Experts in school leadership
With a combined 60 years of experience spanning the education system from early childhood to tertiary education; and from policy & strategy to school transformation, we’ve seen it all.
Our approach simplifies an often complex space into three pillars:
Focussed leadership
Excellent teaching and learning
Thriving people
In our experience, when these three areas are really humming the result is truly transformative experiences for everyone: educators, learners and families.
Focussed leadership
There’s always a lot going on in a school, so it’s essential that leaders are able to provide clarity and remain relentlessly focussed on what matters. No matter your starting point, progress will always be made one step at a time. If you are clear and focussed you can make sure each step moves you forward. Without clarity and focus it’s easy to find yourself being lead a merry dance around in circles.
By creating meaningful, strategic goals that build over time; inspiring and collaborating with your team; and relentlessly staying focussed on doing what matters, your school can forge a path to true excellence.
Excellent teaching and learning
Schools exist to foster learning, and great learning happens when every teacher is able to be effective and engaging every day, in every class. And that’s no easy feat.
Our approach supports teachers to be learning leaders in their classrooms. Helping students to develop the knowledge, skills and love of learning. When the teaching is interesting, appropriately challenging and fosters as sense of growth, it is inherently engaging.
Thriving people
Education is a long and winding journey, whether you’re a student or an educator. And we all know that we’ll have more stamina, drive and enthusiasm when we feel well. We embed positive psychology principles in everything we do, so that every interaction and action builds towards greater wellbeing.
What’s with the name?
Plucky Frank was born (as all good things are) over a few glasses of wine.
When starting the business, Charlie wanted a name that reflected her top two values: courage and candidness. But ‘Courage & Candour’ sounded a bit too much like a bad ‘80s rom-com, so Charlie and her wordsmith mate Julia paddled into their brain-thesauruses… and once they landed on ‘plucky’ and ‘frank,’ they knew they’d quacked it.
Spurred on by friends and colleagues who unanimously thought Plucky Frank should be a duck (some rogue nostalgia for Plucka Duck, perhaps?), Charlie enlisted designer-friend Hadrian to bring Frank to life, and our brave, big-hearted mascot was born.
Meet the humans
Charlie
Managing Director
Charlie spent the first decade of her career in education policy, working to improve outcomes across early childhood, school and tertiary systems.
She then went back to Uni and was part of the first graduating class from the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Melbourne.
She began a Phd looking for international systems that produced students with strong wellbeing and academic outcomes, before deciding that applying research was more to her liking.
After another decade supporting organisational development and leadership, she now brings her two worlds together to support schools.
Check out her LinkedIn for more details.
Charlie’s qualifications
Masters of Applied Positive Psychology
Bachelor of Public Policy (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts
Cert. Executive Coaching
Genevieve
Director
Genevieve has spent more than 40 years in Education including 18 years as a Principal in Victorian secondary schools.
Known for her innovation and commitment to improving educational outcomes, Genevieve took on some of the most challenging change programs, including two different school merger projects.
Her relentless focus on improving learning outcomes for all students led to sustained improvements that have benefited thousands of students
Genevieve now brings her extensive leadership experience and thorough knowledge of effective learning practice to Plucky Frank.
Check out her LinkedIn for more details.
Genevieve’s qualifications
Masters of Education
Bachelor of Arts
Diploma of Education
Grad. Cert. Organisational Development & Training
Cert. Leadership Coaching