ABOUT IAN LUSCOMBE

My experience has given me a deep understanding of the needs of students in mainstream and special education settings, and especially those with emotional and behavioural challenges, as well as the needs of the adults who support and work with them. I hold degrees in education and psychology and have taught across all year levels, from Kindergarten to Year 12, in mainstream schools. I also spent more than 28 years in Special Education, including 14 years as Principal of Redbank School, Westmead, NSW — a joint Department of Health and Department of Education facility supporting children from preschool to Year 6 and adolescents in Years 7 to 12 with emotional, psychiatric and/or behavioural disorders.

In 2009, I co-established a class for emotionally disturbed preschoolers — the second initiative of its kind in Australia. The program attracted media attention nationally and internationally and has since been recognised as an example of a preventative mental health approach.

Throughout my career, I have supported and mentored both aspiring and experienced principals and have been among the early trainers and coaches in Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in Australia. I have presented widely across Australia at conferences, schools, universities and NSW Parliament House, sharing practical approaches to behaviour management and strategies for supporting teacher wellbeing.

I have also served as an advisory board member of the Adolescent Brain Website at the University of Toronto, Canada.

My work is grounded in extensive experience, practical knowledge and a genuine commitment to helping schools better understand and respond to complex student needs — while also supporting the wellbeing of the adults who work alongside them.

“Dear Ian…your inspirational expert knowledge that you have shared during professional learning and one on one support for staff, has had an overwhelmingly positive impact for our students. The systems and processes you put in place have resulted in a significant decrease in recorded student behaviour and suspension data and fostered a positive change in the whole school culture.”  From the Principal of a NSW South Coast primary school