2023 EDLEADERS
IMPACT LIST
AUSTRALIA'S ONLY EDUCATIONAL AWARDS LIST SELECTED ENTIRELY BY EDUCATORS
PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH:

Australia's only education awards list selected entirely by educators.

At Edleaders, we believe in transformational leadership that drives impact and positive change in schools and education more broadly. The 2023 Edleaders Impact List sponsored by Schoolbox aims to celebrate the diverse group of individuals who work tirelessly to bring about impactful change in their learning community. These individuals are thought ‘doers’, activators, 'system' nudgers, innovators, and advocates. They do not exclusively come from the educator ranks, but are people who work 'in' and 'on' the business of schools.

Edleaders would like to thank the selectors - Adriano Di Prato, Mathilda Joubert, David Mulford, Dr Anne Knock & Louka Parry, as well as one other selector who wished to remain anonymous. We appreciate your time in considering your selections, and further information about each selector can be found at the bottom of the list.

We congratulate the 2023 Edleaders Impact List and hope that you will join us in celebrating the impact that they are having in their immediate and broader education communities.

Principal, Perth College

Helen Aguiar

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

Animating the Perth College Vision articulated by our founding Sisters: “Preparing students not only for examination lists, but for the business of life” through a range of Pre-K to Year 12 strategic initiatives including Sparc - our renowned critical thinking, problem solving and entrepreneurship program and our Sports Development and Performance Program.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

Continue nurturing a school culture where students experience a deep sense of belonging and engagement, discover their true worth and pay their privilege forward. I look forward to working with and through others to nurture strategic partnerships with organisations to provide students with real-world experiences and opportunities through which to achieve these aspirations.

Principal, Macquarie College

Rohan Deanshaw

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

I’m incredibly proud of the mobilisation of MC’s leaders over the past 4 years. This work, via collaborations with Future Schools, the AIS Leadership Centre and the Stanford d.school, has resulted in real and sustained progression towards our aspiration to co-evolve a new exemplar of future-focused schooling which contributes to the transformation of global education.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

MC understands the powerful lever for real and sustained change in schools that exists at the intersection of Adaptive Cultures, Adaptive Leadership, and Design Thinking. Through our various collaborations, both locally and internationally, we would like to position our school to support other schools on a similar journey regardless of their sector or setting.

Founder, Future Anything

Nicole Dyson

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

From 100 students in a single school, it’s such an honour to be working directly with 15000+ students and 2500+ educators in 2023. I am most proud of the young people we work with and the legacy of their innovative ideas. Young people like Chloe Alley, and Makayla Finch who are literally bending the future; one youth-led idea at a time.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

We know that young people (and old people!) need future capabilities (21st Century Skills / General Capabilities / 4 C’s – or whatever we’re calling them today) such as creativity, project management and adaptive mindset to thrive in work and life, but our system has not taken the time to focus on how we teach these skills. It’s all good and well to ‘mark’ students on these skills based on teacher observation and pop them in a learner profile, but how do we build them; empowering young people with the agency and ownership to drive their own growth and development.

Educator & Writer

Mathew Green

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

I am proud of the impact that The Art of Teaching Podcast has had. I am committed to all teachers, being able to access free world-class professional learning from some of the best minds in education and leadership.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I would like to democratise and personalise professional learning. I think we need a more tailored and individualised approach to teacher training. World-class teacher professional learning should be accessible to all regardless of your location, educational sector or teacher training budget.

Co-Founder & Director, Future Schools

Peter Hutton

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

As co-founder of Future Schools, I'm proud of the collaborative professional network we've formed with innovative leaders from 100+ schools and supporting mutual growth. Establishing the Constellation, an alliance of ten of the world’s most innovative schools, has amplified our impact. Mentoring emerging future-focused educational leaders has been my personal highlight.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

In the next five years, my goal is to develop and scale a model of innovative Learning Hubs. Operating on a school-within-a-school model or as standalone learning communities, they will support the development of student-empowered, adult-supported learning communities that enable all young people and their Guides to experience a fulfilling education.

Principal, St Andrew's School

Luke Ritchie

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

A focused commitment to developing schools and learning approaches with an intentional focus on students developing their strengths, passions, and skills in order to make meaningful impact in their school and broader communities has been a key focus of the past 5 years.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

In the next 5 years I’m focused on leading the St Andrew’s School community, one of Australia’s oldest and most prominent early years and primary schools, to leverage off its remarkable strengths to become a lighthouse school of empowerment for students and staff. Also, to further the agenda of allowing ‘children to be children’ through play, adventure, and experiential learning.

Associate Principal, Dayton Primary School

Rachael Lehr

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

I am proud that I have ‘led by example’, embodying lifelong learning, embracing discomfort, and constantly seeking personal growth. Also, the way I have focused on empowering and supporting teachers and leaders (both within our school and beyond) to believe in themselves and reach their fullest potential.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

My next big impact is building upon what I've been doing - strengthening the leadership capabilities of our remarkable team in our newly-opened school, fostering an enduring positive culture that leads to success for all, and sharing this knowledge extensively in order to positively influence the wider education system.

Principal, Margaret Hendry School

Kate Woods

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

In 2019 I was appointed as the inaugural Principal of Margaret Hendry School in Taylor, ACT. The organisational structure of the school sees staff working collaboratively with their colleagues in Kindergarten to Year 6 learning communities, mixing age and stage in a personalised approach to learning to meet all learners at their point of need.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I would like to continue to work in partnership locally, nationally and internationally with researchers, innovators and provocateurs and other schools challenging the norm. We are stronger together, leveraging from one another the necessary support, confidence, research and evidence to continue to spread the success of innovative approaches to education for the future.

Founder, 42 Adelaide

Louise Nobes

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

When I first learned of 42, I believed it represented what KIK Innovation strives to achieve but at a global scale. 42 is ‘altruism’ brought into reality. Starting my career as a social worker and then as I moved into education, entrepreneurship, and business, I was still searching for solutions that removed some of the greatest barriers to education for young people (and all). 42 is a great solution to unlocking the potential in anyone.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I would love to see 42 in most states in Australia and be recognised as the best institution for training diverse talent. I feel 42 and its approach to learning can also provide a vehicle for schools to support their students to learn tech from an early age. We really need to work hard on the 'T' in STEM, if we are to prepare young people for the world of work.

Headmaster, Scotch College

Dr Alec O'Connell

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

I have just led the appointment of a new Executive Director at AISWA, concurrently overseeing a full review of the structure and services of this body to ensure that the Independent Sector in WA is strategically positioned to become the number one system provider in WA, serving our member schools and staff.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

Through a means and academic entry tested programme (Tàlantach), our original 1897 school charter has been refocussed. Capable and deserving pupils, from schools outside of our immediate catchment, can now access our high fee school. Seventy students are now enrolled who previously would have been excluded.

Head of Campus, The Studio School and Director: Djoowak, The Beyond Boundaries Institute @ All Saints’ College

Esther Hill

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

I am proud that we have bridged the knowing-doing gap in ASC’s programs, practices and the successful establishment of a new model of schooling in The Studio School. We have challenged one-size-fits all assumptions, focussed on capabilities, personalisation with wellbeing, agency and human-centred co-design at the core of our practices.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

We will establish and implement the next generation of learning, teaching and credentialling systems. These new systems support all young people as resilient and creative problem-seekers and solvers who emerge from their schooling experience as empowered, skilled, and principled custodians of our planet, committed to regeneration, diversity, justice and truth.

Principal, Emmanuel Catholic College

Paul Watson

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

The introduction of an optional 4-day week for Y12 students, and a restructured innovative timetable has improved the daily educational experience of staff and students alike. A positive whole school culture continues to evolve, more closely aligned to today’s world and the individual needs of staff and students alike.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

Continued educational transformation is imperative and our educational system completely reimagined. My vision is for a personalised education that places the acquisition of skills over content, where real world application is evident through an engaging and inspiring education that redefines teaching and learning for both students and educational practitioners.

Chief Executive, Department of Education SA

Martin Westwell

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

In recent years I am most proud of the work I led at the SACE Board (South Australia’s senior secondary curriculum authority) where we maintained a focus on supporting academic excellence while making the qualification more equitable and ready for a future in which assessment will be profoundly different

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

Education should ensure that children and young people can learn and thrive. Their experience in our preschools and schools must intentionally develop their agency, wellbeing, and effectiveness as learners as well as the knowledge, skills and capabilities we can teach them. That’s the impact I want to see.

Principal, Firbank Grammar School

Jenny Williams

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

Developing the ‘how’ of teaching and learning at Firbank was the final piece of the Strategic Intent. The 7 Principles give a roadmap for staff and students, combining wellbeing and high impact strategies. These principles ensure that students and staff have an opportunity to attain the best possible outcomes.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I am excited about the possibilities AI is bringing to the teaching and learning space. The opportunity to provide personalised and targeted learning activities, gathering real time data which informs next steps is ground-breaking. This will allow teachers to have more time to facilitate deep learning for students.

Principal, Woodville High School

Anna Mirasgentis

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

The new student leadership structure gives students a democratic voice in shaping their own education and amplifies and elevates the voices, gifts, aspirations, concerns, and challenges of young people and their communities. Student participation in school-level decision-making through the various committees across all operations of the school, has increased students’ sense of agency, feelings of belonging, and civic efficacy.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

My vision is that culture, leadership, and strategy are triumvirate and that together they will steer our school to achieve excellence and equity. Where a young person’s socioeconomic status, disability, environment and personal circumstances ceases to be a significant determinant of their educational outcomes.

Principal, Music Industry College

Brett Wood

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

The introduction of micro-credential badges has had a positive impact for our students. The aim is to take the focus off a solitary grade and instead to place greater focus and attention on skills, characteristics and achievements. It has also resulted in a more personal and relevant exit statement for our graduates.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

My absolute passion is to see systemic revolution in the education. I intend to continue helping those educators who want to set up their own schools and those who want to create significant change in their current ones. The goal, to make schools a kinder place for students, staff and parents.

Senior Deputy Principal, Assumption College

Vaughan Cleary

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

I am proud to have played a central role in leading a school community that has embraced a ‘stage not age’ curriculum that has transformed the experience of school for students and staff. The unique myMAP curriculum that focuses on student agency has demonstrated that self-determination can be achieved. We have shared our journey with hundreds of educators across all sectors, states and territories with the aim of inspiring others to embrace an education to promote human flourishing.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I would like to drive a movement that eradicates competition and comparison between students, schools and sectors. A school experience that fosters cooperation at all levels of education would be a significant step forward. I would like to continue championing progressive education where the focus shifts from standardisation to personalisation, where the school experience empowers students.

Principal, St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls

Fiona Johnston

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

My community’s appetite and willingness to embrace a new school vision, purpose and values positioning us for growth and evolution in a time of disruption, rapid transformation and hyper-change. Our future reflects worldwide shifts in learning while still honoring and respecting our traditions, heritage and the spirit of St Hilda’s.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I would like to see alignment in senior years across Australian states and Territories so that we can benchmark Australian education more accurately on a global scale, a national commitment to ‘in-school’ teacher training, and positive messaging around the importance and value of teachers in our society.

Principal, St Paul's College

Paul Browning

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

Following 12 years of research, prototyping and testing, we have found a way to teach for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurialism, answering the challenge of Sir Ken Robinson’s seminal 2007 TED talk, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” We call this school-wide teaching and learning framework Realms of Thinking.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

We are currently building a web-based software platform with machine learning embedded to enable us to share Realms of Thinking with schools around the world. This is an end-to-end solution: teacher professional learning, planning tools, appraisal and feedback, and student reporting. Our pre-launch garnered interest from schools across the world, numbering some 30,000 students. We will be ready to launch early in 2024. The goal in the next five years is to have 100 schools running Realms of Thinking.

Deputy Principal, Canterbury College

Meagan King

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

I am most proud of the work I have achieved in developing a program aimed to bring together educators from across the country and across sectors as part of The Future of Education Summit. We are looking forward to our 2023 event where we will provide opportunities for many educators to showcase and share their work.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

Over the next 5 years I would like to influence a movement in education to become more focused on pathways. I believe in micro-credentialing for students and staff, which will encourage and support both groups to build meaningful and purposeful careers/lives. As part of this, I would like to see educators focus on relationship building, sharing and collaborating, on embracing creativity and on encouraging our young people to become ethical and socially responsible.

Principal, All Saints’ College, Perth

Belinda Provis

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

A most exciting recent innovation is the establishment of The Studio School in Fremantle. This highly-personalised campus offers Year 10 to 12s an alternative to mainstream schooling through a studio model: students combine their studies with real-world projects in order to achieve their WACE, an ATAR (if desired) and access to tertiary institutions.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

The “new metrics” project in which we are engaged, we believe, foretells the future. The University of Melbourne and 40 “first-mover” schools (ASC is the only WA school involved since inception) have been working on a paradigm shift, reimagining schooling in Australia: educating and assessing students in new ways that prepare them for a very different future..

Assistant Principal, CathWest Innovation College

Samantha Boreham

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

From 2019, I worked with a wonderful team to create a new school, CathWest Innovation College and specifically, a new pathway for students in Years 10, 11 and 12 called the Inquiry Pathway. This pathway allows students to explore their passions through a VET subject package; giving them qualifications and genuine learning experiences

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I would love the opportunity to work with students to create new schools throughout Australia that focus on building upon their skills, exploring industry partnerships and creating genuine learning experiences that allow students to solve local and national issues where they can be valued by and be of value to their world.

Principal, Hunter Sports High School

Rachel Byrne

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

Introducing and designing a number of non-traditional educational pathways for students to meet their personalised needs. I have implemented new designs of learning and assessment frameworks based on real world authentic learning. I've seen many disengaged students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally by following their passions within these new structures.

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I would like to implement a learning advisory and master class choice model where teachers act as facilitators/advisors and students have choices of bite sized key learning area master classes. I would like to provide more opportunities for students to develop independent learning skills and deepen their knowledge in areas of their passions.

Headmaster, Brisbane Grammar School

Anthony Micallef

What are you most proud of that has led to positive impact for a system, students and/or staff in the last 5 years?

In a world marked by technological developments and multifaceted global challenges, there is a mounting need to equip our children with the competencies and knowledge required to traverse the future successfully. As Headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School, my colleagues and I are at the forefront of STEAM Education which integrates science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics to foster critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.”

What is the next big impact that you would like to see and/or lead in education over the next 5 years?

I am particularly interested in supporting the next generation of school leaders. Leadership across the teaching profession drives high-quality teaching. School leaders create the culture, environments, structures and systems to develop and extend high-performing, expert teaching teams which, in turn, influences student learning.

Executive Director & Enterprise Professor, Melbourne Assessment, University of Melbourne

Sandra Milligan

Co-founder and CEO, National Indigenous Youth Education Council (NIYEC)

Hayley McQuire

Director General, Department of Education, WA

Lisa Rodgers

Meet The Selectors

Edleaders would like to thank the following members of the education community for their assistance in the curation of the 2023 Edleaders Impact List. We would also like to recognise the 6th member of the panel who wished to remain anonymous.

Adriano Di Prato

Author, Broadcaster, and Academic Operations Manager at LCI Melbourne

Adriano is the Academic Operations Manager at LCI Melbourne, a progressive art and design institute part of a global network of 23 campuses founded as LaSalle College International in Montreal Canada for 60 years ago. He is co-host of leading Australian educational podcast, #GameChangers, and co-author of the Hawker Brownlow Education bestseller book, ‘Game Changers: Leading Today’s Learning for Tomorrow’s World.’

Mathilda Joubert

Director of Excellence and Innovation at Sheridan Institute, President ACEL WA

Mathilda lectures in creativity, school improvement, leadership, management and research methods in both the Faculties of Education and Business. She is currently the President of the Australian Council for Educational Leadership (ACEL) in Western Australian and has facilitated successful school improvement programs in more than 500 schools around the world.

Mathilda’s expertise in creativity and innovation is recognised internationally across the education, arts, business and voluntary sectors.

Dr. Anne Knock

Consultant & Director Leadership and Culture

With significant experience in the education sector as a teacher and system leader, Anne is now a consultant in school transformation and spends much of her time re-imagining the place of learning and work through a future-focused lens.

Anne has worked across Australia, and in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada and France. Since 2020 she has led international study tours for education and design professionals to Europe, Scandinavia and the UK.

Louka Parry

CEO + Founder of The Learning Future

The Learning Future supports schools, systems and companies to thrive in tomorrow’s world. An Australian Top 100 Innovator, he is a former teacher and became a school principal at only 27 years old, awarded the Inspirational Public Secondary Teacher of the Year for South Australia. Louka works globally (in English and Spanish) and has supported tens of thousands of educators and leaders globally to increase their positive impact.

David Mulford

Consultant

Dr David Mulford was a School Principal of three independent schools from 1992 to 2018. His last appointment was as Headmaster of Newington College from 2009–2018.

His qualifications include a Bachelor of Economics, Masters of Education and a Doctorate of Education. In addition, he is a graduate of the AICD and a Fellow of ACEL.

Dr Mulford has an educational leadership consulting business and volunteers with a number of charities.

2023 EDLEADERS IMPACT LIST AUSTRALIA'S ONLY EDUCATIONAL AWARDS LIST SELECTED ENTIRELY BY EDUCATORS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH:

Meet The Selectors

Adriano Di Prato

Mathilda Joubert

Dr. Anne Knock

Louka Parry

David Mulford

2023 EDLEADERS
IMPACT LIST
AUSTRALIA'S ONLY EDUCATIONAL AWARDS LIST SELECTED ENTIRELY BY EDUCATORS
PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH: