Supported leaders build teams that stay.
Leadership coaching for Education and Care directors, service managers, educational leaders and lead educators. Because when leaders feel supported, teams feel safe, and children flourish.
Need an invoice for your service? Register and we’ll email one.
Explore the programThe Relational Collective, an ECW Professional Community initiative. 2027 season places are limited.
Leading in Education and Care is a lot to carry.
You’re holding the roster, the ratios, the families, the compliance and the culture, often all before morning tea. You care deeply about getting it right for children. But somewhere between the phone calls and the paperwork, there’s not much left over for you.
And professional development? You know how much it matters, and you want it for yourself and your team. But getting there is another story. Finding cover, juggling the roster and catching up on everything that piled up while you were away can make even the best PD hard to get to, and harder to build on once the week takes over.
That’s where ongoing coaching fits in. With someone alongside you, and other leaders who get it, across the whole year, new ideas have time to take root and grow into meaningful, lasting change in your service.
Why this matters for children
Here’s the heart of it. Children learn through relationships, and relationships are only as steady as the adults in them.
A stressed, depleted educator can still be a wonderful educator. But it’s much harder to be warm, patient and fully tuned in when you’re running on empty. And no amount of individual effort can make up for a workplace that keeps draining people dry.
Educator wellbeing isn’t only a personal matter. It’s shaped by working conditions, culture and leadership: how teams are led, how people are supported, and whether there’s room to think, reflect and connect.
That’s why The Relational Collective works with the leaders who shape those conditions every day. When leaders feel steady and supported, teams feel it. When teams feel it, children feel it.
You chose this work because children matter. So do you. Looking after yourself isn’t selfish, and it isn’t a sign you can’t cope. It’s part of being the calm, connected, present adult that children need.
Nothing against yoga. But it can’t fix a roster.
Educators have been told to practise self-care, breathe deeply and find their balance, usually while short-staffed, mid-ratio and working through lunch. Self-care matters. But wellbeing doesn’t only come from what you do on your day off. It comes from the place you walk into every morning: how it’s led, how people are treated, and whether anyone has time to think.
That’s where we come in. We work alongside the leaders who set the tone, so the calm you need isn’t something you have to find on your own.
Keep the yoga. We’ll help with the rest.
The Relational Leadership Coaching Program
A year of group coaching with leaders in roles just like yours, with coaching after every session to take your learning further. It’s built on relationships, meaningful connection and trust, because that’s what makes leadership, and learning, stick.
Connect: leadership is better together.
Leadership can be lonely. Connect is where that changes.
Across the year, you’ll come together with leaders in roles just like yours: people who understand the juggle because they’re living it too. Each session is a relaxed, conversational space to pause and think clearly, with a focused leadership theme, practical tools you can use straight away, and honest conversations about what’s really happening in services right now.
In Connect, you’ll:
- explore a new leadership theme each session, linked to the National Quality Standard and your everyday practice
- hear how other leaders are tackling the same challenges, and share what’s working for you
- reflect critically with peers who’ll gently challenge your thinking and widen your perspective
- leave each session with something practical to try back at your service
- build a network of trusted colleagues, and join the wider collective of leaders in our private Facebook group: a guided, respectful space to ask questions, explore topics and share ideas without fear of judgement, during the season and long after it ends
Each session builds on the last, so your learning has time to settle, be tested in practice, and grow. It’s professional learning that grows with you and keeps working long after each session ends.
Connect also includes a year of individual ECW Professional Community membership for every participating leader, with all its member benefits; a monthly newsletter with leadership insights; and our private Facebook group, which brings leaders from every group and stream together as one bigger collective.
Why leaders choose Connect
You’ll find your people. You’ll find fresh ideas. And you’ll discover you’re not the only one who’s ever felt stretched thin. That alone can change the way you lead.
Flourish: where learning becomes leadership.
Group coaching opens up new thinking. Flourish is where you make it your own.
After every group session, you’ll have a 60-minute coaching session that’s all about you, your team and your service. It’s where the big ideas from the group meet your real Tuesday: the educator who’s struggling, the conversation you’ve been putting off, the change that just won’t stick.
Together, we’ll:
- take what you’ve learnt in the group and work out what it looks like in your service
- work through the complex challenges that don’t fit neatly into a group discussion
- practise the tricky conversations before you have them
- reflect on what’s working, what isn’t, and why
- notice your growth along the way, so your confidence builds session by session
Over nine sessions, small steps add up. You don’t just learn about leadership. You grow into it.
Coaching in pairs: growing together
Some challenges are better worked through together. With coaching in pairs, your director and educational leader are coached side by side. You’ll build a shared understanding of where your service is heading, learn to draw on each other’s strengths, and take that same way of working back to your team. When leaders reflect together, learning spreads across the whole service, not just one office.
Why leaders choose Flourish
Connect gives you the community. Flourish gives you the follow-through. It’s the difference between feeling inspired on the day and seeing real change in your service, in your team, and in yourself as a leader.
Add Flourish to your package and save 10% when you book Connect and Flourish together.
CARE
Every session, whether in the group or one-to-one, is guided by four simple steps.
Simple to remember, powerful in practice, and the thread that runs through everything we do.
Choose your stream
Two streams, one shared aim: leaders who feel supported, teams who feel steady, and children who feel safe and known.
Pedagogy & Practice
For educational leaders and lead educators
A space to think deeply about play, pedagogy and practice, lead with confidence, mentor educators and bring your team along with you, with children’s wellbeing and safeguarding at the heart of it all.
Leadership & Operations
For directors and service managers
Practical, relational support to build a steady, connected team, navigate the tricky conversations and balance the business with the culture, without losing sight of why you started.
How it works
Groups of up to 25 leaders, so everyone is known and there’s room for real reflection.
Unhurried group coaching across the year, February to October, held mid-week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30–11:30am or 1:30–2:30pm, once the day has settled and before the afternoon rush. We know your time is precious.
A 60-minute coaching session after each group session, one-to-one or in pairs with a colleague from your service.
You’ll grow alongside other leaders and won’t lead alone. It’s a natural fit with the sector’s growing focus on communities of practice, with the added depth of coaching.
Invest in your leaders, and the whole service flourishes.
Educator wellbeing depends on working conditions, culture and leadership, not just individual resilience. Investing in your leaders builds steadier teams, stronger retention and better practice. Most importantly, it gives children calm, connected and consistent relationships every day.
Supported leaders build steady, connected teams, which means less turnover and fewer last-minute roster scrambles.
Thinking alongside a coach and other leaders moves reflection beyond the checklist. Leaders learn to ask “why”, question assumptions and turn insight into better practice.
Coaching runs across the year, building on the professional learning leaders already value, so new thinking is tried, reflected on and embedded in everyday practice.
Confident leaders mentor, encourage and lift their educators, building a culture of professional learning in every room.
Reflective leaders drive meaningful self-assessment and Quality Improvement Plans that lead to real change, not just paperwork.
Children learn through relationships, and those relationships are only as steady as the adults in them.
Linked to the National Quality Standard: the program directly supports the elements services find hardest to meet, including critical reflection (1.3.2) and development of professionals (7.2.3), both among the elements most often rated Not Met in ACECQA’s national snapshots. It also strengthens educational leadership (7.2.2), professional collaboration (4.2.1), continuous improvement (7.2.1), and Exceeding Theme 2: practice is informed by critical reflection.
When leaders grow, everyone grows: educators who stay, practice that deepens, families who trust you, and children who flourish. It all starts with the people leading your service.
I’ve sat in your chair.
I’m Lee Gane, and I’ve spent my career in early childhood Education and Care as a teacher, director, consultant, trainer and, for many years, an approved provider. I know what 7am feels like when two educators call in sick and ratios are wobbling. I also know what’s possible when a team feels steady and supported.
Over more than 35 years in the profession, I’ve shaped and supported teams across many workplaces through steady, relational leadership, mentored and coached leaders at every stage of their careers, and designed and led leadership coaching programs for early childhood leaders across Queensland. I hold a Master of Training and Development and a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood), and I bring that depth of practice, training and coaching experience to every conversation.
The Relational Collective brings all of that together: practical, grounded coaching from someone who understands your Tuesday.
“When leaders feel supported, teams feel safe. When teams feel safe, children flourish.”
Lee Gane
“She creates an environment where people feel trusted to think creatively, develop ideas and take ownership of their work, while always being available with guidance and support.”
“Lee is a passionate educator advocating not only for the rights of children, but also the educators who dedicate their lives to making a difference.”
Find the right fit for your service.
| Package | Connect | Flourish Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| What’s included | Nine one-hour group coaching sessions, February to October, plus a year of individual ECW membership for each participating leader and our private Facebook group | Connect, plus a 60-minute coaching session after every group session |
| Individual | $1,500 | $3,300 |
| Small team 2 leaders | $2,995 | $6,595or $5,695 with coaching in pairs |
| Large team 4 leaders | $5,495 | $12,695or $10,895 with coaching in pairs |
Save 10% when you book Connect and Flourish together. Flourish can also be added later in the season, and further individual coaching is available at $200 a session. All prices exclude GST.
Ready to pay online? Register and pay now. Need an invoice for your service? Register and we’ll email it to your invoice contact. Not sure yet? Book a conversation to find your fit.
Your registration includes ECW membership
Every leader in the program receives a year of individual ECW Professional Community membership, so you’ll enjoy all the member benefits too. Find out more on the ECW website
Frequently asked questions
Who is it for?
Directors, service managers, educational leaders and lead educators across Education and Care, including early learning services, kindergartens and OSHC, whether you’re new to the role or have been leading for years.
How is it delivered?
Everything is delivered online, so leaders can join from wherever they are. Group sessions are online only, as leaders may be spread across large distances. For individual and paired coaching, a face-to-face option can be arranged, with additional costs to cover time and travel.
How much time does it take?
Nine one-hour group sessions across the year and, with Flourish, a 60-minute coaching session after each one. Everything is scheduled around school holidays, so it fits the rhythm of your year.
When are sessions held?
Group sessions run mid-week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, once children, families and staff have settled into the day and before the afternoon rush. On Tuesdays, directors and service managers meet from 10:30 to 11:30am, and educational leaders and lead educators from 1:30 to 2:30pm. On Thursdays it’s the other way around, so you can choose the time that suits your service best.
Can more than one leader from our service join?
Yes. Our team packages let leaders grow together: Small team for 2 leaders, and Large team for 4. Your team size depends on how many leaders you register, not the size of your service. Registering 3 leaders? Choose Small team and register your third leader individually, which costs less than a Large team. For 5 or more leaders, choose Large team and register each extra leader individually. We’ll chat with you about whether extra leaders join their team’s coaching or have one-to-one coaching. Many teams choose coaching in pairs, so learning is shared across the service.
What if someone misses a session?
Life in a service doesn’t always go to plan, and we get it. You’ll receive a short summary of the session theme and reflective questions, so you stay connected to the learning, and Flourish leaders can explore anything they missed in their coaching session. You can also stay connected through our private Facebook group, where leaders from across the collective share questions and ideas. Each group builds its own working agreement, relationships and conversations across the season, so leaders stay with their own group rather than joining another. To protect everyone’s confidentiality, sessions aren’t recorded.
What if a leader leaves our service during the season?
If it’s during the first term, you’re welcome to send a substitute in their place, so your investment stays with your service. We’ll have a short welcome conversation with them before their first session, and the group will revisit its working agreement together so everyone feels settled. After the first term, get in touch and we’ll talk through the best option for you.
What’s your cancellation policy?
Cancellations made 14 or more days before the program starts receive a full refund, and cancellations made at least 7 days before receive a 50% refund. Unfortunately, cancellations with less than 7 days’ notice, and no-shows, can’t be refunded.
How do I pay?
Once we receive your registration, we’ll email an invoice to the invoice contact you’ve provided. Invoices are due and payable within 14 days, and all prices exclude GST. If an invoice is still outstanding 14 days before the first group coaching session, the registration will be cancelled.
Is what I share kept confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality matters, and we’ll talk about it openly from the very first session. At the start of the program, each group agrees on its own working agreements, and we do the same for every individual and paired coaching relationship. Services receive a year-end summary of themes and growth only.
How is the coaching in Flourish priced?
Flourish includes a coaching session after each of the 9 group sessions. Individual coaching is $200 a session, so 9 sessions per leader. Services can also choose coaching in pairs, where two leaders are coached together, at $300 a session for 9 shared sessions. Further individual coaching can be added anytime at $200 a session.
What happens in a conversation?
We’ll chat for about 20 minutes about your service and your leaders, and work out whether the program is right for you. No pressure and no hard sell.
Your leaders hold your service together. Who’s holding them?
We do this work because children matter, and so do you. When we invest in educators’ skills and wellbeing, we invest directly in children’s safety, wellbeing and learning. Strong, steady adults create safe, joyful places for children to grow.
Whether you’re leading practice, leading a service or leading a whole organisation, you don’t have to do it alone. Let’s build the conditions where everyone can do their best work, together.
Here’s how you can be part of it.
Grow your leaders
Register for The Relational Collective, our leadership coaching program for Education and Care teams. Groups are limited to 25 leaders.
Ready to jump in? Register now. Want to talk it through first? Book a conversation.
Find your people
Join the ECW Professional Community, one strong voice for a skilled, valued and respected workforce. Members receive discounts on professional learning, ECW Credits for sharing their good practice stories, and free workplace advice.
Become a memberTake a breath
Join us at our next Educators Festival, a day to wander at your own pace through professional conversations, provocations and time in nature.
Find out more