About this episode

Dr. Simon Breakspear discusses the importance of strategic subtraction in education for greater impact and sustainability.

"I care, I'm incredibly capable, so I strategically subtract." Simon Breakspear What if greater impact starts with less, not more? School staff are constantly being asked to do more. More initiatives. More meetings. More programs. More expectations. Yet many big-hearted educators are already working well beyond their capacity. In this episode, Meg Durham sits down with educator, researcher, leadership advisor and author Dr Simon Breakspear to explore The Pruning Principle and why doing fewer things, more deliberately, may be one of the most important skills we can learn in education. Together, they unpack the hidden costs of the "additive trap", the beliefs that keep schools adding rather than letting go, and why sustainable improvement depends on creating space for what matters most. Simon shares practical examples of "pruning experiments", explains how small changes can lead to meaningful impact, and offers a hopeful framework for creating calmer, more focused schools. Whether you're a teacher, school leader or someone passionate about education, this conversation will challenge the way you think about improvement, workload and impact. ---- In this episode, you'll learn: Why…

People in this episode

Host: Meg Durham

Guest: Dr Simon Breakspear

Topics covered

• strategic subtraction
• educational improvement
• workload management
• pruning principle
• sustainable impact

Keywords

• pruning principle
• additive trap
• educational leadership
• workload
• impact
• sustainable improvement
• pruning experiments

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: School of Wellbeing

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