Get Ready to podcast 2025

The University of Derby has teamed up again with alumnus, educational expert and well-known Gogglebox star, Baasit Siddiqui, to launch this year’s competition Get Ready to Podcast 2025.

Let your students' imagination run wild and give them the freedom to express their thoughts on a topic that they're passionate about. 

Competition details

In teams of no more than three, students in Years 12 and 13, or Level 3, are asked to research, write, and create a 3-5 minute podcast. In this podcast, we would like students to identify a current global problem, set out what needs to change and tell us how they would change it.

Teachers can sign up to our free Get Ready for Uni programme, which includes helpful podcast resources from Baasit to get you started.

The competition will close on Thursday 27 February 2025.

A reason to celebrate

Shortlisted entrants will be invited to attend a special awards ceremony at the University of Derby where their podcast will be premiered, and the winner will be crowned by a panel of VIP guests. 

Members of the winning team will each receive a £50 Amazon voucher and the school or College will also be awarded £100.

Do you have any Gogglebox fans in your classroom? Baasit will pay a special visit to the winning school or college and deliver a bespoke session or assembly.

How to enter

Email sclteam@derby.ac.uk with the podcast saved as an MP3 file, the title of the podcast, a short paragraph on the topic of the podcast and the name(s) of people in the team. 

Good luck with your entries - we can't wait to see what your students come up with!

2024 Winners

A podcast created by students from Alperton Community School in Wembley won first prize in the 2024 competition run by the University of Derby in collaboration with Gogglebox star and education expert Baasit Siddiqui. The podcast, the work of students Aisha, Gunn and Tariq, is titled ‘Would you marry an AI?’ and explored themes around AI taking over humans. The students were presented with their prizes by Baasit, podcast producer Pete Allen – both University of Derby graduates – and Head of Journalism Dr Gurvinder Aujla-Sidhu, at a ceremony at the University.

The students and their teachers were given a guided tour of the University’s facilities for journalism, including the recording studios and green screen room, where they were able to try out the equipment for themselves. Baasit will also visit the shortlisted teams’ schools to deliver a bespoke masterclass.

A group of people smiling
Pete Allen, Dr Gurvinder Aujla-Sidhu and Baasit Siddiqui with the winning team

Aisha from Alperton Community School said that the team were “over the moon” to have won. She said: “We are all really thrilled to have been given the amazing opportunity to take part in this competition, to choose our own topic, and to talk about something that we are interested in.”

Read the full article.

Get Ready for Uni

Teachers can sign up for our FREE Get Ready for Uni Programme to access exclusive resources and on-demand videos to support the transition of students to Higher Education.

Baasit Siddiqui smiling to the camera

Get Ready for Uni programme

Check out our Get Ready for Uni online workshops available for free and on demand. The programme includes five online workshops designed to support students' transition to higher education, in areas of personal confidence, research, academic writing, digital technology and cooking.

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  1. The promoter is: the University of Derby of Kedleston Road, Derby DE22 1GB
  2. There is no entry fee to enter this competition but all entrants must be in Year 12, Year 13 or Level 3 and in a team of up to 3 people.
  3. To enter, please email sclteam@derby.ac.uk with the podcast saved as an MP3 file, the title of the podcast, a short paragraph on the topic of the podcast and the name(s) of people in the team.
  4. Closing date for entry will be Thursday 27 February 2025. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
  5. Entries submitted by other means shall not be deemed to have been received. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
  6. The University of Derby reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions where it becomes necessary to do so. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the University.
  7. The prize is £50 Amazon vouchers to each member of the winning team and a cash prize of £100 for their school. This is not transferable, and no financial alternative will be offered.
  8. The prizes are provided by the University of Derby.
  9. Winners will be chosen by a panel of expert judges including Baasit Siddiqui.
  10. To be eligible to win the prize those shortlisted must attend the special awards ceremony, taking place Wednesday 2 April 2025 at the University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB.
  11. The University's decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  12. The winner and their idea will be displayed on the University of Derby website and publicised to the media.
  13. The winner agrees to the use of their name and image in any publicity material for the sole purpose of identifying you as the author of your entry and/or as a winner of the competition. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant's prior consent.
  14. Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance by the entrant of these terms and conditions. The University of Derby reserves the right to refuse entry or to award the prize to any entrant who is in breach of these terms and conditions.
  15. The University of Derby accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by you as a result of entering the competition or accepting the prize. The University of Derby further disclaims liability for any injury or damage to your or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials in connection with the competition.
  16. The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.