Simon Breakspear

Dr. Simon Breakspear is a researcher, policy advisor, and speaker whose work focuses on educational leadership, evidence-based practice, and school improvement. After completing a year of medicine at the University of New South Wales, Breakspear shifted his focus to education. He holds a BPsych (Hons) from the University of New South Wales, an MSc in Comparative and International Education from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge. He has worked with the PISA team at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris, examining international comparisons of school system performance.

Breakspear is the founder and executive director of Agile Schools and a research fellow at the Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change at The Education University of Hong Kong. Agile School Leadership is a program and community that supports school leaders in applying research evidence and agile improvement methods to drive sustainable change. Breakspear develops frameworks, tools, and programs to make evidence-based strategies accessible and actionable. He has worked with more than 100,000 educators across 10 countries, focusing on practical and evidence-informed approaches to school improvement and professional learning. In addition to his advisory work, Breakspear is an adjunct senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales and serves on the Australia Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Expert Standing Committee.

Breakspear is the co-author of the book "Teaching Sprints: How Overloaded Educators Can Keep Getting Better" and creator of the Teaching Sprints approach to professional learning, which is used by educators worldwide to engage with research evidence and develop adaptive expertise. He is also the co-author of "The Pruning Principle: Mastering the Art of Strategic Subtraction within Education," which presents a framework for educational leadership that emphasizes strategic subtraction to address overwork in schools and promote greater focus and impact.

Breakspear is the founder and curator of the Global Educational Emerging Leaders Summit, which supports the development of future educational leaders. He has been a fellow of the World Innovation Summit for Education and has served as an advisor to the New South Wales Department of Education School Leadership Institute, the Australia Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, and the Ontario Principals' Council international school leadership program. Breakspear's work centers on unlocking human potential through education system improvement and advancing global education reform.