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Well-Led Schools

Well-Led Schools

Written by: Adrienne Hornby
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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, Strategist, 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.

2026 Adrienne Hornby Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Management Management & Leadership Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • What Educators Actually Need to Feel Purposeful Again with Glen Gerreyn

    What Educators Actually Need to Feel Purposeful Again with Glen Gerreyn
    Apr 21 2026

    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
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • S2E14: Embracing MESSY Leadership and the Power of Coaching in Education with Rosie Connor

    S2E14: Embracing MESSY Leadership and the Power of Coaching in Education with Rosie Connor
    Jun 17 2024
    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 SparkHow long it really takes to see a transformation at an individual and school levelThe value of seeking feedback from colleagues and peers in order to grow and evolve your leadershipThe importance of delegating work and empowering others to grow by challenging themselves with new responsibilities or projectsWhat 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 leaderWhy leaders should prioritise coaching opportunities both for themselves and their whole staffOne 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.
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    58 mins
  • EP 25: A Growth Map to Improved Wellbeing in Schools With Aimee Parkinson

    EP 25: A Growth Map to Improved Wellbeing in Schools With Aimee Parkinson
    Jul 11 2023

    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

    LinkedIn

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    1 hr and 12 mins
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