The Playful Architect: Leading Change through Experimental Leadership and Collective Joy
– Katie Jayne O’Brien & Sarah Davis, Catholic Education Northern Territory
Leadership in early childhood is often framed through compliance and data. This interactive workshop introduces Experimental Leadership, using the principles of play to drive sustainable change and staff wellbeing, moving from “enforcing” policy to “inviting” innovation.
Drawing on experience as an Acting Principal and Instructional Coach in remote NT communities, you’ll explore data walls, playful instructional coaching and culturally responsive strategies for leading change.
You’ll leave with:
- A “Data Wall” framework for collaborative case management
- Playful coaching tools, including learning intentions and success criteria templates
- A cross-cultural communication guide for navigating sensitive change
- A PBL and wellbeing integration map for your setting
This hands-on session includes a data wall simulation, scenario role-play and live digital reflection.
Girls Can Boys Can: How early years educators can contribute to preventing DFSV in their settings
– Zeke Sitas, Kahlia Preece & Kitana Shaw, Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation
Developed by Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation and the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group, Girls Can Boys Can (GCBC) is a strengths-based prevention program helping children, families and educators explore gender equality and the impacts of colonisation through play and reflective practice.
Using decolonial feminist frameworks, GCBC has shifted attitudes on gender equality, racism and family violence in Mparntwe schools since 2020, and is now expanding into early years settings for children aged 0 to 5.
You’ll leave with:
- An understanding of primary prevention and DFSV drivers in the NT
- Insight into how early years settings can advance gender equality
- A real-world example from the Larapinta Child and Family Centre
- Hands-on experience with GCBC resources and activities
This interactive session is grounded in Tangentyere’s principle of Two Way Learning.
See Me, Know Me, Keep Me Safe: Neurodiversity and Responsive Supervision in Early Childhood
– Rocky Beaton & Sonali Fernandes, Child Australia
Every child experiences the world differently, and effective supervision begins with understanding and responding to those individual differences. This session explores how adopting a neurodiversity-informed approach can strengthen active supervision by supporting educators to recognise diverse ways that children communicate, engage, regulate emotions and interact with their environment. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, delegates will consider how understanding individual strengths, sensory needs and behavioural cues can help anticipate potential risks while fostering children’s independence, confidence and participation.
Drawing on current best practice, real-world examples and practical strategies, this interactive session will equip educators with tools to enhance responsive supervision, create safer and more inclusive learning environments, and build confidence in supporting neurodivergent children through everyday practice. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how intentional, inclusive supervision not only promotes children’s safety and wellbeing but also strengthens relationships, supports positive behaviour and ensures every child has the opportunity to thrive.
The Momentum Project: Bringing Teams Along Through Meaningful Change
– Ella de la Motte, Early Childhood Consultant
Change in early childhood settings is rarely simple. Every team holds different experiences, confidence levels and readiness for change. This reflective, interactive session explores how sustainable change happens when leaders focus on connection and psychological safety, not just compliance.
You’ll unpack the emotional and relational side of leadership, including resistance, fatigue and how to maintain trust while still moving forward, because momentum is created when people feel supported enough to move together.
You’ll leave with:
- Strategies for leading change that strengthen team culture
- A deeper understanding of why resistance happens
- Tools for trust building, communication and reflection
- Renewed confidence to lead with intention and connection
Get to know the Speakers
Katie Jayne O’Brien is a strategic and outcomes-focused Educational Leader with over 10 years of experience across remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, NSW, and Queensland. Currently pursuing a Master of Educational Leadership at the University of Canberra, Katie has served in diverse senior roles, including Acting Principal, Deputy Principal, and Religious Education Coordinator.
Her leadership philosophy, “Powered by Play. Driven by Leadership. Ready for Change,” is rooted in the belief that high-impact instructional coaching and data-informed decision-making are most effective when paired with relational trust and cultural humility. Katie has a proven track record of driving system-wide improvements, from implementing Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) frameworks to establishing “data walls” that foster a culture of collaborative reflection among staff.
Having worked extensively in remote contexts such as Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte), Katie is adept at integrating local Aboriginal pedagogy into curriculum delivery and navigating the unique complexities of regional educational settings. She is a passionate advocate for instructional coaching, frequently utilizing the Lyn Sharratt 14 parameters to build staff capacity and mentor aspiring leaders.
Beyond her administrative expertise, Katie brings a unique perspective as a farm owner and international volunteer, having provided capability building for educators in Vanuatu. She holds full registration with the Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory and is dedicated to advancing educational equity by honoring local cultural wisdom and fostering inclusive, high-performing teams.
Zeke Sitas (they/he) is the Girls Can Boys Can Community Partner Program Lead at Tangentyere Council based in Mparntwe. They have a background in paediatric nursing and research, with a particular interest in violence studies, health provider responses to trans kids and critical discourse analysis. He is passionate about the importance of Aborigial-led primary prevention strategies to sustainably address underlying drivers of complex social issues.
Kahlia a proud Eastern Arrernte woman, born and raised in Mparntwe, and she has worked in education for over 16 years as an Aboriginal Education Officer. Throughout Kahlia’s career, she has been committed to strengthening the connection between families and the school system, ensuring children feel supported, valued and understood in their learning environments. Her work has focused on empowering students to be strong, smart and deadly — building confidence, improving attendance, and supporting better educational outcomes. She has also worked closely with families and community to increase student participation in sport and positive extracurricular activities, recognising the important role these play in wellbeing, identity and belonging. As a Young Mums Coordinator, Kahlia had the privilege of walking alongside young women as they grow in confidence and work towards meaningful goals for themselves and their children. Supporting young mothers to build strong foundations.
Rocky brings over 25 years of experience in the early years learning sector, having worked across England and Australia in a range of leadership and operational roles. Most recently, she spent more than a decade as an Executive Centre Manager, leading an Exceeding-rated service within one of Perth’s leading services. This experience has provided Rocky with a strong, practical understanding of quality practice, leadership, compliance and continuous improvement.
Rocky is passionate about strengthening and enriching the early childhood sector by supporting educator and leader confidence, wellbeing and psychological safety. She believes that when educators feel valued, supported and empowered, they are better positioned to work collaboratively and create environments where children experience a genuine sense of belonging.
A key strength of Rocky’s work is her focus on environments as the third teacher. She supports teams to design learning environments that are deliberate, purposeful and respectful of children’s capabilities. When environments are thoughtfully curated, children thrive as confident, engaged learners, and educators develop a strong sense of ownership, pride and professional identity in their practice.
Rocky holds a Diploma of Children’s Services, a Mental Health First Aid Certificate, and is a qualified PRINT® Model consultant (The Why of You), supporting individuals and teams to deepen self-awareness, enhance communication, and build positive, high-functioning workplace cultures.
Sonali has extensive experience in Early Childhood Education and Care, having worked across roles from assistant educator to room leader, service manager and trainer.
Sonali is a huge educator advocate, and her passion is to support educators, who ultimately support children, while creating inclusive environments where every child feels valued and supported. During her six years as a service manager, she thrived in a hands-on, collaborative leadership style, working alongside educators to problem-solve and improve outcomes for children.
To share her passion more broadly, Sonali completed her Cert IV in Training and Assessment and spent three years with a Registered Training Organisation delivering Certificate III and Diploma qualifications in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Sonali is dedicated to supporting educators’ professional growth, promoting reflective practice and equipping services with strategies to create environments where all children can flourish.
Ella de la Motte is an Early Childhood Consultant with 31 years of experience across the sector, including roles as Educator, Early Childhood Teacher, Nominated Supervisor, Director, mentor, presenter, and consultant. Known for her reflective, contemporary, and thought-provoking approach, Ella is passionate about environments, leadership, critical reflection, team culture, and reimagining what quality practice can look like in early childhood settings.
Ella works alongside services across Australia delivering professional development, leadership mentoring, conference presentations, environmental projects, and consultancy support. Her work is grounded in relationship-based practice, neuroscience, play, intentional environments, and creating cultures where both children and educators can thrive.
Through honest conversations, practical strategies, and deeply reflective experiences, Ella encourages educators to challenge “the way things have always been done” and instead create spaces and practices that feel purposeful, meaningful, and connected.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Do you have a question about the Little People, Big Dreams Conference? Want to get involved? We would like to hear from you!