Nick Smart: Silenced by Support and the Fight for Change

Welcome to Season 2 of The Pit Pony Podcast. We begin with an episode that steps beyond individual exit stories and into the heart of a growing campaign.

Our guest is Nick Smart, a primary teacher who entered the profession at 42 and is now, at 58, exiting the classroom. But Nick’s story is not just about his own departure - it’s about shining a light on the thousands of teachers who have been forced out under the guise of “support plans.”

In this powerful conversation, Nick explains why informal support plans have become a death knell for so many careers, how settlement agreements and non-disclosure clauses keep teachers silent, and why he decided to contact his MP to raise the issue nationally.

Together with Sarah Dunwood, Nick has helped produce Silenced by Support, a report containing over 100 anonymous testimonies and data from thousands of educators. It is a campaign that shows the scale of the problem and demands urgent change.

This is more than one story. It’s a call to action.

With thanks to our episode sponsors (Click to visit their websites):
Conexus Tuition
Little Voices

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Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running.

https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub

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Contribute to our 'Silenced by Support' Campaign - complete the questionnaire, read the report, sign up to the mailing list.

If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help:

• Education Support
• The Samaritans
• Mind
• Andy's Man Club

Join Us:

• Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast
• Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck

Thanks for listening 🙏

Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital R...