E105 | ScotsX with Dr. Hugh Chilton of The Scots College

In this episode of the Ed Leaders podcast, Luke Callier and Matthew Irving sit down with Dr. Hugh Chilton from The Scots College to explore transformative leadership and innovative strategies in K-12 education. Dr. Chilton shares his remarkable journey from avoiding a teaching career to becoming an influential leader in education. He underscores the vital role of leadership, curiosity, and questioning in fostering effective learning environments.

Dr. Chilton’s groundbreaking initiative, "ScotsX," designed to revolutionize the educational experience for middle school students, particularly in Year 8. This innovative program prioritizes personalized, rigorous, and real-world learning experiences, aiming to build deeper relationships and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration outside the classroom.

Dr. Chilton also emphasizes the importance of storytelling and evidence-based results in shifting mindsets among educators, students, and parents. He discusses the challenges of scaling such initiatives and advocates for a collaborative approach to education that prioritizes relational and experiential learning.

Join us for this thought-provoking conversation that challenges conventional educational practices and highlights the potential of philanthropy in supporting innovative programs.

Tune in now! 

Highlights:

• (02:15) Dr. Hugh Chilton's background and his unexpected journey into teaching.

• (05:40) The importance of serving as a leader and supporting teachers.

• (09:30) Emphasizing curiosity and questioning as vital leadership traits.

• (12:45) Building a culture of continuous learning and development within schools.

• (15:00) Dr. Chilton’s views on fostering teacher growth and innovation.

• (18:20) The significance of “thinking time” in educational leadership.

• (21:00) The role of leaders in shaping educational environments.  

• (21:17) The approach to research and professional learning at Scots

•  (32:02) The five focus areas for research at Scots

• (32:02) ScotsX Program 

• (42:55) The experiential learning component (X Day) and high table lunches

• (43:25) Four key areas of measurement for ScotsX

• (45:52) Aim to expand Scotts X principles to all students

• (58:36) Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations 

• (01:01:07)Rapid-Fire Questions

You can also connect with us personally at LinkedIn:

Luke Callier - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljcallier/⁠

Mathew Irving - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-irving-b6b91430/ 

Guest Links:Website: https://scots.college/ 

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughchilton/

Special thanks to our partners:

People Bench - https://peoplebench.com.au/

Paperly - https://paperly.education/

Head on over to edleaders.com.au to hear more about our journey. If you'd like to know more about being a guest or would like to sponsor our show - check out https://www.edleaders.com.au/collabs

As always if you have questions, feedback, or a suggestion from a leader you'd like to hear from - send us a message! Please remember if you have a spare minute, please leave us a review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player which will help more like-minded school leaders discover us.

Go Well.