Principals with Principles

Mitch and Ben discuss Ben’s appointment to lead St Kieran, the school where he began his teaching career, and unpack what applying for a principal role involves. They share practical advice on weighing family and community considerations, preparing a strong written application, and answering interview questions with clarity and authenticity.

In this episode, Mitch and Ben discuss the three common mistakes new principals make, sharing insights from their own experiences to help educational leaders navigate their roles more effectively. We hope you enjoy it!

Welcome to Episode 10 of PWP. Today, we're joined by Rachel Holdsworth, Principal of Holy Spirit Manifold Heights.

In this inspiring conversation, Rachel reflects on her journey into educational leadership, sharing the experiences and people who have shaped her along the way. She speaks with genuine gratitude for the privilege of leading a school community and offers thoughtful wisdom on the purpose of education, the importance of relationships, and what it means to lead with authenticity and service.

We hope you enjoy this insightful discussion with Rachel Holdsworth. Let's get started.

In Episode 9, we’re joined by Rob La Roche, an inspiring educator and Principal from Collie W.A, whose journey into teaching was shaped by one very special influence, his mum Wendy. Rob shares how her example and others ignited his passion for education and continues to guide his leadership today.

We dive into the importance of building strong social and connection skills in students from an early age, and how these foundations can shape not just better learners, but better people. It’s a thoughtful conversation about the power of role models, relationships, and leadership in schools. Thankfully we also learn about what everyone had for dinner last night! We hope you enjoy it.

In this episode, we take you behind the scenes forsomething a little different… a week in the life of a Principal. So today, we’re lifting the lid. What actually fills the hours? What are the moments that matter most? And what does it reallytake to lead a school community with clarity, compassion and conviction? Let’s dive in.

Join the PWP team as we reflect on leading schools during natural disasters. Mitch reflects on the two cyclones, Mitchell and Narelle, that hit Karratha at the start of 2026. Ben reflects on his experience during Cyclone Seroja back in 2021. We also introduce our first sponsor of the show SAL Marketing. For more information about SAL marketing, see the links below:

https://www.salmarketinggroup.com/about

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaldaris/

Ben’s Guacamole Recipe (listen to the end of understand why you need this!)

Ingredients:

·     1-2 avocadoes

·     1 lime

·     1 dollop of sour cream

·     Plenty of salt and pepper

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth.Enjoy the goodness!  

Mitch and Ben welcome their first guest on the show for 2026! Brett is an experienced Principal working the South West town of Katanning. Brett has led regional schools as a Principal for the past 8 years. He shares his insights, experience, learnings and passions, along with some culinary BBQ advice! We hope enjoy it!

Mitch and I check in with each other with all things Term 4.....and we deep dive into the importance of appointing staff in our schools. FYI it's our 5th episode of PWP! Enjoy!

In this episode Mitch and Ben explore the successes and challenges of the role,including a conversation about the Spectrum of Commitment. A way to build self-awarenessin any situation. We hope you enjoy it!

In a special episode before the Term 1 break Mitch and Ben share a pillar of their leadership that they take into conversations , interactions and change management processes. There is also a little word from the sponsors and finally we find out what they had for dinner last night. We hope you enjoy it. Please like, comment and share.