From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to 2024! As we embark on another academic year, I extend a warm welcome to both new and returning students, families and staff. At the time of writing, we have 135 new students joining us at the start of Term 1. Following on from the successful introduction of co-education and parallel learning in our Secondary school last year, we look forward to continuing to provide this distinctive offering to our incoming Year 7 students and Year 8 cohort. 

2024 promises to be an exciting year for the continued renewal and rejuvenation of our campus with the construction of our new purpose-built Design Technology workshops and flexible learning spaces due to commence this year. Our Visual Art rooms are undergoing a complete renovation and will be transformed into modern inspiring workspaces for the students by the end of Term 1. There will also be a complete overhaul of the Primary playground, and rejuvenation of the College pool and construction of a Learn to Swim pool. I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding while we navigate these capital works.

In addition to these upcoming works, there has been much happening on campus during the break. Notably, three industrial-sized fans have been installed in the PE Centre, the Maths/Science block has been refreshed with a new coat of paint, and new locker rooms and amenities for the Secondary boys are close to completion. We have also created a new student kitchen area in Gammon Gallery, providing all Secondary students with access to this facility, equipped with microwaves. Thank you to our Facilities and Maintenance Team and our Operations Manager (Trudi Woodhead) for ensuring our grounds and facilities are well maintained and fit for purpose. 

As we commence the year and as the College continues to grow, we welcome several new staff:

Primary School

Mrs Denise Burns – Primary Teacher

Miss Alessandra Ciol – Primary Music Teacher

Miss Mya Coombes – Teacher Aide – Early Childhood

Miss Claire Partridge – Primary Teacher

Mrs Esther San Miguel – Primary Teacher

Mrs Sally Wake – Primary Teacher

Secondary School

Miss Morgan Andrew – Science and HPE Teacher 

Ms Louise Bromley – Careers Counsellor

Ms Georgia Corpe – Economics and Legal Studies Teacher

Mr David Cunningham – Mathematics Coordinator

Mrs Asa Fennessy - Economics and Business Teacher

Miss Marielle Gibson – Social Science and English Teacher

Miss Amy Hayes – Humanities Teacher

Mr Grady Howard – Mathematics Teacher

Ms Georgia Lennon – Teacher Aide - STEM

Mr Travis McIntosh – Science and Physics Teacher

Corporate Staff

Ms Kim Brennan – Swimming Administrator

Ms Margaret Guiney – College Nurse

Mrs Lisa Sutherland – Primary Administrator 

Boarding House

Ms Charlotte Gibson - Boarding House Assistant – Weekend

Mr Oliver Sellars - Boarding House Assistant – Residential

Ms Brittney Sempf – Boarding House Assistant – Residential

Miss Olivia Smith – Boarding House Assistant – Residential

Ms Julia von Wuthenau – Boarding House Assistant - Residential

I am also pleased to share some changes to current staff roles which commence at the start of 2024: 

Ms Sian Graham – Head of Year 8 & 9

Ms Joanne Knight – Head of Year 7

Mrs Sam Lennon – Gibson House Leader

Mrs Saskia Greasley – Radcliffe House Leader

Miss Amy Lewin – Primary Sports Coordinator

Mrs Katrina Ash – Primary Literacy and Technology Integrator 

Mrs Kate Osborne – Teacher Aide – Primary

Rev Paul Yarrow will be commencing long service leave from Week 3. During this time Mr Thomas McPherson will step into Rev Yarrow’s role as Acting Chaplain. Mr McPherson joins us from BBC, where he is currently Associate Chaplain. Over the coming weeks I look forward to more formally introducing these staff at College functions.

The connection between home and school is an integral part of the educational journey and the College looks forward to continuing our partnership with you in 2024. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to staff with any questions, concerns or suggestions you may have throughout the year. My thanks to the P&F Association who assist in fostering this connection and will be hosting our Parent Welcome Evening on Friday 2 February. This event is an excellent opportunity to meet other parents if you are new to the College and an opportunity to catch up with parents you have not seen since last year. I hope to see you there.

With our 2024 College theme of ‘Dream Big and Loud’, I am looking forward to a year where we are challenged to reach for the stars as together, we approach each day with the mindset that it is the best of our life.  By realising our dreams it empowers each of us to contribute to our community and in doing so help us shine our light into the world. I look forward to seeing you all back on campus next week!

Kind regards

Dr Andrew Cousins