Wag Tales

#64: Skye Staude, leading in trauma-informed schools

Skye Staude is an experienced educator and leader who has spent over 15 years working in alternative and re-engagement education settings with young people who have experienced significant adversity. Now a Deputy Executive Principal across multiple campuses at MacKillop Education, Skye brings a deep commitment to trauma-informed practice, system-level change, and supporting both young people and the adults who care for them. In this conversation, Skye and Megan reflect on their shared journey in the early days of trauma-informed education and the experiences that shaped their work and leadership. Together, they explore what it really means to build trauma-informed systems — not just within classrooms, but across families, staff, and the broader community. Skye shares a powerful initiative from her current work: embedding a family therapist within the school to support connection, reduce isolation, and strengthen the role of families in a young person's life. They also reflect on literacy, early intervention, and the importance of responding to the real needs sitting in front of us, rather than what systems assume. This episode also brings into focus the often unspoken realities of this work — particularly the physiological load on educators and leaders. Megan and Skye unpack the importance of self-awareness, regulation, and psychological safety within teams, and why trauma-informed leadership must include the wellbeing of staff if it is to be sustainable. It's an honest and thoughtful conversation about leadership, relationships, and the systems we need to build if we want to truly support young people to thrive. --- Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. Website: https://wagtailinstitute.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagtail.institute Music by Kabbilistic Village: https://kabbalisticvillage.com/

#63: Ruby Sait, from Out-of-Home Care to thriving in your own way

Ruby Sait is a passionate advocate for young people with lived experience of out-of-home care, whose work is shaped by her own journey through homelessness, education, and life beyond the system. Through her advocacy, mentorship, and community work, Ruby is committed to ensuring that young people who have grown up in care are not defined by their circumstances but supported to see what is possible for their future. Her story is one of determination, courage, and a deep belief in the potential of others. In this episode, Ruby and Megan explore Ruby’s journey through out-of-home care and homelessness, and the realities of navigating life without consistent support. Ruby speaks openly about the messages she received about her worth and her future, and the determination it took to stay connected to education and create a different path for herself. She reflects on the role of alternative education in providing connection and belonging, and the significance of graduating despite the barriers she faced. The conversation also highlights Ruby’s work supporting other young people with experience in out-of-home care to access education opportunities, including helping them secure scholarships and pathways into further study. Ruby shares why mentorship matters, what it means to be a consistent and encouraging presence in a young person’s life, and how belief can shift someone’s trajectory. Together, they discuss the gaps that still exist for young people transitioning out of care, and the need for more responsive, compassionate systems of support. Ruby also speaks to the emotional weight of sharing lived experience, the balance between empowerment and vulnerability, and the importance of creating spaces where young people feel seen, heard, and supported. This is a powerful and hopeful conversation that reminds us that young people are not statistics — they are individuals with stories, strengths, and futures worth investing in. Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute [https://wagtailinstitute.com/] Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: megan@wagtailinstitute.com Music by Kabbilistic Village https://kabbalisticvillage.com/ [https://kabbalisticvillage.com/]

#62: Zach Mercurio, Mattering in schools and workplaces

Zach Mercurio, PhD, is a researcher, speaker, and author whose work centres on one of our most fundamental human needs: to feel that we matter. Through his research in organisational psychology and his work with schools, workplaces, and leaders around the world, Zach explores how simple, everyday interactions shape our sense of value, connection, and wellbeing. His work offers a powerful reframe — that feeling seen, heard, and valued is not a “nice to have,” but essential for human development and thriving. In this episode, Zach and Megan explore what “mattering” really means, and how it differs from concepts like belonging and inclusion. They unpack how a sense of mattering is built through small, consistent interactions — noticing someone, affirming their value, and showing that they are needed. Zach shares how these micro-moments can have a profound impact on young people’s mental health, engagement, and sense of identity, and why the absence of mattering can contribute to disconnection, disengagement, and burnout. The conversation also explores what this means in practice for educators, leaders, and anyone working with people. Zach offers simple, tangible ways we can build a culture of mattering in our classrooms, workplaces, and relationships — not through programs or initiatives, but through how we show up in everyday moments. Together, they reflect on the role of technology, the importance of rebuilding relational ecosystems, and why meaningful connection must sit at the centre of any system that aims to support wellbeing. This episode is a powerful reminder that we don’t need to do something extraordinary to make a difference — we need to be intentional in the ordinary. Because when people feel that they matter, everything else begins to shift. You can find out more about Zach Mercurio and grab a copy of his book here. [https://www.zachmercurio.com/] Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute [https://wagtailinstitute.com/] Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: megan@wagtailinstitute.com Music by Kabbilistic Village https://kabbalisticvillage.com/

#61: Dr Kate Renshaw, play at the heart of childhood

Dr Kate Renshaw is a play therapist, educator, and researcher whose work centres on the role of play in children’s emotional development, learning, and wellbeing. Through her clinical practice, teaching, and advocacy, Kate has spent many years helping adults better understand the language of play and the profound insights it offers into children’s inner worlds. Her work bridges therapeutic practice and education, inviting teachers, parents, and professionals to see play not as a break from learning, but as one of the most powerful ways children learn, regulate, and make sense of their experiences. In this episode, Kate and Megan explore the foundations of play therapy and why play is such an essential part of healthy child development. Kate explains how play therapy draws from a range of experiential therapeutic approaches and how teachers, carers, and other adults can support children through play in everyday environments. They talk about developmentally appropriate learning, the importance of observation and curiosity when engaging with children, and why play is often the most natural language children have to communicate what they are feeling and experiencing. The conversation also explores how our cultural understanding of childhood shapes the opportunities children have to play, and why adults sometimes struggle to interpret or value play in the same way children do. Kate introduces the idea of the “cortical complexity gap” and how this influences the way adults interpret children’s behaviour. Together, Megan and Kate reflect on how play supports emotional regulation, creativity, and problem-solving, and why reclaiming play in both childhood and adulthood is so important for wellbeing. This episode is an invitation to slow down, observe, and reconnect with the power of play. Whether you are an educator, parent, therapist, or simply someone interested in supporting children well, Kate’s insights offer a thoughtful reminder that play is not an extra — it is fundamental to how we grow, learn, and heal. Dr Kate Renshaw's clinical website can be found here. [https://www.playandfilialtherapy.com/] National Institute for Play (US based) https://nifplay.org/ [https://nifplay.org/] Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute [https://wagtailinstitute.com/] Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: megan@wagtailinstitute.com Music by Kabbilistic Village https://kabbalisticvillage.com/

#60: Jesse Diggins and Nathan Castle, Psychs in Schools and supporting young people well

Jesse Diggins and Nathan Castle are psychologists and co-founders of Psychs in Schools, an initiative working alongside schools to strengthen mental health support for children and young people. Their work focuses on increasing access to psychological services within educational settings, building strong partnerships with educators, and ensuring that support is relational, practical, and responsive to the realities schools face every day. In this episode, Megan, Jesse, and Nathan explore what it really means to provide meaningful mental health support in schools. They talk about the growing needs of young people, the pressure educators are under, and the importance of collaboration rather than siloed support. Together, they unpack how psychologists can work in partnership with school staff, why connection must sit at the centre of wellbeing work, and how assessment services and timely intervention can make a significant difference for students and families. They also discuss the role of technology in young people’s lives — acknowledging both its risks and its potential — and the need for balanced, thoughtful conversations rather than reactive fear. The episode highlights the importance of sleep, play, and safe relationships, and reminds us that supporting student wellbeing is not the work of one professional alone. It requires shared responsibility, clear communication, and a willingness to work as a team. This conversation offers insight for educators, school leaders, and anyone invested in creating environments where young people can access the right support at the right time. You can find out about Psychs in Schools here. [https://www.psychsinschools.com/] Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: megan@wagtailinstitute.com Music by Kabbilistic Village https://kabbalisticvillage.com/