strength isn’t never backing down. It’s knowing when to.
Communication
How you say it matters as much as what you say.
Courage
Do the hard thing. Especially when it’s scary.
Community
Where you come from doesn’t limit where you’re going.
(03) — who i work with
for schools and educators
Whether you want me in your assembly, delivering an INSET day that your staff actually enjoy, running CPD that sticks, or speaking at your conference – I’ve been doing this across hundreds of schools for over a decade. I know your world. Let’s talk about what yours needs.
for brands, edtech & universities
I work with education-facing organisations in two ways. If you’re looking for a credible ambassador to bridge the gap between your brand and the schools you serve then let’s talk partnerships. And if you want a keynote that shows your team how to build the kind of school relationships that last, that’s a talk I’ve developed specifically for you.
(41) — What people say
His expertise and knowledge shone through in every aspect.
Throughout the event, he was fully engaged
with each session, naturally connecting with the speakers and showing a deep understanding of the event’s goal – to equip teachers with tools to enhance their practice and improve students outcomes across the country.
Ian Fitzpatrick
Managing Director Daisy, Education
Llinos Angharad Williams
Marketing and Engagement Officer – Bangor University
Baasit is a fantastic and engaging communicator, I
would highly recommend his delivery with
students, inspiring them to think about their
future and the wide range of transferable skills
they can develop. I worked closely with Baasit over
a number of years across the Uni Connect project
and Baasit was always incredibly personable,
professional and came at every challenge and
opportunity with enthusiasm and a can do
attitude, this made working together a real
pleasure!
Ellie Rowley
Programme Lead – UCAS
We were really pleased to have him as our Keynote Speaker. The session had a really buzz
about it, many interactive elements and every member who attended rated his session as
excellent – it was the highest rated session of our Conference.
Kathy Hardy
CEO – Affinity Learning Partnership
(05) — How I work
Every time I walk into a room, I’ve already done the work. I’ve researched the organisation, understood the context, and built a golden thread — a single through-line that runs from my first word to my last and ties everything back to what this particular audience needs to leave believing.
My recommendation to every client is the same: put me at the start of the day. I bring a uniqueness to an event — the television background adds a little levity, breaks the ice, and sets a tone. Couple that with 20+ years of delivering in schools and education settings, and I know how to read a room full of educators from the moment I step in.
Celebratory. Motivational. Humility and humour. These aren’t just words — they’re the conditions I build so that whatever comes after me lands better. If I’m hosting your whole event, that atmosphere carries all day. If I’m opening it, I make sure your audience is ready to receive everything else you’ve planned.
(06) — The programme
Let’s Thrive is the education programme I built to give young people the language, the skills, and the self-belief to step into the world that’s waiting for them. It’s built on the 7Cs to Thrive framework and it runs in schools, colleges, and community settings across the UK.
When I speak in your school, I’m drawing on everything this programme has taught me about what young people actually need not what the curriculum tells us they need. The two things aren’t always the same.
trusted by leading names across education
coming 2026
(07) — The book
Not My Finest Lesson is the education book I’ve been writing for a decade (even if I only started typing it recently!).
Fifty-two chapters. Fifty-two mistakes, miscalculations, and moments where I thought I knew what I was doing and didn’t. The lessons I learned in the classroom, on stage, on screen, and in every in-between space where the real education happened.
It’s for every teacher who’s ever lain awake wondering if they got it right. (They did. But it helps to hear it from someone who got it very wrong first.)
Be first to know when it launches:
no spam. unsubscribe any time.
(08) — The staffroom note
Every fortnight I send one email with things worth reading for people who care about education.
→ A personal update: what I’ve been doing, thinking, and learning
→ The 7Cs in Action: one C brought to life through what’s happening right now
→ A thought from the book: honest reflections on education and what actually works
→ A school-business story: celebrating partnerships quietly making a difference
join 1,300+ educators, leaders, and changemakers already reading.
(09) — faq
Baasit Siddiqui is a keynote speaker, conference host, and educator with over a decade of experience working across UK schools, colleges, and education organisations. He is also known as a cast member of Channel 4’s BAFTA-winning series Gogglebox, and is the founder of the 7Cs to Thrive framework and the Let’s Thrive education programme.
Baasit speaks about education, opportunity, resilience, and the conditions that help young people and professionals thrive. His keynotes are built around the 7Cs to Thrive framework — Curiosity, Creativity, Collaboration, Compromise, Communication, Courage, and Community. He also delivers talks specifically for education businesses on building long-term school relationships.
The ACT framework (Acknowledge, Challenge, Test) is Baasit’s closing tool for every session. Audiences are invited to acknowledge what resonated, challenge both the idea and their own reaction to it, and commit to testing one specific change over the next half term. When Baasit hosts a full conference, he brings ACT back after every session.
Yes. Baasit is an experienced host for awards evenings, education conferences, gala dinners, panels, and summits. He has hosted for organisations including nasen, UCAS, Daisy Education, Teesside University, and Bangor University. He is equally comfortable as the sole host for a full-day event or as a session opener.
Use the enquiry form on this site. Tell us the type of event, the date range, and the audience — and we’ll come back to you within 48 hours.
(10) — let’s talk
Whether you’re booking a keynote for next term’s INSET, planning an awards evening, or exploring what a partnership with me looks like — the conversation starts with one form.
