Stories of Triple WellBeing

When Lucy co-founded Kivukoni School in Kilifi, Kenya, she wanted to build a place where childhood could be celebrated, where learning felt alive, connected and full of wonder. What began as a small community initiative has since grown into a thriving school that has transformed local education, offering children the freedom to explore the world with curiosity and confidence.Rooted in the belief that children learn best when they feel happy and engaged, Lucy has created an environment where shoes are optional, trees are classrooms and learning unfolds as part of the living world. Diversity and community are woven into every part of the school, from the multi-level fee structure that ensures inclusion, to the open gates that welcome parents, neighbours and local partners as part of the learning journey.Through the Triple WellBeing Fellowship, Lucy turned her focus inward, exploring how wellbeing can take root not only in students but also in teachers. Her action research introduced flexi-time at Kivukoni: giving every team member a half day each week to rest, reflect or take care of life’s essentials. The result has been transformative, greater energy, presence and joy across the community.For Lucy, wellbeing begins with trust in ourselves, in one another and in the rhythm of life. Her work is a living example of how education can nurture balance: between structure and freedom, between head and heart and between the human and the natural world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben has always tried to make sense of the world through his relationships with the people around him. As a young activist, he threw himself into climate and social justice campaigns, driven by urgency but also carrying the weight of the world. The intensity nearly burned him out. Teaching became the place where he could channel that energy differently through children, stories and the small daily practices of belonging.In the classroom, Ben discovered that the most powerful learning doesn’t come from what’s written in a lesson plan, but from what emerges when imagination is given space. He remembers building a cardboard time machine with his pupils. By the next day it had transformed into a rocket ship, a castle, a den. For Ben, this was learning at its best: when play is trusted to lead the way, and children surprise even themselves with their creativity.He worries about the arts and creativity being squeezed out of schools, treated as extras rather than essentials. For him, they are what keep us human. “Play,” he says, “is not a luxury but a foundation.” What matters most is not content delivery, but the conditions for joy, connection and independence to flourish.The Fellowship came at a time when Ben was close to questioning whether he could stay in education. He describes it as “a circle of digital hands to hold” a community that reminded him he wasn’t alone. Through its structure and support, he found permission to pause, to reflect and to bring new practices into his classroom: from active listening to creative inquiry, instilling wellbeing into the everyday life.Ben dreams of schools where the urgency to care for the planet is matched by the joy of belonging within it. Places where children grow up not only knowing facts, but knowing themselves and feeling part of a bigger story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebecca has spent over twenty years working in international education, connecting learners across cultures to the world around them. Now based at the International School of Dakar in Senegal, she leads community engagement and service learning, helping students turn awareness into action and curiosity into compassion.For Rebecca, education has always been a social endeavour, one rooted in belonging and relationship. Describing herself as a “living bridge,” she brings people together across difference to learn, collaborate and grow. Whether designing projects with local schools or mentoring students through creative service, she works to dismantle the barriers between “school” and “community,” nurturing a culture of reciprocity and care.The Triple WellBeing Fellowship offered Rebecca time to pause and reflect, to bring her values of connection, critical thinking and community into sharper focus. She used the framework to deepen her students’ understanding of service and wellbeing, helping them move beyond the idea of “helping” to one of genuine partnership. Her action research explored how self-care, people-care, and earth-care can guide cross-cultural collaboration, ensuring learning uplifts everyone involved.With humility and humour, Rebecca reminds us that education’s purpose is not perfection but participation. It’s in the messy, relational spaces where we question, listen and co-create that the deepest learning happens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We can only breathe out what we have breathed in, caring for ourselves helps us care for our children.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whitney’s story is one of determination and deep compassion. Growing up and then working in Uganda, she saw first-hand how poverty, inequality and limited access to education could hold back entire communities. That experience shaped her purpose: to create opportunities for others, especially girls, to thrive through education and self-belief.A trained social worker, Whitney has worked across mental health, community development and education, helping children in some of Uganda’s most underserved areas return to school and rediscover their confidence. Through the Triple WellBeing Fellowship, Whitney turned her focus toward one of the most pressing barriers facing girls in education: period poverty. Her action research explored how menstrual stigma and lack of access to sanitary products prevent girls from attending school and how open conversation, creativity and community solutions can change that. She introduced workshops that taught girls to make reusable sanitary pads, blending practical learning with empowerment, health awareness and environmental care.Now pursuing a master’s in International Development and Economics at the University of San Francisco, Whitney continues to champion reproductive health education and sustainable change. Her voice carries a clear message: lasting transformation begins when we listen, include and uplift one another. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Shveta, education has always been more than books and exams. Growing up she saw the value her family placed on learning but she also remembers wishing for teachers who noticed the whole child, not just the grades. That longing has quietly shaped the kind of teacher she has become.She knows the reality of school life: the busyness, the pressure, the constant sense of never having enough time. She sees how this leaves many teachers drained and how children can so easily feel unseen. Her question is simple but radical: What if schools became places where care and belonging mattered as much as results?Day to day, Shveta is finding her own ways to answer. With staff, she brings in small practices of reflection and gratitude, creating moments to pause and reconnect. With children, she carves out space for listening circles, where every voice can be heard and uses simple wellbeing check-ins that remind pupils they are more than their performance. For her, wellbeing isn’t an add-on, it’s something woven into the ordinary fabric of the day.The Fellowship gave her both courage and companionship. Through the action research she explored how to embed these ideas practically and through the community she discovered the relief of not being alone: “Realising there are others trying to do this too gave me the strength to keep going.”At the heart of her work is a belief that education should prepare children for life, not just exams. Relationships come first, she says, because without trust and belonging, learning won’t land. Her dream is of schools where resilience and joy are seen as markers of success and where every child feels ready to step into the world with confidence.“If our children leave school knowing they belong, knowing how to listen and knowing how to care for themselves and others,” she reflects, “then we’ve given them the best possible start.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Kelly, the past few years have been a journey of rediscovery. A lifelong educator, she has worked across early years, adult learning and primary education, guiding others through learning at every stage of life. Yet after years in the classroom, burnout forced her to pause. Stepping away from teaching opened a new chapter, one shaped by reflection, healing and the courage to slow down.As Education and Facilities Coordinator, Kelly combined her love of learning with a deep commitment to wellbeing. Her experiences caring for her daughter through serious illness brought new meaning to the idea of connection and community. Through yoga, journaling and breathwork, she began to rebuild her confidence and sense of self and learning. As she puts it “to see my authentic self again.”During the Triple WellBeing Fellowship, Kelly focused her action research on self-care, exploring how stillness, creativity and gratitude can nurture resilience. She used these insights to design community wellbeing events at Furnace Brook, bringing families together through simple, joyful activities, yoga under the trees, shared meals, creative reflection and playful connection. With three years of funding now secured, her work is continuing to grow, one gathering at a time.For Kelly, wellbeing begins with presence: learning to pause, breathe and be. Her journey reminds us that when we care for ourselves first, we rekindle the energy to care for others and to reimagine education as a lifelong act of learning and love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Derrick, education is personal. Having experienced the challenges of accessing schooling himself, he now works to ensure that no child is left behind. As an educator and research fellow with Building Tomorrow, he leads foundation learning programmes in rural Uganda, helping children develop reading, writing and numeracy skills and perhaps more importantly, a love of learning.Working in schools where resources are scarce and classes overcrowded, Derrick’s creativity shines. He uses stories, play and conversation to connect with students who may be distracted, shy, or struggling. For him, storytelling is not just a teaching tool, it’s a bridge to self-awareness. “Before teaching, I tell a story,” he explains. “It captures their minds, brings joy and helps them arrive ready to learn.”Through the Triple WellBeing Fellowship, Derrick found a community of educators who share his belief that change begins with care. His action research focused on self-awareness, storytelling and wellbeing, helping teachers and learners alike build empathy and confidence from the inside out.The Fellowship has strengthened Derrick’s sense of purpose and sparked new ambitions. He’s now growing a community campaign focused on education and self-awareness, planting both trees and ideas across schools and villages.For Derrick, wellbeing begins with reflection: taking time to pause, learn and grow. His work reminds us that transformation often starts small, one story, one seed and one learner at a time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anike knows the rhythm of school life: the intensity, the speed and the way it can take over everything. During term time, she says, it feels like the accelerator is pressed right down, a hundred miles an hour until suddenly it stops. Holidays give her the rare chance to breathe again: to walk the dogs, meet neighbours and simply be present with her family. Her friends call her their “holiday friend,” because it’s the only time she has space. And it’s in these pauses that she remembers what matters most: kindness, listening and presence.Her path has always been shaped by stories. First through her love of English and literature and now through the unfolding stories of the pupils and colleagues she works alongside. Over the years, her belief has shifted. Primary school, she says, is not about stuffing children with knowledge but about helping them learn how to be learners, how to collaborate, how to find their voice and how to belong.At Oxford High Prep she has nurtured Earth Studies, a subject that brings geography and sustainability into lived experiences of climate, community and change-making. When she asked her staff what “best teaching” looks like, not one mentioned knowledge. Instead they spoke of collaboration, creativity, communication and independence, which are the skills Anike believes lie at the heart of education.Kindness sits at the centre of her work, not as a soft word but as a practice. Some days it means listening more deeply, other days it means owning her humanity when she is snappy and always it begins with being gentle with herself. “Teachers are often their harshest critics,” she reflects, “but if you can be kind to yourself, you have more to give to others.”The Fellowship has given her both structure and sustenance. She holds onto an image that has stayed with her: trees standing strong in a hurricane because their roots are intertwined underground. That, she says, is what this community feels like, unseen but deeply connected, giving strength to weather the storm. In her own classrooms she brings this alive through simple practices like wonder walks, empathy circles and active listening, embedding wellbeing into the fabric of daily school life.Anike dreams of schools where children feel resourced, joyful and fully themselves. “If our children leave primary school knowing how to think, how to collaborate and how to find their own voice,” she says, “then they’ll be ready for whatever comes next and to live joyful, meaningful lives.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Curiosity has always guided Deborah’s path. As an artist, educator, and creative leader, she has spent much of her life weaving stories that connect people to place, purpose and possibility. Her work asks a simple but profound question: what does it mean to be human in these times and how can we live as part of the web of life, not apart from it?Through her work with “The Great Imagining”, Deborah has created an ever-evolving ecosystem of learning adventures that bring imagination and action together. Rooted in the belief that creativity can shape culture, her projects invite young people to explore what a greener, fairer and wiser world might look like and to take part in making it real. From intergenerational gatherings to playful, place-based experiences, her work nurtures both awe and agency, giving students and teachers alike the courage to ask deeper questions about meaning and purpose.Joining the Triple WellBeing Fellowship offered Deborah a sense of kinship, a space to be in community with others who are working inside and outside education to create cultural change. It gave structure to her own action research, anchoring her large-scale programme across 60 schools in Staffordshire in shared learning and reflection.For Deborah, wellbeing begins with trust: trust in the process, in people and in our shared responsibility to nurture life. Her work is a reminder that small acts of imagination can ripple outward, transforming not just classrooms but the cultural soil from which our futures grow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Holly is joined by LeeAnne Lavender (and a therapy bunny!). LeeAnne is an independent coach, facilitator and consultant for schools around service-learning, story-telling, and sustainability. After two decades in international schools as a teacher and service learning lead, LeeAnne now supports educators worldwide to embed global citizenship and sustainability into their practice. But what makes her work so powerful is her focus on something often overlooked: educator wellbeing.Through her work in the Triple WellBeing® Fellowship, LeeAnne is exploring what happens when we take self-care seriously in schools, not as a luxury or an add-on, but as a core foundation. Her coaching and workshops help teachers slow down, listen deeply and reconnect with the purpose behind their work.In the episode, we refer to:Children of Time, Adrian TchaikovskyDavid Brooks, How to Know a PersonCitizens, Jon AlexanderYou can find out more about LeeAnne's work at https://www.leeannelavender.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Holly speaks with Gail Singer - National Counsellor for Integrating Technology into Learning English in Israel’s Ministry of Education. This conversation was recorded in September 2024, during a time of heightened violence in Gaza and Israel. In it, Gail, an Israeli educator, teacher trainer and grandmother, shares her personal experiences and her reflections on working with care, courage and humanity in the midst of ongoing conflict. Her story is a reminder that even in the most difficult circumstances, there are people choosing to lead with love and that the work of care must continue, especially where it’s needed most.A note before we begin:Every child, wherever they are, deserves to grow up in a world that feels safe, kind and connected. Children don’t get to choose the circumstances they’re born into. They don’t decide the borders, the politics or the conflicts, but they live with the impact. That’s why, no matter the situation, we believe they deserve to be raised in a culture of care. We believe the wellbeing of children is inseparable from the wellbeing of the adults who care for them and that care should never stop at borders or be conditional on politics, even when it’s uncomfortable, complex or doesn’t fit neatly into our worldview. In a world that can often feel fractured and overwhelming, we choose to show up with compassion, especially in the hardest and most uncertain places, because this work is about being brave enough to stay with the discomfort, to keep showing up with love and to model the depth of connection that we wish to see in the world.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Holly speaks with Charles Oyet Omoya - a man of many roles, who's best described in his work as a teacher trainer, and as a person as a father. Join me for a deep dive into the complexities, innovations and challenges of the Ugandan education system and hear from Charles about his dreams for the future of education. We discuss the relationship between corporal punishment and teacher wellbeing, and the need for self-compassion training for all educators. A note before we begin: this episode does mention violence towards children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Holly speaks with Keren Dahan - Director of the TEVEL Leadership Programme for Senior Educators and Policy Makers at the Heschel Centre for Sustainability in Israel.Keren Dehan brings a rare and powerful blend of mindfulness, systems thinking and deep compassion to her work as an educator and change-maker. With a background in organisational development, psychotherapy and social innovation, Keren now leads the TEVEL Fellowship which supports senior education leaders to reimagine the purpose of learning in response to climate collapse. This conversation was recorded in September 2024, during a time of heightened violence in Gaza and Israel. In it, Keren - an educator, single mother and mindfulness practitioner, shares her personal experiences and her reflections on working with care, courage and humanity in the midst of ongoing conflict. Her story is a reminder that even in the most difficult circumstances, there are people choosing to lead with love and that the work of care must continue, especially where it’s needed most.A note before we begin:Every child, wherever they are, deserves to grow up in a world that feels safe, kind and connected. Children don’t get to choose the circumstances they’re born into. They don’t decide the borders, the politics or the conflicts, but they live with the impact. That’s why, no matter the situation, we believe they deserve to be raised in a culture of care. We believe the wellbeing of children is inseparable from the wellbeing of the adults who care for them and that care should never stop at borders or be conditional on politics, even when it’s uncomfortable, complex or doesn’t fit neatly into our worldview. In a world that can often feel fractured and overwhelming, we choose to show up with compassion, especially in the hardest and most uncertain places, because this work is about being brave enough to stay with the discomfort, to keep showing up with love and to model the depth of connection that we wish to see in the world.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Holly speaks with Geoff Norman - School Programmes Coordinator for Cumbria Development Education Centre. Geoff, a former Head Teacher, lives and works in the Lake District where he spends his time nature journalling, kayaking and working with young people on projects around global citizenship and nature connection. During the conversation, we mention:Cumbria Development Education Centre (CDEC)Rise UpGlobal Learning NetworkWild Wonder Foundation  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Holly speaks with Kim Bingham, Senior Teacher at the Preparatory School at Peterborough School, UK. Find out about how Kim has been bringing personal, social and environmental wellbeing into his Year 6 class, and how his experience of the Triple WellBeing® Fellowship has been shaping his personal and professional practice.In the episode, we refer to:Peterborough School Preparatory SchoolTriple WellBeing® Fellowship, ThoughtBoxTriple WellBeing® Cards, ThoughtBox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Holly speaks with Kirstin Hoey, Head of Character and Values Education, Head of Geography and PSB Lead at Castle Court School in Dorset, UK. Find out about their 'CAVE' Programme, the connection between sailing and Triple WellBeing, and the challenges of making allotment digging seem as exciting as video games!In the episode, we refer to:Castle Court SchoolPSB (Pre-Senior Baccalaureate)Triple WellBeing Curriculum, ThoughtBoxThe Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Holly speaks with Ally Onions, Head of Safeguarding and Mental Health and Boarding Parent at St George's School Windsor Castle, UK. Find out about their focus on 'real world' learning, on preparing their pupils for the future, and about the deep and rich conversations that emerge from their PSHE lessons.In the episode, we refer to:St George's School Windsor CastlePSHE AssociationTriple WellBeing® Curriculum, ThoughtBox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Holly speaks with Paul Edmond - Chief Finance and Sustainability Officer at HEART Academies Trust. Find out about the role of finance and operations in sustainability action, the complexities and opportunities of our education system and Paul's hopes for the future of education.In the episode, we refer to:HEART Academies TrustUKSSN UKSSN Operations GroupGlobal Action PlanTransforming Education Leadership Summit, ThoughtBoxTriple WellBeing® Fellowship, ThoughtBox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Holly speaks with Jill Howard - Director of Education Services at the Society of Heads, UK. Find out about how personal, social and environmental wellbeing are integrated into the work that she does to support headteachers around the UK, and how self-care, people-care and earth-care are showing up in Jill's work and home life.In the episode, we refer to:The Society of HeadsTransforming Education Summit, ThoughtBoxTriple WellBeing® Fellowship, ThoughtBoxTriple WellBeing® card deck, ThoughtBox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.