BHM 2025: A conversation with Floyd Steadman, OBE.

No-one better exemplifies the Black History Month (BHM) 2025 theme, 'Building Futures from the Past and Standing Firm in Power and Pride', than Floyd Steadman, OBE, Deputy Lieutenant (Duchy of Cornwall), HonDEd, and Freeman of the City of London, among many honours.  Floyd is a mould-breaker and trailblazer.

About Floyd

Born in London in 1957 to Windrush-generation Jamaican parents, he spent age 10 to 17 in care.  Yet, despite this and instances of apparent racial bias against him in his career, he became an outstanding sport and education leader and recipient of some of the highest honours that the country bestows.

Floyd captained Middlesex Boys Rugby Football Union (RFU) team in year two of sixth form.  After graduating from Borough Road College (now part of Brunel University) with a teaching degree, he played for Saracens RFU Club from 1980 - 1990.  He captained Saracens in 1988-89 to promotion to the top tier of the English RFU.  He was the first Black captain of a top-tier English RFU club, and the first Black top-tier player in the strategic role of scrum-half.

At a time when RFU players earned their living outside rugby, Floyd became a teacher, emulating his inspirational PE teacher, Mr Jones, and ignoring those teachers who pointed him towards being a car mechanic or carpenter.  He spent 20 years at three schools without achieving his ambition to be a Head, although applying for many that he seemed well suited to.  Then, unexpectedly, Chris Woodhead, formerly Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools and Head of OFSTED, called.  Woodhead had founded Cognita to create an international independent schools chain.  Cognita appointed Floyd as Head of Salcombe Prep School from January 2006, the first Black male head in the private sector.  He stayed with Cognita, heading several schools, until retiring in 2020.

Floyd is a renowned public speaker and natural-born leader.  Like all true leaders, he recognised the potential for greatness in others.  It was thus that he encouraged Maro Itoje, the current England RFU Captain, to consider taking up rugby union in Itoje's final year at Salcombe.

Our conversation with Floyd will cover his inspirational life and great successes against the odds.

Ticket options

Guests can join Floyd in person at the School of Business or watch online.

Floyd Steadman and ULSB Black Excellence (UBE) will kindly donate 10 signed copies of his autobiography, 'A Week One Summer' (with prologue by Maro Itoje) as random-draw prizes to attendees (up to the age of 22) at his talk.