About Ayo

Ayo is a seasoned mentor and trainer with over 30 years of experience working with children, young people, and families. As the founder of Better Classrooms, he uses his unique blend of personal experience and professional expertise to support both students and educators in navigating personal, behavioural, and classroom-related challenges.

He holds a Master’s degree in Education and Community Studies and is a qualified mentor. Ayo’s work is deeply rooted in his own life story. Born in the UK and raised in Nigeria, he grew up between two cultures and faced significant personal and educational challenges—including trauma, parental neglect, undiagnosed learning difficulties, and a lack of access to support. He didn’t learn to read or write until the age of 29, when he was finally diagnosed with dyslexia and other learning needs.

These early experiences fuelled his drive to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Education at the University of East London from 1998 to 2001, where he began to understand the broader dynamics of inequality and exclusion within education. Motivated by the social issues he saw in East London—such as deprivation, truancy, gang involvement, and underachievement—Ayo committed himself to becoming part of the solution.

Over three decades, he has worked across schools, local authorities, academy trusts, and community organisations, using sport, mentoring, and education as tools for change. Through Better Classrooms, Ayo is passionate about activating the classroom—bringing energy, empathy, and understanding into learning spaces to help students thrive and support teachers in doing the same.

His mission is simple: challenge inequality wherever it exists in education and empower every learner, no matter their background, to succeed.