Episodes

  • Introducing More Than a Score - Laura Pitt & Dan Steele

    Introducing More Than a Score - Laura Pitt & Dan Steele
    Sep 1 2025
    If you are new to the show, start here. Hosts Laura and Dan explain why a score is not the whole picture and who this podcast is for. What really defines success? For too long, school results and test scores have been treated as the ultimate measure, but life after school tells a different story. In this first episode, hosts Laura Pitt and Dan Steele introduce the vision behind More Than a Score: why marks are not the whole picture, and why the real lessons are found in resilience, relationships and the pathways we take beyond school. It sets the stage for a series of honest stories from people who did not follow a straight line. If you are a parent, a young person or an educator, this is the place to begin. • Why a score is not the whole picture • What More Than a Score is really about • Who the podcast is for: parents, young people, and educators • Why resilience and relationships matter most • The kinds of stories the series explores Do you know someone with a great story or a unique pathway in or beyond school? Reach out to us at morethanascorepod@gmail.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.
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    13 mins
  • Following What You Love Instead of Chasing Results: Elleni Pearce on Creating Your Own Career

    Following What You Love Instead of Chasing Results: Elleni Pearce on Creating Your Own Career
    Sep 7 2025
    If you or your child wants to follow what they love rather than chase a score, this is for you. Leaning into strengths can open unexpected doors. What happens when you stop chasing results and start following what you truly love? Elleni Pearce shows that when you lean into your strengths and back yourself, the path ahead can unfold in unexpected and exciting ways. Her story is encouragement for any young person who feels the pressure to choose a conventional route over the thing that genuinely lights them up. For parents, it is a reminder that strengths and passion are not a distraction from a career, they can be the foundation of one. Creating your own pathway is not only possible, it is often where the most fulfilling work begins. What you'll discover: • Following what you love instead of chasing a score • How leaning into strengths opens doors • Creating your own career pathway • Why passion can be the foundation of a career • Backing yourself when the route is unconventional Know someone else with a story that should be shared? Get in contact with us at morethanascorepod@gmail.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.
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    48 mins
  • Told Your Child Is Going Unscored? Thomas Pitt on Why It Isn't the End

    Told Your Child Is Going Unscored? Thomas Pitt on Why It Isn't the End
    Sep 14 2025
    If you or your child has been told they are going non-scored, this is for you. For Thomas, it was the start of resilience, not a full stop. Imagine being told at school that you have to go non-scored. For many that feels like a full stop and time to shut down. For Thomas Pitt, it became the spark for resilience that shaped every step of his journey. From working as a wool presser and on the floor of a garden nursery to civil construction, he worked his way up from being on the tools to leading. His story is proof that a non-scored pathway can lead to a strong and capable career built on grit and hard work. For parents whose child is going non-scored or stepping into the trades, this is reassurance that it is a beginning, not an ending. What you’ll discover: • What going non-scored really means for your child • Why a non-scored pathway is a beginning, not an end • Building a career in the trades and construction • Working up from the tools to leadership and founding AUE • How resilience is built through hard work This episode is testament that life is about far more than a score. Know someone else with a story that should be shared? Get in contact with us at morethanascorepod@gmail.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.
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    35 mins
  • When You Miss Out On Your First Option: Jess Orr on Pivoting and Staying Open to Adventure

    When You Miss Out On Your First Option: Jess Orr on Pivoting and Staying Open to Adventure
    Sep 21 2025
    If your child missed their first university preference, this is reassurance. A pivot can lead to experiences they would never have planned. What if your best school memories were not about results, but connection, laughter and a community that felt like home? For Jess Orr, it was house singing days and a close-knit year level that defined her final years. After school she pursued an Arts Law degree, but had to pivot and move to a regional city after missing her first options. That pivot led to unexpected experiences, from living on campus to studying overseas. For parents whose child misses a preferred course or pathway, this is a warm reminder that a detour can open doors, and that balance and openness to adventure matter more than a perfect plan. What you’ll discover: • When your child misses their first university option • Why a pivot can open unexpected doors • Finding balance beyond results • Staying open to adventure and new experiences • How connection shapes the school years Because success is built on balance, connection, and the courage to be yourself - not a final score. Know someone else with a story that should be shared? Get in contact with us at morethanascorepod@gmail.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.
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    50 mins
  • When Your Childhood Dream Ends: TJ Weistra, Badminton Australia CEO, on Starting Again

    When Your Childhood Dream Ends: TJ Weistra, Badminton Australia CEO, on Starting Again
    Sep 28 2025
    If your child's big dream does not work out, this helps. The end of one path can be the start of an unexpected, meaningful one. What happens when your childhood dream of being a professional athlete ends and you have to start again? For TJ Weistra, badminton was everything, first as a player at the highest level, then as a coach in Peru and New Zealand. Today he is the CEO of Badminton Australia, proof that success can be redefined well beyond results. His story speaks to anyone whose plan has fallen away and who must rebuild. For parents, it is a reminder that identity does not have to rest on one outcome, and that the skills built chasing a dream often open doors you never expected. Starting again is not starting over. What you’ll discover: • What to do when a childhood dream ends • Rebuilding identity beyond one result • How skills from sport transfer to new careers • Redefining success after a plan falls away • Why starting again is not starting over Because success isn’t fixed. It grows and changes with you. Know someone else with a story that should be shared? Get in contact with us at morethanascorepod@gmail.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.
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Falling Ill Before Final Exams: Shayegan Abdollahbeigi on Discipline, Engineering and Entrepreneurship

    Falling Ill Before Final Exams: Shayegan Abdollahbeigi on Discipline, Engineering and Entrepreneurship
    Oct 5 2025
    If your child faces a setback right before exams, this is reassurance. A curveball in Year 12 does not have to derail their future. What do you do when life throws a curveball right before your final exams? For Shayegan Abdollahbeigi, a severe illness in Year 12 almost stopped him sitting his exams. With a teacher's encouragement he pushed through and discovered a principle that still guides him: discipline equals freedom. Growing up in Iran before moving to Australia gave him a unique lens on school and opportunity, and his path led him into engineering and entrepreneurship. For parents whose child has hit an unexpected setback, this is an encouraging story about resilience, the power of one encouraging teacher, and building a future on discipline and self-belief. What you’ll discover: • Coping when illness or setback hits before exams • Why discipline equals freedom • The power of one encouraging teacher • Building a path into engineering and entrepreneurship • Resilience when Year 12 doesn't go to plan Because true success isn’t about a score, it’s about systems, values, and the person you become along the way. Know someone else with a story that should be shared? Get in contact with us at morethanascorepod@gmail.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.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Stop Waiting for Permission and Back Yourself: Lael Stone on Courage, Curiosity and Confident Kids

    Stop Waiting for Permission and Back Yourself: Lael Stone on Courage, Curiosity and Confident Kids
    Oct 11 2025
    If you have ever waited for permission before backing yourself or your child, this is for you. Courage and curiosity open doors that school sometimes can't. What happens when you stop waiting for permission and start backing yourself instead? Lael Stone, speaker, educator and author, shares how leaving a school system that did not quite fit opened the door to a life of possibility. At seventeen she travelled overseas alone and launched her first business, guided by courage and curiosity rather than convention. This is a warm, practical conversation for parents about raising confident young people, choosing connection over judgment, and trusting that a different path can be a rich one. If your child does not fit the traditional mould, Lael's story is a hopeful reminder that there are many ways to build a meaningful life. What you'll discover: • Backing yourself instead of waiting for permission • Raising confident, curious young people • Choosing connection over judgment • When school doesn't fit, and what becomes possible • Why courage and curiosity open doors In this episode of More Than a Score, Lael Stone shares how leaving behind a school system that didn’t quite fit opened the door to a life of possibility. At just 17, she travelled overseas alone, launched her first business at 20, became a parent at 25, and went on to build a career as a parenting educator, speaker, author, and co-co-founder of Woodline Primary School. Lael’s story is a reminder that qualifications don’t always come from classrooms — they can come from life experiences, curiosity, and the willingness to take a chance on yourself. She opens up about the power of trusting your instincts, embracing imperfection, and finding freedom in being “enough.” This episode is for parents and young people who feel pressure to have everything figured out. Lael’s journey reminds us that courage, curiosity, and connection will take you further than perfection ever could. You’ll discover: • Why backing yourself can be a powerful qualification you can have. • How courage and lived experience can open unexpected doors. • Why being “enough” matters more than being perfect. • How parents can model possibility, presence, and calm for their kids. Because success isn’t about ticking boxes — it’s about backing yourself and creating a life that feels true to you. Know someone else with a story that should be shared? Get in contact with us at morethanascorepod@gmail.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.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • The Best Lessons Aren't on a Report Card: Tom Pountney on Community, Connection and Finding Your Feet

    The Best Lessons Aren't on a Report Card: Tom Pountney on Community, Connection and Finding Your Feet
    Oct 22 2025
    If your child's best school memories are the people, not the marks, this resonates. The most valuable lessons often are not the graded ones. What makes a great school experience, the marks you earn or the memories you make? For Tom Pountney, it was the laughter, sport, and sense of community that made learning come alive, and the teachers who treated students like adults ready for the world. Leaving that environment brought its own lessons; he admits he felt a little lost, missing the structure and connection school provided. Through travel, writing and work he gradually found his feet. For parents, it is a reminder that belonging and relationships shape a young person as much as any result, and that feeling lost for a while is part of finding your way. What you’ll discover: • Why the best lessons aren't the graded ones • How community and belonging shape a young person • Feeling lost after school, and finding your feet • The teachers who treat students like capable adults • Why connection matters as much as results Tom reminds us that the best lessons aren’t found on a report card; they’re discovered along the way. 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.
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    53 mins