Sahbi Benzid - Ambassador
We thought you might like to take a peek behind the curtain at the Foundation to see who is working to make Education for All children everywhere a reality at the moment.
Our team members have each written a short blog to introduce themselves and give you an insight into the experience they bring to the Foundation. The first one is one of our ambassadors Sahbi Benzid.
Sahbi Benzid - Ambassador
I was born and raised just outside Liverpool but have spent most of my life in a town in Essex. My family background is North African, from a small beautiful country called Tunisia. I regularly visit there to see family and friends.
I have been teaching for over 13 years and I am currently the Deputy Headteacher in a secondary school. I have really enjoyed my journey to where I am now, the key advice I would provide any aspiring educator is to try to learn from your mistakes because we all make them. I still do, but less often, I hope!
I decided to become a teacher because I have a passion about sharing the knowledge of my subject and helping to mould the moral fibre of future generations of this country. Education has given me so many opportunities and I love giving something back to children, especially the less fortunate in our society.
My subject is all things Computing; from coding to developing apps to using graphics software to creating a logo. I especially enjoy the enrichment side of education. I believe outside of the classroom learning provides opportunities beyond the standard National Curriculum.
The proudest moment so far in my years in education has been running a Robotics Club. The students that attended the club achieved so much, from being National Robotics Champions to representing the UK in the World Championships. Those memories will be with me for the rest of my life.
For the future of education, I would like to see less exams, less assessing and more emphasis on developing the person rather than aiming for the best grades and the turning of schools into exam factories! Maybe it is just a wish, but there are many examples of this happening in education systems across the world.
I will leave you with a picture of what I am doing during the Covid-19 lockdown and I hope you’re able to do the same, and that is enjoy more family time. Me reading a Julia Donaldson classic to my little girl Mira.
Steve Sinnott Foundation • July 13, 2020
Mike Fleetham of Thinking Classroom has written a book " Headlines: Inspiration, humour and advice for school leaders ". A collection of original ideas, advice from professionals, quotes, and tips to support and inspire all leaders. Perfect for new and established leaders working in education, especially headteachers. "Being a headteacher is like looking both ways before you cross the road, and then getting hit by an aeroplane." To Enter the Competition To win a copy of Headlines please share your inspiring education or life lesson in no more than 600 words. The winning article will also be published in our next edition of Engage. Send your words of inspiration to admin@stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk 📅 Deadline: 5th September 2025 Stuck on Ideas? Here are some questions and prompts to get you started! What’s the one lesson school didn’t teach you, but life did? Think of a moment that changed your path, what happened? What piece of advice has helped you grow the most? When did a challenge turn into an opportunity for you? What story from your life would inspire someone on the other side of the world? What’s the life lesson that unlocked your next chapter? Your words could uplift, empower and be seen by many. Let your story inspire the world! 🌍💡 Good luck and we cant wait to read all the entries!
This week our CEO Ann and Jude (SSF Ambassador) visited schools in Coventry and heard about the wonderful work that students are doing to foster peace and community connection, as part of Coventry Arts Week. We visited Lyng Hall school in the morning and met with Ms Hagan and four of the schools UNESCO ASPnet ambassadors. They told us all about their recent project. The students took their art and poetry to the 80th Anniversary symposium in Ypres and Dunkirk. They shared with us some of the poetry they had written together with the students on the field trip and some of their own poems too. They also shared their future plans for working with their local primary school on peace and community. We also had the privilege of joining Ms Hagans class where they were looking at Caliban’s tale. Here is one of the students work
For my birthday this year I had the honour to walk 60 miles (yes it was a big 0 birthday) over 3 days to support the essential work of the Steve Sinnott Foundation of which I am CEO. Education in its many forms is essential for all of us to thrive and make the most of life's opportunities. The Foundation works to ensure that as many children and adults as possible across the globe can access the human right of education. The plan was to walk with friends and supporters who I hoped would keep me smiling along the way and it felt like a good way to make use of the Foundation’s “Get Moving” campaign. Here's how my Get Moving Fundraiser went on the first day. The 13th June I started my walk in London by walking from Barnet to west Hampstead and visiting my sister at her shop at Tree of Life where I got served a nice iced coffee to keep me going.
