What If the Student Who Appears to Lack Motivation Actually Lacks Confidence?
We are often quick to describe teenagers as unmotivated, disengaged, quiet, difficult or unwilling to try.
But sometimes there is another question worth asking:
Fear of getting something wrong. Fear of being judged. Fear of looking stupid. Fear of failing. Fear of speaking up. Fear of not being good enough.
These are not necessarily academic problems.
They are confidence problems.
And confidence can influence whether a young person raises their hand, introduces themselves, applies for an opportunity, joins a club, asks for help, attends an interview or takes the first step towards something they really want.
Education Helps Prepare Young People for Exams. Confidence Helps Prepare Them for Life.
Schools work incredibly hard to give young people knowledge, qualifications and opportunities.
But eventually every student reaches a point where there is no teacher standing next to them telling them what the correct answer is.
They have to make the phone call.
Attend the interview.
Meet new people.
Deal with rejection.
Make a decision.
Recover when something goes wrong.
And sometimes take action even when they do not feel completely ready.
A Different Kind of Motivational Talk for Secondary Schools
Adrian Close is the founder of Bravory and delivers motivational talks and confidence sessions for secondary school students.
His approach is not about standing on a stage and simply telling young people to “believe in themselves”.
Instead, students are encouraged to think about how confidence is actually built.
Through decisions. Through action. Through setbacks. Through speaking up. Through trying something before you know exactly how it is going to turn out.
Real Experiences. Real Setbacks. Real Lessons.
Adrian brings personal experience into his talks rather than relying only on theory.
At one stage of his own life, within a matter of weeks he lost his job, income, company car and flat and found himself without a permanent home.
He does not describe experiences like this simply as failure.
He talks about falling.
Because when someone falls in sport, on a mountain or in everyday life, the important question is not whether they fell.
The important question is:
His wider experiences include climbing Kilimanjaro, overcoming severe altitude sickness, spending eight years in Mountain Rescue and supporting teenagers through Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions.
These experiences create powerful opportunities to talk about resilience, preparation, uncertainty, teamwork, decision-making and continuing when things do not go according to plan.
What Students Explore
Self-Belief
Understanding how the stories we tell ourselves can influence the opportunities we are willing to take.
Resilience
Learning how to respond when something goes wrong rather than allowing one setback to become the end of the story.
Action
Recognising that waiting until we feel completely confident can keep us stuck.
Voice
Developing the courage to speak, ask questions, communicate ideas and make yourself heard.
Independence
Preparing young people to make decisions and take greater responsibility for their own future.
Evidence
Helping students recognise past moments when they have already shown courage, resilience and capability.
Suitable for Years 7–13
Talks can be adapted according to the age, needs and objectives of the students involved.
- Years 7–9: confidence, friendships, communication, belonging and trying new things.
- Years 10–11: resilience, pressure, exams, decisions, self-belief and preparing for what comes after GCSEs.
- Sixth Form: independence, interviews, employment, university, communication and readiness for adult life.
- Student leaders and prefects: confidence, responsibility, influence, communication and positive leadership.
The Question Behind Bravory
Bravory exists because qualifications are important, but young people also need the confidence to use the opportunities those qualifications create.
School Assemblies, Talks and Workshops
Bravory sessions can be delivered as part of assemblies, enrichment days, PSHE provision, careers events, transition programmes or wider personal development activity.
Depending on the needs of your school, sessions can focus on areas including:
- Confidence and self-belief
- Resilience after setbacks
- Speaking up and communication
- Fear of failure
- Trying something new
- Handling uncertainty
- Taking positive action
- Independence and responsibility
- Preparing for life after school
- Student leadership
Who Is Adrian Close?
Adrian Close is a professional trainer, business owner and founder of Bravory.
He has spent much of his career helping people develop confidence, communication and leadership skills.
Earlier in his life he worked with young people in inner-city Nottingham, using sport and outdoor activity to help develop confidence, teamwork and self-belief.
He also guided rafts and taught canoeing at Holme Pierrepont and later spent eight years as a member of Mountain Rescue.
Today, alongside his professional training work, Adrian volunteers with young people as a qualified Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition supervisor.
This gives him regular first-hand experience of watching teenagers deal with challenge, uncertainty, tiredness, teamwork, mistakes and situations outside their comfort zone.
Not Just Motivation. Something Students Can Take Away.
Motivation can disappear surprisingly quickly.
The aim of a Bravory talk is therefore not simply to make students feel inspired while they are sitting in an assembly hall.
It is to leave them with ideas that might come back to them later.
Before an interview.
After a rejection.
When they are afraid to speak.
When they are tempted to give up.
Or when an opportunity appears and a voice in their head says: “People like me don't do things like that.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you provide motivational speakers for secondary schools?
Yes. Bravory provides motivational and confidence-focused talks for secondary schools, with sessions adapted for different year groups from Years 7 through to Sixth Form.
What subjects can the school talk cover?
Talks can explore confidence, resilience, self-belief, communication, handling setbacks, taking action, independence, leadership and preparing young people for life beyond education.
Can the talk support PSHE and personal development?
Yes. Sessions can complement a school's wider PSHE, personal development, careers, enrichment and student leadership provision.
Can you deliver a school assembly on confidence and resilience?
Yes. Talks can be delivered as assemblies or as longer interactive confidence and resilience workshops depending on your school's requirements.
Do you work with Sixth Form students?
Yes. Sessions for Sixth Form and college-age students can place greater emphasis on independence, communication, interviews, employment, university and preparing confidently for adult life.
Where are Bravory school talks available?
Bravory is based in Derbyshire and enquiries are welcomed from secondary schools across the UK.
