CONTEXTUAL WELLBEING

A systems based framework for whole school development

supporting wellbeing, resilience and learning engagement

Creating Positive Schools from the Inside Out

“ Dr Helen Street's work is highly needed and humanizing.

[This service is] for everyone who cares about education, or about children’s wellness, in this pressured age.”

Prof. Richard M. Ryan, Co-developer of Self-Determination Theory

Introducing the Contextual Wellbeing for whole school systemic development

Hello, my name is Helen Street.

Since it's launch in 2008, the Positive Schools Initiative has worked with over 26,000 educators from over 6000 schools and colleges; from around Australia and 15 other countries.

Positive Schools Coaching and Consultancy uses an evidence-based systems approach to build Contextual Wellbeing, positive mental health and resilience in your staff, students and parents. With a mix of presentations, workshops and ongoing consultations we help you build belonging and a love of learning within your whole school community.

We look forward to working with you.

Click HERE to find out more about Helen

DR HELEN STREET

Helen Street is an internationally recognized EDUCATION CONSULTANT, ACADEMIC SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST, BEST SELLING AUTHOR, PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER co-founder of POSITIVE SCHOOLS and creator of CONTEXTUAL WELLBEING.

Helen also prides herself on being a MOTHER of three girls and a longtime PARTNER to Neil. She also loves being both Australian and British, and has a passion for painting, her cavoodle Barney and watching 'The Bourne Identity'.

Helen began her journey supporting youth wellbeing and mental health when she was awarded the Howard Morton Trust Scholarship to undertake a PhD at the University of Sheffield in 1994. Her research enabled her to build on her experience as a former psychiatric nurse; and as a psychology graduate from The University of Surrey.

Helen’s PhD explores motivation and social cognitive causes of depression. Her theory of Conditional Goal Setting explains how misunderstandings of motivation can lead to a lifelong vulnerability to depression and anxiety. During this period in her life, Helen also became a member of the Western Buddhist Order which supports the understanding and practice of Buddhism within western culture. Following three and a half years of research and personal practice, Helen left Sheffield making a clear distinction between the artificial pursuit of wellbeing and the art of living well.

Conditional Goal Setting theory has since become an internationally recognized theory of depression vulnerability. It has been applied to the understanding of depression in eating disorders, chronic illness and drug abuse among other issues. In 2003 Helen wrote the book 'Standing Without Shoes' with George Burns. The book explains Conditional Goal Setting theory in detail and suggests that a better understanding of motivation can lead to greater wellbeing and contentment. The final draft of the book was read by His Holiness the Dalai Lama who loved it so much, he wrote a foreword.

Helen also organised a one-day conference on goal setting, motivation and wellbeing while living and working in Sheffield. The success of the event led to her first visit to Australia in 1996. This visit was the beginning of a warm relationship with the red country and led to a permanent move in 1998. It was then that Helen arrived in Queensland to take up a position as a psychology lecturer. During her time in Queensland, Helen became a registered psychologist and built on her academic foundations by furthering her research into motivation, goal setting and wellbeing in young people and adults.

In 1999 Helen moved to Perth to take up an academic position in the School of Psychiatry at The University of Western Australia. Helen taught medical and dental students in addition to continuing her research and writing. Over more than twenty years as a academic, Helen has published over sixty academic papers, several book chapters and four books.

Soon after arriving in Perth, Helen met her partner, Neil Porter. Helen and Neil have since worked together to develop the Positive Schools Initiative which advocates for educational reform to better support equity, motivation and wellbeing in young people.

One of the three pillars of The Positive Schools Initiative is The Positive Schools conference series which has grown from strength to strength since its conception in 2009. The events are held across Australia and SE Asia and have become known as highly respected and much loved mental health and wellbeing events for educators. They are a proud reflection of Helen's passion for education reform.

Over the past ten years, Helen has becoming increasingly interested in finding genuine ways to better support wellbeing, motivation and engagement in young people within the school environment. She has, continually, courageously campaigned for schools to reduce extrinsic reward systems, excessive grading and homework; and to spend more building cohesive communities and equitable educational practice.

As an advocate of supporting teacher wellbeing, Helen wrote 'LifeOverload in 2011'. She also co-edited 'Better Than OK' in 2014. In Better Than OK, Helen stresses the importance of focusing our efforts to support young people on the creation of more equitable, more evidence-based education systems.

In 2016 Helen wrote two academic chapters bringing together her ideas about contextual reform into a single model of 'Contextual Wellbeing'. Helen stresses the need for educators and policy makers to pay more attention to school context in their consideration of social emotional learning. In addition to supporting teacher wellbeing and policy change, she has campaigned for greater consideration of the physical environment and a need to better understand the development of healthy social norms in schools.

During the past fifteen years, alongside her roles at The University of Western Australia and Positive Schools, Helen has been a regular advisor to the Health Department of WA's Centre for Clinical Interventions and the WA Association of Mental Health. She has written and presented regularly on TV, radio and in other media, including a year spent as the show psychologist for Channel Ten's morning TV show 'The Circle'.

Helen has also worked with schools and colleges around Australia and internationally in countries including England, Wales, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Helen continues to be a powerful advocate for school contextual reform and the revolutionizing of traditional education systems. She works with schools around the world, and presents regularly at conferences. She also continues to edit The Positive Times as a free online resource for teachers, and to run the Positive Schools events in a bid to develop a better world for tomorrows schools, today.

Helen is currently an honorary associate professor in the graduate school of education at The University of Western Australia, the chair of Positive Schools with Neil Porter, and most importantly of all, a keen painter, and besotted mother of three beautiful girls.

Helen firmly believes that the only way we can sustainably, effectively support youth wellbeing in education is through the development of Contextual Wellbeing in our schools and colleges. Our role as educators is not to tell someone how to be well, or to reward them for behaving well. We need to provide young people with a context in which they can flourish.

Helen’s best-selling book ‘Contextual Wellbeing – creating positive schools from the inside out’ was released in 2018 and continues to be embraced by schools internationally.

Consultation

Short and long-term consultation supporting whole school contextual wellbeing, with a focus on developing a thriving, inclusive community supporting belonging and engagement in students and staff

Wellbeing Audits

In-depth exploration of the strengths, challenges and hopes for wellbeing development within your whole school community. Discover what is working, what needs rethinking and what to do next.

Presentations

Keynotes, workshops and talks on a variety of topics supporting the development of contextual wellbeing,positive mental health, self-determination, motivation and resilience in your students and in your staff.

The Positive Schools Coaching and Consultancy Brochure

Click on the button below to download a PDF of the Positive Schools Coaching and Consultancy Brochure (note for up-to-date pricing information simply scroll down this page)

Click here for your BROCHURE

CONTEXTUAL WELLBEING

THE BOOK

_{"An indispensable guide to creating healthier, more effective schools"}_{Andrew Fuller, clinical psychologist and best selling author}

PURCHASE YOUR COPY HERE

or email [email protected]

Working with Schools and Colleges Around the World since 2008

Scroll Down to read some of our many amazing testimonials and endorsements.

"Helen Street worked closely with school leaders and teachers from the Dulwich College International group of schools. She was instrumental in presenting compelling evidence based awareness of contextual wellbeing and providing practical strategies in policy, practice, culture and pedagogy. Her style and approach is very effective. Partnering with Helen will enable schools to authentically embed a comprehensive wellbeing culture into organisational philosophy and practice."

Craig Davis Director of Education

Dulwich College International

“Helen Street is a great friend of Geelong Grammar School and the Institute of Positive Education. Helen’s work has had a lasting impact on our School community and her messages continue to influence our actions and behaviours. Through her own research, her wide academic reading and her own practical wisdom Helen presents a wide range of key messages that will assist any school to build and nurture a caring and cohesive learning community. Be prepared to listen, prepared to be challenged and prepared to inquire as Helen takes you and your school on a journey towards a more peaceful and harmonious community.”

Justin Robinson, Director

Geelong Grammar School Institute of Positive Education

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"Over the years working alongside Dr Helen Street, I have come to regard her as a vanguard of students wellbeing.
Helen has used the collective respect from teachers and administrators alike to win widespread support for our students. Helen's abilities to bring colleagues together through her commitment to students' wellbeing and active encouragement and support of teachers' professional development are much admired across our organisation."

Jacques-Olivier Perche
Head of Professional Learning
English Schools Foundation

“Dr Helen Street supported us significantly in our goal of investigating and developing wellbeing and she created a custom-made school reform plan based on her specific findings from our community. Helen is an engaging speaker about well-being in schools who is challenging, entertaining and thought provoking. She discusses research findings with authority and passion, and stresses the importance of context to well-being in a learning community.”

Colin Campbell, Senior School Deputy Principal, International School of Düsseldorf, Germany

"We were fortunate to engage with Helen over three years to develop a context of wellbeing that empowered staff, students and the community to engage in policy, procedures and practices that literally changed the culture of the school. Many schools and learning organizations buy into programs to enhance wellbeing. My experience as an international school leader working with Helen Street affirmed that there is so much more to creating positive, meaningful and long-term change to support student and staff wellbeing. Helen connected with staff and parents on a personally and professional level enabling them to re-conceptualize theories of wellbeing and the necessary steps to take to support resilience, quality learning and a positive school culture. The professional learning for staff was inspiring, the workshops for parents engaging and the mentoring for leaders empowering as we bought about sustainable change for our learning community."

Neill O'Reilly, Principal, Kowloon Junior School, Hong Kong

"Are you open to examining the established practices in your school in order to foster wellbeing, not as an ‘add on’, but as the very core of everything you believe and do? When we first discovered ‘Contextual Wellbeing’ by Helen Street, we recognised the work required to build a cohesive culture in which students and teachers could flourish. Working with Helen supported us to see the importance of an appreciative inquiry as the starting point from which to build on our strengths as a community. Engaging with Helen set us on the journey of defining our values, thus enabling us to focus on ensuring that our policies and practices align with our core beliefs."

Edna Sackson, Teaching and Learning Leader PYP
Mount Scopus Memorial College, Melbourne

CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE MORE TESTIMONIALS AND COMMENTS FROM SOME OF THE AMAZING PEOPLE WE HAVE WORKED WITH

“You are an amazing presenter! The feedback from your keynote presentation and workshops was excellent. Thank you so much... I really thank you for a lot of ideas and information that I gained from you!”

Cassandra Stewart, Bannister Creek Primary School, Western Australia

“...If you want someone who is going to challenge your preconceived ideas about education, learning and wellbeing, then listen to Helen Street.”

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, Child and adolescent psychologist

"Yes! Dr Helen Street is making me fist pump and dance. Amazing and affirming. Thank you."

HALT Summit attendee, Queensland, 2021

“… fantastic presentations. Your work was extremely well received, and we received nothing but positive feedback…”

Paul Watson, Vice Principal, Mater Dei College ‑ Edgewater, Western Australia

“Thank you very much for the [parent] session this evening. It was a perfect balance of insightful, comforting and encouraging.”

Claire Harper, Lead Teacher, ESF International Kindergarten (Wu Kai Sha)

“Helen Street explores how can we create a social context that better supports children’s learning and wellbeing in school. Contextual Wellbeing is a wake-up call to those who suggest that our students should work harder and longer for higher and higher test scores.”

Prof. Pasi Sahlberg, Former Finnish Director General of Education; Professor of Education Policy, Gonski Institute for Education, UNSW Sydney

More and more schools are desperate to improve student and staff engagement and wellbeing. If a school is hoping for sustained and meaningful wellbeing initiatives, as well as a collaborative approach from within the community, then Contextual Wellbeing is an essential way forward.'

Charlie Scudamore, Vice Principal, Geelong Grammar School, Australia

“When the ephemeral mists of Mindset, Grit, and Resilience programs fade away, Contextual Wellbeing will remain standing strong and unshaken.”

Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, Director of the Science of Learning Group, The University of Melbourne

‘At last someone is reaching into what really matters. The careful and critical thinking behind ‘Contextual Wellbeing’ is overwhelmingly encouraging for anyone working in education, anyone engaged in learning and anyone sending their offspring to School.’

John Hendry, OAM, Acclaimed Educator and Advocate for Youth Wellbeing in Schools

‘This model has rigour and is evidence-based, yet Helen presents it in a chatty, accessible and engaging style that keeps you listening.’

Professor Toni Noble, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University

Through Helen’s willingness to challenge conventional thinking, she not only gives us a glimpse into the future of wellbeing in schools but also provides a plan of action to help get us there.

David Bott, Associate Director, Institute of Positive Education, Geelong Grammar School

“Dr. Street proposes multiple strategies for humanising education eliminating ‘school toxic practices.’ She advocates for a focus on process rather than outcomes (grades, testing), providing more, unstructured learning time to promote creativity, establishing social cohesiveness of all members of the classroom and school community and involving students in the re-design of learning spaces inside and outside the classroom – some of the elements of what she calls ‘contextual wellbeing’.

Bravo!”

Professor Michael E. Bernard, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne; Emeritus Professor, California State University, Long Beach; Founder, You Can Do It! Education

Colin Campbell, Senior School Deputy Principal, International School of Düsseldorf, Germany

“Helen is a pioneer for positivity in our schools. She asks the scratchy questions, challenges the preconceived notions and presents a fresh way of thinking. All this is backed up by her extensive informed research. Her presentations are poignant and oozing with thought provoking integrity.”

Steve Heron OAM, author and founder of BUZ schools’ programs

"Helen Street captivated an audience of 1,300 conference delegates at Happiness & Its Causes 2016 with her erudite, informative and entertaining presentation. Helen is a consummate keynote speaker, able to communicate key message in a clear and concise way. Delegates also loved the use of humour and creativity in her presentation of important health messages. I’d have no hesitation in recommending Helen as a speaker for any event."

Beth Phelan, Conference Director, Happiness & Its Causes Conference

“Dr Helen Street leaves you feeling that you have new ways of thinking and importantly new ideas to put into practice to enhance the wellbeing of young people.”

Dr Sue Roffey FRSA AFBPS, Honorary Professor at Exeter and Western Sydney Universities, Director Growing Great Schools Worldwide, London, England

Hi Professor Street, I heard you speak on a podcast interview and after visiting your Contextual Wellbeing website, I was in awe. Thank you

Brandy Leibel, Pre-service Teacher, Melbourne

“In her interviews for the TER Podcast, Helen's insight into the relationship between wellbeing and educational outcomes has been some of the most downloaded and shared content we've ever produced.”

Cameron Malcher, Producer & Host, Teachers' Education Review Podcast

Hi Helen, Attending your workshop was, for me, the best part of the three days. I must say that the whole Positive Schools Conference was outstanding. Many thanks, you challenged my assumptions and really gave me so much to think about and bring back to my school.

Carolyn Armstrong, Assistant Principal, Special Education, Lawson Public School

Dr Helen Street is a trail-blazer in the development of wellbeing and social and emotional learning programs in education in Australia and the Asia Pacific Region…”

Janet Etty-Leal, Mindfulness Educator & Author

“Helen Street is a great friend of Geelong Grammar School and the Institute of Positive Education. Helen’s work has had a lasting impact on our School community and her messages continue to influence our actions and behaviours. Helen is a wise, and deeply knowledgeable, applied social psychologist. Through her own research, her wide academic reading and her own practical wisdom Helen presents a wide range of key messages that will assist any school to build and nurture a caring and cohesive learning community. Be prepared to listen, prepared to be challenged and prepared to inquire as Helen takes you and your school on a journey towards a more peaceful and harmonious community.”

Justin Robinson, Director, Geelong Grammar School Institute of Positive Education, Australia

“The messages that Helen shared with our parent community were timely, thought-provoking, carefully expressed and very much on point. We saw immediate effect among those parents who attended her session which impacted positively on the students. Helen is committed and knowledgable in the field, challenging and supporting with perfect balance as she pushes us to reconsider our thinking and move wellbeing forward for our school.”

Stephanie Howdle-Lang, Primary Vice Principal, Renaissance College, Hong Kong

Positive Schools badge and official signage

Once we have established a working relationship with you, we supply you with a personalized Positive Schools 'school badge' for your school website and official school materials. Your school badge can be presented as a stand-alone logo or with supporting information to inform your community about what being a Positive Schools means.

Proud to be a Positive School

A Positive School is one which embraces each student's wellbeing and resilience as a necessary foundation for 'doing your best' and 'being your best' at school and beyond.

A Positive School is a school which aims to meet the needs of every member of the school community; supporting equity, inclusion, self-determination, and a love of life-long learning.

A Positive School is a thriving school.

CONTEXTUAL WELLBEING

Creating Positive Schools from the Inside Out