About Dr Lynette Maguire

Education, research and practice

Lynette completed a PhD at the University of the Sunshine Coast and received the Chancellor’s Medal. She has extensive experience teaching at university level across communication, business, health, writing and related disciplines, alongside leadership and community-sector roles.

Her current work brings research and practice together around a central question: what is getting in the way of a young person participating in education, and what can we change?

That question underpins Now Generation’s school re-engagement work. Rather than beginning with pressure to increase attendance, the approach starts with patterns, student voice, family knowledge, school observations and the demands of the learning environment. From there, schools can make more precise decisions about adjustments, support and the next meaningful step.

A whole-system perspective

Lynette’s work considers the interaction between the student, family, school environment and wider context. This is particularly important for neurodivergent learners, students experiencing emotional distress, and young people whose attendance difficulties are being shaped by multiple barriers rather than a single cause.

Her professional development is designed to help school teams move from competing explanations and fragmented responses towards shared formulation, practical action and coordinated review. The aim is not simply to improve one student’s attendance, but to help schools build a consistent whole-school system they can use across individual cases, attendance caseloads and changing cohorts over time.