David Bott

David Bott grew up in a household where education was the family business. His mother — a career educator who completed her PhD in Education and founded her own school — ensured that conversations about learning and teaching were the soundtrack of his childhood. From an early age, David developed a deep conviction that education is not merely a profession, but one of the most powerful ways to shape lives and communities.

David began his career as a classroom teacher in Australia and the United Kingdom, holding senior pastoral and academic leadership roles over 15 years. During this time, he recognised a critical truth: what students feel often matters more than what they are taught. He saw capable students limited by anxiety, low confidence and a lack of emotional vocabulary. At the same time, he observed passionate teachers burning out without adequate system-level support for their own wellbeing.

These experiences sparked a defining question: what would it look like if wellbeing wasn’t an add-on, but the way we do school?

Determined to answer this, David completed postgraduate studies in Psychology and Positive Education before becoming Associate Director at the Institute of Positive Education — the world’s leading centre for applied wellbeing science in schools. In this role, he delivered training to more than 20,000 educators from over 1,000 schools worldwide and served as a strategic consultant to leading schools and government organisations globally.

Across this work, David consistently observed the same challenge: ambitious wellbeing intentions undermined by crowded plans and a lack of practical tools for everyday classrooms. Schools wanted change but struggled to implement it sustainably.

In response, David co-founded The Wellbeing Distillery to bridge the gap between research and real classrooms. The organisation transforms cutting-edge wellbeing science into practical tools teachers can use immediately. Its programs include HAT (Here’s a Thought) for secondary students, Be3 for primary learners, and The Wellbeing Compass strategic planning tool.

David is the bestselling author of 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right), now considered essential reading for educators seeking meaningful reform. As a founding member of the Dubai Future Council for Education, he is recognised as a trusted voice on the future of schooling.

Today, through keynotes, workshops and strategic consulting, David helps schools move from wellbeing plans to wellbeing cultures — creating learning environments that are kinder, wiser and more human than we found them.