What happens when educational leaders face back-to-back crises? How do they support traumatised communities while managing their own wellbeing? Leadership coach Annette Gray takes us deep into these questions, drawing from her powerful work with school principals following the devastating Black Summer bushfires.

The principals Annette coached were carrying an extraordinary burden—not just rebuilding physically destroyed schools, but becoming the emotional anchors for entire communities. "The principal was holding everything together and they were just incredibly exhausted," she shares. One leader, facing both bushfires and floods, confessed he simply couldn't make any more decisions. The emotional toll was palpable.

This experience illuminates a critical leadership challenge: how to navigate overwhelming circumstances while supporting others. Annette's approach focuses on creating space for leaders to be heard without judgment. Rather than dispensing advice, she guides them to discover their own solutions—a coaching mindset that transforms conversations.

The distinction between coaching and advice-giving emerges as crucial for all educational leaders. When Annette's daughter, a teacher struggling with challenging classroom behaviours, encountered leaders who bombarded her with strategies she'd already tried, the approach felt dismissive rather than supportive. "Coach-like conversations" instead begin with genuine curiosity: "What do you want from this conversation? What would make a difference?"

For busy principals, Annette offers immediate, practical suggestions. Being truly present matters more than availability—"If now's not a good time, when would be?" Simple acknowledgments like this demonstrate that you value the conversation enough to give it proper attention.

Beyond individual interactions, Annette advocates for group coaching, where leaders learn from each other's experiences and develop complementary leadership styles. This collaborative approach recognises that no single leader possesses all necessary competencies—especially important in today's complex educational landscape.

Self-awareness emerges as the fundamental leadership skill. Understanding your triggers, managing your responses, and creating boundaries around difficult conversations creates the foundation for effective leadership. As Annette puts it: "How do I bring my best self, best version of me, to this conversation?"

Ready to transform your leadership conversations? Connect with Annette at annettegray.com.au or explore her YouTube channel for more insights into creating human-centred, inclusive school cultures through the power of coaching.

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

From the moment children develop basic motor skills, they begin role-playing the futures they can imagine. But by upper primary school, these dreams often narrow dramatically - limited by postcodes, stereotypes, and what they see in their immediate environment. What if we could change this pattern?

Liv Penny, co-founder and CEO of Become Education, is transforming how we prepare young people for their futures. Her journey began with a profound observation: watching smart, happy classmates take dramatically different paths based solely on where they lived. This sparked a mission to ensure all children could write their stories "from the inside out" rather than having their futures determined by external circumstances.

The evidence is compelling. OECD research shows 50% of students globally aspire to just 10 occupations, with even narrower patterns at the local level. Meanwhile, 80% of 10-13 year olds think about their futures weekly, yet less than 10% say a teacher knows their aspirations. We're missing a massive opportunity to tap into natural motivation.

Become Education's approach doesn't prematurely force career decisions but instead develops the skills to explore broadly and design meaningful future pathways. Schools implementing the program report remarkable outcomes - from a 205% increase in students feeling their school cares about their future to transformative stories of previously disengaged students finding purpose and hope.

One particularly powerful story involves a disengaged student with dyslexia who discovered animation as her "happy place" through the program. With newfound purpose, she crafted a beautiful email to a Disney animator who responded with encouragement and professional advice. "She was transformed," her teachers reported through tears. "She never spoke and now she has transformed."

The impact extends beyond career readiness to improved engagement across all learning areas. As PISA data confirms, students who connect current learning to future possibilities show improvement in all learning strategies. In a world of AI and rapid change, this approach develops the uniquely human capabilities - curiosity, creativity, agency - that will remain valuable regardless of technological shifts.

Ready to help your students design futures full of possibility? Visit the Become Education website to learn how your school or cluster can implement this powerful, evidence-based approach.

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

What if we reimagined education from the ground up? Dr Jason McGrath, recently returned from the OECD in Paris, takes us on a fascinating journey through global education systems that are planning decades ahead while others remain trapped in short-term thinking.

The conversation delves into how countries like Wales, Malta, and Finland are transforming education through long-term visioning—creating 20-year workforce strategies and "foresight sandpits" where stakeholders can test innovative ideas before implementation. These approaches allow educational leaders to make bold short-term decisions aligned with thoughtful long-term goals rather than implementing band-aid solutions that ultimately hinder progress.

At the heart of this transformation lies a radical rethinking of teacher professionalism. McGrath introduces the concept of "connective professionalism"—where professional identity forms through meaningful relationships with students and families rather than through isolated expertise. This shift challenges school leaders to view all decisions through the lens of "teachers as professionals," empowering staff to contribute their unique strengths. McGrath's powerful metaphor of "bamboo scaffolding" perfectly captures this approach—providing flexible, temporary support that can be removed once no longer needed, rather than building rigid structures that limit growth.

The most thought-provoking insight may be the simplest: creating space to collectively think about preferred futures. When educators move beyond immediate problems to imagine possibilities, transformative thinking emerges. For principals feeling overwhelmed by daily demands, McGrath offers practical starting points—from six-word future scenarios to exploring how different staff members might respond to potential changes.

This episode illuminates how bridging classroom innovation with system-wide policy creates "policy from the middle" rather than top-down approaches. Through examples like Ireland's "Beacons Model" and Estonia's approach to educational technology, McGrath demonstrates how teacher expertise can drive meaningful change when properly elevated and supported.

Ready to rethink what's possible in education? Subscribe now and join the conversation about creating schools that truly prepare students for tomorrow's world.

Links to Dr Jason Mcgraths work:

Dr Jason McGrath Google Scholar profile and publications, https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wbYO9v0AAAAJ&hl=en .

Links to educational and instructional leadership work

1. Dr Jason McGrath – Published works (Reseachgate.net) (home page)
2. Global Lessons, Systematic Connections, Schools' Support and Teachers' Work (OECD article)
3. OECD Education Working Papers No. 296 (OECD article)

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

The Clarity Learning Suite team introduces their newest initiative, the Clarity Essential Suite, designed to distill powerful professional learning into 12 flexible hours to support school improvement across New South Wales.

• Three core components: explicit leading, explicit teaching, and explicit learning
• Designed for 55-minute sessions, aligning with NSW Department of Education guidelines
• Complete flexibility for schools to implement according to their specific context and needs
• Based on Lynn Sharratt's research on the 14 parameters for school improvement
• Inclusive pricing model ensures all teaching staff can access the professional learning
• Supports schools to develop common language and consistent practice across classrooms
• Includes comprehensive resources, case studies and learning leader notes
• Directly supports implementation of the NSW School Excellence Framework
• Practical tools that can be implemented immediately following professional learning
• Designed to build leadership capacity while supporting teachers to meet all students' needs

To explore the Clarity Essential Suite and register your team,

Visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/clarity-learning-suite

and get started on your professional learning journey today.

Visit:

https://claritylearningsuite.com/clarity/drew-janetzki-nsw-ppa-discusses-the-essentials-suite-with-the-cls-team/

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

What does true educational leadership look like when equity remains at its heart for over 40 years? Lila Malarczyk OAM offers a masterclass in purposeful leadership that transforms lives and systems.

Growing up in western Sydney from a low socioeconomic background, Lila experienced firsthand how education could open doors—and how prejudice could try to close them. A defining moment came when, as a 17-year-old scholarship student, she confronted blatant discrimination from a university administrator. Rather than letting this experience diminish her, it fortified her resolve to create more just educational environments.

As principal of Marylands High School, Lila revolutionised community engagement. She invited cultural groups into meaningful dialogue, resulting in astonishing transformations—most notably reducing suspensions of Māori students from 93% to zero within a single year. Her radical reimagining of staff development days—where parents became the teachers and students orchestrated professional learning—flipped traditional power dynamics and created authentic school partnerships.

The data tells a compelling story: significant increases in HSC achievement, university acceptance rates tripling, and 62% of those students becoming first-generation university learners. Behind these numbers were innovative approaches like employing former students as paraprofessionals, creating visible success pathways for current students to aspire toward.

Now directing her passion toward the Public Education Foundation, Lila helps provide scholarships that transform lives—like Michael, who despite discovering his mother after suicide at age 12, went on with scholarship support to become a teacher himself. The Foundation also recognises often-invisible school support staff and provides learning opportunities for educators through prestigious programs.

What remains constant throughout Lila's 43-year journey is her unwavering belief that "every interaction matters" and that leadership is fundamentally about responsibility, not power. For new principals, she offers this wisdom: "You are never alone," while insisting students must remain at the centre of every decision.

Want to support equitable opportunities in education? Explore the Public Education Foundation's work and consider how you might contribute to their life-changing initiatives for students and educators alike.

Links referenced:

• New South Wales Primary Principals' Association: nswppa.org.au
• Public Education Foundation: publiceducationfoundation.org.au
• New South Wales Secondary Principals' Council: nswspc.org.au
• NSW Department of Education: education.nsw.gov.au
• New South Wales Teachers Federation: nswtf.org.au
• FranklinCovey Leader in Me: franklincovey.com.au/solutions/education/
• Harvard University: harvard.edu

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

Anxiety levels among students are skyrocketing, dramatically affecting their ability to tackle challenges and participate fully in school life. Project Lead Rob Walker (Evans River K-12 School) and Trish Peters (Kincumber PS) member of the project leadership team join us to share remarkable findings from The Anxiety Project, a groundbreaking initiative now implemented in 129 schools across Australia, reaching nearly 47,000 students.

The project emerged from a critical observation: despite well-intentioned efforts, the accommodations schools were making for anxious students weren't actually building resilience. "We're providing so many accommodations that we haven't set kids up for success in secondary school," Trish explains, highlighting how primary schools were unintentionally creating dependency rather than capability. The solution? A comprehensive, whole-community approach that empowers adults to stand beside children through challenges rather than solving problems for them.

What makes this project uniquely effective is its layered implementation model involving every stakeholder – school leaders, teachers, non-teaching staff, parents and students all receive specifically designed training and support over a two-year period. This creates consistent messaging and a common language around anxiety. The results are compelling, with data showing significant, measurable reductions in student anxiety over time. One school reduced its anxiety score from 19.78 to 10.53 within just 12 months. Perhaps most surprising is the profound impact on teacher wellbeing, with educators reporting renewed satisfaction in their profession as they witness tangible improvements in student resilience.

Interested in transforming your school's approach to anxiety? Visit the NSW PPA website to learn more about the project and access expression of interest forms. Mid-year intake closes 16 June 2025. As project leaders envision, the ultimate goal is nothing short of "a less anxious generation" – an outcome that benefits not just education, but society as a whole.

Links to the Anxiety Project:

https://www.nswppa.org.au/the-anxiety-project

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

Navigating school sports policy doesn't have to be overwhelming. The final episode of our four-part series with the NSW Department of Education School Sports Unit reveals the practical solutions and expert guidance available to school leaders across the state.

Meet Lucette King, a Sport Policy Advisor with an impressive 30-year tenure in the School Sports Unit. Her extensive experience has positioned her as a crucial resource for principals seeking to untangle complex policy requirements while still providing meaningful sporting opportunities for students. King specializes in finding workable solutions in the grey areas between rigid policies and practical implementation, ensuring safety without stifling student experiences.

The episode tackles several critical areas including unstructured swimming guidelines (which King candidly describes as "deliberately cumbersome" to ensure student safety following past tragedies), updated concussion protocols that remove medical judgment burdens from educators, and perhaps most significantly, a revolutionary new permission system for school sports activities.

This streamlined permission approach represents a breakthrough for schools. Working with legal services, the Sports Unit has established that sports delivered by teachers on school grounds or within the local community can now be treated as "business as usual" – dramatically reducing paperwork and administrative burdens. This solution emerged directly from principal feedback, demonstrating how the unit transforms challenges into practical improvements.

Dr. Sylvia Corish, Executive Director of Student Support and Specialist Programs, provides valuable perspective on the broader impact of the School Sports Unit. She highlights how sports serve as a powerful engagement tool, noting that for many students, "sport is the one thing that keeps them there and gets them to school." This understanding drives the unit's commitment to developing inclusive programs that cater to schools of all sizes and contexts.

Both experts emphasize that the Sports Unit thrives on direct engagement with principals. Whether you're leading a remote school with five students or an urban campus with thousands, their team stands ready with solutions tailored to your unique circumstances. Reach out through their website, email, or phone – no question is too small, and your challenges today might inspire system-wide improvements tomorrow.

Link to NSW School Sports Unit:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/school-sport

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

The connection between physical activity and brain development isn't just anecdotal—it's backed by compelling scientific research that should revolutionize how we think about sport in schools. When students exercise, their brains produce more BDNF enzyme, which supports memory formation, reduces anxiety, and significantly enhances learning capacity. One study showed students who participated in high-intensity fitness before tutoring improved their test scores by over 20%, compared to just 3.87% improvement in students who received tutoring alone.

James Boyer from the NSW School Sports Unit explains that timing matters: "If we do physical activity just before we want to learn something new, it really gets kids ready to learn." This challenges the false dichotomy between academic time and physical activity time, suggesting instead that movement creates optimal conditions for learning.

Meanwhile, the School Swimming and Water Safety Program celebrates 70 years of providing vital skills to 100,000 students annually across 1,400 NSW schools. Beyond safety, these programs deliver profound wellbeing benefits, particularly for students from diverse backgrounds who gain confidence and connection through participation.

Perhaps most moving are the stories of inclusion through the multi-class sports pathway. Peter Cardy shares how a student named Sophie transformed from hiding her limb difference to becoming confident and outgoing through participating in classified sport competitions. Last year saw record participation with 192 multi-class athletes at state championships.

For school leaders, the Sport and Physical Activity School Health Check provides a framework to assess and improve school programs based on five key areas: policy, quality sport, physical activity throughout the day, community engagement, and staff involvement. This isn't about ticking boxes—it's about creating comprehensive wellbeing strategies with direct academic benefits.

Want to transform student wellbeing and learning outcomes? Contact the NSW School Sports Unit for tailored support and access their extensive resources through the teacher hub.

Link to NSW School Sports Unit:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/school-sport

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue