Well-Led Schools: Recent Episodes
Adrienne Hornby
As the rates of professional stress and burnout increase for school leaders, teachers and staff, the solution lies in how we lead our schools and prioritise workplace wellbeing to become "Well-Led" Schools - those that lead with “wellbeing in mind.”
Join experienced Wellbeing Consultant, Coach, Speaker and School Leader Adrienne Hornby for a host of inspiring conversations with experts and forward thinkers. Covering all things teacher wellbeing, school leadership and culture building - you'll walk away with ideas and recommendations on ways to evolve your leadership, create a mentally healthy workplace and ultimately influence the lives and learning of our students.
Most schools have spent years working on staff wellbeing. They’ve written policies and frameworks, funded programs, and scheduled wellbeing days. And yet the workers' compensation data reports that education now sits among the worst-performing sectors in the country for psychological injury claims, alongside healthcare and first responders.
In this episode, I sit down with Jason van Schie, organisational psychologist and founder of FlourishDx, to unpack why. Jason has worked in psychosocial risk management since 2007, in his words “before it became cool,” and he is one of the clearest voices in the country on what it takes to create work that is genuinely good for people - for staff’s wellbeing and efficacy, and the greater good of the school community.
Together, we name the shift schools are being asked to make from an ad-hoc wellbeing model (yoga, free coffee, the occasional wellbeing day) to a systems lens that looks at the design and conditions of the work itself. We dig into why prevention has to come before the wellbeing layer, why broad consultation and leader commitment are the heartbeat of the process, and why you cannot manage psychosocial risk without measuring it.
If you have ever run a staff survey and watched nothing change, or rolled out a wellbeing program that landed flat, this conversation explains what was missing and what to do instead.
Guest Resources
- Flourish DX Academy ISO 45003 Foundations Course: https://www.45003.org/enroll/1423388
- Psych Health and Safety Podcast: https://www.psychhealthandsafety.com/
- PHSCON — Psych Health and Safety Conference: 8-9 September 2026, Hyatt Regency Sydney https://psychhealthandsafetyconference.com/
Connect with Jason van Schie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvanschie/
Website: https://flourishdx.com
Connect with me via:
Website: https://adriennehornby.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
School Partnerships: https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Most school leaders understand that psychosocial safety is a legal obligation. Very few have figured out how to make it feel like anything more than a compliance activity.
In this solo episode, I unpack the gap between obligation and opportunity, and what it actually takes to move psychosocial safety from a four-step process on a page to something genuinely woven into how a school leads, communicates and operates.
Drawing on data from almost 80 schools and thousands of staff, I walk through common psychosocial hazards in Australian schools, why they are connected rather than isolated, and why the four-step risk management process, while important, is actually the easiest part of the whole process.
The real work is not in the paperwork. It’s the leadership commitment and authentic ongoing consultation that determine whether any of it sticks.
What I cover in this episode:
- What is missing from the four-step risk assessment process in many schools
- The national data: the most common psychosocial hazards in Australian schools and why they compound each other
- Why good communication underpins the entire process, and how to ensure your messaging lands
- How to embed wellbeing into your school’s way of doing and not let it be an initiative layered on top of others
- Leadership commitment as the foundation: why it falters, what it actually requires, and the personal and professional skills that make it land
- Why the hardest feedback can be the most important data you will ever receive
- What the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice actually requires of school leaders, and why most schools are not quite there yet
Resources and links mentioned:
- Article: The Wellbeing Weave: The Three Phases of Addressing Staff Wellbeing in Well-Led Schools adriennehornby.com.au/the-wellbeing-weave-the-three-phases-of-addressing-staff-wellbeing-in-well-led-schools/
- Article: Embedding a Sustainable Wellbeing Ecosystem: The Key to Psychosocial Safety and Staff Wellbeing
- adriennehornby.com.au/designing-a-sustainable-wellbeing-ecosystem-the-key-to-psychosocial-safety/
- Podcast: Creating a School Culture Where Staff Feel Seen, Heard and Valued with Daniela Falecki https://adriennehornby.com.au/creating-a-school-culture-where-staff-feel-seen-heard-and-valued-with-daniela-falecki-season-3-episode-10/
- Waverley Christian School Case Study: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205_most-school-wellbeing-initiatives-fail-or-ugcPost-7465421290833805312-QVL9/?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAADQvl1EBSRJtRkz0cewFH4TjXfHExS9B0F4
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
What if the one thing that would make the biggest difference to your wellbeing, strategic clarity and positive school culture as a school leader isn’t another strategy or initiative, it’s simply more time to think?
In this episode of Well-Led Schools, I’m joined for the third time by Aimee Presnall - leadership coach, TEDx speaker and founder of Wellnest. After more than 16 years in education, Aimee built her career around one observation that kept repeating itself: brilliant school leaders burning out while the systems around them kept asking for more.
Aimee’s recent TEDx talk landed on something leaders feel in their bones but rarely hear said out loud: that we’re treating the shadow, not the source; that when leaders don’t have time to think, everything downstream suffers, their clarity, their team’s culture, and ultimately their students.
We go deep on what actually changes when leaders are given space to develop the human skills needed to lead people well, why one-off PD rarely shifts anything, and what it takes for schools to build a genuine coaching culture rather than a tick-box one.
In this episode:
- Why leaders don’t need more things to do, but rather need more time to think
- Clarity vs certainty: what staff want vs what leaders can actually give
- Why giving yourself dedicated time to think feels so difficult
- How recognising your default, high-pressure habits creates the fastest leadership shift
- What one-off PD misses in comparison to navigating the “messy middle” of long-term coaching
- The three pathways into middle leadership (aspiring, accidental, anointed), and how they shape your mindset
LINKS AND RESOURCES
Connect with Aimee Presnall via:
Wellnest: www.well-nest.com.au
TED Talk: youtu.be/qjGM4esebQU?si=5eyFpR_-0KbUngty
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aimee-parkinson/
Connect with me via:
Website: adriennehornby.com.au
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au
School Partnerships: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Most schools have wellbeing programs or initiatives. Very few have wellbeing embedded into the way they function and flourish. That is the difference between bolting something on and creating real, lasting change.
In this episode, I am joined by Justin Robinson, co-founder of the Wellbeing Distillery and formerly the founding director of the Institute of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School. Justin has worked with hundreds of schools across Australia and internationally, and his approach is built on the idea that wellbeing has to be embedded across the whole school community, not delivered as a series of disconnected initiatives.
We unpack what it actually takes to move from add-on programs to embedded practice, and why so many schools get stuck in the cycle of doing more without seeing more results.
In this episode:
- Why a collection of programs is not the same as embedded wellbeing
- The four partners every school needs to engage: leaders, staff, students and families
- The most common mistake schools make when rolling wellbeing out across the whole community
- How adopting the mindset that "wellbeing is a shared responsibility" changes the way you design your whole approach
- Practical starting points for schools that want to shift from doing wellbeing to being a wellbeing-led school
LINKS AND RESOURCES
- 7 Habits of Wellbeing-Wise Families: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18SmHYlVuY60XGq_g3b8bMYkUrmq5AdAE/view?usp=drive_link
- Wellbeing Compass Brochure: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_GRARsSBWpkcTN3rrCaQJOS2qY-uZ8F/view?usp=drive_link
Connect with Justin:
- Website: thewellbeingdistillery.com
- Email: justin@thewellbeingdistillery.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jrobinson-wellbeing
Connect with Adrienne:
- Website: adriennehornby.com.au
- LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205
- Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au
- Staff Wellbeing Survey:adriennehornby.com.au/staff-survey
- Well-Led Schools Partnership Program:adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships
It’s the start of a new term. Some of your staff may be walking back into school running on empty, not because they don’t care, but because they’ve lost sight of why it matters.
What educators actually need to feel purposeful again isn’t another wellbeing afternoon or a gratitude wall. According to this week’s guest, it’s a reconnection to vision, and that’s something a school can teach, build and sustain.
In this episode of Well-Led Schools, I'm joined by Glen Gerreyn, speaker, author, youth advocate and founder of The Hopeful Institute. His work, spanning two decades and hundreds of schools globally, is grounded in one powerful idea: hope is not a passive feeling. It's a skill. It's a strategy. And it can be taught.
In this episode:
- Glen's personal origin story: from elite athlete to disability pension to Young Australian of the Year
- The three components of Hope Theory: goals, pathways, and agency
- Why disengagement is often a vision crisis, not a behaviour problem
- The Hopeful Schools Framework and how it works in practice
- Why purpose and meaning matter as much as curriculum in education
- What leaders can do to build hope into school culture systemically
About Glen Gerreyn:
Glen Gerreyn is a speaker, author and youth advocate who has dedicated his career to building hope in young people and the educators who work with them. After overcoming a serious a chronic illness that ended his career as a state champion sprinter, heGlen rebuilt his life through purpose, resilience and connection to meaning, and was named Young Australian of the Year in 1998.
He is the founder of The Hopeful Institute and has worked with more than 300 schools across Australia and worldwide. His work draws on Charles Snyder's Hope Theory and translates it into practical frameworks that schools can embed into their culture. He is also the author of Men of Honor, a book on sexual ethics and character development for young men.
Links and Resources
- 50 Book Summaries for Educators
- 7 Infographics (burnout, procrastination and more)
- Well-Led Schools Partnership Program
If this episode resonated, leaving a review wherever you are listening means the world. Thank you for listening!
Connect with Glen via:
Website: www.thehopefullinstitute.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glengerreyn/
Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/glengerreyn/
Connect with me via:
My website: adriennehornby.com.au
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au
In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Vicky Essebag, a relational communication specialist with extensive experience in both education and family therapy. Vicky has held roles as a teacher, guidance counselor, curriculum consultant, and vice-principal, and she is also a certified solution-focused coach and trainer. She is best known for her work in adapting Solution-Focused Brief Therapy to foster healthy, effective relationships within schools, organisations, and families.
In this episode, we explore the critical role of communication in schools and how it can be prioritised alongside academic curriculum to enhance staff wellbeing.
In this episode, we cover:
- What solution-focused therapy is and how we can use it to solve problems within the workplace
- Why we should be prioritising communication and giving it just as much importance as the school’s curriculum
- How we can take more responsibility for how we communicate and respond to others
- How we can use backcasting or future orientation to reach solutions to our problems
- What communication actually entails beyond just talking and listening
- Why communication is especially important in school environments not just between staff but also between teachers and students.
- The differences between a leader and a manager
- The core principles that guide Vicky’s work with schools to support effective communication
- How leaders can prevent and manage conflict using Vicky’s framework for communication
About Vicky:
Vicky Essebag is a relational communication specialist and thought leader with a rich background in both education and family therapy. With experience as a teacher, guidance counselor, curriculum consultant, and vice-principal, Vicky has a deep understanding of schools and staff. She is also a certified solution-focused coach and trainer, widely recognised for her innovative approach to adapting Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) to enhance communication and relationships within schools, organisations, and families.
As a public speaker and consultant, Vicky has presented her expertise on a global stage, helping schools and organisations implement relational processes that foster wellbeing and success for all stakeholders.
She is the founder of Relationspaces.com and the author of Relationspaces: A Solution-Focused Handbook for Parents, a guide that empowers parents to cultivate intentional, effective communication strategies that support the entire family.
Links and Resources:
Explore our Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Book recommendation: The Third Path: A Relationship-Based Approach to Student Well-Being and Achievement by David Tranter, Lori Carson, Tom Boland
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Vicky via:
Her Website: www.relationspaces.com
LinkedIn: @vickyessebag
Facebook: @vickyessebagauthor
Instagram: @essebagvicky
More ways to engage with Vicky’s work:
Subscribe to her LinkedIn Newsletter: www.linkedin.com/newsletters/relationspaces-7086324196984705024/
Listen to her Podcast: A Call Across the Pond; Transforming Relationships at School, at Home and Beyond - https://relationspaces.com/podcast/
Youtube Relationspaces Power Bursts: @relationspaces
Read her book: Relationspaces:A Solution-Focused Handbook for Parents
Connect with me via:
My website http://adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Well-Led Schools Podcast, we sit down with Katrina Bourke to explore the importance of leading authentically in education. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher and school leader, Katrina emphasises the significance of human skills in leadership. Authentic leadership, marked by self-awareness, vulnerability, and groundedness, is crucial in today's educational landscape. Katrina shares her journey and insights on how leaders can cultivate these qualities to create more connected and effective teams.
In this episode, we cover:
- The role of self-awareness in shaping us as leaders
- The capabilities that leaders need in education today
- How we can use these skills to become more authentic and grounded leaders and teams
- Katrina’s Authentic Leader Framework for mapping your sacred ground in four steps
- How do we know if we’re truly showing up authentically?
- What it means to be vulnerable as a school leader and how to get the balance right
About Katrina:
Katrina Bourke has over 20 years of experience in education as a teacher and school leader. Now a leadership coach, speaker, and author, she specialises in helping leaders discover their Sacred Ground. Her approach goes beyond traditional coaching, empowering leaders to lead with grounded confidence. Katrina offers a unique blend of personal and professional development that enables leaders to show up as the best human and leader they can be, no matter the circumstances. Through her journey of self-discovery and overcoming challenges like setting boundaries and perfectionism, Katrina has learned that we all have untapped potential within us. She believes in the power of authentic leadership and is committed to helping others cultivate courage, vulnerability, curiosity and reflection in their roles.
Links and Resources:
Explore Our Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Article by Tasha Eurich: What Self-Awareness Really is (and How to Cultivate It)
Article by Herminia Ibarra: The Authenticity Paradox
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Katrina via:
Her Website: katrinabourke.com
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/katrinabourkecoaching/
On Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/katrinabourke/
Connect with me via:
My website http://adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Educator burnout is becoming increasingly common, to the point where many celebrate being so busy as if it's a badge of honor. However, this relentless pace and lack of rest can lead to significant mental health challenges. In this episode, we emphasize the importance of taking a step back and building supports to help us feel resilient and well.
Join us as we sit down with Meg Durham, a former primary and secondary teacher who is now on a mission to share practical, enriching wellbeing education with teachers, principals, and schools across Australia. With more than half of all Australian teachers experiencing high levels of anxiety, Meg is leading a nationwide conversation to debunk myths about wellbeing and uncover what educators truly need to avoid burnout.
In this episode, we cover:
- The importance of mental health support and finding the right psychologist
- Obvious and not-so-obvious signs that we might be at risk of burnout
- Causes of burnout we may not be aware of or noticing
- Meg’s 5 P’s of the pressures we put on ourselves which can lead to burnout
- Practical steps we can take to address these pressures
- 5 questions to ask yourself to gauge if you’re at risk of burnout
- The differences between being well and thriving
- What it means to feel truly rested and replenished
About Meg
After working as a primary and secondary teacher for more than a decade, Meg Durham is on a mission to share practical, enriching wellbeing education with teachers, principals, and schools across Australia. As a speaker, Meg offers a unique blend of practical strategies backed by humor, research, and lived experience—the sum of thousands of hours talking to teachers and living this stuff. Her goal is to help teachers prioritize their wellbeing and thrive.
With more than half of all Australian teachers experiencing high levels of anxiety, Meg is leading a nationwide conversation that cracks open the myths about wellbeing and gets to the bottom of what teachers need to avoid burnout. Meg holds a Bachelor of Physical Education and a Master of Education in Student Wellbeing.
Links and Resources:
Waitlist for the Well-Led Schools Partnership: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Meg via:
Her podcast: The School of Wellbeing https://openmindeducation.com/podcast/
Her Website: openmindeducation.com
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/megdurham__
On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meg-durham/?originalSubdomain=au
Connect with me via:
My website: adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Karen Caswell, an experienced senior teacher, wellbeing enthusiast, blogger and podcaster.
Join us for an honest and vulnerable conversation where we reflect on the essential qualities of effective leadership and explore the concept of leading without an official title, emphasising the importance of relational and interactional leadership approaches. Karen shares her insights on how to bring people together with a common purpose, build trust, and influence others even without a formal leadership role.
In the episode, we cover:
- What it means to lead without an official title
- How we can apply a relational and interactional leadership approach to bring people together with a common purpose
- Strategies to effectively influence and motivate others when you don’t have a leadership title
- The best ways to establish trust with those you work with
- Why your mindset might be blocking you from becoming the leader you have the potential to be
- How a Positive Psychology approach can help you refocus from obsessing on your shortcomings to valuing your strengths
- The three areas of personal development to focus on if you want to enhance your leadership skills
About Karen:
Karen Caswell is a passionate educational leader known for her collaborative approach spanning over a 28-year career. As an Early Childhood trained teacher, she has been privileged to work in a variety of roles and settings, and is currently an Experienced Senior Teacher and Barna Jarjum Champion at a school in Logan, Brisbane, Queensland. Karen’s influence extends beyond her classroom through a national and global professional learning network, and she is a writer and the creator of the Authenticity in Edu Blog as well as the host of the Inspiration, Influence and Impact Podcast. Karen was the recipient of an Educational Leadership Commendation Award at the 2023 ACEL Queensland Branch Awards.
Links and Resources:
Explore Our Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Read Karen’s Recent Article published in the Teacher Learning Network Journal on Middle Leadership: Beyond Titles: The Transformative Power of Interactional Leadership
https://www.karencaswell.com/post/beyond-titles-the-transformative-power-of-interactional-leadership
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Karen via:
Her Website - https://www.karencaswell.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-caswell-ba12491b4/
Instagram - @ authenticity_in_edu
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kcasw1
X - https://twitter.com/kcasw1
Connect with me via:
My website adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Rosie Connor, a leader in the field of education and not-for-profit leadership development. With over twenty years of experience, Rosie has dedicated her career to empowering leaders to excel and make a significant impact in their organisations. As the founder of BTS Spark, Rosie has pioneered innovative approaches to leadership coaching and development, specifically tailored for educators and not-for-profit leaders. Join us as we explore her groundbreaking work, the transformative concept of MESSY Leadership, and practical strategies for creating a thriving, future-focused leadership culture.
In this episode, we cover:
- The work that Rosie is doing through her educational leadership coaching company, BTS Spark
- How long it really takes to see a transformation at an individual and school level
- The value of seeking feedback from colleagues and peers in order to grow and evolve your leadership
- The importance of delegating work and empowering others to grow by challenging themselves with new responsibilities or projects
- What inspired Rosie’s book “Embracing MESSY Leadership”
- Understanding the acronym MESSY (Meaning Making, Emotional Connection, Seeing the Future, Seizing Momentum, and Your Presence)
- Mistakes that “nice” leaders frequently make and tips for creating a trusting team culture without becoming an authoritarian leader
- Why leaders should prioritise coaching opportunities both for themselves and their whole staff
- One thing leaders or aspiring leaders can do today to begin embracing MESSY leadership
About Rosie
Rosie Connor is the founder of BTS Spark, a not-for-profit initiative within the global leadership consultancy. BTS Spark is dedicated to providing affordable and targeted leadership development and coaching specifically tailored for education and not-for-profit leaders. Their programs combine a rich curriculum of 33 leadership mindsets with one-to-one coaching, workshops, group coaching, and online learning, ensuring a comprehensive approach to leadership development.
With a psychology degree from Cambridge and an MBA from Henley Management College, Rosie’s credentials are impeccable. She led one of Tony Blair’s most successful Education Action Zones, earning an ‘outstanding’ rating from independent school inspectors. Her expertise has been sought after by prestigious organisations such as the National College for School Leadership and the Innovation Unit in the UK, and the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) for the launch of the Australian Principal Standard.
Rosie has played a pivotal role in designing and overseeing leadership development programs for over 5,000 education leaders worldwide. Her work with BTS Spark reflects a commitment to high-quality standards and ongoing professional learning for their global coach community.
Links and Resources:
Explore Our Well-Led Schools Partnership Program:https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Dive into Liz Wiseman’s work on Multipliers: https://thewisemangroup.com/books/multipliers/
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Rosie:
On LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-connor-33502677/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=au
Her Website: https://btsspark.org/
Check out her book ‘Embracing MESSY Leadership’: https://btsspark.org/en-au/messyleadership
Download the MESSY Leadership Toolkit: https://mailchi.mp/btsspark.org/au-messytoolkit
Connect with BTS Spark on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/bts-spark/
Subscribe to BTS Spark on YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCX4s-LEQYPqcLnYMU-Csbsg
Connect with me via:
My website adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Well-Led Schools Podcast, we welcome back Dr. Paul Teys, an expert in educational leadership with over four decades of experience. Following his discussion on the foundations of effective educational leadership earlier this season, Paul returns to explore the vital topic of staff consultation.
Effective consultation is key to building trust, fostering collaboration, and enhancing engagement within a school community. Join us as Paul shares how his leadership has evolved, strategies for managing resistant staff, and expert techniques for fostering a more inclusive and dynamic school culture through effective consultation practices.
In this episode, we cover:
- How Paul’s leadership has evolved since his first appointment as a school leader
- How Paul has approached managing staff and teachers who are resistant to feedback
- What effective consultation with staff entails
- Approaches and tools for consulting with staff
- The key benefits of consulting with staff and involving them in conversations
- Common mistakes that leaders can make when consulting with their people
- The differences between consultation, collaboration and cooperation
- Expert strategies for enhancing your consultative practices as a leader
About Paul
With a career spanning over four decades, Dr. Paul is an expert in the educational leadership space. His journey of 36 years in middle and executive leadership roles, crowned by 24 transformative years as Principal across diverse schools in three states, has shaped the educational experiences of many students and educators.
Paul‘s impact stems from his deep commitment to excellence in leadership and his commitment to fostering the growth and success of schools, principals, and their teams.
As a mentor and coach, Dr Paul empowers educational leaders by harnessing their unique strengths, nurturing their potential, and guiding them through the complexities of leadership in dynamic learning environments. His strategic approach to professional development is tailored to the needs of executive teams and leaders, ensuring that their growth translates into tangible results for their schools and communities.
Dr Paul also works in executive leadership recruitment as an Associate of Slade Group. With insight from living the experience himself, he excels in recruiting executive leaders and principals for schools, offering a depth of understanding and a tailored approach that sets him apart as the go-to expert in educational leadership placements.
Links and Resources:
Explore our 12-month Well-Led Schools Partnership Program adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Paul via:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paulteys/?originalSubdomain=au
His website: www.paulteys.com
Listen to his podcast: Applied School Leadership Podcast https://www.paulteys.com/asl-podcast/
Connect with me via:
My website http://adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Well-Led Schools Podcast, we welcomed returning guest Corey Tavella, principal of Thomas More College in South Australia— a large co-ed school with almost 1,100 students that has grown over 30% since his time as principal.
Corey recently completed his Master's degree, focusing on measuring effective school leadership using an autoethnographic method. In this method, he acted as both a researcher and used himself as evidence. As such, he’s had much time to reflect on his leadership approach from the time he first became deputy principal to now, with six years as principal under his belt.
This episode's conversation centers on effective leadership approaches, with an emphasis on building and maintaining trust to cultivate a psychologically safe work environment.
In this episode, we cover:
- The significance of knowing yourself, your values, and what you stand for and how that can guide everyday choices and decisions
- The differences between an authoritative and authoritarian leadership approach
- Corey’s honest reflections on who he was as a leader when he first started and how his approach has evolved since then
- Why Corey values presence as a leader and how he integrates it as a guiding principle in his school
- The difficult challenge of establishing but also maintaining a high-performing executive team and school culture despite the turnover of leaders and staff
- What an environment of trust looks, sounds and feels like in a school
- Common barriers to establishing and maintaining trust in schools
- The importance of speaking up to the right people when you are unhappy with something at work
- Ways to sustain trust as a collective
- How principals can support new leaders and middle leaders to develop their knowledge and skills in effective leadership and trust-building
About Corey:
Corey Tavella is currently the Principal of Thomas More College in South Australia, a relatively large 7-12 school of almost 1100 students from 7-12 (co-ed). This is his sixth year as Principal, having been a Deputy Principal at two schools, one all-boys and one all-girls. Corey has recently completed his masters degree with his main research focussing on measuring effective school leadership using an autoethnographic method where he acted as both researcher and evidence, given his focus on was measuring the effectiveness of his first five years of Principalship.
One of his key tenets of leadership is presence, which, he believes, lends itself well to staff well-being. By aiming to be present for his staff, he wants to ensure they all know they are heard, valued, cared for, and respected. Corey has been in education for 24 years, and these last six years are the first in which he has not taught students.
Links and Resources:
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Explore the Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Listen to S1 Ep. 7 With Corey Tavella: The Guiding Principles For Leading Your School With Wellbeing In Mind
adriennehornby.com.au/the-guiding-principles-for-leading-your-school-with-wellbeing-in-mind-with-corey-tavella-episode-7/
Connect with Corey:
Coreys work with his Executive Team’s Leadership statement via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7027146166421114880/
On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-tavella-084160173/
Connect with me via:
My website adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I had the pleasure of diving into the world of Positive Psychology with our guest, Chris Daicos, an experienced educator and consultant with over 40 years of experience in the field of education.
Chris's expertise lies in leveraging Positive Psychology interventions to foster personal and organisational flourishing. As she eloquently explains, Positive Psychology isn't merely about putting on a happy face or ignoring challenges; it's a paradigm shift from problem-focused to solution-focused thinking.
Unlike traditional psychology, which often fixates on dissecting problems and finding ways to mitigate them, Positive Psychology seeks to identify moments of success, strength, and resilience. Through this lens, Chris shares insights on how schools can adopt Positive Psychology approaches to enhance wellbeing for students, staff, and the wider community.
Join us as we explore the transformative potential of Positive Psychology in education and its practical applications for creating thriving school environments.
In this episode, we cover:
- What Positive Psychology is and how it differs from traditional psychology
- Why schools should adopt positive psychology approaches when looking to enhance wellbeing at their schools
- The PERMA(H) model and its components
- How a strengths exploration initiative can improve wellbeing across most areas of the PERMA(H) model
- The importance of communication and unifying the team with a clear vision and expectations
About the Guest
Chris Daicos is a dedicated advocate for personal and organisational flourishing, leveraging her extensive background as a trained teacher, social worker, and facilitator. As a foundation graduate of Australia’s first Master Applied Positive Psychology program, Chris seamlessly combines her expertise in pedagogy with evidence-based practices to deliver tailored professional learning to leaders, teachers and parents on a range of topics including Positive Psychology, leadership, people management, parental education and more.
With over 40 years of experience in Education, 20 of which were spent consulting with schools, Chris specilises in implementing Positive Psychology interventions to enhance wellbeing in diverse contexts. With a focus on practical application and real-life scenarios, Chris's workshops are valued for their effectiveness in promoting confidence, engagement, and satisfaction among participants.
Her professional portfolio includes teaching Master's courses on wellbeing and positive psychology at Melbourne University, Victoria University, Australian Catholic University, and Deakin University. She has also spent three years working at Headspace, training professionals to identify and respond to young people at risk.
Links and Resources:
Blog Article: The PERMAH Model for Workplace Wellbeing
adriennehornby.com.au/the-permah-model-for-workplace-wellbeing/
Waitlist for the Well-Led Schools Partnership: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Identify your strengths with the VIA Character Strengths Survey: www.viacharacter.org/
Research Mentioned in The Episode:
Friedrich and Jane Dutton - High-quality connections/positive relationships:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_to_create_high_quality_connections_at_work
https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/HighQualityConnections.pdf
Barbara Fredrickson - Positive emotions:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122271/
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Concept of flow:
https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/#:~:text=In%20Csikszentmihalyi's%20words%2C%20flow%20is,doing%20it%E2%80%9D%20(1990).
https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/
Bruce Tuckman’s model of team development:
https://hr.mit.edu/learning-topics/teams/articles/stages-development
https://www.wcupa.edu/coral/tuckmanStagesGroupDelvelopment.aspx#:~:text=These%20stages%20are%20commonly%20known,more%20collaborative%20or%20shared%20leadership.
https://www.mindtools.com/abyj5fi/forming-storming-norming-and-performing
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1965-12187-001
Viviane Robinson - Open to learning conversations:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/267411000_Open-to-learning_Conversations_Background_Paper_Introduction_to_Open-to-learning_Conversations/links/54d7cb6c0cf2970e4e755956/Open-to-learning-Conversations-Background-Paper-Introduction-to-Open-to-learning-Conversations.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/242493851_School_Leadership_and_Student_Outcomes_Identifying_What_Works_and_Why_Best_Evidence_Synthesis_Iteration_BES/links/0046352c76ef753faa000000/School-Leadership-and-Student-Outcomes-Identifying-What-Works-and-Why-Best-Evidence-Synthesis-Iteration-BES.pdf
Michelle McQuaid - Care Framework:
https://www.michellemcquaid.com/can-you-create-a-culture-of-care/
Renee Acton - Re-envisaging psychosocial safety in school workforces through intentional job design
https://www.acel.org.au/ACEL/ACELWEB/Active/Item_Detail.aspx?iProductCode=AELV46I1P&Category=AEL
Kim Cameron - Virtuous Organisations:
https://www.eudaimonicbydesign.com/resilience/the-virtuous-organization-kim-cameron
Book: Practicing Positive Leadership: Tools and Techniques That Create Extraordinary Results
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Chris via:
Her website: www.chrisdaicos.com.au
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-daicos-mapp-dip-tch-primary-ba-bsw-facel-86b6bb5/
Facebook Page: Helping Organisations and Families Flourish www.facebook.com/groups/697282924279023/?paipv=0&eav=AfYnmbA-6nvkc93m7Rg9wdSQBiA5KGHwP0PGXJJVYBY5tr6hGD68gUBx2dDyDr3sFGo&_rdr
Connect with me via:
My website adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I had the honour of chatting with Kathy Bowers, a parenting coach with over four decades of experience working with children and their families.
Why a parenting coach on a teacher wellbeing podcast? Much of our work with students relies on the relationships we have with parents. In this partnership, they can often lean on us for advice for ways to connect with and engage their students. We don;t always have the answers as the classroom and school environment is very different to home.
Kathy's approach is deeply rooted in the belief that effective communication is the cornerstone of successful parenting. Through her guidance, parents are empowered to navigate communication challenges and foster meaningful connections with their children. She emphasises the importance of presence and active listening, helping parents develop the skills necessary to build rapport and trust with their children.
Join us as we explore Kathy's wealth of knowledge and experience, gaining invaluable tools and perspectives to enhance parenting practices and promote harmony within our families, but also in classrooms.
In this episode, we cover:
- Common challenges parents face in parenting
- The importance of communication and being present to build rapport and trust with your children
- The value of bridging the gap between our children’s home and school life
- What parents can do to develop their communication skills at home
- Steps parents can take to create routines and boundaries at home to establish expectations and respect
- Strategies for communicating and maintaining a relationship with your independence-seeking teen
- Effective ways to work with children and young people to achieve a desired outcome without the use of harsh discipline
About Kathy:
Kathy Bowers is a parenting coach with over 40 years experience. She works with families and supports parents on all things parenting, behavioural difficulties and the importance of communication.
Kathy’s journey spans more than 20 years as a family practitioner in social care, where she hones her expertise in understanding and addressing the complex dynamics of family life. Recognising the need for positive change and armed with a wealth of knowledge, Kathy transitioned to coaching parents and individuals where she now
focuses on supporting parents to find their own solutions to overcome communication and parenting difficulties aiming to Improve their relationship with their children and ensure harmony & balance are restored.
Links and Resources:
Student Management Pilot Program: adriennehornby.com.au/behaviour-pilot/
Download Kathy’s FREE parenting ebook: Download here
Connect with Kathy via:
Her website: www.life-change-coaching.co.uk
Email: kathy@life-change-coaching.co.uk
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kathybowers50/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-bowers-43555b176/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083422956915
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website: adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I am joined by the fabulous Dr. Tori Ellis, a Transformational Life and Business Coach and author based in New York City. I had the pleasure of asking Dr. Ellis some thought-provoking questions about her work and insights about her unique approach to working with young people, individuals and organisations, blending the worlds of hip-hop and positive psychology to create a lasting impact within schools, communities and businesses.
In this episode, we cover:
- The benefits and transformations that can be seen from introducing a dedicated youth program in schools
- The importance of community in shaping young people’s lives
- Common challenges young people are facing or struggling to overcome in their lives and in learning
- How involving, relating to and listening to young people can help them overcome some of those challenges
- What educators can do to ensure they show up authentically so they can truly connect with their students
- The importance of filling your cup first before pouring into others as an educator
- Strategies to help educators support their wellbeing from a positive psychology standpoint
About Dr. Tori Ellis
Dr. Tori Ellis is a Transformational Life and Business Coach with a mission to empower and guide others in education and the workplace.
With over 7 years of educational management experience, she now coaches using innovative techniques to drive personal and organisational development for individuals and businesses to excel at their highest capacity.
Tori additionally focuses on wellness, positive psychology, and entrepreneurship, showcased in her Best-Selling book "The Sound of Business: Seeing Entrepreneurship through Hip Hop." Tori shares impactful stories to inspire children and young people worldwide, encouraging them to pursue their passions in various life aspects.
She has a background in Psychology and Criminal Justice, a Masters in Industrial-Organisational Psychology and a PsyD. in Human and Organisational Psychology.
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Links and Resources:
Well-Led Classrooms: A Student Management Pilot Program: adriennehornby.com.au/behaviour-pilot/
Connect with Dr. Tori Ellis:
Her website https://thesoundofbusiness.org/services/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tori-ellis-psyd-1a170a166/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/always_drtorii/
Purchase her book on Amazon: The Sound of Business: Seeing Entrepreneurship Through Hip-Hop
https://shorturl.at/auAIJ
Connect with me via:
My website http://adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I had the pleasure of connecting with Megan Corcoran, the Founder and Director of Wagtail Institute. Her mission is to empower schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities where everyone can thrive. She works alongside leaders, educators and social workers to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice and navigate pathways to healing.
Megan brings a wealth of expertise and passion to the table as a dedicated advocate for the wellbeing of educators and leaders working in challenging environments.
Throughout our conversation, we explore the significance of trauma-informed practices beyond student-focused approaches, uncovering their benefits for staff, families and the wider community.
In this episode, we cover:
- How to deeply embed trauma-informed practices into the tapestry of our schools
- What trauma is and how our unique lived experience impacts how we respond to traumatic events
- Why trauma-informed practices are beneficial and should be considered as a protective measure
- How trauma-informed practices can help students and staff in complex settings thrive
- The importance of having a shared sense of belonging in settings like schools or workplaces
- Practical strategies to promote a sense of belonging in schools, with an emphasis on teens
- What we can do to transfer our training in student-focused trauma-informed practice to meet the needs of staff
- Recommendations for how leaders can encourage their staff’s wellbeing when working in complex settings
- The most effective ways to support staff who’ve been involved in or witnessed a critical incident at school or work
- Ways to support your wellbeing if you are experiencing trauma, or work in a complex setting
About Megan:
Megan Corcoran is a passionate advocate for the wellbeing of educators, social workers and leaders in challenging environments. She draws inspiration from her upbringing in Wiradjuri Country and the profound influence of her grandparents.
With twelve years of experience in teaching and leadership roles within alternative schools for young people who have experienced trauma and significant disadvantages, Megan is deeply grounded in trauma-informed practice and wellbeing science.
She shares her expertise as a lecturer of positive psychology at Monash University, specialising in post-graduate education. Her dedication to fostering belonging as a means of healing, particularly for those who have experienced childhood trauma, is evident through her research and practical initiatives, such as the Berry Street Education Model.
Megan's commitment extends beyond academia. She actively engages in leadership development and coaching, notably through the Teach to Lead fellowship. Her diverse experiences, from volunteering in Palestine to training in boxing, reflect her holistic approach to personal growth and wellbeing. Megan's journey exemplifies a relentless pursuit of empowerment and resilience, both in her professional and personal endeavours.
Links and Resources:
Explore our Student Behaviour Pilot Program: https://adriennehornby.com.au/behaviour-pilot/
If you’re interested in diving deeper into the concept of ‘belonging’, check out Dr. Kelly-Ann Allen, an expert on the topic: https://www.drkellyallen.com/
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Megan via:
Her website: https://wagtailinstitute.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-corcoran-a5ab1738/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagtail.institute/
Connect with me via:
My website http://adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Emailhello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Social events, morning teas and the one-off wellbeing workshops can only do so much to improve staff wellbeing and school culture. While they’re well-intentioned, these initiatives only target the very surface of the daily challenges school staff face. We need to take a deeper look at the underlying and systemic reasons why staff may be suffering from chronic stress and burnout. Once identified, solutions and actions can be put in place that directly address the issues while considering various elements that, when improved upon, can create a positive and long-lasting change in how your staff and school culture feel.
In this episode of the Well-Led Schools podcast, I am once again joined by School Principal Rob Lans where we discuss the six-step framework for improving staff wellbeing and school culture. This framework considers elements of Positive Psychology, current educational leadership research and the recommendations from leading Australian wellbeing organisations like Beyond Blue, Be You and the Black Dog Institute.
The 6 steps to improved wellbeing in schools are
- Scan your school and pinpoint the wellbeing needs of your team
- Establish a culture of wellbeing beginning with a co-created school vision for wellbeing
- Agree on the joint responsibilities of staff wellbeing
- Upskill and train leaders and staff in effective ways to promote, support and improve staff wellbeing and school culture
- Tailor a ‘Wellbeing Action Plan’ for your school
- Follow through on your Wellbeing Action Plan and check in on your progress
In this episode, we cover:
- Why tokenistic approaches to wellbeing don’t work
- The 6-step framework for improving staff wellbeing and school culture
- Actions you can take to carry out each step
Links and Resources:
Explore the Well-Led Schools Partnership - adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Download the 6 steps PDF guide
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys
Blog article: A 6-Step Staff Wellbeing Framework to Beat Staff Burnout and Improve School Culture https://adriennehornby.com.au/a-staff-wellbeing-framework-to-beat-staff-burnout-and-improve-school-culture/
Blog article: The PERMA(H) model for workplace wellbeing
Blog article: What is Positive Psychology and How to Apply The Principles to Your Own Wellbeing
Blog article: The Wellbeing Action Plan: An Essential Tool For Ensuring Staff Wellbeing In The Workplace
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Well-Led Schools podcast I am joined by Corey Tavella, Principal of Thomas More College in South Australia where, together, we’ll be exploring the guiding principles of ‘Well-Led’ schools.
When adopted and applied, these principles can help schools to “lead with wellbeing in mind,” begin to transform the culture from within and better influence positive outcomes in student learning and school achievement.
The 9 Guiding Principles of Well-Led Schools
Well-Led Schools…
- Know that healthy, well and engaged staff positively influence student learning:
- Carefully consider how to weave staff wellbeing into the fabric of the school
- Seek the input and consultation of all staff
- Recognise that awareness is the first key to change
- Are led by highly-skilled and emotionally intelligent leaders
- Understand that staff wellbeing is a joint responsibility
- Have shared vision and a ‘Wellbeing Action Plan’
- Promote collaboration and nurture strong relationships
- Engage their staff
About Corey:
Corey Travella is currently the Principal of Thomas More College in South Australia, a relatively large 7-12 school of almost 1100 students from 7-12 (co-ed). This is his fifth year as Principal, having been a Deputy Principal at two schools, one all-boys and one all-girls. One of his key tenets of leadership is presence which, he believes, lends itself well to staff wellbeing; in aiming to be present for his staff, he wants to ensure they all know they are heard, valued, cared for and respected. Corey has been in education for 23 years, and these five years are the first where he has not taught students. Having said that, his guiding principle is that his staff are 'his class', and he aims to challenge and support them to help them achieve their best, as he would his students.
In this episode, we cover:
- What a ‘Well-Led’ school is
- 9 research-backed guiding principles that will help schools lead with wellbeing in mind
Links and Resources:
Catch the live training replay: adriennehornby.com.au/live-training/
Explore our Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Survey Your Staff and Pinpoint Your School’s needs: adriennehornby.com.au/service/anonymous-staff-surveys/
Blog article: The 9 Guiding Principles of Well-Led Schools
Connect with Corey:
Coreys work with his Executive Team’s Leadership statement via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7027146166421114880/
Connect with Corey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-tavella-084160173/
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Well-Led Schools podcast, we explore the crucial aspects of educational leadership with Dr. Paul Teys, an inspiring leader in the education space with over four decades of experience in the field.
As a seasoned mentor, coach, and expert in educational leadership, Dr. Paul brings a wealth of insight to our discussion. Join us as we explore Dr. Paul's profound wisdom on effective educational leadership.
In this episode, we cover:
- The importance of mentoring and coaching for new leaders
- The guiding principles of educational leadership
- What it means to be an authentic leader and the positive benefits that come from it
- The importance of knowing and living by your values as a leader
- What an effective approach to leading staff and building school culture entails
- Why involving staff in problem-solving and change processes is key to managing change and building trust
- Why we should be investing more in the development of middle leaders
- How effective communication is central to building a school culture of wellbeing
- The transformations we can witness when we focus on professional development for senior and middle leaders
About Paul
With a career spanning over four decades, Dr. Paul is an expert in the educational leadership space. His journey of 36 years in middle and executive leadership roles, crowned by 24 transformative years as Principal across diverse schools in three states, has shaped the educational experiences of countless learners and educators.
Paul‘s profound impact stems from his deep commitment to excellence in leadership and his commitment to fostering the growth and success of schools, principals, and their teams.
A seasoned mentor and coach, Dr Paul empowers educational leaders to excel by harnessing their unique strengths, nurturing their potential, and guiding them through the complexities of leadership in dynamic learning environments. His strategic approach to professional development is tailored to the needs of executive teams and leaders, ensuring that their growth translates into tangible results for their schools and communities.
Dr Paul also works in executive leadership recruitment as an Associate of Slade Group. With unparalleled insight from living the experience himself, he excels in recruiting executive leaders and principals for schools, offering a depth of understanding and a tailored approach that sets Dr Paul apart as the go-to expert in educational leadership placements
Links and Resources:
Explore our 12-month Well-Led Schools Partnership Program adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Paul via:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paulteys/?originalSubdomain=au
His website: www.paulteys.com
Connect with me via:
My website http://adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I am joined by Chantelle Kohn - educator, facilitator, change-maker, and Founder of The Change Collab, specialising in helping leaders, teams and teachers develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to create and sustain thriving communities.
In this conversation, we unravel the significance of "soft skills" in education, exploring their role in leadership, the intersection with emotional intelligence, and actionable steps for educators to take to enhance these vital competencies, fostering transformative outcomes for both individuals and school communities
In this episode, we cover:
- The importance of personal development so you can have a positive impact at home, in the workplace and in the community
- How having a scientist mindset versus a judge mindset can help us cultivate deeper relationships
- The difference between soft and hard skills and why a balance of both is needed
- Why soft skills are particularly essential in education for leaders and staff
- How building trust and connection with your teams is essential to resolving and preventing conflict
- Which soft skills are most essential in the education space
- Common challenges educators may be facing that could be greatly improved by focused work on building soft skills and emotional intelligence
- Practical steps that we can take to begin developing our soft skills individually and as a whole school community
- The positive changes that can be seen when a school focuses on developing their people’s soft skills and emotional intelligence
About Chantelle Kohn:
Chantelle Kohn, is an educator, facilitator and change-maker with over a decade of leadership development experience within the non-profit, corporate, government and education sectors. She is passionate about helping others develop the human competencies to transform our communities and create a better society for all. Previously, as a Director of Learning and Development, Chantelle designed and implemented training programs and corporate training for facilitator teams in Australia and across the globe.
Chantelle is now the Founder and Director of The Change Collab, specialising in helping leaders, teams and teachers develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to create and sustain thriving communities. She is passionate about supporting leaders to build their capacity to be transformative leaders, team members or educators by strengthening their human skills (‘soft skills’), emotional intelligence, global competence, and intercultural competence. All of which can lead to an increase in the social, emotional and academic outcomes of our students.
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app - that way, we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Chantelle via:
Her website: https://www.thechangecollab.com/
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantelle-kohn-1a0ab377/?originalSubdomain=au
The Change Collab on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-change-collab/?originalSubdomain=au
Instagram: @the.change.collab.community https://www.instagram.com/the.change.collab.community/
Connect with me via:
My website http://adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In season 2, episode 3 of the Well-Led Schools podcast I am pulling this conversation from the vault.
I was joined on the podcast at the beginning of last year by Rob Lans - school principal and expert on leading schools with wellbeing in mind.
As we commence 2024, many schools will be focusing on ways to improve staff wellbeing yet, without a carefully planned out and focused approach many will fail to see the results they’re looking for.
The start of the school year is the best time to reconsider your approach to staff wellbeing so you can kick off the term and year with your best foot forward.
In this episode, we discuss ten steps you can take to better support staff wellbeing and improve school culture.
In this episode we’ll cover:
- The value of asking your staff about their health and wellbeing and which initiatives they feel would be most supportive
- The importance of adapting the way we lead our school to support our staff, students and community
- Ways to review our approach to staff collaboration, goal setting and professional development
- Planning effective staff relationship building and collaboration opportunities
- Practical ways to address staff health and wellbeing that aren’t seen as tokenistic or surface level
Links and resources
Explore how my services can help you better support staff this year:
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys: https://adriennehornby.com.au/staff-wellbeing-surveys/
My 6 Step Approach: https://adriennehornby.com.au/about-6-steps/
Well Led Schools Partnerships: https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Related blog articles
10 Steps to Take This Term to Improve Staff Wellbeing At Your School: https://adriennehornby.com.au/steps-to-improve-staff-wellbeing-at-your-school/
What Is A School Scan Of Wellbeing And Why Does Your School Need To Do One?: https://adriennehornby.com.au/what-is-a-school-scan-of-wellbeing-and-why-your-school-needs-one/
Adopting An Inquiry Approach to Staff Wellbeing and School Culture in Our Schools: https://adriennehornby.com.au/adopting-an-inquiry-approach-to-staff-wellbeing-and-school-culture-in-our-schools/
Re-Building School Culture And Staff Wellbeing Post Lockdown: Six Emerging Themes In The Research: https://adriennehornby.com.au/rebuilding-school-culture-and-staff-wellbeing-post-lockdown/
Additional learning resources and tools
Timperley’s Spiral of Inquiry: https://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/content/download/74475/611763/file/Spiral%20of%20Inquiry%20Paper%20-%20Timperley%20Kaser%20Halbert.pdf
PLC Maturity Matrix : https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/management/improvement/plcmaturitymatrix.pdf
The Futility of PLC Lite: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295833071_The_futility_of_PLC_lite
Pallet Play: https://www.palletplay.com.au/
Free downloadable tools
Teacher Identity Discovery Questions: https://adriennehornby.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Discover-Professional-Identity-.pdf
Leadership evaluation tool: https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/leadership-evaluation
Team building ideas: https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/teambuilding
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honored that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review in iTunes or on your podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode is a continuation of Season 2 Episode 1, where Rob Lans and I dove deep into some of the mistakes we see schools make when it comes to addressing student behaviour challenges. If you missed that one, you’ll want to listen to it before diving into this episode, where we unveil and discuss practical solutions that are realistic and relatively simple to implement.
In this episode, we cover:
- How to ensure you have a systemised approach to student management by crafting a co-created vision for student and classroom management.
- The importance of adopting an approach that embeds empathy, trauma-informed practices and restorative practices
- The value of sharing case studies, experiences and perspectives in order to cultivate empathy and understanding
- How schools can develop creative support systems to ensure that their approach to student and classroom management is a success
- Why it’s vital to ensure follow-through and a systemised communication process
- How a positive behaviour approach can help mitigate a lot of the common mistakes and challenges that come with student management
Links and Resources:
S2 Episode 1: The Top Mistakes Schools Are Making When Addressing Student Behaviour Challenges with Rob Lans
Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Student Behaviour Pilot Program: adriennehornby.com.au/behaviour-pilot/
Get in contact with us to hear about support options for student behaviour and staff wellbeing:
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome back to a brand new season of the Well-Led Schools Podcast! We’ve got lots planned for 2024, and to kick off our first episode of the year, I sat down with School Principal and Student Behaviour Management expert Rob Lans, who you might remember from season 1.
For this first episode of season 2, we’ve come together to discuss some of the most common mistakes we see schools make when it comes to addressing student behaviour concerns. The reason why it’s so important to be aware of these mistakes (and correct them) is the snowball effect they have on student, staff, teacher and leader wellbeing and overall school culture.
This episode is the first part of two, so don’t forget to tune in to episode 2 next week, where we reveal practical solutions to these common mistakes.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why it’s so important to keep our approach current and aligned with what is going on in the world and in the students' lives
- The importance of reviewing and refining our student behaviour management approach using data
- What happens when there are communication breakdowns and a lack of follow-up between leaders, teachers and students
- Why schools should consider using a trauma-informed, empathetic and flexible approach to student behaviour management
- Why involving the students and allowing them to feel heard is vital to behaviour modification and inspiring change
- How focusing on positive behaviours is just as important as correcting the “negative” ones
- Why having the right access to resources is key to helping students learn, change and thrive
- The effects of having leaders handle student behaviour issues versus the teachers
About Rob Lans:
Early in his career as a high school teacher, Rob’s passion for outdoor education found him searching for ways to engage students and build deeper connections through the natural environment.
After honing his student management skills in an in-school Student Services role, Rob stepped into the ACT Education Office, where he worked with numerous primary schools, high schools and colleges to support leaders, teachers and staff with student behaviours.
Here, he took a diagnostic approach to understanding what students were communicating through their behaviours and worked side-by-side with schools to develop systems and processes for student management.
In 2015, Rob transitioned back into schools in the ACT, first as a Deputy Principal and then as a School Principal since 2018.
As an add-on to our Well-Led School Partnership program, Rob is partnering with Adrienne Hornby Consulting to remotely support schools to review, refine and systemise a whole-school approach to behaviour management in order to best address staff wellbeing and school culture.
Links and Resources:
Previous episodes with Rob:
S1 E2: How A Systemised Focus On Student Behaviour Management Can Improve The Wellbeing Of School Staff With Rob Lans
S1 E3:10 Steps To Meaningfully Improve Staff Wellbeing And School Culture In 2023
Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Student Behaviour Pilot Program: adriennehornby.com.au/behaviour-pilot/
Get in contact with us to hear about support options for student behaviour and staff wellbeing:
Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this special season finale of the Well-Led Schools podcast, I share some exciting personal and professional updates.
I also reflect on the past season, where I share ten key takeaways that every school leader across Australia should embrace. From nurturing trust to optimising workload and understanding the unique challenges faced by our staff, these insights offer a roadmap to create thriving, “well-led” schools.
But don't worry, this isn't the end… We're taking a short intermission before returning with even more special guests and enlightening episodes in Season 2.
Thank you for joining me throughout Season 1, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for Season 2!
Signing off for now,
Adrienne Hornby
School Wellbeing Consultant
Links and Resources:
Reading - The lifecycle of trust in educational leadership: an ecological perspective
Reading - Fostering Teacher Professionalism in Schools - The Role of Leadership Orientation and Trust
Well-Led Schools Episodes Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 4: The Influential Power Of A Leader’s Wellbeing On Staff And Students
Episode 5: Improve Staff Wellbeing And School Culture With Your Vision With Kate Greeney
Episode 6: An Integrative Approach To Addressing Staff Wellbeing In Schools: Introducing The PERMA(H) Model
Episode 7: The Guiding Principles For Leading Your School With Wellbeing In Mind With Corey Tavella
Episode 12: The Leading Causes Of Workplace Stress And The Top Rated Wellbeing Initiatives Across Australian Schools
Episode 21: Practical Ideas For Nurturing Staff Wellbeing In The Age Of Burnout
Episode 22: Why You Shouldn’t Introduce New Wellbeing Initiatives Until You’ve Conducted A School Scan
Episode 26: The Hot Debate: Who Is Actually Responsible For Staff Wellbeing? With Adrienne Hornby And Aimee Parkinson
Episode 27: Practical Strategies For Addressing Increased Teacher Workloads
Episode 28:The Key Personal Attributes Every Effective Leader Should Master
Episode 29: Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: Building Stronger Relationships, Inspiring Success
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In order to be great school leaders, we must possess a mix of skills, both academic and personal. But one of the most essential skills any effective leader should have is emotional intelligence.
As leaders, one of our primary responsibilities is to manage people. Without an awareness of our inner world and that of others and the ability to self-regulate and respond to others with empathy, it can be challenging to establish relationships built on trust and respect.
As you’ll discover by tuning into this episode, emotional intelligence comprises a subset of six skills, each of which is an essential aspect of becoming a “people person” and a leader that staff are inspired to follow.
In this episode, we cover:
- What emotional intelligence is
- Why leaders need to develop theirs
- The key skills that make up emotional intelligence
- Practical strategies to help you improve on each of these essential skills.
Links and Resources:
- Podcast: The Key Personal Attributes Every Effective Leader Should Master | Episode 28
- Blog article: The Key Skills You Should Be Building to Become an Emotionally Intelligent Leader
- Blog article: The Most Essential Attributes of an Effective Leader
- Big 5 Personality Test
- Via Character Strengths
- DISC Personality Test
- DOPE Bird Personality Type
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In episode 28, I uncover the most essential personal attributes to becoming an effective and inspiring school leader who "leads with wellbeing in mind."
Beyond cognitive skills, personal attributes like self-awareness, empathy, and emotional intelligence are essential for navigating the challenges of education and fostering a thriving school culture.
As school leaders, it's crucial to adopt a wellbeing-focused approach, putting the needs of our staff first.
By leading with compassion and care, we can inspire and motivate our teams, leading to improved staff wellbeing and student performance outcomes. Tune in to learn about the key attributes that make a difference in educational leadership and discover practical tips for building self-awareness to become a more impactful leader. Let's create a positive and supportive educational environment together!
In this episode, I cover:
- The significance of a wellbeing-focused approach for leaders
- The key personal attributes required for effective leadership
- How leaders can influence staff wellbeing and create a positive school culture
- Practical ideas to cultivate self-awareness and enhance your leadership skills
Links and Resources:
Blog article: The Most Essential Personal Attributes of an Effective Leader
Blog article: A Functional Approach to Leadership
Blog article: The Key Skills to Become an Emotionally Intelligent Leader
Free personality assessments:
Big 5 Personality Test
Via Character Strengths
DISC Personality Test
DOPE Bird Personality Type
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Workload continues to be a top stressor for staff in schools across Australia. Yet, reducing workload feels like a daunting task when there are growing staff shortages, when student behaviour is more concerning than ever before, and when departmental directives mean more tasks are added to everybody’s plate.
While it may feel like there is no way around this issue, I want to reassure you there is plenty we can do as leaders to ease the impact of workload for staff.
In this solo episode, I cover:
- The key factors affecting teacher workload
- Ways to address our school workload problem
- Practical solutions to common workload challenges
Links and Resources:
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey packages
Download the free PDF guide to Addressing Workload at Your School
Blog article: Effective Strategies For Addressing Increased Teacher Workloads
Blog article: The Leading Causes of Workplace Stress for Teachers and School Staff Across Australia
Podcast Episode: EP2: How A Systemised Focus On Student Behaviour Management Can Improve The Wellbeing Of School Staff With Rob Lans
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Staff wellbeing continues to be a hot topic in education circles but one question that comes up time and time and again is - is staff wellbeing the leaders’ or the staff’s responsibility? And while there are fair points to be made for both sides, the answer remains that it’s a joint responsibility. Leaders, teachers and school staff each have responsibilities to uphold which will ultimately contribute to that collective wellbeing we seek.
In this episode, I am joined once again by fellow school wellbeing consultant and founder of Well-Nest, Aimee Parkinson, where we exchange ideas on the hotly debated topic of staff wellbeing and whose responsibility it ultimately is.
In this episode, we cover:
- Viewpoints from both sides of the aisle: is it the leaders' or staff’s responsibility?
- The core responsibilities of leaders
- The core responsibilities of staff
- Integrating the joint responsibilities with the PERMA(H) model of wellbeing
- The importance of clearly communicating roles, responsibilities, and the ‘why’ behind a leader’s actions
- The value of being open and vulnerable
If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out episode 25 for an in-depth look at Aimee’s experience in this space and her approach to cultivating a culture of wellbeing in schools.
Links and Resources:
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey packages
Download the FREE Staff Wellbeing Responsibilities PDF
Blog article: The Hot Debate: Who Is Actually Responsible For Teacher And Staff Wellbeing?
Blog article: The PERMAH Model for Workplace Wellbeing
Well-Led Schools Episode 25: A Growth Map to Improved Wellbeing in Schools With Aimee Parkinson
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Aimee via:
Her website: Well-Nest
Her podcast: The Wonders of Wellbeing
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I chat with fellow school wellbeing consultant Aimee Parkinson where we exchange ideas on our approach to coaching educators hoping to foster a culture of wellbeing at their school.
About Aimee:
After spending over 12 years in the education system as both a school leader and educator, Aimee saw first-hand how well-being easily becomes a low-level priority when other pressing matters demand attention. Along with these experiences, she combined her Masters of Educational Leadership, a Health and Wellness Coaching Professional Certificate and her research conducted through her podcast The Wonders of Wellbeing to create Well-Nest. Aimee's vision is to plant wellbeing at the heart of who schools are and what they do. She aims to support schools that are finding it tremendously difficult to not only support staff wellbeing but to know where to even begin.
Well-Nest consulting and coaching services supports school leaders, teachers and administrators by helping individuals and teams take gradual steps towards identifying and addressing the issues affecting wellbeing, both personally and professionally. Through personalised guidance, they provide strategic wellbeing growth maps that break down the process into manageable, actionable steps, ensuring progress is made toward restored wellness.
In this episode, we cover:
- The four key pillars of wellbeing that Aimee integrates into her coaching approach
- Common challenges educators are facing when it comes to establishing a culture of wellbeing
- The importance of addressing not just professional wellbeing, but also personal wellbeing of leaders and staff
- The steps in Aimee’s “Growth Map” approach
- How having a vision for wellbeing can act as a motivator and reminder of our purpose
Links and Resources:
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey
Connect with Aimee via:
Her website: Well-Nest
Her podcast: The Wonders of Wellbeing
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In episode 24 of the Well-Led Schools podcast I am pulling this conversation from the vault.
I was joined on the podcast at the beginning of the year by Rob Lans - school principal and expert on leading schools with wellbeing in mind.
As we roll into the second half of the year, many schools will be focusing on ways to improve staff wellbeing yet, without a carefully planned out and focused approach many will fail to see the results they’re looking for.
The start of the school year (or of a new term) is the best time to reconsider your approach to staff wellbeing so you can kick off the term and year with your best foot forward.
In this episode, we discuss ten steps you can take to better support staff wellbeing and improve school culture.
In this episode we’ll cover:
- The value of asking your staff about their health and wellbeing and which initiatives they feel would be most supportive
- The importance of adapting the way we lead our school to support our staff, students and community
- Ways to review our approach to staff collaboration, goal setting and professional development
- Planning effective staff relationship building and collaboration opportunities
- Practical ways to address staff health and wellbeing that aren’t seen as tokenistic or surface level
Links and resources
Explore how my services can help you better support staff this year:
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys: https://adriennehornby.com.au/staff-wellbeing-surveys/
My 6 Step Approach: https://adriennehornby.com.au/about-6-steps/
Staff Wellbeing Workshops: https://adriennehornby.com.au/staff-development-workshops/
Related blog articles
10 Steps to Take This Term to Improve Staff Wellbeing At Your School: https://adriennehornby.com.au/steps-to-improve-staff-wellbeing-at-your-school/
What Is A School Scan Of Wellbeing And Why Does Your School Need To Do One?: https://adriennehornby.com.au/what-is-a-school-scan-of-wellbeing-and-why-your-school-needs-one/
Adopting An Inquiry Approach to Staff Wellbeing and School Culture in Our Schools: https://adriennehornby.com.au/adopting-an-inquiry-approach-to-staff-wellbeing-and-school-culture-in-our-schools/
Re-Building School Culture And Staff Wellbeing Post Lockdown: Six Emerging Themes In The Research: https://adriennehornby.com.au/rebuilding-school-culture-and-staff-wellbeing-post-lockdown/
Additional learning resources and tools
Timperley’s Spiral of Inquiry: https://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/content/download/74475/611763/file/Spiral%20of%20Inquiry%20Paper%20-%20Timperley%20Kaser%20Halbert.pdf
PLC Maturity Matrix : https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/management/improvement/plcmaturitymatrix.pdf
The Futility of PLC Lite: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295833071_The_futility_of_PLC_lite
Pallet Play: https://www.palletplay.com.au/
Free downloadable tools
Teacher Identity Discovery Questions: https://adriennehornby.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Discover-Professional-Identity-.pdf
Leadership evaluation tool: https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/leadership-evaluation
Team building ideas: https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/teambuilding
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review in iTunes or on your podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Well-Led Schools podcast, I am joined by Michael Sloan, long time educator and the current school principal at Denison College - Kelso Campus in Bathurst, Australia. Mick enrolled his school in the Well-Led Schools Partnership program last year and since then, I’ve seen them make huge strides toward embedding a culture of wellbeing at their school.
So far, we’ve ran a school scan, identified areas of focus, engaged his teams in professional development workshops, and set a vision the all school staff can get on board with. Next up, we’ll be working with the leadership team on building rapport and trust in order to have difficult conversations with staff and creating a Wellbeing Action Plan that will set their school up for success now and in the future.
Tune into this episode to discover
- Why Mick chooses to prioritise wellbeing in his approach to leadership
- How to get leaders to a place where they’re supporting their people to be the best they can be
- The importance of communicating the “why” of your leadership decisions and actions
- What the school scanning process uncovered for the staff of Denison College - Kelso Campus
- The process and importance of creating a shared vision for your school
About Michael:
Michael (Mick) Sloan is the principal of Denison College - Kelso Campus in Bathurst. He spent most of his career in education working in the Bathurst area and surrounds, he takes an interest in building his staff’s capacity and wellbeing to best support the students and community. Michael’s aim is to continuously focus on both staff and student wellbeing and data-informed practice to create a culture of inclusion and connection where learning is valued. In 2022, he was the recipient of a 2022 Harvard Principals Scholarships where he traveled to the Harvard Graduate School of Education to complete a professional education program specifically designed to strengthen the skills of educational leaders.
Links and Resources:
Get started with a school scan with our Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey
Download our FREE School Scanning Tool
Blog article: What Is A School Scan Of Wellbeing And Why Does Your School Need To Do One?
Blog article: Adopting An Inquiry Approach To Staff Wellbeing And School Culture In Our Schools
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Mick Sloan:
Check out all the great work they’re doing at Denison College - Kelso High Campus by visiting their school website https://kelso-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The foundation for problem-solving lies in gaining a thorough understanding of the issue at hand. By delving deep into the problem, we can develop effective solutions that address the root causes rather than merely providing temporary fixes.
In this episode, I introduce a concept called the "school scan of wellbeing." This exercise involves examining various pieces of data to uncover valuable insights and shed light on the underlying problems within a school and their potential causes.
I cannot stress enough the significance of this initial step before implementing new initiatives aimed at improving staff wellbeing. When we overlook this crucial phase, we often resort to tokenistic measures that lack the power to bring about lasting change. This approach can prove immensely frustrating for both leaders and staff, as it fails to produce tangible, long-term improvements.
By prioritising a thorough understanding of the problem through the school scan of wellbeing, we lay the groundwork for meaningful transformations and ensure that our efforts are not in vain.
In this episode, we cover:
- What a scan is and why we do it
- The benefits of conducting a school scan
- How to scan your school
- What to do with the information from your school scan
Links and Resources:
Get started with a school scan with our Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey
Download our FREE School Scanning Tool
Learn more about my 6-Step Approach
Blog article: What Is A School Scan Of Wellbeing And Why Does Your School Need To Do One?
Blog article: Adopting An Inquiry Approach To Staff Wellbeing And School Culture In Our Schools
Blog article:The Wellbeing Action Plan: An Essential Tool For Ensuring Staff Wellbeing In The Workplace
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omny.fm/listener for privacy information.
Constant exhaustion, chronic stress and anxiety, and physical symptoms like headaches and digestive issues are just some of the signs that you may be suffering from burnout. In today’s demanding world, many professionals struggle to balance life and work, and self-care is often pushed to the bottom of the priority list.
School leaders, teachers and staff are particularly susceptible to burnout. Our Australian schools survey data from the past year shows that on average, 56% of school staff report feeling burnt out. When more than half of the school staff across the country are feeling this way, it should be no surprise to see a massive exodus from the profession over the coming years.
Instead of just letting matters slip out of our hands blaming the profession entirely, there is plenty we can do on school grounds, starting right now, to make a profound and lasting impact that safeguards the wellbeing of staff and our students.
In this solo episode, I cover:
- The telltale signs of burnout
- The leading causes of teacher burnout
- My approach to addressing and supporting staff burnout in schools
- Effective ways to support burnt-out teachers and staff
Links and Resources:
Visual: Managing Staff Mental Health and Burnout
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys
Download the PDF Guide for Supporting Burnt Out Staff
Online Wellbeing Course for Educators
Blog article: 10 Practical Strategies For Beating Staff And Teacher Burnout
Blog article: The Age Of Burnout And How To Fight Back
Blog article: 23 Simple Ways To Manage Burnout So You’re Always Prepared When Stress Hits
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Self-care is so much more than bubble baths and face masks… The self-care that really makes a difference in our resilience involves developing a deep sense of self-awareness and the ability to advocate for what we truly need to flourish and thrive in life and at work.
In this episode, I am joined by educator and teacher wellbeing coach, Ellen Ronalds Keene where we exchange anecdotes and ideas about resilience, teacher wellbeing and the importance of putting yourself as a person first.
About Ellen:
Ellen Ronalds Keene is an educator, wellbeing coach, podcaster producer and digital homebody. She spent a decade as a high school music teacher before moving into the online business world. After struggling to find a way to fit into standard inflexible workplace schedules, Ellen decided instead to design a flexible life and work around her chronic illnesses. Following passions for education, all forms of audio, and online communication, Ellen works from home and now splits her time between 2 businesses: the boutique podcast production agency, Perk Digital and the teacher wellbeing support hub, Self-Care for Teachers.
In this episode, we cover:
- The importance of advocating for your health and needs
- What it means to be a resilient educator
- Separating your personal identity from your professional identity
- Common strains teachers and leaders experience that could be impacting wellbeing
- Tell-tale signs you aren’t putting yourself first
- Tips for seeking support from your leaders and supervisors
Links and Resources:
Join our online wellbeing course for educators today
Blog Article: The Hot Debate: Who Is Actually Responsible For Teacher And Staff Wellbeing?
Blog Article: The Top Rated Initiatives To Improve Staff And Teacher Wellbeing (And How To Address Them)
Blog Article: 10 Steps To Take This Term To Improve Staff Wellbeing At Your School
Blog Article: 9 Reasons to Put Staff Wellbeing at The top of Your Priority List
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Ellen:
On Instagram @selfcareforteachers
On Facebook
On LinkedIn
Website: https://selfcareforteachers.com.au
The Teacher Wellbeing Podcast
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Teaching is regarded as one of the most stressful professions in Australia, and navigating the shifts brought on by the pandemic has only amplified these feelings for staff.
Chronic stress ultimately leads to teacher burnout and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. A study based on Australian school teachers reported that teachers are more depressed and anxious than the average Australian. With more than half suffering from anxiety and nearly one-fifth feeling depressed.
Teacher burnout is a growing problem across schools worldwide as teachers struggle to manage their workload, and their classrooms and live up to growing expectations amongst staff shortages and the implications they’re still experiencing due to the pandemic.
With these statistics on the rise, it makes sense that our approach to managing staff mental health and wellbeing needs to change.
In episode 19, I discuss:
- How burnout and stress affect teachers and staff
- Why it’s essential to address staff mental health in schools
- Ways to create and promote a mentally healthy workplace
Links and Resources:
Join the May 11 live training - Develop Your Staff Wellbeing Action Plan To Inspire A Positive Change In Culture At Your School In 2023
Blog article: 7 Ways To Promote Staff Mental Health And Wellbeing To Create A Mentally Healthy Workplace
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In episode 18 of the Well-Led Schools podcast, I am joined by Violetta Znorkowsky, a leadership mentor, meditation/mindfulness teacher, holistic counsellor, experiential educator and the founder of Expand and Impact. In the episode, Violetta shares powerful insights into what it really takes to feel a sense of emotional wellbeing and the importance of developing skills like self-awareness, emotional intelligence and empathy in order to thrive in our emotional world.
When you’re emotionally well you’re more capable of processing your emotions using healthy coping strategies and mechanisms and you’re going to be more likely to see yourself in a positive light and be resilient in the face of stress.
About Violetta
Violetta Znorkowski is the Founder and Facilitator at Expand and Impact, an Experiential Education Company that works with Female Professionals and Entrepreneurs who want to challenge the status quo and create a new normal in how success and leadership looks and feels.
With over 10 years of experience and an international career working around the world with both youth and adults to develop leadership skills, raise emotional intelligence and build resilience, Violetta is passionate about guiding others to safely explore their connection to self, others and the world around them. Her work is informed through her training in Holistic Counseling Psychology, Leadership Coaching and Mindfulness and Meditation Training; blending Eastern and Western philosophies and techniques to consider the WHOLE person.
“Emotional wellbeing is an individual's capacity to move through the many different emotional states without getting stuck in one or the other” - Violetta Znorkowski
Tune into this episode to discover:
- What emotional wellbeing is
- Signs that you have a strong sense of emotional wellbeing
- How to know if your emotional wellbeing needs a boost
- What emotional intelligence is
- Strategies to cultivate greater emotional intelligence
- Ways of connecting to our physical selves to become more attuned to our emotional wellbeing
Links and Resources:
Join our online wellbeing course for educators today
Free boundaries visualisation resource
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Violetta:
On Linkedin
Through her Website ‘Expand and Impact’
Listen to Violetta’s podcast ‘Expand and Impact’
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you feel satisfied and fulfilled in your career?
In episode 17 of the Well-Led Schools podcast, I am joined by recruiting strategist and career wellbeing expert Deb Houston.
Career or occupational wellbeing indicates being satisfied with our jobs and career paths and feeling fulfilled in this aspect of our lives. It’s also about being involved in work that provides satisfaction and aligns us with our values and goals. Finally, in order to feel peak levels of career wellness, we need to be involved in roles and activities that allow us to demonstrate our skills while also pursuing opportunities to reach greater heights professionally.
In this episode, we cover:
- How to know if your career wellbeing is thriving
- The role of values and boundary setting for improved occupational wellbeing
- Signs that you might not be satisfied with your current role or career path
- Practical advice for leaders who want to support staff who have expressed concern about their career wellbeing
About Deb:
Deb Houston has 17 years of recruiting experience both in the UK and Australia and now runs her own consulting agency, Phlox Consulting. Through a supportive, consultative and fun approach to recruitment, Deb mentors both job seekers and employers to help them achieve the best possible match for their goals.
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Links and Resources:
Join our online wellbeing course for educators today
Connect with Deb:
On LinkedIn
Phlox Consulting
Podcast: You Hired Me At Hello
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are you connected to your highest self?
In episode 16 of the Well-Led Schools podcast we dive into the spiritual dimension of wellbeing alongside the lovely Harmony Robinson-Stagg.
Spiritual wellbeing pertains to the search for purpose and meaning in life. Spirituality doesn’t necessary refer to religion in this context, although the two certainly are linked, it could also include a belief in a higher power, the understanding that you have of yourself, what you were put on this earth to do, what your goals and values are and the impact you can make during your time here.
About Harmony:
Harmony is an Ayurveda and Women's Health Practitioner & the founder of the Ayurveda Alchemist Academy. She is also a registered nurse with more than 17 years of experience in the health & wellness industry. Her mission is to bridge the gap between Eastern & Western medicine.
As the founder of the HigHERself ™ Method, she takes a unique approach to support women in reclaiming their health & balance their hormones so that they can show up as their higher-self in all areas of their lives.
Harmony is also the host of a very popular Health & Wellness Podcast called Harmony Inspired Health. She is a twin mum to two beautiful boys, a yoga teacher and a self-confessed chai latte enthusiast.
Tune in to discover:
- What Ayurveda is and how it can support your wellbeing
- How identifying your Dosha type can help you establish better spiritual balance
- Signs that your spiritual wellbeing may require some attention
- The role of self-awareness in spiritual growth
- Practical tips for educators who are feeling disconnected from their purpose
- Ideas to help schools promote spiritual wellbeing within their staff and classrooms
Links and Resources:
Join our online wellbeing course for educators today
Discover your mind-body type by taking the Dosha quiz
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Harmony:
Website:www.harmonyinspiredhealth.com.au
On Instagram:Harmony.Inspired.Ayurveda
Join Her Free Community Group
FREE Foundations of Ayurveda Course
Harmony Inspired Health Podcast
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Let’s talk about money, shall we?
Continuing on with the dimensions of wellbeing series, in episode 15 of the Well-Led School podcast, I am joined by stock advisor and financial wellbeing expert, Jon Moses.
About Jon:
Jon Moses is the owner of JM Investments, a full-service stockbroking firm that provides a personalised service with an ethical footprint. With over a decade of experience working in commodity and financial markets, Jon helps clients invest in the stock market without the stress or worry usually associated with it.
Apart from his expertise in the stock market, Jon is also a Lifeline counsellor since 2017. He believes that facing one's money stories, traumas, and blocks head-on is essential to reach financial goals and live a truly rich life. With his deep understanding of behavioural finances, Jon combines his counselling skills with his financial expertise to help his clients develop investment portfolios tailored to their unique situations.
If money talk tends to stress you out, or if your financial wellbeing could be better off, you’ll want to tune into this episode where we chat about:
- What it means to have a healthy sense of financial well-being
- Common limiting beliefs that could be holding you back from feeling financially well
- Some of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to finances
- The BEST way to remove anxiety around money
- The top causes of financial stress
- Steps you can take to feel more in control of your finances
Links and Resources:
Join our online wellbeing course for educators today
Jon’s Top Tips for Supporting Your Financial Wellbeing
- Work out what you’re spending money on
- Identify what expenses are non-negotiable and most valuable to you
- Have an emergency fund of 3 months wage
- Create an automated savings and investment system
- Build a financial plan for your future
- Seek out a financial advisor for support
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Jon:
Instagram: jm_investments_advisory
Website: jminvest.com.au
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are you doing enough to support your physical wellbeing?
Episode 14 of the Well-Led Schools podcast is the first of our dimensions of wellbeing series where I will be chatting with experts in each area of wellbeing. To kick off the series, we’ll be starting with physical wellbeing where I am joined by my good friend and clinical nutritionist, Solaine Douglas.
About Solaine:
After experiencing her own health issues as a young woman, Solaine levelled up her health through the implementation of critical nutrition and lifestyle changes. After this, she was so inspired to help women confront the underlying root causes of their chronic symptoms, hormone imbalances and fertility challenges through a holistic nutrition approach. With a Bachelors in Nutrition and studying a Masters in Reproductive Medicine, Solaine is well-equipped to support clients in getting the right nutrition and lifestyle strategies in place to create optimal health, using true solutions over band-aid approaches to problems.
In this episode, we cover:
- The impact that good nutrition can have on health
- What it means to have a strong sense of physical wellbeing
- How a strong sense of self and self-love are the drivers for achieving your health goals
- Learning how to eat healthily in a way that works for you versus using standard diets or meal plans
- Tips for busy educators to help them stay on top of their health and nutritional lifestyle
- The impact of stress on our physical health
- Symptoms and signs to look out for that could indicate you’re experiencing chronic stress
- Practical ways to manage stress from a nutrition and lifestyle perspective
Links and Resources:
Join our online wellbeing course for educators today
My Blog: Meal Planning And Food Prepping Tips To Save You Time
My Blog: Eating To Reduce Stress: Which Foods To Eat And Which To Avoid
Get on top of your eating habits with these downloadable resources:
Balanced Plate Guide
Complete Approach to Healthy Eating
Weekly Meal Planner
Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Solaine:
On Instagram: Solainedouglas_nutrition
Website: Solainedouglas.com
Podcast: Holistic Health Chats
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We hear the word “wellbeing” thrown around a lot these days, but few fully understand what it entails. Is it perhaps an absence of disease or illness? Or something more complex than that?
In my opinion, wellbeing is certainly complex and the multi-dimensional model of wellbeing that I introduce in this episode will demonstrate that it goes beyond just being in good physical and emotional health, it also means that we feel comfortable and happy with our occupational, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, financial and social wellbeing.
Research by Gallup in 2021 indicated that the more of these dimensions require our attention, the more likely we are to experience mental health challenges and burnout.
Once we begin to view wellbeing from a multi-dimensional lens, we can become more in tune with our wellbeing needs and take impactful and supportive actions.
In this episode, we cover:
- Varying definitions of wellbeing
- An introduction to the eight dimensions of wellbeing
- A reflective practice that can help you “check the pulse” on your own wellbeing
- How to begin addressing gaps in your wellbeing
Links and Resources:
Join our online wellbeing course for educators today
Blog article: The Eight Dimensions Of Wellbeing And Why All Of Them Count Towards Your Success In Life And Work
Download the 8 Dimensions of Wellbeing PDF resource
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
While you may think you know what challenges your staff are facing and what they need to thrive in the workplace - you won’t really know for sure unless you ask them.
And while you’ve probably made an honest effort to provide your teachers and staff with more support, you may be wondering why so many are still struggling with or on the brink of burnout.
Our national data collected from schools across Australia reveals that workload and administrative tasks are the leading causes of workplace stress for teachers and staff, and while in some cases it may seem near impossible to reduce workload, there are many creative strategies that can be employed to streamline it and reduce the burden staff are experiencing.
The point is, we have to get to the root of the problem in order to make lasting changes and improvements to staff’s wellbeing and school culture. Our Anonymous Staff Wellbeing can support you in doing just that!
In this episode, we cover:
- The importance of identifying staff stressors
- Organisational vs operational workplace stressors
- How our Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey can help you identify staff stressors and make better decisions about which initiatives to pursue
- The top reported stressors across Australian schools based on our survey findings
- The top rated strategies for supporting wellbeing across Australian schools according to our survey findings
Links and Resources:
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys
Blog article: How To Use a Staff Wellbeing Survey To Support a Whole-School Scan
Blog article: The Leading Causes of Workplace Stress for Teachers and School Staff Across Australia
Blog article: The Top Rated Initiatives to Improve Staff and Teacher Wellbeing and How to Address Them
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have staff wellbeing initiatives you’ve offered in the past left you feeling disappointed that nothing changed or improved?
One mistake leaders often make is assuming they know what staff need or want, but the only way to know for sure is to ask them BEFORE we act.
When it comes to overhauling a whole school’s culture, we must have staff buy-in, and in order to achieve that, we need to involve them in the process of change - from allowing them to provide feedback to including them in co-creating a vision and implementing the changes necessary to create a thriving school environment.
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing surveys are an excellent way to allow all staff to have a voice and collect valuable feedback that can help leaders implement meaningful changes.
More than once, I’ve worked with schools where the leadership team felt they had a good understanding of what the priority areas were, but upon involving the staff in discussions, other priorities came to the surface instead.
In this week’s solo episode of the Well-Led School podcast, I walk you through
- Why your school should run an anonymous staff wellbeing survey
- The benefits of anonymous staff wellbeing surveys
- How to effectively survey the staff in your school
- The four sections of my Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey
- Some of the data that has emerged in the last 12 months of running and analysing surveys of schools across Australia
Links and Resources:
Explore my Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey Packages
Blog Article: What Is A School Scan Of Wellbeing And Why Does Your School Need To Do One?
Blog Article: How To Use A Staff Wellbeing Survey To Support A Whole-School Scan
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way, we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the 10th episode of the Well-Led Schools podcast I am joined by school principal and Positive Psychology advocate David Kolpak.
Leading a school culture where both staff and student wellbeing is front and centre requires strong leadership capability, the relevant personal attributes and emotional intelligence. David encompasses these very qualities and in this episode he breaks down his approach and philosophy towards becoming a “well-led school” - a school that leads with wellbeing in mind.
About David:
David Kolpak (MEd, BEd, BTeach) is the Principal at Trinity College North in Adelaide (EY-10). In his leadership roles, David has been responsible for the design and delivery of Positive Education programs delivered to students from Kindergarten to year 10, working with his teams to develop the scope and sequence of programs taught between the ages of 3 and 16 and ensuring that the principles of positive psychology are embedded across all curriculum areas.With 30 years’ experience as a leader and teacher, David has established himself as a quality educator and speaker on Positive Education and Wellbeing and has been invited to present his work at numerous national and international conferences including the Positive Education Schools Association, the Positive Schools conference and the International Positive Psychology Association World Congress.Keen to share his work, David has authored several “Character Strength’ iBooks which are freely available to use in the classroom. David’s passion for bringing out the best is evident in his school-based leadership and teaching roles together with his wider roles as a speaker and leader in the field.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why focusing on staff wellbeing is just as important as student wellbeing
- The importance of a well-rounded approach to wellbeing in schools
- How to create a feedback culture that’s based on trust
- What character strengths are and why it’s valuable to explore them with staff
- How to create more engagement by allowing staff to be who they are
Links and Resources:
Blog article: The PERMAH Model for Workplace Wellbeing
Blog article: What is Positive Psychology and How to Apply The Principles To Your Own Wellbeing
Blog article: 9 Reasons to Put Staff Wellbeing at The Top of Your School’s Priority List
Discover your own character strengths! Take the VIA Strengths Assessment here
Are you a Dove, Owl, Peacock or Eagle? Take the DISC bird personality test here
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with David:
Download and read his character strengths iBooks
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Well-Led School podcast, I am joined by change leadership expert and author of the book Valuable Change, Brendon Baker. We discuss what it really takes to inspire and create meaningful change within workplaces and schools and how simple mindset shifts, like how we define success, can lead us towards the changes in culture we seek.
About Brendon
Brendon is a leading expert in getting what you want from your projects. He has led and guided over $10 Billion in transformative projects and programs across more types of change than would be reasonable to list out here. Just know that it includes everything from transformations to teddy bears. Through it all Brendon has learned two things:
First - Change is HARD, so we need to ensure it’s worthwhile.
Second – The answer often lies in simplicity.
He is the author of the best-seller Valuable Change, and niche top seller Creating High Value PMOs. His pioneering work in the internal influencer space is world leading. Brendon now spends his time forging change leaders and working with them to drive more worthwhile organisational change. His clients include high growth tech firms, key ASX100 companies like AGL and South32, various Not-For-Profits, as well as all three levels of the Australian Government.
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation where we cover:
- What it really takes to create meaningful change at work
- How reframing how we define and measure success can help us achieve change
- How to make sure the changes you’re implementing aren’t surface level
- Why context and clarity are key to driving change
- How recognition, rewards and incentives can be leveraged to motivate change
- Ways that school leaders can ensure their change initiatives stay at the forefront for all staff
- Why wisdom is the key to valuable change
- The importance of narrowing your focus
- What the momentum path is and how it can be applied to create change over time
Links and Resources:
Learn more about creating change in schools by reading these articles:
- The Secret Recipe For Motivating Your Staff To Implement Change In The Workplace
- Leading Through Complex Change: How to Adapt Our Leadership Style To Support Staff During A Pandemic
View/download the momentum path image
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with Brendon:
Visit his website
Connect on LinkedIn
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Social events, morning teas and the one-off wellbeing workshop can only do so much to improve staff wellbeing and school culture. While they’re well-intentioned, these initiatives only target the very surface of the daily challenges school staff face. We need to take a deeper look at the underlying and systemic reasons why staff may be suffering from chronic stress and burnout. Once identified, solutions and actions can be put in place that directly address the issues while considering various elements that, when improved upon, can create a positive and long-lasting change in how your staff and school culture feel.
This episode of the Well-Led Schools podcast covers my six-step framework for improving staff wellbeing and school culture. This framework considers elements of Positive Psychology, current educational leadership research and the recommendations from leading Australian wellbeing organisations like Beyond Blue, Be You and the Black Dog Institute.
The 6 steps to improved wellbeing in schools are
- Scan your school and pinpoint the health and wellbeing needs of your staff
- Up-skill the leadership team
- Create a wellbeing action plan
- Build and manage relationships
- Create a stay at work plan
- Foster more engagement in the workplace
In this episode, we cover:
- Why surface level approaches to wellbeing don’t work
- The 6-step framework for improving staff wellbeing and school culture
- Actions you can take to carry out each step
Links and Resources:
Download the 6 steps PDF guide
Blog article: The 6 Key Steps For Improving School Culture
Blog article: The PERMA(H) model for workplace wellbeing
Blog article: What is Positive Psychology and How to Apply The Principles to Your Own Wellbeing
Blog article: The Wellbeing Action Plan: An Essential Tool For Ensuring Staff Wellbeing In The Workplace
Previous Podcast Episode: An Integrative Approach to Addressing Staff Wellbeing in Schools: Introducing the PERMA(H) Model
Download my free school scanning tool
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys
Leadership Reflection Tool
Joint Responsibilities of Staff Wellbeing
Download my team-building ideas
Check out more quality resources to upskill you and your leadership team
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the Well-Led Schools podcast I am joined by Corey Tavella, Principal of Thomas More College in South Australia where, together, we’ll be exploring the guiding principles of ‘Well-Led’ schools.
When adopted and applied, these principles can help schools to “lead with wellbeing in mind,” begin to transform the culture from within and better influence positive outcomes in student learning and school achievement.
Well-Led Schools…
- Know that healthy, well and engaged staff positively influence student learning:
- Carefully consider how to weave staff wellbeing into the fabric of the school
- Seek the input and consultation of all staff
- Recognise that awareness is the first key to change
- Are led by highly-skilled and emotionally intelligent leaders
- Understand that staff wellbeing is a joint responsibility
- Have shared vision and a ‘Wellbeing Action Plan’
- Promote collaboration and nurture strong relationships
- Engage their staff
About the guest
Corey Tavella is currently the Principal of Thomas More College in South Australia, a relatively large 7-12 school of almost 1100 students from 7-12 (co-ed). This is his fifth year as Principal, having been a Deputy Principal at two schools, one all-boys and one all-girls. One of his key tenets of leadership is presence which, he believes, lends itself well to staff wellbeing; in aiming to be present for his staff, he wants to ensure they all know they are heard, valued, cared for and respected. Corey has been in education for 23 years, and these five years are the first where he has not taught students. Having said that, his guiding principle is that his staff are 'his class', and he aims to challenge and support them to help them achieve their best, as he would his students.
In this episode, we cover:
- What a ‘Well-Led’ school is
- 9 research-backed guiding principles that will help lead schools with wellbeing in mind
Links and Resources:
- Blog article: The 9 Guiding Principles of Well-Led Schools
- Register for the free live training on February 16th
- Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys
- View Corey’s work with the theme “Purpose” for 2023
- Coreys work with his Executive Team’s Leadership statement via LinkedIn
- Connect with Corey on Linkedin
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Whether staff are constantly calling in sick, struggling to bounce back post-pandemic or you are experiencing pushback on new ideas, the pressure of an increasing workload and challenging students can stop progress in its tracks.
What we need in schools is an approach that plans for and considers the multiple elements required to increase staff psychological safety.
Where to find such an approach? Well, look no further…
In episode 6 of the ‘Well-Led’ Schools podcast, you’ll learn about Positive Psychology’s PERMA(H) model of wellbeing, how it can be applied in the workplace, and ideas to try at your school that will help increase staff wellbeing across each of the PERMA(H)’s pillars of wellbeing.
In this episode, we cover:
- An introduction to Positive Psychology and the PERMA(H) model
- The pillars of the PERMAH model
- How the PERMA(H) model can be applied in the workplace
- Tips and ideas to leverage the PERMAH model in schools and in the classroom
Links and Resources:
Blog article: The PERMA(H) model for workplace wellbeing
Blog article: What is Positive Psychology and How to Apply The Principles to Your Own Wellbeing
Team-building ideas
VIA strengths assessment
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You can‘t expect changes to magically happen without a clear vision and an action plan.
In episode 5 of the Well-Led Schools podcast I delve into why having a vision is a foundational step in creating a school culture that prioritises wellbeing.
If there is no bigger picture vision for your school, staff end up confused and giving in to the environmental pressures that are the strongest in your setting while taking what appears to be the easiest route and never re-orienting towards your north star – it comes at the cost of overall effectiveness and outcomes.
A vision for whole school wellbeing must start at the very top - with the school principal. However, in order for that vision to stick and permeate it’s important that principals gain the buy-in of middle leaders and then all school staff.
To do this, we must co-create our vision alongside the very people responsible for making that vision a reality.
Once a vision is established and agreed upon, we can move on to creating and communicating expectations and the responsibilities for each member of the school community to collectively uphold in order to shift the school culture into one that puts wellbeing front and centre.
In this episode, we cover:
- The importance and benefits of having a vision
- How to build a vision centred around staff wellbeing and school culture
- Who creates and drives the vision
- The first steps you can take to create a people-centred vision
Links and Resources:
Waitlist for the “Well-Led” Schools Partnership program
Blog article: Principal Vision: A Foundational Step In Creating A School Culture That Prioritises Wellbeing
Blog article: The Secret Recipe For Motivating Your Staff To Implement Change In The Workplace
Blog article: The PERMA(H) Model For Workplace Wellbeing
Kates 3 Question System:
- I am my best when I…
- As a team we will work well when…
- The things that are currently stopping us are….
A Vision Example
See an example of some principal vision work here
Book Recommendations:
Wellbeing at Work by Jim Clifton
Built to Last by Jim Collins
Great Leaders Have No Rules by Kevin Kruse
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Find Your Why by Simon Sinek
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A culture of wellbeing starts at the top.
It’s impossible to resolve staff wellbeing woes if the leaders in a school are experiencing chronic and unmanaged stress or burnout. The state of leader wellbeing can go on to impact the wellbeing and performance of both staff and students. So, when wanting to create a culture that prioritises wellbeing, it’s important that leaders take a self-reflective look at how well-managed their own wellbeing is.
Building self-awareness around our stressors and triggers and implementing strategies that allow us to cope, helps us become better at problem solving, builds resilience, promotes job satisfaction, boosts emotional intelligence and ultimately makes us better leaders.
School leaders with a strong sense of wellbeing then go on to lead with energy, enthusiasm and compassion and, in turn, they’re able to build stronger relationships with staff, address problems objectively, and have more capacity to consider the needs of others.
Further, leaders who value their own wellbeing have the power to act as role models for staff and the school community as a whole. It’s easier to pass on values of wellbeing when we, as leaders, adopt them as our own.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why leader wellbeing matters and the impact it has on the school community
-
A definition of wellbeing from a multidimensional perspective
-
Common leadership stressors
-
The importance of developing effective coping strategies
-
Practical steps leaders can take to begin to address and improve their wellbeing
Links and Resources:
Blog article: The 8 Dimensions of Wellbeing and Why All of Them Count Toward Your Success in Life and Work
Blog article: The PERMAH Model For Workplace Wellbeing
Resource: Leader Reflection Tool
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honored that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review in iTunes or on your podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In episode 2 of the Well-Led Schools podcast, school wellbeing consultant, Adrienne Hornby is joined by school principal, Rob Lans for a lively chat surrounding the relationship between student behaviour management and staff and student wellbeing. With many staff across schools reporting student behaviour as one of their top stressors, it’s only fitting that we address the link between the two.
Rob Lans is school principal and expert in student and behaviour management. Early in his teaching career, Rob’s passion for outdoor education found him searching for ways to engage students and build deeper connections through the natural environment. After honing his skills in a Student Services role, Rob stepped into the ACT Education Department, where he worked with numerous schools supporting leaders, teachers and staff with student behaviours. Here, he took a diagnostic approach to understanding what students were communicating through their behaviours and worked side-by-side with schools to develop systems and processes for student management. In 2015, he transitioned back into schools as a Deputy Principal and now as a School Principal in the ACT.
One of the most important takeaways from this episode is that when we provide teachers with a systemised approach to managing classroom behaviours, plus opportunities to develop their confidence and student behaviour management skills, they can build better connections with students which, in turn, supports the students’ wellbeing and improves their learning outcomes.
In this episode we cover:
-
The growing challenges experienced by schools and their potential causes
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The value of connection to influence student management and academic engagement
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The common mistakes that schools make when it comes to attending to student behaviors and how this could be affecting staff wellbeing
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The importance of processes, systems and universal school approaches to student management achieved with the buy in of staff, students and community
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How we as leaders can best support our staff to feel involved, safe, effective when managing student behaviours and like their wellbeing matters
Links and Resources:
Positive Behaviours for Learning: https://education.nsw.gov.au/student-wellbeing/attendance-behaviour-and-engagement/positive-behaviour-for-learning/what-is-positive-behaviour-for-learning-pbl
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys: https://adriennehornby.com.au/staff-wellbeing-surveys/
Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/
Get in contact with us to hear about support options for student behaviour and staff wellbeing: Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review in iTunes or on your podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website: adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/adriennehornby_coach/
Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In episode 3 of the Well-Led Schools podcast I am joined, once again, by Rob Lans - school principal and expert on leading our schools with wellbeing in mind.
As we begin a new school year here in Australia, many schools will be focusing on ways to improve staff wellbeing yet, without a carefully planned out and focused approach many will fail to see the results they’re looking for.
The start of the school year (or of a new term) is the best time to reconsider your approach to staff wellbeing so you can kick off the term and year with your best foot forward.
In this episode, we discuss ten steps you can take to better support staff wellbeing and improve school culture in 2023.
In this episode we’ll cover:
-
The value of asking your staff about their health and wellbeing and which initiatives they feel would be most supportive
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The importance of adapting the way we lead our school to support our staff, students and community
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Ways to review our approach to staff collaboration, goal setting and professional development
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Planning effective staff relationship building and collaboration opportunities
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Practical ways to address staff health and wellbeing that aren’t seen as tokenistic or surface level
Links and resources
Explore how my services can help you better support staff this year:
Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys: https://adriennehornby.com.au/staff-wellbeing-surveys/
My 6 Step Approach: https://adriennehornby.com.au/about-6-steps/
Staff Wellbeing Workshops: https://adriennehornby.com.au/staff-development-workshops/
Related blog articles
10 Steps to Take This Term to Improve Staff Wellbeing At Your School: https://adriennehornby.com.au/steps-to-improve-staff-wellbeing-at-your-school/
What Is A School Scan Of Wellbeing And Why Does Your School Need To Do One?: https://adriennehornby.com.au/what-is-a-school-scan-of-wellbeing-and-why-your-school-needs-one/
Adopting An Inquiry Approach to Staff Wellbeing and School Culture in Our Schools: https://adriennehornby.com.au/adopting-an-inquiry-approach-to-staff-wellbeing-and-school-culture-in-our-schools/
Re-Building School Culture And Staff Wellbeing Post Lockdown: Six Emerging Themes In The Research: https://adriennehornby.com.au/rebuilding-school-culture-and-staff-wellbeing-post-lockdown/
Additional learning resources and tools
Timperley’s Spiral of Inquiry: https://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/content/download/74475/611763/file/Spiral%20of%20Inquiry%20Paper%20-%20Timperley%20Kaser%20Halbert.pdf
PLC Maturity Matrix : https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/management/improvement/plcmaturitymatrix.pdf
The Futility of PLC Lite: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295833071_The_futility_of_PLC_lite
Pallet Play: https://www.palletplay.com.au/
Free downloadable tools
Teacher Identity Discovery Questions: https://adriennehornby.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Discover-Professional-Identity-.pdf
Leadership evaluation tool: https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/leadership-evaluation
Team building ideas: https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/teambuilding
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review in iTunes or on your podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website: adriennehornby.com.au
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/adriennehornby_coach/
Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to the first episode of the Well-Led Schools Podcast!
I am Adrienne Hornby, an experienced wellbeing consultant, coach, speaker and school leader. My vision is to bring you a school wellbeing-focused podcast series that is inspiring, educational and thought provoking.
My hope is that you’ll walk away from each episode with new perspectives, fresh ideas and recommendations on ways to prioritise teacher and staff wellbeing, improve your leadership and support the staff in your school in order to make a difference in the lives of the students they teach.
While this first episode is a solo one, future episodes will also feature experts and forward thinkers sharing their knowledge, observations and wisdom on leadership, workplace culture and staff wellbeing. So, stay tuned!
In this episode, we cover:
- What is a “Well-Led” school?
- An introduction to the podcast series
- A background into who I am and the work I do with schools
- Why a focus on staff wellbeing in your school is essential and has the power to transform your school's working environment.
Links and Resources:
My Website
About Me
My Approach
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honored that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review in iTunes or on your podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
Connect with me via:
My website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.