learn more about RSO and what sets us apart

Who we are

Stuart and Tina McKenzie, a dynamic duo in public education, bring over four decades of expertise to the forefront.

With Stuart's multifaceted background, spanning from teacher to lead school psychologist, and Tina's specialized skills in early childhood pedagogy, they form an unparalleled team.

They offer a treasure trove of insights, empowering educators with newfound confidence, practical stress-reduction strategies, and innovative solutions for thriving in today's overextended educational landscape.

Dive into sustainable teaching with the McKenzies - your guiding stars in education excellence.

What makes us different

We bring a positive and practical lens to workplace wellbeing and risk. Rather than leading with fear, we focus on strengths, solutions and systems that work. Our process is:

• Evidence-based and psychologically informed

• Grounded in compliance, but focused on culture

• Designed to reduce resistance and build engagement

• Led by experienced psychologists who understand real-world complexity

We don’t just run training - we walk with you from insight to impact. Our team supports you before, during, and after our workshops to ensure that psychological safety and resilience stick.

Stuart McKenzie, registered psychologist and co-founder of RSO Partners

Meet Stuart McKenzie

Registered psychologist. Former teacher. Author of The Science of Teacher Resilience (British Noble Press, 2025) and Dynamic Psychosocial Safety in Schools (To be published 2026)

Stuart started his career in the classroom. He knows what a hard class on a Friday afternoon feels like, and what it costs the teacher who carries it home. That experience shaped everything that came after it.

He moved from teaching into school psychology and went on to become a lead school psychologist. Over 30 years he has worked with students, teachers and leadership teams through crisis, complexity and change. He kept seeing the same pattern. Schools were investing in staff wellbeing, but the work itself kept wearing people down. Workload, student behaviour, emotional demands and unclear roles weren't being managed as risks. They were treated as part of the job.

Stuart co-founded RSO Partners to change that.

What he has done

Written the book on it.

The Science of Teacher Resilience (British Noble Press, 2026) gives school leaders and staff a practical process for finding, prioritising and controlling psychosocial hazards, built for how schools actually run.

Worked across every kind of school.

His work covers primary schools, secondary colleges, education support centres, specialist schools with satellite campuses, and remote community schools.

Measured what's really happening.

Stuart uses validated staff data (PR6 and JSECC) to show leaders where the pressure sits in their school, then turns those results into integrated hazard reports and risk registers that meet WA work health and safety obligations. Stuart published a research article on the applied measurement properties of the JSECC.

Rossouw, J. G., McKenzie, S. (2026). Applied Measurement Properties and Score Interpretation of the JSECC Psychosocial Survey: Psychosocial Hazards, Resilience and Workplace Outcomes. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30629.46565

Trained the leaders.

He delivers the HART (High Adversity Resilience Training) certification to principals and leadership teams, most recently to 27 leaders from education support schools and centres across Perth. Stuart has trained over 130 educators as Resilience First Aid Responders (RFA).

Gone into the classroom.

Through Behaviour Intelligence, Stuart built The Engineered Classroom and Cracking the Hard Class, which give teachers practical, psychology-based tools for managing behaviour without burning out.

Why schools choose Stuart

01He speaks school.

He has stood in front of the class, sat in the student services office and worked alongside the leadership team. He knows the difference between a plan that looks good on paper and one that survives Term 3.

02He starts with your data, not a template.

Every recommendation is grounded in what your staff tell you. Leaders get a clear picture of their top hazards, not a generic list of wellbeing ideas.

03He makes compliance useful.

Psychosocial hazard management is now a legal obligation for WA schools. Stuart helps you meet it in a way that also makes the work more sustainable for your people.

04He leaves you with a system.

Schools come away with a risk register, a clear process and a leadership team that knows how to keep it going. The goal is capability that stays after he leaves, not ongoing dependence on him.

Ready to talk?

Whether you need a staff survey, a risk plan, leadership training or whole-school PD, the first step is a conversation.

Start a conversation

Stronger Schools Start with Resilient Staff

At RSO Partners, we partner with school leaders to strengthen the foundations of school culture - safety, support and staff wellbeing. Our mission is simple: to help your school not only comply with psychosocial hazard legislation but to thrive as a resilient, connected community.

Whether you’re a principal, deputy principal, teacher, or education assistant, we understand the daily pressure that you’re under - and we’re here to help.

Ready to get started?

Start a conversation

Tell us what your organisation is facing. We will help you choose a practical first step, whether that is a workshop, a risk planning consultation, leadership support or an online resource.