Why Academic Life Must Be More Than Assessment
Written by Andrew Murray, former Principal and Director, Lumina Consulting
As a former principal, I get it. Student achievement. Data. Targets. Pressure. The relentless push to measure what matters—and sometimes, what doesn’t.
But over the past few years, my focus has shifted. Through my work on teacher and principal flourishing, I’ve explored what it means to lead with purpose, protect staff well-being, and sustain school culture without burning out. Increasingly, though, I keep returning to a simple, grounding question:
What does it mean for students to flourish?
Not just achieve. Not just behave. Not just survive. But to truly flourish academically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
This isn’t a fluffy add-on to real learning. Flourishing is layered, rigorous, and backed by a growing body of research. If we’re serious about forming whole human beings, not just well-scoring ones, we need to bring academic flourishing to the centre of school life.
The Problem: A Narrow View of Success
Right now, too many schools are trapped in a cycle of performativity. When assessment becomes the main thing, we risk flattening education into something transactional. We might get students to the finish line, but at what cost?
The system rewards compliance. It leaves little room for creativity, meaning-making, or moral growth. And too often, our students can feel like products of the system rather than people in formation.
The Solution: Academic Flourishing as Formation
Academic flourishing goes beyond success. It’s about formation—of minds, character, relationships, and values. It’s about helping young people grow into citizens who can think critically, act ethically, and live with purpose.
This builds directly on my earlier work. Flourishing teachers model the kind of lives we’re inviting students into. Flourishing principals create the culture that makes that possible. But if students are only ever taught by burnt-out staff in compliance-driven systems, it’s hard to talk about flourishing with a straight face.
Drawing on Tyler VanderWeele’s framework, flourishing involves six core domains: happiness, health, meaning, character, relationships, and financial stability. Not all of these fall squarely within a school’s remit, but many do. Meaning is cultivated through purpose-driven learning. Character is formed through habits, expectations, and classroom culture. Relationships are strengthened through trust and belonging.
I think of a school I worked with recently in regional New South Wales. The Year 6 team redesigned their inquiry units around students’ life goals. One student studied architecture because he wanted to design sustainable housing for his whānau. Another explored environmental science after their town was impacted by flooding. These weren’t just assignments. They were personal missions. That’s what formation looks like.
Virtues like honesty, courage, humility, and perseverance aren’t just moral extras. They’re enablers of learning. A student who lacks courage won’t ask the hard question. A student who lacks humility may never revise their thinking. Flourishing doesn’t compete with academic achievement. It grounds it.
Of course, there’s tension. Some argue that schools shouldn’t take on the job of shaping character or supporting emotional well-being—that’s for families, churches, or communities. Fair enough.
But I worry we’ve overcorrected. If we reduce schooling to content delivery and compliance, we’re not educating whole people. We’re training technicians.
This work offers a useful middle path: focus on what’s widely valued and what educators are equipped to support. That includes:
Equipping students with knowledge and critical thinking
Fostering virtues that support learning and life
Helping students link education to purpose and contribution
Creating environments of trust, safety, and authentic relationship
Schools that get this balance right—rigour and relationship, content and character—don’t just talk about flourishing. They live it.
Flourishing isn’t just an individual matter. A school is a community, not a machine. A flourishing school has good relationships, inclusive leadership, healthy structures, and a shared mission.
And here’s the key: students cannot flourish if the adults around them are not flourishing too. Teachers who feel seen, supported, and purposeful model what a healthy life looks like. Principals who lead with clarity and compassion set the tone for the entire culture.
Flourishing ripples outward. And the opposite is also true.
The concept of academic flourishing asks us to reflect honestly:
Are our students growing in wisdom as well as knowledge? Are we forming them for lives of purpose, service, and meaning? Do our assessments measure what truly matters or just what’s easiest to count?
We don’t need to redesign the system overnight. But we can start small: rethinking what we praise, adjusting how we assess, and creating time for students to reflect on who they’re becoming.
This is the next frontier for our schools.
Not just more content. More formation. More courage. More wisdom. More flourishing.
Let’s raise students who don’t just pass exams but who are prepared to live meaningful, ethical, joy-filled lives.
If you’re a teacher who’s ready to explore the concept of flourishing—for yourself, your classroom, or your school—I’d love to invite you to the Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools Conference. I’ll be sharing practical tools, lived insights, and reflections to help you protect your energy, sustain your passion, and create a culture of care in your everyday practice.
This blog is part of a series shared in the lead-up to the National Education Summit, where we’ll explore what flourishing leadership looks like in practice. Whether you’re a principal, middle leader, or just starting out, this session will give you practical ways to rethink your week, refocus your leadership, and protect your energy. If you're serious about leading well without burning out, I’d love to see you there.
I’ve worked with leaders across schools, government teams, and not-for-profits—and the same pattern keeps showing up. It’s not time that breaks people, it’s energy mismanagement. That’s the conversation we need to have. Because the question at the heart of this isn’t just how do we care for others—but who is caring for the carers? If we want sustainable leadership, that question matters more than ever.
If you're organising a conference, staff retreat, or wellbeing day—or you're looking for a keynote that brings warmth, humour, and real-world tools—I’d love to bring this message to your community. This is more than a talk; it's a practical, people-first invitation to lead with purpose and protect what matters most. Let's talk.
Please feel free to send me a message—I'd love to have a chat with you.
📍 Melbourne: 28 - 29 August 2025 | Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre