Pivot Professional Learning

At The MacKillop Institute and MacKillop Family Services Conference *Lead the Way* conference last week, Pivot’s Cleo Westhorpe and Far East Network Principal Robert Boucher introduced the concept of the Seahorse Curve - a powerful way to visualise how belonging and connectedness rise and fall across a student’s journey. The Seahorse Curve helps us move beyond abstract data and into the lived experience for our young people: ➡️ It shows the moments where students feel most connected—and where that sense of belonging too often dips. ➡️ It challenges schools and systems to pay attention not just to academic outcomes, but to the relational and wellbeing journeys that shape learning. ➡️ It provides a lens for understanding when and why interventions matter most. ➡️ Critically, it reminds us that a curve is not something to be afraid of - but if we can be aware, we won't be alarmed, and we can proactively prepare. We were thrilled by the energy in the room and the conversations sparked by this framework. (Thanks for all your terrific feedback!) The big takeaway? Belonging is not a “nice to have” - it is foundational to learning, wellbeing, and life outcomes. 👏 Thank you to the organisers, presenters, and participants who made Lead the Way such an energising, collaborative space. Huge appreciation to Chris Higgins FICDA MA MEd DipGov and his team for putting together such a beautiful conference. Stay tuned for Sam Patterson's 'on theme' socks in our little video, below! 👇🏼 We look forward to partnering with schools and systems to apply these insights, and to continue building strategies that put student wellbeing at the centre. #Wellbeing #StudentVoice #Belonging #CollectiveImpact #Education

“It’s a bridge between student experience and teacher growth.” That’s how Matthew Kent, Assistant Principal at Holy Spirit College (Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong), describes the role of Pivot in his school - and it couldn’t be more spot on. Too often, student feedback is treated as a one-off event or compliance task. But what happens when it becomes part of the ongoing professional learning culture? What if student voice could connect classroom experience with strategic priorities, shaping how teachers reflect, plan, and grow? This afternoon, Co-Founder Cleo Westhorpe will be hosting a live webinar with Matt where we’ll explore how his school has made that shift - and what other schools can learn from their journey. 💬 Topics we’ll unpack: - Moving from compliance to feedback culture - Aligning student feedback with staff goals and your AIP - The role of middle leaders in leading reflection and buy-in 📅 Today – Wednesday 13 August 🕓 3:45 - 4:30pm AEDT 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gn5b6e5E If you care about building a feedback-informed, future-focused school culture, this session is one not to miss.

Great to be here at the MacKillop Family Services The MacKillop Institute Lead The Way Conference in Naarm/Melbourne. Damien Posterino and Cleo Westhorpe look forward to more conversations that are driven by connection, by curiosity, and the collective. Looking forward to the first keynote with Dr Ross Greene, dialling in from the northern hemisphere! #meetingkidswheretheyareat #studentwellbeing #collaborativewellbeing #resilientkids Chris Higgins FICDA MA MEd DipGov Sam Patterson Ivan Vysotskiy Jessica Roberts

On stage tomorrow at The Lead the Way conference 2025! What happens when schools slow down, listen deeply, and work together to tackle the big questions? Join us at the Lead the Way Conference as Cleo Westhorpe (Pivot) and Principal and Network Chair Robert Boucher (Swifts Creek P–12) share the story behind The Seahorse Curve (and how we work to 'shorten the tail'), a collective effort by the Far East Network and Pivot to improve student connectedness and belonging across regional Victoria. This session is all about practical insights, place-based action, and the power of “we” in education. See you bright and early tomorrow ☕ 🌅 for an array of amazing humans sharing their stories and tales (or should we say 'tails'?!) of impact. We hope you can join our conversation at 11:10am, Monday 11 August | Meeting Place 4! #PivotPL #StudentVoice #EducationMatters #LeadTheWay2025 #RegionalSchools #WellbeingInAction #SeahorseCurve #LTW25 #MacKillopInstitute MacKillop Education Chris Higgins FICDA MA MEd DipGov Meena Singh Pasi Sahlberg

Keen to get the skinny on strategies and structures that embed teaching quality insights into staff goal-setting, middle leader development, and school improvement goals? 👀 We've got you covered! Next week, we’re running a free 45-min webinar with Matt Kent (Assistant Principal, Holy Spirit College Bellambi) from the fabulous Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong to explore how insights into teaching quality can move from “nice to have”, to something that genuinely drives school improvement and strong professional learning communities. "Closing the Loop: How One School Uses Pivot to Support a Culture of Continuous Improvement" Matt will be chatting with Cleo Westhorpe (Pivot’s Co-Founder and Head of Education) about what it really looks like to close the loop with students, and why it’s worth the effort. 📅 Wednesday 13 August ⏰ 3:45–4:30pm AEST ✅ Online + free Perfect for school leaders, teams working on school improvement plans, or anyone who wants to make student feedback more than just a 'tick-box'. 👉 Save your spot here: https://lnkd.in/gyCUbjQX #ASIP #schoolstrategy #strategicplanning #studentsaspartners #studentvoice #schoolimprovement #pivotpl #educationleadership #webinar Daniel Delmage Russell Newman Damien Posterino Ivan Vysotskiy Michelle Pakula Jessica Roberts Ajita Joshi

How do we move beyond the datapoints, and focus on the ‘warm data’ that creates *real connection* in schools? With just 1 week ( 🥳 ) to go, Pivot is proud to be presenting alongside the Far East Network on a story of curiosity, collaboration and community-led change. Together with Robert Boucher (Principal, Swifts Creek P–12) at the Lead the Way Conference, our Co-Founder Cleo Westhorpe will unpack The Seahorse Curve, a story of student connectedness that’s helping regional schools identify, reflect, and act on what matters most. Join us as we explore how warm data, shared language and simple plays are shifting the narrative for students across Victoria. Rydges Melbourne | Monday 11 August, 11:10am | Lead the Way Conference 2025 MacKillop Education Chris Higgins FICDA MA MEd DipGov Robert Boucher David Mowbray Country Education Partnership Andrea Downie #LTW25 #PivotPL #StudentConnectedness #SeahorseCurve #DataToAction #RegionalEducation #MacKillopInstitute #WellbeingInSchools #LeadTheWay2025

“It’s the interpretation of data that matters.” - Professor John Hattie A month on from the Data in Schools Conference, Hattie’s words still resonate. In our latest blog, we explore: > Why data is just the beginning > The soup metaphor that reframes assessment > Helping students make sense of their own learning > What AI can (and can’t) do in education Read it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gwppATa6 #StudentVoice #EducationLeadership #AIinEducation #AssessmentMatters #PivotInsights Cleo Westhorpe Chris Smith Lissie Doyle Ruchi Mainali Ben Summerton Jemma Hooykaas Dan Ingvarson Intellischool - Thank you for hosting!

We're incredibly honoured to be featured in this piece by EduGrowth: Australia's EdTech Hub, highlighting our collaboration with the Cyber Safety Project on designing and delivering impactful online safety education! It’s a privilege to work alongside organisations committed to creating real-world change through thoughtful, evidence-based learning design. Our full report is available here to learn more about our landmark findings:  https://lnkd.in/gbkQ5RiH #OnlineSafety #LearningDesign #ImpactfulEducation #Collaboration #EdTech #CSP #EduGrowth Trent Ray Andrew Bennetto Jadey Faulkner Amanda Greig Cleo Westhorpe David Linke Ivan Vysotskiy Imogen Luttringer Jeannette Tran

We’re honoured to be featured in Education Matters Magazine for our landmark report with the Cyber Safety Project: Lessons in Safety: Understanding Effective Online Education in Australian Schools. This pilot program, involving over 880 students across seven schools, demonstrated that effective online safety education leads to measurable improvements in student knowledge, behaviour, and wellbeing. Key findings include;  🔐 93.4% of students adopting safer online behaviours 🧠 30.6% increase in students creating secure passwords Thank you to our dedicated educators and partners who made this possible. Together, we’re empowering students with the skills they need to navigate the digital world safely. Read more about our findings below 👇 https://lnkd.in/gfwnqgQp Cleo Westhorpe Trent Ray Isaac Rule Andrew Bennetto Amanda Greig Jadey Faulkner Rhiannon Bowman

Excited to be gathering today at UniMelb’s Melbourne Connect for the Data in Schools Conference. A It might be cold and wintry outside, but we're warming up with 128 proud data fiends, talking and sharing data insights in education. We’re predicting a strong correlation between good coffee, great company, and even better conversations. From dashboards to deep dives, we're exploring how data can inform decisions, inspire action, and improve outcomes for learners and educators alike. So many smart minds in one room, and hopefully plenty of Pivot tables too (see what we did there ?!) 😜 Big thanks to all the schools, researchers, and system leaders showing up to make data matter. Let’s keep asking the big questions - and finding evidence-based answers that lead to real change. #DataInSchools #EvidenceInEducation #EdLeadership #StudentVoice #MelbourneConnect #EducationConference Data in Schools Chris Smith Dan Ingvarson