In Episode 4, Abi’s guest is Jayne Taylor, CEO of The Elephant group, a headteacher-led charity dedicated to improving fair access to top universities.
Through collaboration with school leaders, universities, and key partners, The Elephant Group supports academically able students from non-selective state schools, helping them achieve their aspirations through tailored programmes and sector-wide initiatives.
In this episode, Jayne shares how the impact of her older brother having a serious illness when she was ten defined her childhood, and sparked a keen desire to help young people derailed by difficult circumstances to achieve their academic potential.
She also shares her thoughts on:
The surprising similarities between becoming a parent and becoming a chief exec;
Why she thinks teenagers are underrated;
What she's learned about leadership from playing Roller Derby and obsessively reading about mountaineering.
This is a fascinating listen for anyone interested in the charity sector, leadership, young people, academia, achieving a balance between family life and career goals, and much more.
About The Elephant Group
The Elephant Group is a headteacher-led charity that is committed to creating fair student access to top universities by collaborating with schools, universities, and wider partner organisations.
It identifies challenges faced by schools and works with key partners to create a lasting change. Via its core programmes, Elephant Access and the Meta Method, it works with over 3,500 students from low progression areas, delivering targeted activities designed to develop lifelong skills and support capable students into the universities and career paths that they deserve.
Its model of cross-sector collaboration allows it to draw on a wide network, gathering resources, information and connections to help upskill school staff and help students to develop the skills and knowledge that they need to make an informed choice based on their aspirations.
To find out more about The Elephant Group follow it on X | LinkedIn or visit https://theelephantgroup.org/
If you enjoyed this conversation, come back and listen to our fascinating February guest! We release new episodes on the first Monday of every month. And, we’d love you to rate, review and subscribe to Leading Lights - this helps others to find the podcast.
And, if you’re a Head of brand, marketing or creative within a charity, why not join us at the MOREVER Meetup to share ideas and insights with women in similar roles from other charities.
Find out more about MOREVER - www.morever.co.uk