What if the most important thing your child needs isn't a higher score, but someone who truly sees them? Adam Hipwell knows what it feels like to believe school just isn't for you.
After leaving Year 12 disappointed with a score that didn't reflect what he was capable of, Adam made the courageous decision to repeat his final year. Looking back, it wasn't simply a higher score that changed his future. It was finding a school community where he felt seen, supported and challenged to believe in himself.
Today, Adam is a teacher, educational leader, instructional coach, father of two and musician. Every day, he works alongside teachers to create the kind of classrooms he once needed as a teenager. Places where relationships come before results and young people are encouraged to grow, not simply perform.
In this thoughtful and deeply practical conversation, Adam shares what helped him move from feeling unseen to helping others belong, why repeating Year 12 became one of the best decisions he ever made, and how parents can focus less on outcomes and more on the habits, relationships and mindset that set young people up for life.
Whether you're raising a child navigating school, supporting a teenager through exams, or simply wondering how to encourage confidence without adding pressure, this episode is full of reassurance, perspective and practical wisdom. Because your child's future is never defined by one score. It is shaped by the people who believe in them along the way.
What You'll Discover:
• Why Adam chose to repeat Year 12 and how that decision changed the direction of his life.
• The surprising difference one supportive school community can make in a young person's confidence, wellbeing and achievement.
• Why feeling seen is one of the most powerful ingredients for helping children thrive.
• How the combination of high support and high challenge helps young people build confidence and resilience.
• Why effort, growth and relationships matter far more than chasing perfect grades. • Practical ways parents can help their children navigate setbacks and build confidence when things don't go to plan.
• Why a school result is simply a snapshot in time, not a measure of your child's potential.
• Adam's powerful concept of replacing a traditional to do list with a to be list to define success by the person you're becoming, not just the achievements you're collecting.
• Lessons from Adam's experiences as a teacher, educational leader and father that every parent can apply at home.
More Than a Score: Redefining Success Beyond School is hosted by Laura Pitt and Dan Steele, a former teacher and award-winning assistant leader, on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. New episodes fortnightly. Subscribe to follow along here or at muchmorethanascore.com
