Heavy is the English Head

Episode 10: Skye Staude

Skye Staude is a dedicated educator and leader, with over a decade of experience driving instructional improvement across independent, government, and Catholic school sectors. As Principal at MacKillop Education in Geelong - a specialist setting supporting young people impacted by complex trauma and disrupted schooling - Skye champions literacy as a foundation for equity, engagement, and lifelong learning. Holding a Master of Instructional Leadership from the University of Melbourne and a Diploma of Community Services Work, Skye is Dare to Lead™ certified, having completed Brené Brown’s research-based program on courageous leadership. She recently completed the Women in Schools Advanced Leadership Program, further strengthening her commitment to gender equity and inclusive leadership in education. Her work is grounded in evidence-based literacy practices and the belief that language and literacy are central to connection, belonging, and wellbeing. Skye has presented extensively on trauma-informed and inclusive literacy strategies, focusing on building educator capacity to support vulnerable and at-risk students. Her leadership promotes whole-school approaches that dismantle barriers to learning and create environments where every student can feel safe, belong and thrive. In 2020, alongside Megan Corcoran from the Wagtail Institute, Skye founded the RewirED Leadership Network- a collaborative community of leaders from flexible, specialist, and alternative education settings committed to professional learning, networking, and problem-solving across sectors. Known for her calm, intentional leadership, Skye brings both strategic insight and practical expertise to her work. She is deeply committed to equipping educators to lead with courage and care, creating environments where literacy becomes a lever for transformation and equity, especially in complex educational contexts. Show notes [pending]   This episode was produced by Jonathan Raz.

Episode 9: Dr Briony Schroor

Dr Briony Schroor is the Domain Leader for English at Nossal High School, Victoria’s first fully academically selective coeducational government high school, and one of only four academically selective high schools in the state. Briony has a PhD in Classical Greek Literature and she is an avid reader who enjoys engaging with all sorts of texts. Briony joined Nossal High School as a teacher of English and Literature in 2014. She has extensive teaching experience in Australia and England. Briony very much values the discussion of texts within her domain, and in the school community more broadly. Show notes (coming soon)   This episode was produced by Jonathan Raz.

Episode 8: Xanthi Rice & Terri Hibbert

Xanthi Rice has been a teacher for more than 20 years, with extensive experience in classroom practice, leadership, and system-level support. She worked with the Wimmera South West School Improvement Team as a DSSI (Differentiated Support for School Improvement) Teaching Partner for three years, partnering closely with schools across the region to strengthen and transform their approaches to literacy instruction. In this role, she led professional learning, facilitated communities of practice, supported curriculum planning, developed documentation, and designed units of work that build teacher capacity and improve student outcomes. With the team she developed a F-2 community of practice that lead to a bigger initiative, the Literacy Learning Community, that involved over 70 schools across the area as they worked to develop high quality literacy practices across their schools. Xanthi has also served as Acting Principal and a leading teacher at Donald Primary School, where she applied her expertise in both instructional leadership and school operations. Most recently, she has been seconded to the Department’s Phonics Lesson Plans Unit, to develop the Phonics Plus program—an initiative designed to provide high-quality, evidence-based systematic synthetic phonics resources for Victorian schools. She has been writing lesson plans, supporting resources and developing professional learning series for teachers, school leaders, area and regional workforce as they support the implementation of Phonics Plus. Through these experiences, Xanthi has developed a deep understanding of literacy pedagogy, change leadership, and collaborative professional learning, with a commitment to supporting teachers and leaders to deliver the best outcomes for students. Terri Hibbert began her career in education after completing a Bachelor of Science in Disability Studies at Deakin University and a Graduate Diploma of Education at Monash University. Since then, she has taught across Victoria, NSW, and internationally in London, gaining a rich perspective on diverse teaching contexts. Terri's journey led her to Warrnambool East Primary School, where she holds her substantive position. Along the way, she’s been inspired by exceptional leaders and colleagues, motivating her to take on roles such as Teaching Partner and now EIL. These experiences have deepened her passion for instructional coaching and her commitment to driving literacy outcomes. Show notes (to be added shortly)   This episode was produced by Jonathan Raz.

Episode 7: Stephanie Le Lievre

Stephanie Le Lievre is Principal of Serpentine Primary School in Western Australia. She’s also a Commonwealth Bank Schools Plus Fellow and the co-director of Science of Teaching and Learning Australia (SOTLA). Steph has been a Deputy Principal, and Literacy Leader, and she’s worked in rural and remote communities. Steph has left her mark wherever she’s been. She’s done an enormous amount to close the research to practice gap and continues to advocate for curriculum, assessment, and teaching reforms, as well as teacher and leader workload reductions. You may know Steph from Reading Science in Schools (the former online educator community), or as the project lead for the Syntax Project, working alongside Rebecca Glasson, Christina Guy, and Jasmyn Hall. The Syntax Project is now of course housed at Ochre Education and widely used across schools. Steph has also been very generous in sharing the work she’s done at her school, including publishing novel studies and knowledge units, and leadership and reporting documentation. Show notes (to be added shortly)   This episode was produced by Jonathan Raz.

Episode 6: Michelle Winch & Ingrid Sjolund

Michelle Winch completed degrees in biomedical science and biotechnology before moving into education through the Teach for Australia program. While at Colac Secondary College, she earned a Master of Teaching and later a Master of Instructional Leadership at the University of Melbourne. She has held various teaching and leadership roles in mathematics, literacy, and science, and now leads teaching and learning across the school. Michelle is currently working with the Curriculum and Teaching Practice Division on the Victorian Lesson Plans project. She is committed to ensuring all students access high-quality instruction and sees curriculum design and implementation as the foundation of consistent, purposeful, and impactful teaching. Ingrid Sjolund worked in academic publishing for a number of years before she began her career in education. She has held a number of middle leadership roles, including Head of English and Humanities, and Learning Specialist for Literacy Improvement. As an English and History teacher, Ingrid sees narrative as a powerful influence when it comes to improving student knowledge and learning. As a leader, Ingrid is committed to supporting teachers to refine and improve their practice for their students’ – and their own – benefit. Show notes (to be added shortly)   This episode was produced by Jonathan Rav.