Warren Symonds International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

Warren Symonds

Warren Symonds is an experienced educator and has worked in the Department for Education in South Australia since 1987. His teaching experience has varied from Area Schools through to large metropolitan High Schools. For the past ten years, Warren has been the Principal of Mount Barker High School, situated in one of the fastest-growing cities in South Australia. During this time, he has initiated Mount Barker High Schools introduction of Positive Psychology into a whole-school approach. This concept was implemented into the Mount Barker community and eight primary schools to improve the wellbeing of over 3000 children and young people across the Adelaide Hills. Professor Martin Seligman has referred to the approaches used at Mount Barker High School as being the world’s first and at the cutting edge of teaching Positive Education to a whole school community. Warren has actively focused on improving teachers pedagogical approaches, which has resulted in significant professional learning and implementation of Robert Marzano’s ‘Art and Science of Teaching’ and John Hattie’s ‘Visible Learning’ into the culture of teaching and learning. This significant change has resulted in a steady growth in enrolments and improved student achievement at Mount Barker High School. Warren was the recipient of the 2017 Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) SA Educational Leadership Medal and the ACEL National Fellowship award. In 2020, he received the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Fellow Award. Warren is a member of the University of Adelaide School of Education Advisory Board, director on the ACEL National Board and Deputy Chairperson of the Positive Education Schools Association (PESA) national board.