Leading a generational change

Dr Ray Swann has been recognised as one of the country’s leading educators in Australia’s schools. He is on the Educator’s Hotlist 2019 as one of 50 candidates who ‘represent the cutting edge of educational excellence’.

As Deputy Headmaster, Head of Crowther, Dr Swann has embarked on a generational change program at Brighton Grammar School.

By using his experience and PhD in medical education, Dr Swann and his team of educators have developed a wellbeing program for the school to better support the community and become a place of exchange. The aim is to promote and develop healthy, balanced minds and habits for not only the students, but parents and teachers too.

The program:

  • Helps parents to understand ‘why’ and gives them the confidence to freely exchange ideas
  • Encourages staff and students to engage in better dialogue and shared understandings
  • Focuses on building a collective target culture
  • Allows experts to support change and develop meaningful artifacts and processes to impact the school, its students and the broader community.

Initiatives to date include:

  • Launching BioDash, a world first program, developed through a MOU in partnership with Melbourne University’s Centre for Positive Psychology to improve wellbeing for students
  • Engaging global best-seller James Kerr (author of Legacy) to build culture through a student led vision for belonging, and to improve engagement in learning
  • Developing the Positive Masculinity Framework with Orygen: The Centre for Youth Mental Health; a project attracting international support that uses a best practice model to help young men and boys develop into respectful men, ready to flourish in our community.
  • Hosting researchED conferences, which bring together academics and educators from around the world to share their expertise in putting good education research into practice.

This recognition for Dr Ray Swann and the Crowther team is a unique opportunity to share these advances of the School with the broader community and drive support towards advancing educational practices for all.