<h2 style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">In 2016, the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.educatoronline.com.au/tools/companies/nsw-primary-principals-association/231907/"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #005f95;">NSW Primary Principals Association</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">’s (NSWPPA) conducted a well-being survey of principals and other school leaders.</span></h2>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">What it found was that a significant number of school principals are not coping with the pressures of the job – an issue also reflected in the national Principal Health and Well-being Survey, which was released in February.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">This prompted the creation of the Flourish Project – a research-based initiative created by Dr Adam Fraser and school principal Bob Willetts – designed to reduce burnout and boost efficiency for principals across NSW.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">The Flourish Project began as a collaboration between Fraser, </span><a href="http://www.educatoronline.com.au/tools/companies/deakin-university/231854/"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #005f95;">Deakin University</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">Business School and The Shoalhaven Primary Principals&#8217; Council, based on the NSW south coast.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">The program encompasses three phases; the research phase, the intervention phase and the re-testing phase, all of which are designed to help participants understand and overcome the issues affecting them the most.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">To give the project a research component, Willetts approached Dr Kylie Lipscome from the University of Wollongong, while Fraser approached Dr John Molineux from<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.educatoronline.com.au/tools/companies/deakin-university/231854/"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #005f95;">Deakin University</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><a href="http://www.educatoronline.com.au/tools/companies/deakin-university/231854/"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #005f95;">Deakin University</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">was selected due to it having a research methodology in place from a previous project with HR Managers, which Fraser and Willetts felt suited the Flourish Project well.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">The project brings principals together just once a term while providing behaviour change support in between. This helps school leaders implement what they learned in the workshops – and it has shown outstanding results.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">Six months after participating in the program, Willetts said he and Fraser have received a significant amount of positive feedback from principals who said the program helped them beyond their expectations.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">“The work with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.educatoronline.com.au/tools/companies/deakin-university/231854/"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #005f95;">Deakin University</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">contextualises the research for the individuals in the project, and also for the project team,” said Willetts.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">“We were seeking to find efficiencies and improvements in the workflow to allow principals to spend time in the places they wanted to spend time, so they could have a real impact on student outcomes.”</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">Principals more relaxed and productive</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">One principal who participated in the workshop said that after participating in the program, his outlook at work had become more positive.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">“I’m now in a better headspace when I’m at work because I’m more relaxed and productive,” he said.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">Another participating principal said her attitude and belief in herself had changed significantly, giving her a kind of confidence and drive she had lacked previously.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">“I’ve seen that by doing some of the small things [taught in the workshops], a significant difference can be made to my day.”</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">Willetts said the most powerful aspects of the program were rigour around specific action plans, a model with emotional engagement and the buddy system, which allows principals to hold one another to account.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">He said another factor that allows the program to work so well is collegial support.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">“This involves having experienced people, as well as new principals, share strategies that have been successful for them,” he explained.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">“The way that people have openly shared their vulnerabilities has allowed significant growth throughout the whole project.”</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">Willetts said while the project is about principal well-being, it’s ultimately about driving improved student well-being and outcomes.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">“As school leaders, principals have a key position for setting the cultural tone in the school. If you have a positive culture and a strong sense of well-being throughout the school, this will improve student outcomes in the end,” he said.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">The NSWPPA executive has committed additional funding to support the next phase of the project and is working with Fraser to coordinate a strategic release of the project across NSW.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;">The post project research will be completed in Term 4, 2017.</span></p>

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