Moving Beyond Survival Mode
Many schools want to improve staff wellbeing, strengthen culture and introduce meaningful change — yet find themselves stuck in reactive patterns.
When workload pressures increase, student needs become more complex, or communication breaks down, even the most well-intentioned initiatives can struggle to gain traction. Staff may feel stretched, leaders may feel cautious about introducing change, and progress can begin to stall.
Rather than focusing only on individual coping or adding new initiatives, the work often begins with understanding what is really shaping the day-to-day experience of staff — including work design, leadership practices, consultation and shared expectations.
This is where a more strategic, whole-school approach to wellbeing and psychosocial safety can create clarity, direction and renewed momentum, leading to improved school performance and outcomes.
Ways To Work With Me
Staff Wellbeing Surveys and Data Analysis Reports
Gather meaningful staff insight and identify the psychosocial and cultural factors shaping your school’s experience. These reports help leaders move beyond assumptions and make confident, informed decisions about where to focus their energy.
"Well-Led" Schools Partnership Program
A structured partnership designed to help schools embed a strategic, staff-informed approach to wellbeing and psychosocial safety over time.
Through guided planning, leadership and staff development and tailored support, schools move from reactive initiatives toward sustainable cultural change.
Partnering With
Benefits of School Wellbeing Consulting
Supporting staff wellbeing isn’t about adding more initiatives. It’s about creating the conditions that allow your people and your school to function well over time.
Here’s what schools begin to notice when wellbeing and psychosocial safety are approached strategically:
Overcome Staff Burnout
Address the underlying drivers of stress such as workload, role clarity, communication and change processes, rather than relying solely on individual coping strategies and "self-care."
Boost Whole School Wellbeing
Create shared understanding and prioritised action through consultation and clear leadership direction aligned with Safe Work expectations.
Improve Whole School Outcomes
Build wellbeing into your school’s foundations and create a ripple effect that positively impacts staff and student wellbeing, student learning outcomes, and whole school performance.
Enhance Workplace Culture and Morale
Involve your people in the process of change. When staff feel heard, understood, and supported they are more engaged and satisfied with their jobs, contributing to a happy and healthy workplace culture where staff and students thrive.
Why choose me?
Let’s face the facts. There are a lot of people out there that call themselves school wellness consultants. Here’s why I’m different.
Grounded in Real School Leadership Experience
I’m no armchair expert. I’ve been through teacher burnout myself. I’ve hit rock-bottom, turned it all around again and came out the other end stronger as a better and well-respected leader. I know what it's really like for leaders, teachers and staff on the ground having worked with 75+ schools and thousands of school staff.
Actionable and Strategic Advice
I don’t give band-aid solutions or woo-woo treatments. My tailored approach is aligned with Safe Work Australia Guidance on psychosocial risk management, Positive Psychology, up-to-date educational leadership research, and advice from leading Australian wellbeing and mental health organisations.
First-Hand Experience
As a school leader myself, I’ve seen first-hand the effects of poor health and wellness of leaders, teachers and staff. I equip schools with the tools they need to prevent burnout through better work design, consultation and strategic leadership practice - that goes beyond encouraging self-care or tokenistic approaches to staff wellbeing.
Data-Backed Results
We capture data before and after partnering with schools. The proof is in the numbers - schools who follow our recommendations see lowered reports of burnout, increased perceptions of morale, satisfaction and engagement and improved school culture and endorsement rates.
From Our Clients
Some kind words from our partnering schools
Adrienne’s survey tools, follow-up reporting, staff workshops and leadership development have opened a whole new perspective, for both my staff and I, on staff wellbeing as being the responsibility of the collective. Adrienne has facilitated the development of a ‘Wellbeing Action Plan’, that is tailored to our staff in our school context, through getting to know and understand how we work and using the PERMA(H) model. Her independent and empathetic ear, partnered with her research, expertise and on-the-ground awareness has been embraced by the entire staff. Our return survey results evidenced growth way beyond my expectations over a 12-month period.
Without reservation, I would highly recommend Adrienne’s Consultancy and guidance. It takes the pressure off the principal to be the one and only. ‘Us and Them’ is now a thing of the past.
Anne
- School Principal
“We have made considerable progress in the way we support staff wellbeing.”
“Adrienne’s data-driven approach is underpinned by a school scan, which provided us with an evidence-informed base, upon which we could make informed decisions about our specific situation, identifying areas of strength and areas requiring attention.
The staff survey formed an important part of this evidence base. The survey is very in-depth and, at times, direct. The responses provided by staff gave clarity around how they felt about specific aspects of their wellbeing.
With this information and Adrienne’s guidance, we developed a wellbeing plan aligned to the findings of the school scan and survey.
We recently re-surveyed our staff after 12 months of working on our identified focus areas. Our data is positive, indicating improvement in staff perception of how the school supports wellbeing. This is consistent with the executive team’s evaluation.”
Michael Sloan
Principal - Denison College Kelso NSW
“With her guidance and support, we feel confident sharing the data with staff and working with our staff to create a common language and approach to managing our key stresses.”
We began working with Adrienne Hornby earlier this year when our staff identified the need for an anonymous survey about staff wellbeing. The Staff Wellbeing Survey gave us a great opportunity to really identify the key factors impacting staff.
The very detailed and descriptive report we received from Adrienne Hornby Consulting was clear and easy to read. We were able to share the results with staff and refer to the elements regularly, which showed staff that we were serious about improving staff wellbeing. With her guidance and support, we feel confident sharing the data with staff and working with our staff to create a common language and approach to managing our key stresses. Adrienne has a warm and inviting approach. She listens intently and actively to understand the needs of the school. I would highly recommend Adrienne Hornby Consulting to help with your School Staff Wellbeing needs.
Michelle Costa
Principal - Melton West Primary School VIC
“We’ve had some other survey instruments that focus on lots of different areas rather than just staff health and wellbeing. This one gives us the best information”
“The survey’s not just a survey, it’s the process around it. We’ve had some other survey instruments that focus on lots of different areas rather than just staff health and wellbeing. This one gives us the best information, it funnels everything in into the one area.
The benefit of using this survey and your process, is that staff feel like they’ve been heard and they’ve had a voice and that leadership is about us helping drive direction to support them. That’s been very valuable for us as a whole school team. We are more comfortable now holding each other to account as well and having more challenging conversations.
Your support analysing the survey means that we are outsourcing where we could sit there and go through it, but may not have the time. Having someone with your expertise support us is helpful.
We are very, very happy with it and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to start our health and wellbeing journey. We’ll have to revisit this time and time again.”
Adrian Lister
Principal - Beverley District High School, WA
“The entire staff were engaged in the process and the results and insights were both fascinating and extremely useful to understand and implement.”
“I have had an excellent experience working with Adrienne!
I found the Staff Wellbeing Survey to be a very detailed and a broad-based tool providing staff input on their health and wellness needs.
The entire staff were engaged in the process and the results and insights were both fascinating and extremely useful to understand and implement. The data analysis was extremely insightful, responsive, professional and accommodating.
Not only did it give results but provided realistic recommendations for the development of a solid Wellbeing Action Plan which takes into consideration the unique needs of the staff.”
Val Ciuffetelli
- Assistant Principal, ACT
I attended a high quality presentation related to staff wellbeing which Adrienne presented over two days at a conference. She provided a wealth of research-based findings and evidence-backed advice about how to improve schools’ productivity through assisting staff. I highly recommend her as a capable consultant who listens well and walks the talk.
Peter
School Principal
Adrienne has worked with our leaders and staff in the professional development space. She is extremely informative and motivating. Her presentations are practical and hands on. I look forward to working with Adrienne again in the near future. I highly recommend her for your individual self or workplace.
Christina H
Deputy Principal, Barmedman Primary School, NSW
Our staff were fully engaged in Adrienne’s enjoyable, thought provoking and practical presentation. They each found different things to take away and help them and Adrienne shared a variety of aspects to cater for everyone. Setting her apart were the stories of her own life and how she has overcome many obstacles. Throughout her personal struggles, she found things that worked to keep her positive and she communicated these well. We are excited to explore some of these in more depth with Adrienne throughout next year.
Deb
Principal - Theodore Primary School, ACT
Without a doubt, the most powerful learning staff have done this term.
Adrienne shared her personal journey and supported staff to reflect on ways in which they can change themselves, make wiser choices and harness their potential to improve the quality of their lives and, in turn, those of our students.
It was an incredibly powerful session.
Kate
Deputy Principal, ACT
Thank you for your friendly and approachable facilitation of our whole school scan. We felt the timing of the session was appropriate and encouraged feedback from each member. The session gives us an overview of feedback to date with time and support to unpack the information for our context. It was so useful to compare our data with other schools to see where we are on our journey. I liked the guidance received to review our data and make connections.
Yvette
Deputy Principal
Meet the founder
Meet the woman behind the business.

Adrienne Hornby
School Wellbeing Consultant and Strategist
Biography
I partner with school leaders and their teams across Australia to bring together psychosocial safety, staff wellbeing and whole-school strategy — helping schools gather meaningful data, strengthen staff voice, and build tailored Staff Wellbeing Frameworks that create lasting cultural change.
Rather than adding another initiative, my work supports leaders to understand what is truly impacting their people, align with Safe Work/Work Safe expectations, and embed wellbeing into everyday leadership and practice. Each school’s approach is shaped by its context, ensuring that improvements to staff wellbeing also strengthen culture, performance and long-term sustainability.
Earlier in my career as a teacher and school leader, I experienced first-hand the pressure and overwhelm many educators quietly carry. That experience reshaped the way I led, moving from reactive wellbeing support toward a more strategic, staff-informed approach focused on morale, culture, engagement, communication and consultation — not simply mental health alone.
Since then, I’ve partnered with more than 75 schools to help them move from frustration, cynicism and fatigue toward healthier, shared and more sustainable ways of working. My work is grounded in a simple belief: when schools support their people well and share responsibility for wellbeing, everything else becomes possible.
Education
Masters in Educational Leadership - Current
Leadership in Psychosocial Risk Management - 2025
Group Coaching - Wellcoaches - 2020
Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) Certificate in Health and Wellness Coaching - 2018
Bachelor of Education (Primary) - 2010
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