Greater Perth Area
2022 Foundation Principal for Dayton Primary School. I have 34 years' experience in the public education system, 23 of these as a leader in education. I previously led a school that significantly improved education outcomes for students who attended the school, building a professional & highly motivated team who together, worked to move student achievement to levels not before seen at the school. With my Executive Leadership Team we created a school culture that promoted professional growth through instructional rounds & coaching that supported highly effective curriculum delivery. Professional learning was aligned to the school's vision, targetting pedagogy, curriculum delivery & assessment of, for and as learning. This PLC supported high level professional discussions around student learning. Through this and alignment of structures, processes and resources we significantly reduced in-school teaching variance, resulting in becoming an intern school to support and mentor other school communities as a part of the Centre for Excellence in the Explicit Teaching of Literacy. In 2021 I undertook a 3-month secondment to the Leadership Institute as a Principal Advisor supporting and leading the WA Future Leader's Framework and Public School Council and Board Support and Training. From 2019 - 2020 during a 15-month secondment I was a Principal Advisor, & Liaison between the State Health Incident Coordination Centre (SHICC) & the Department of Education. Supporting school principals and communities navigate the education landscape during the COVID pandemic as a member of the IMT Operations arm. This role included being a member of the SHICC Inter-agency Exercise Writing Team developing exercises to test State Emergency Response Plans for COVID-19. In 2018 I travelled to Harvard, Boston, to take part in the Harvard Principal Fellowship Program, becoming a Principal Fellow in 2019. Prior to this, in 2015, I toured England to examine leadership development & the English education system. Level 3 Advance Distance Running Coach :Former Head Cross Country Coach for Guildford Grammar 2007-2019. Represented Australia in the international arena at the World Track and Field Championships (marathon), World Cross Country Championships & International Ekiden Relay. Qualified in the marathon on two occasions for the Olympic Games, in 1996 and 2000, also qualified for the marathon in Commonwealth Games in 1998. Regardless of what I do, I work to make a difference through deliberate action underpinned by clear goals.
As a member of the WA Executive I work to support ACELWA in working together to ensure the Australian Council for Educational Leaders serves the current, aspiring and future educational leaders through creating opportunities to Grow, Connect, Lead, and Reflect. I am looking forward to connecting with leaders and aspirant leaders from all sectors in supporting them in their work that they undertake across Western Australia to make a difference in education and all that it has to offer.
ACEL Mentoring and Coaching uses the terms, “mentoring” and “coaching” together because of the shared roles mentors and coaches play. Sometimes mentors can play the role of a coach who facilitates and guides and, at other times, coaches can play the role of a mentor who provides more direct instruction and gives clear advice. Whether the sessions focus on mentoring or coaching or consist of both learning activities, will be a matter for each partnership to negotiate as they work together to achieve the mentees’/coachees’ specified learning goals. This opportunity exists for: * Teachers with leadership aspirations (either formal or informal) * Early career leaders * Middle leaders * Established leaders and school principals * Women aspiring leaders * Leaders and others from a variety of settings such as early childhood centres, not-for-profit based organisations, the public sector, and universities.
I am leading the establishment of a new school which opened in 2023. This involved establishing a passionate, driven and collectively collaborative leadership team that understand what it takes to develop and implement High Impact Teaching approaches that support high levels of student achievement. Establishing a staffing profile that brought together a group of people who have combined to make a difference in the lives of every child that walks through our gates. Developing,in collaboration with my leadership team, an instructional framework that draws on the work of Quality Teaching Frameworks and identified current best practice from around the world. I am passionate about building a school community where excellence is not so much the exception but more the norm. Where supports and structures enable students, and staff to be the best they can be. A place where staff understand that "... the strenght of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack." (Kipling)
In this role, as a school based principal I provided support around the Public School Councils and Boards Support Program: Linking School Communities by presenting to boards and councils on the role they play within the governance structures of the public education system, supporting the work of the Department’s Leadership Institute. I carried out two hour and full day presentations across the state, from metropolitan to Regional Remote, for the Western Australian public school sector to schools and Networks.
My leadership team and I created a professional and highly motivated staff that looked at their own actions first regarding student expectations. This was achevied through the continued recruitment of staff who were passionate and driven in bringing about change that significantly improved education outcomes for the students who were fortunate enough to attend our school. They understood that students were a reflection of the person standing in front of them. Together with my executive leadership team, we lead and supported a well educated and motivated staff. Professional learning was structured and sequential, resulting in whole school alignment across all domains. Curriculum delivery was modelled within an established instructional framework. Phase teams supported and managed the process of accountability relative to students' learning and achievement. In doing this we built a knowledge rich school community as defined by Dr Peter Kent. WBPS was one of four schools involved in leading the Department’s Centre for Excellence in the Explicit Teaching of Literacy initiative in partnership with Curtin University's School Education. Together with my executive leadership team, and identified staff, we supported the development of interns who have been identified to implement change in their schools that supported the development of highly effective teaching practices. Further to this, I worked closely with school leadership teams in establishing processess and structures that supported identified change agendas in their schools. This included hosting visiting schools from across Australia in both the Public, Independent, and Catholic sectors. I was a part of a highly successful Coalition of Schools' partnership with two other public schools that ran statewide professional development for four years pertaining to highly effective teaching. This work sits behind current development of an effective teaching framework for state schools in WA.
Provided support to school leaders, and leadership teams in reviewing and ensuring that policies and practices are aligned to promote school improvement build highly effective school communities. Provided coaching to staff to establish exemplary classroom instructional strategies and support schools in the creation of curriculum scope and sequences that are aligned with school accountability and monitoring processes. I provided guidance to executive school leadership teams to align policy and practice in building the capacity of their school community. Further to this we support organsiations and their teams to identify and consider processes and structures that imped or support the attainment of their personal or organisational goals.
Lead coaching role for the senior school PSA cross country team that runs from April through to late August. This role is to oversee the development of the endurance program to maximize each runners potential during the winter PSA competition.
*Provided live to air commentary out of Channel 9 studios alongside Glenn Mitchell for 2014 and 2015 Perth City to Surf. *Provided race commentary for the Perth Marathon Club and major events such as Perth Marathon, Perth Half Marathon, Rottnest Marathon and the Bridges Fun Run. *Provided live on site race commentary for the Perth City to Surf 2010 - 2013 *Personalised coaching for distance runners through TRC and home based.