Woodleigh's Dr Richard Owens named Educator of the Year

Thirty years ago, the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) announced the inaugural ACEL VIC Hedley Beare Educator of the Year Award. 

Honouring Professor Hedley Beare, a visionary educator whose contributions to education in Australia continue to inspire, the 1995 award recognised the achievements of Woodleigh’s founding Principal, Michael Norman. Hedley’s eponymous award is presented to an outstanding ACEL member who exemplifies excellence in educational leadership and systemic change.

This year, Woodleigh has produced its second winner, Director of the Woodleigh Institute, Dr Richard Owens FRSA. 

Recognised for his transformative leadership in education. Richard has pioneered regenerative learning, systems leadership, and real-world education, shaping future-focused learning environments at Woodleigh and beyond. Through initiatives such as the ReimaginED conference series, he has created platforms for global thought leadership, advancing educational transformation.

In his acceptance speech, Richard reflected on the significance of the award: “It is humbling to receive an award named after such an iconic systems leader in Australia.” He also paid tribute to Michael Norman, whose student-centred vision continues to shape the school’s ethos. Richard shared his favourite definition of leadership, attributed to his mentor, Dr Peter Senge: “Leadership is the ability of a community to move towards its preferred future.” This philosophy underpins his work at Woodleigh, where learning is designed around three interdependent dimensions of human development:

• Inner World – personal growth, emotional literacy, and identity]
• Social World – empathy, communication, and relationships
• Outer World – responding compassionately to complex real-world challenges

“Woodleigh is a unique and inspiring place to work. The community’s aspirations for young people are broad and deep, and while this can be challenging, it allows us to collaborate every day to move towards these outcomes.”

As Director of the Woodleigh Institute, Dr Owens has led transformative initiatives in regenerative learning, systems leadership, and real-world education. The Institute was launched as an innovation lab to answer a critical question: “How can we build the capacity of young people to engage with complexity, embrace diversity, and respond compassionately to real-world challenges, while remaining emotionally grounded?”

Under Richard’s leadership, the Institute has partnered with leading universities, contributed to global organisations such as the OECD and IB, and supported educators across Australia, Asia, and North America. One of its most innovative projects is ReimaginED, the travelling festival of learning that fosters dynamic communities of practice across the Asia-Pacific region.

“This award is not just a recognition of individual effort – it is a celebration of these amazing communities of practice.” “The future of education will be shaped not by lone voices, but by collective action.”

Woodleigh School congratulates Dr Owens on this well-deserved recognition and celebrates his ongoing commitment to shaping a future of education that is collaborative, compassionate, and deeply human.