Cultivating a Culture of Wellbeing: Insights from School Principal Mick Sloan | Episode 23

In this episode of the Well-Led Schools podcast, I am joined by Michael Sloan, a 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

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:

LinkedIn

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: http://adriennehornby.com.au

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/

Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au