More Than a Score

If your child is tying their worth to a number, Claire's story is one to share. It is for parents, students and anyone untangling self-worth from performance. Have you ever achieved something others celebrate but still felt like you fell short? Claire Tonti is a former teacher turned musician, filmmaker, podcaster and CEO. She grew up in a high-achieving family quietly believing she was not smart enough, and when she finished school with an ATAR of 89.95 it still felt like failure. Her path did not follow a neat line; she found herself through creativity, performance and building communities. This is an honest conversation about unspoken family expectations, the weight of comparison, and why perfectionism disconnects us from who we really are. One score does not define you, but one conversation can change how you see yourself. What you’ll hear in this episode: • Why an excellent ATAR can still feel like failure • Growing up with unspoken expectations in a high-achieving family • How perfectionism disconnects us from who we really are • Creativity as an outlet and a lifeline • Helping a child feel enough beyond their achievements • Untangling self-worth from performance One score doesn’t define you, but one conversation can change how you see yourself. More Than a Score: Redefining Success Beyond School is hosted by Laura Pitt and Dan Steele, a former teacher and award-winning school leader on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. New episodes fortnightly. Subscribe to follow along.

If you are navigating subject selection or university pressure with your young person, this gives real perspective. Changing direction is often growth, not failure. This is a TITANIC episode. (See what we did there?). Have you ever started down a path because it seemed right, only to realise it did not fit? James Cameron is a teacher, mentor and outdoor education specialist who began university on one course and chose to shift, not because he could not cope, but because he was paying attention to who he was becoming. Working inside schools, he sees how quickly young people tie their identity to subjects, scores and labels, and how his own greatest strengths were relational rather than academic. For parents wondering whether it is too late for their child to change direction, James offers reassurance and clarity. Relationship-building outlasts any exam result. What you’ll discover: • What it feels like to change university course partway through • Why changing direction is often growth, not failure • Navigating subject selection and university pressure • How young people tie identity to subjects, scores and labels • Why relationship-building outlasts any exam result • Choosing growth over comfort when something doesn't fit Sometimes the most important step forward is having the courage to adjust course. 🔗 Discover more about Rise Outdoors here: https://riseoutdoors.com.au/ Check out James on Loz's previous podcast episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3aaJzeQdawQyZQ5KdWbUoC?si=ft0n-dFSQzecew_4dnch-A More Than a Score: Redefining Success Beyond School is hosted by Laura Pitt and Dan Steele, a former teacher and award-winning school leader on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. New episodes fortnightly. Subscribe to follow along.

If you are supporting a creative young person or questioning whether passion can become a pathway, this offers perspective and permission. Success rarely arrives all at once. What if the quiet thread running through your life is pointing somewhere meaningful? Sophie Perez is a fine artist and Royal College of Art graduate, former elite cyclist, studio founder and mother of three. Her path is anything but linear: painting in London, couriering by bike, racing at Tour de France level, stepping away from art for a decade to raise her family, then rebuilding her practice on the Mornington Peninsula. This is reassurance for parents and young people that success evolves and rarely follows a straight line. If you are supporting a creative young person or questioning whether passion can become a pathway, this episode offers permission to keep following the thread. What you’ll discover: • Whether a passion can really become a career • Why stepping away from something you love doesn't mean it's gone • How creative confidence is built through community • Supporting a young person who doesn't fit neat academic categories • Why success rarely arrives all at once • Following your thread through reinvention and different life stages Discover More About Sophie Perez and her art here 👇: https://www.sophieperezartist.com/ More Than a Score: Redefining Success Beyond School is hosted by Laura Pitt and Dan Steele, a former teacher and award-winning school leader on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. New episodes fortnightly. Subscribe to follow along.

If your child opened results that did not reflect who they are, this helps. Feeling lost does not mean they are off track. It is for parents and students after a hard result. What happens when the result staring back at you does not reflect who you know you are? Emily Rovere is an osteopath, business owner and mentor who opened her results feeling confused and deflated, then slowly realised the number was not the full story. A hard-working high achiever who did not yet know how she learned best, she carried pressure as the one who had to succeed. Missing the score she hoped for forced her to problem-solve, adapt and find a path that suited her. For parents, it is reassurance that struggle is not failure and detours can lead to clarity. One exam never defines the whole story. What you'll discover: • When your child's ATAR doesn't reflect who they are • The importance of learning how you learn • Why asking for help is hard, and why it matters • How resilience is built through discomfort • Why progress matters more than perfection • Reassurance that a detour can lead to clarity Because one moment, one exam, or one score never defines the whole story. More Than a Score: Redefining Success Beyond School is hosted by Laura Pitt and Dan Steele, a former teacher and award-winning school leader on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. New episodes fortnightly. Subscribe to follow along.

If you want reassurance that there are many ways to live a fulfilling life, meet one of the hosts. It is for parents supporting a child through school transitions. You have heard the conversations. Now meet one of the people behind them. In this special episode, the mic turns toward co-host Laura Pitt to explore her own journey through school, uncertainty and the decisions that shaped how she now supports young people and families. Laura is open about the expectations she carried, the choices she made, and how her understanding of success has evolved. It is an honest reflection on why life rarely follows a straight line, and why that is often where growth begins. It also explains why More Than a Score exists and who it is really for. No one score ever tells the whole story. What you’ll discover: • How school pressure and expectations shape confidence • Why success looks different at different life stages • The power of reflection and self-trust • What one host wishes parents knew during the school years • Why uncertainty in young people is normal • Why More Than a Score exists and who it's for Because behind every pathway is a human story. And no one score ever tells the whole one. More Than a Score: Redefining Success Beyond School is hosted by Laura Pitt and Dan Steele, a former teacher and award-winning school leader on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. New episodes fortnightly. Subscribe to follow along.

If your child is devastated by a result that did not go their way, this is for you. One moment does not get to define the rest of their life. What do you do when the score you worked so hard for does not turn out the way you hoped, and you feel completely devastated? Stacey Lapira is a former teacher and prison officer, now a fitness coach and gym owner. She shares honestly about missing the ATAR she expected, feeling embarrassed, withdrawing from friends and questioning her intelligence, and what came next: a story of courage and course-correction. Her journey reminds us that changing direction is not failure but often the beginning of finding your fit, and that one person who believes in you can change everything. One setback was never meant to define you. More Than a Score: Redefining Success Beyond School is hosted by Laura Pitt and Dan Steele, a former teacher and award-winning school leader on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. New episodes fortnightly. Subscribe to follow along.