Fay Hadley

Professor Fay Hadley is Director of Education at Macquarie School of Education, specializing in early childhood education leadership and family partnerships. She holds positions at Macquarie University and The Centre for Research in Early Childhood Education (CRECE). Her research focuses on mentoring systems for early childhood educators, socio-political impacts on educators, and culturally inclusive family partnerships. Key projects include the Early Childhood Education Scholarships Mentoring Program and the 2021 National Quality Framework update.

Teaching awards include the 2022 Faculty of Arts Educational Leader Award (team) and 2012 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Programs that Enhance Learning. She serves on the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood editorial board and actively engages with Early Childhood Australia.

Recent research outputs emphasize mentorship sustainability (2025), cultural care in out-of-home placements (2024), and family policy engagement (2024). Projects include health communication initiatives with international collaborators. Advises postgraduate students in leadership and partnership domains. Current work explores quality improvement frameworks and cross-sectoral collaboration.