Simon Breakspear launches People Leader

Simon Breakspear has opened registrations for an August 2026 cohort of his People Leader Program, a short online course aimed at educational leaders. The program is billed as a nine-week offering built around three live digital workshops on team culture, communication and feedback. Breakspear announced the launch in a social media post, and the course page says the next cohort starts on August 4, 2026. The materials position it for school leaders and team leaders looking to strengthen day-to-day people management in education. ### What exactly has Simon Breakspear launched? The People Leader Program is listed on Breakspear’s website as “a concise, practical learning experience” for educational leaders who want to strengthen interpersonal leadership skills. The course page says participants will attend three two-hour live-streamed workshops and optional group check-ins across a nine-week program. The August intake is described on the site as the second and final 2026 cohort. A separate registration page says that cohort begins on August 4, 2026, while the broader courses page says registrations are open for the August cohort. ### Who is the program designed for? Breakspear’s course materials say the program is for “educational leaders with teams at all levels.” The brochure names directors, principals, deputy principals, assistant principals, heads of department, head teachers, learning specialists, instructional leaders and teacher leaders as likely participants. An event listing published earlier this year by the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia described the same program as tailored for educational leaders “at any stage of their journey.” That listing said the course could be taken individually or with a school team. ### What will participants be taught? The course page says the three workshop themes are cultivating psychological safety, clear communication and deep listening, and giving effective feedback. Breakspear’s brochure says the program is intended to help leaders “build openness, psychological safety, and mutual support,” improve the clarity of interactions, and deliver feedback that drives action. The published syllabus says the program focuses on “key interpersonal challenges that school leaders encounter daily.” It adds that the workshops are designed to deliver “immediate, actionable skills” without a final project or assignments. ### How is the course structured and what does it cost? The August 2026 course is listed as an online program delivered through three interactive workshops, totaling six hours of live instruction. The course page says the overall duration is 11 weeks, while the courses page describes it as a nine-week program; the syllabus also refers to a nine-week structure centered on three workshops. Pricing on the course page is A$990, plus goods and services tax for Australian residents. The same page says additional team members from the same organization receive a 20% discount. ### What do Breakspear’s materials say about his background? The AISWA event page describes Breakspear as a researcher, adviser and speaker in educational leadership, policy and change. That page says he is an adjunct senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales’ School of Education, advises the New South Wales Department of Education, and serves on the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s expert steering committee. The same listing says Breakspear has worked with more than 100,000 educators across 10 countries. His website presents the People Leader Program alongside other leadership offerings, including Agile School Leadership and The Pruning Principle Program. ### What happens next? The August cohort is scheduled to begin on August 4, 2026, according to Breakspear’s registration page. Registration is available through his website, which also hosts the course brochure, syllabus and enrollment details for individual and team bookings.