Peer Learning Community — Free for All
Sponsored by:
Women in Leadership
Your Hosts
Claire Peet
Managing Partner,
PD Academia
It’s free to join!
Samantha Chesler
ICF PCC Certified Coach
This community offers a reflective and supportive space for women in educational leadership roles to connect, share experiences, and grow together. Whether you lead a team, a department, or a whole school, the focus is on authentic leadership grounded in purpose and lived experience. Members explore topics such as navigating challenges, developing confidence, and building influence—while also sharing tools, strategies, and peer insights. Through open conversation and mutual support, the community highlights what it means to lead as women in education today.
Upcoming Live Webinars
Thursdays | 4:15PM - 5:00PM (GMT+8)
Session 1
Stop Waiting Until You’re Ready: Confidence Comes After the Leap
Fern Wise
Head of PE, Fettes College Guangzhou | Founder, Fern Wise Consulting | Former International Athlete & British Army Instructor
-
Fern Wise is a High Performance Leadership & Wellbeing Consultant, Head of Physical Education at Fettes College Guangzhou, and former elite international athlete.
With over 50 international caps for Wales across netball and rugby league, including competing at the Commonwealth Games, Fern brings first-hand experience of high-performance sport alongside her background as a British Army instructor.
Her career has taken her from elite sport and military leadership into international education, where she now leads PE and sport while championing greater opportunities and sustainable pathways for young people.
Through Fern Wise Consulting, Fern brings these experiences together to explore leadership, wellbeing, confidence and performance culture, with a particular passion for creating environments where women and girls can thrive.
Session 3
Change is scary. So is staying the same.
Thursday, Jan 14, 2027
4:15PM - 5:00PM (GMT+8)
Sometimes the biggest growth happens when we step outside of our comfort zone. And sometimes, the best lessons are learned in hindsight. This session explores the lessons I have learned as a female leader and as a mother.
Guest Speaker
Emily Gallagher
Deputy Head at British School Manila
-
Emily Gallagher is an EdD researcher exploring support mechanisms for female school leaders working within China. She has worked in education for 18 years, including ten years in bilingual schools in China, where she served as Whole School Deputy Head. She is currently Deputy Head (Seniors) at the British School Manila.
Throughout her leadership career, Emily has also held roles including Director of Studies, Head of Pastoral and Boarding Parent. These positions have enabled her to lead whole-school strategic initiatives while maintaining a strong focus on pastoral care, student wellbeing and creating inclusive environments where students and staff can thrive. She is particularly passionate about using data to inform pastoral provision and enhance wellbeing outcomes.
Emily is the mother of two children, both born in China, and continues to focus her doctoral research on educational leadership and the experiences of female school leaders in the Chinese context.
Feb 11, 2027
Thursday
4:15PM - 5:00PM (GMT+8)
Mar 4, 2027
Thursday
4:15PM - 5:00PM (GMT+8)
Previous Webinars
Apr 8, 2027
Thursday
4:15PM - 5:00PM (GMT+8)
May 6, 2027
Thursday
4:15PM - 5:00PM (GMT+8)
Session 2
Taking Our Place, Making Space: How Our Own Sense of Belonging Shapes the Way We Lead Others
Donita Bell
Assistant Primary Principal and IB PYP Coordinator at Northbridge International School of Cambodia
-
Donita Bell is an elementary educator whose 30-year journey has spanned classrooms, leadership teams, and international communities across Australia, China and Cambodia. Currently serving as Assistant Primary Principal and PYP Coordinator, she describes herself as a relational, values-led leader who seeks to create the trust, challenge and conditions that allow others to grow, contribute and lead and learn alongside of her.
Her professional focus lies at the intersection of embodiment science , playful inquiry, child development and the intentional design of learning environments that invite storytelling through arts, play, and languages. She has facilitated workshops across Nord Anglia and ACAMIS contexts, engaging educators in conversations that connect research, reflection, and classroom pedagogy and practice.
Donita believes that democratic practices — listening, participation, shared voice and respect — are fundamental to how we live and lead together. She advocates for leadership that strengthens educator wellbeing, values individual strengths, and nurtures potential in both adults and children.
At heart, she is a learner — committed to sharing stories, current research, and practical thinking that empowers educators to lead with clarity, creativity, and care.
Your Hosts
Claire Peet
Managing Partner,
PD Academia
-
Claire Peet works with international schools to strengthen the quality and coherence of professional learning. With over 16 years of experience in international education, she specialises in helping schools move beyond fragmented workshops toward well-designed, purposeful adult learning.
Her work focuses on the craft behind the scenes - facilitation design, professional learning architecture, and building internal capacity so schools are not dependent on external speakers to drive change.Claire has supported schools across Asia and beyond to design internal conferences, develop middle leaders, and implement sustainable change initiatives. She is also the voice behind the Women in Leadership Newsletter, where she explores the realities of leadership in international education.
-
“Claire creates a truly collaborative learning environment, and Ileft with practical tools that I was able to implement the verynext Monday. Tools I continue to use today and now amteaching my team to use. That is the true value of her work asa facilitator: actionable skills that create immediate and lastingchange AND ripple effects in organizations.
She was also kind enough to take my call when I reached out in tears after a feedback session had gone completely off plan.She offered a listening ear, clear guidance, and practical stepsthat helped me move forward with confidence.
The ROl is HIGH!”
— Comine Howe, Director of Marketing & Communications at Qingdao Amerasia International School
“Thank you so much for all your support. I’ve really enjoyed working with you and learned so much along the way. This experience has been truly valuable, and I’m excited to put what I’ve learned into practice moving forward.
I really appreciate your guidance and encouragement throughout this journey.”
— Lulu Zhang, Specialist Teacher - Chinese, Head of Year at Australian International School Hong Kong
Samantha Chesler
ICF PCC Certified Coach,
Samantha Chesler Coaching
-
Samantha Chesler is a certified and experienced coach in education who works with international school leaders and teachers. Her coaching seeks to help her clients discover the power, purpose and magic that resides within them so that they can teach and lead with self-awareness, and confidence. The importance of coaching, and what drives her, is the impact coaching can have both on the individual and their communities, so schools become impactful, values-driven and compassionate places to work and thrive. Her approach is playful, creative, and collaborative. As a former international teacher and head of department with over 16 years of experience, she understands the reality of working in a busy school and loves coaching and working with educators. She is based in Singapore.
-
“Samantha, I want to thank you for the invaluable coaching sessions over the past months. Under your guidance, I have learnt powerful tools to build confidence from within and strengthen my resilience during challenging times. I feel so much more positive now thanks to your support. Your coaching has helped me in taking greater control of my life and has significantly improved my ability to manage my anxiety. Because of your expertise and compassion, I am now empowered to handle whatever comes my way. Samantha, you have made a truly lasting impact on me. I am forever grateful for your coaching and wisdom.”
— Delphine Touron, Singapore
“Right from our first session, Samantha helped me find my ideas from within to gain control of my aspirations as a mother, a teacher, and writer. Her kind and careful questions helped unearth barriers in my thinking that were preventing me from harnessing and owning my time. I now have more quality time with my children, accomplish more as a teacher, and I am dedicating significant time each week towards writing my novel.“
— Catherine Marshall, Singapore
“Samantha’s insight and empathy were a true gift when I reached a crossroads in my life. She showed me that I already knew the answer to my dilemma, I just hadn’t recognized or articulated it. With nuanced questions and patience she gave me clarity and the courage to take the risk that I had been circling for too long. I will definitely turn to her again when I need help to untangle my thoughts or a nudge to make a decision.”
— Clare Gillsater, Copenhagen
Guest Speakers Lineup
Head of PE, Fettes College Guangzhou | Founder, Fern Wise Consulting | Former International Athlete & British Army Instructor
Fern Wise
Donita Bell
Assistant Principal Primary & PYP Coordinator, Northbridge International School of Cambodia
Sissy Shen
Co-Principal, Yew Chung International School of Shanghai, Pudong
Iris Ngai Sze Chan
Dean Of Students (Elementary School), Beijing International Bilingual Academy
Emily Gallagher
Deputy Head, The British School Manila | Female Leadership Coach
Cath Okill
Assistant Principal and Head of Early Years and Key Stage 1, Shrewsbury International School Bangkok City Campus
About
The Vibrant Leader Project
We’re proud to welcome The Vibrant Leader Project as a sponsor of PeerSphere’s Women in Leadership Community. The VLP helps women in demanding roles reclaim their energy, strengthen their well-being, and build sustainable habits. Through structured coaching, personalized health strategies, and meaningful accountability, the project supports leaders in growing professionally and personally without sacrificing their health in the process.
Connect and Learn with Your Peers
The community membership for 2026-27 is free for all.