10 November 2026

Each year the Public Education Awards recognise the vital role our people and communities play in helping children and young people to learn and thrive. In this episode of Teach, you’ll meet the 2026 finalists for the Excellence in Leadership Award – Craig Akehurst, Principal at Port Lincoln High School, Maddie McArthur, Deputy Principal at Long Street Primary School and Margaret Roads, Principal at Ardrossan Area School. This award recognises the people who engage hearts and minds and act as catalysts for equity and excellence.

Show Notes

Established in 2011, the Public Education Awards recognise the vital role our people and communities play in helping children and young people to learn and thrive. The Awards recognise excellence across every role in public education, including educators, leaders, support staff and employees working in corporate teams across the department.

Excellence in Leadership: This award recognises the people who engage hearts and minds and act as catalysts for equity and excellence. It celebrates those who create inclusive environments where individuals and teams feel empowered to contribute, grow and succeed, enabling others to do their best work and create meaningful and lasting impact that supports thriving learners. It acknowledges those who demonstrate strong relational leadership, actively engaging with and supporting colleagues across teams, sites and networks. They cultivate high expectations, lead adaptively and strengthen diverse partnerships to drive meaningful and sustainable improvement across public education.

About the Public Education Awards

Public Education Awards – 2026 finalists

The 2026 Public Education Awards ceremony will be held on 27 November 2026.

Transcript

Dale Atkinson: Hello and welcome to the Teach – a podcast about teaching and learning in South Australia. My name is Dale Atkinson from South Australia's Department for Education, and today we're talking about excellence in leadership as part of our Public Education Awards suite of podcasts.

Now; Excellence in Leadership, this award recognises the people who engage hearts and minds and act as catalysts for equity and excellence. It celebrates those who create inclusive environments where individuals and teams feel empowered to contribute, grow and succeed, enabling others to do their best work and create meaningful and lasting impacts that support thriving learners.

So, with that kind of glowing introduction for these three people, I might throw to them directly. Craig Akehurst is principal at Port Lincoln High School. How are you?

Craig Akehurst: Yeah. Morning. How are you, Dale?

Dale Atkinson: Very well, thank you. Maddie McArthur's our deputy principal at Long Street Primary School. Maddie, hello.

Maddie McArthur: Hello. Thanks for having me.

Dale Atkinson: It's a pleasure to have you. And Margaret Roads, last but not least, principal at Ardrossan Area School. Margaret, thanks for joining us.

Margaret Roads: Yeah, thank you, Dale. It's great to be here.

Dale Atkinson: Now, I might throw first to Craig. We got - we'll do these in a little bit of an order, but tell us a bit about Port Lincoln High School, Craig. What's special about your site?

Craig Akehurst: Yeah. Port Lincoln High School, a regional school, 750-odd students, category three, at the bottom of Eyre Peninsula on beautiful Barngarla Country. We're a school where we see our values of respectful, responsible and inclusive; visible in everything we go about our day-to-day business.

Dale Atkinson: Now, you've put a big focus in your leadership around approaches that are proactive. They're relationship-based structures around strengthening learner agency, and the two things that you've put in place, or two of the many things I suspect you've put in place, are around the concept of CREW and also the wellbeing hub. Can you tell us a bit about CREW, first of all, and then the wellbeing hub?

Craig Akehurst: It was important for our school to find something that we could activate across our whole site, something that could become a site-wide narrative for improvement.

We were really aware at Port Lincoln High School that creating change and cultural shift in a large school can be problematic. You're required in a large school to work across a range of learning areas, particularly in a secondary school, to accommodate those different schools of thinking and certainly in the case of Port Lincoln High School, varying levels of experience.

I had the opportunity in 2024 to hear Martin talk at a SASSPA conference, and he spoke about this idea that if we increased a student's sense of belonging it'd actually create an upward spiral that dragged in other indicators with it, and that notion around increasing belonging was something that I felt would be a good fit for Port Lincoln High School. At the same time, as an executive leadership team we had just read the book Atomic Habits, and one of the key themes out of that book was small actions when stacked together can make a noticeable change. And at the time, we used that to lead the school through a successful external review where the key idea was success, and that five-week sprint rippled through all levels of the school. And so we had a template to work on with this notion of belonging, and the timing for us was crucial. CREW came along, that idea of CREW came along at the same time and that became the vehicle, so to speak, on how we created that emphasis on belonging.

Dale Atkinson: How did you create the energy among your leadership team, but also among your educators to drive this forward as a, as an approach?

Craig Akehurst: Yeah. I think what, why it stuck was that the site shared, as I said, that same narrative that it didn't matter what your role was within the school, we could go after that notion of belonging, and what started off as a simple idea, the more we unpicked it the more complex and complicated and interesting it became. And that's all we did. We just simply focused in on what are the things, what needs to be true for us to elevate that sense of belonging in everything that we do? And the conversations that happened across our year levels and across our learning areas is that, oh this is working really well for us here in my morning period; this is working really well in my maths class; and we found similarities in the way we were working. To use the guiding principles out of the Strategy we held tight to the idea that we're going to all do CREW, but flexible around, look, go away and explore it and see what works. And we came back together then and then just tried to put it together around saying, "This is what it looks like for Port Lincoln High School." So, the fact that we're a little bit bold and said, "Go away and have a go at it," I think is what got that early buy-in.

Dale Atkinson: And how have you seen that through line between focusing on belonging for young people and what it's meant for their learning outcomes? Is it, has that been really apparent very early, or did it take a bit of a lag time before that started to show?

Craig Akehurst: Yeah the changes and I guess the improvements were really varied, Dale and they went right across all aspects of the school. We're in a position now where early on we had lots of stories of how it was working. And we're in a position now where we're starting to see systems data that's catching up, and I guess demonstrating the same improvements. And there's a few that I quote all the time. The favourite one that I refer to all the time is our WEC data and that component of WEC where students have to nominate an important adult. We shifted that from 50% two years ago to now 80% of our students being able to say that they can nominate an important adult at the school and, that's really pleasing.

The other things like a 41% decrease in suspensions over a 12-month period is significant shift. Critical incidents have decreased and, behavioural exits from class, like students that are getting sent out because they are disengaged or disruptive, have decreased from 60 per day to less than 10, and so that we know we've got more students in classes learning more often. And as a result of that, we're seeing things like our NAPLAN scores, particularly year 9 writing, year-on-year for the last two years have increased. And what's been really pleasing, and we've just had our parent engagement survey come out, is that we've got these lovely increases in WEC, we've seen some really lovely increases in what our parents are saying, and the 2 staff surveys, the ‘perspectives’ and the ‘my wellbeing’, they're also showing the double-digit percentage improvements. And so we've got, we're in this really lovely spot where we've got systems data matching up with the stories that we're telling at school and little outcomes of all of those things is that cultural shift has meant that for us as a regional setting, the attraction and retention of staff is something that we've also seen shift.

And we're fully staffed the last 2 years by the end of term 3, and that has those flow-on benefits of being able to guarantee curriculum around starting some of your strategic planning. And I think that's all evidence of that upward spiral that Martin spoke about and we're seeing that across the school.

Dale Atkinson: What's been the effort that you've had to put in upfront around developing your staff, the coaching and mentoring piece and how have you carved out time for that?

Craig Akehurst: I guess taking away all of the other bits and saying, "We're just gonna focus on this notion of belonging." So sort of going narrow and deep with that, and then seeing how that can impact and influence all of these different areas of the school. Yeah, probably being really disciplined around staying to that one key improvement narrative.

Dale Atkinson: Oh, that's a strong message, I think for listeners and leaders everywhere.

I might throw now to Maddie McArthur at Long Street Primary School. Now Maddie, you're leading some really powerful work around helping students see themselves as learners.

What does that mean, seeing yourself as a learner?

Maddie McArthur: I'll talk a little bit about the journey that we went on to realise why this mattered so much for us. So, we were really curious, how did our students see themselves as learners, first of all? And when we asked them, we surveyed, we asked lots of strategic questions to try and really surface to them what it means to be an effective learner, and we found it really didn't align with what our beliefs were.

So, our students told us things like, "An effective learner is someone who completes their work, gets their answers right", very compliance-driven. And when we asked around, "So what do you do when you get stuck?" again, it was very reliant on the educators to solve their problems for them. So, for us, we look at how can we support that shift from compliance and reliance-driven learning towards effective learning?

For us, that's somebody who is curious and resourceful in their approach to all things, whether that be learning or life in general. Our students, supporting them to understand themselves as learners, recognising their own strengths, and knowing what they need to do in order to be successful. We want to see students who are diving into challenges. Previously, they told us, "How do you see new learning?" and they said they feel nervous. And challenges, "Oh, they're disappointing, because I didn't know the answer straight away.” So, we're trying to flip that narrative to students who dive into those challenges, who seek and apply feedback, that they're adapting things when they're not working, but also seeking to continue to refine even when it's going right, making those improvements to beautiful work. We're looking at students who are working independently, they’re working in groups. They're knowing how to seek that support through stuck strategies, accessing feedback, and nest environments.

Dale Atkinson: One of the things you have really kind of laser-focused in on is the impact of disadvantage and disability and trauma within your cohort of students. How do you create a focus on that in a way that's not tokenistic, but is really meaningful to the teaching practice on your site?

Maddie McArthur: For us, we've had a long-term focus on really knowing our community and meeting our students where they're at. So, our shift in focus in 2026 has still been knowing our learners, where are they at, but in shifting mindsets and building that momentum to move them on.

So in all facets of our school, we focus on universal design for learning principles. So it's about remaining high expectations in all aspects, but ramping up the support as and when it's needed in any domain that that's needed. For example, through surfacing our dispositions, every student unpacks and explores their focus disposition. Everyone has access to the same. They share when they used it and the impact that it had on their learning. But where it differs is how students might do this. Some of them might be providing a written statement, a video, a voice recording, an annotated photograph, or a carefully sequenced sentence using visuals. So everybody has access to the same. We have high expectations for all, but the support provided is going to be differentiated for every child. 'Cause we want to make sure that they all have that opportunity to be on the same learning journey and using that role of resourcefulness, curiosity, empathy, whatever that focus is, to keep driving their learning forward. So, for us, those, those impacts of disadvantage, disability, and trauma, it's about knowing where they're at, and that's their reality for now, but that doesn't define their future.

Dale Atkinson: Now, you've tackled this at whole school level. That's challenging at the best of times. How do you get the buy-in and the momentum across your entire site?

Maddie McArthur: So for us, it's been a lot of work around our staff and staff culture, and that's been over a few years. Your team really need to share the vision. It's not gonna work if it's just something that sits in leadership offices. It's got to be something that is shared, communicated, and really lived. And part of that comes back to very similar model to what we talk about with our students. It's about knowing our staff, knowing how they operate, and what they truly value. So what we do is we regularly reflect on the alignment of what's expected through the SA Curriculum or through the Strategy. How do we then espouse what it is that we're doing through our site priorities? Through to what's enacted in the classroom on a day-to-day basis in all of our interactions, and then ultimately what's experienced by our learners. 'Cause we need to make sure there's that through line between what is expected through to what is experienced. And through that, we sustain our energy on the things that really matter. Very similar to what you talked about, Craig. Making sure that our laser focus is on the things that matter to us as a collective.

Dale Atkinson: Yeah. It's a very powerful story, Maddie, and it's exciting to see what's happening out at your site.

I’ll throw now to Margaret. Ardrossan Area School, you're a long way from other stuff, right?

Margaret Roads: We're 150ks from Adelaide. [A lot] closer than Lincoln, but yeah, we've got a beautiful school, 155 students, and area schools are a really special place to be, so we see our children transitioning from kindy and then transitioning out at the other end for their pathway. So yeah, it's a, yeah, good place to be.

Dale Atkinson: It is, certainly is. But the isolation, or at least the, the regional nature of your school has informed the project that you're being recognised for, which is really about how you support students with disability and additional learning needs who might otherwise need to travel quite a distance to get that support. How have you been able to build that into your site with the Lighthouse Project?

Margaret Roads: We've been investigating space for our students for emotional regulation and those individualised learning needs. And last year with the pending enrolment of a young person with significant needs, it became very important to have a space.

So we had, commenced with meetings with our support services, with the kindergarten staff, and with the family around how we could best support this young person, but then all the students within the school with those needs. So 'cause our closest disability unit is 90 minutes away, so a five-year-old to travel that distance is a long way in a day for a young person. So, we had to do some reorganising across the school, find a space. We had to purchase furniture, do some changes to the room. Finding staff is really important as well, so we were very fortunate to find an early career teacher with expertise and passion with working for students with additional needs. So together with Tegan, the teacher, and the deputy, Amy, we've worked really close together to set up this space. It's a beautiful, welcoming space that is a base for the particular reception student, but also is a space for other kids who just need that short timeout or are going in there for an individualised program. And it's just grown so much. It feels like it's been there longer than the, this year. We've already had lots of other schools visiting to see how we've set it up and, you walk in there, it's a welcoming, beautiful space. So it's been a real team effort, which is the way we work at our school.

Dale Atkinson: Yeah, it's really inspirational. What does it mean for your local community? Not just the school community, but more widely.

Margaret Roads: For this particular family and for all those students, it means that the students can remain in their community. 'Cause we are committed to the community. The school is an important part in our community and vice versa. So for that young person to be able to be in our school is very important to the family and to all of us. And I think that everyone is included at Ardrossan. It doesn't matter, where you come from or your background or your needs, we'll support you.

Dale Atkinson: So one of the other things that you've been really working hard on is expanding the digital learning offering and the curriculum options for your students, and making industry connections to give a richness of experience for your kids they otherwise wouldn't have. Why have you gone after that?

Margaret Roads: That's really important. I really strongly believe that it doesn't matter where you are, that you are entitled to the best facilities, the best teaching, and the support. So our location should not disadvantage our kids at all. So, we've worked really hard with our staff and with our community, including our local industries, to see... you know, we started 8 years ago, basically with this... “What were those skills and dispositions that our students need when they go out into the wide world?” So, like I said, it started all that time ago and was really fortunate when the purpose came out and the Strategy, that just fit so beautifully with what we were doing here.

The focus on capabilities and dispositions led us to investigate the Immersive Learning Lab. So we put that in place because it just was a great fit, a great tool for our staff to use to give our students the opportunity to use that. We worked really hard with our curriculum. So, we are very fortunate to be part of the Yorke Peninsula Secondary Alliance, so YPSA, in terms of our local delivery. So, we currently deliver Nutrition to 3 other sites, and our students access subjects in the other schools. So that's been really important around keeping our kids in our community. The third part of it is around opportunity and guaranteeing those pathways. So, we have worked strongly with the professional learning for our staff. We work with a couple of different companies as well. So we've got kids going to Brisbane for a competition in 2 weeks' time. We've got some year 11s going to China with the Yorke Peninsula Alliance. It's really important that our kids have those opportunities.

Dale Atkinson: Yeah. Sounds like you're really providing the richness of experience to children and families out there in Ardrossan.

We'll go in reverse order. Margaret, I'll ask you first. Final word from each. If there's one thing, one piece of advice you could share with listeners about, particularly those who are considering a step into leadership in public education, what would it be?

Margaret Roads: So for me, everything's about relationships, connection, community, and opportunity. They are the keys. So it's really important to build a strong team, and it's to use the networks available. So I'm fortunately part of lots of networks, including the Smith Family Connection. And the other bit, I think, is you need to be really caring. We've got a great staff here. Everyone works really well together. But you also need to be courageous, so making the decisions that have the students at the centre and that fit with your context and with where we want our school to be.

Dale Atkinson: Caring and courageous. Sounds like a good combination. Maddie, what's your advice?

Maddie McArthur: Mine would be if something comes your way, just jump in. Take every opportunity. Public education is such an exciting space, and there are so many different ways that you can explore leadership through South Australian public education. 'Cause you never know exactly where it is that you're gonna land, and we know that whilst we are making a profound difference in the lives of these incredible young people, some of them facing phenomenal challenges in their lives, truly the privilege is still ours. We're the ones that get to see them learn and grow. So invest wherever you can, because the outcomes will just outweigh every day of the week.

Dale Atkinson: Yeah, that's an inspiring message, Maddie. Thank you. And last of all, Craig what's your advice to aspiring or would-be leaders?

Craig Akehurst: Yeah, I think my advice, Dale, would be to realise the importance of our work as public educators. We lean in and embrace the fact that we do, do the heavy lifting in our community. And one of the, my favourite sayings that I keep coming back to is that public education doesn't exist to serve the community; public education exists to create the community. And I guess by that I mean, the students we're responsible for now are gonna be the doctors that treat us in 10 years' time, the plumbers that fix our houses in 5. We're creating our next community here in Port Lincoln and to me, there's no more important job than that. And if I could tack on one other thing, if I may, Dale is to make sure that as leaders, we laugh every day. Our work is often so intense that it's important for us to find the daily joy in the work that we do, and at Port Lincoln High School, that creates the collegiate culture that helps everybody's work.

Dale Atkinson: You know I'm not an educator, but it gets you a little bit tingly when you hear some of those things. That's, those are such positive messages about caring and compassion and courage. About, Maddie your message about taking it on, regardless of what it is, being excited and enthusiastic. Craig, your message about finding the joy, but also the underlying thing, which is public education creates community. If you can't get inspired by that, you can't get inspired.

So, to find out more about all the finalists in this year's Public Education Awards, check out the link in our show notes. And to our guests today, it's been great chatting to you, Craig, Maddie, and Margaret. Thank you.

Craig Akehurst, Maddie McArthur, Margaret Roads: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.