ES Staff in the Spotlight

Of our 186 staff at Wantirna College, we have 111 teaching staff and 75 education support staff (ES). Primarily the role of our ES is to support teachers and students to achieve the best possible educational outcomes for students. Their jobs vary greatly, with some providing direct support to students in the classroom and some focused on maintaining our beautiful grounds and buildings, whilst others are in the General Office ensuring payments for camps, excursions and programs are processed accordingly. 

Our school couldn’t operate without the valuable work they do which is often not as visible as the work our teachers do.  However, it is just as vital in ensuring we provide the best possible opportunities for our students. This term, our Staff in the Spotlight will shine a light on the valuable work our ES do and the people in these roles who support our students and teachers.

This week we are spotlighting Peter Cameron.

Peter is the leader of our ES team and spends most of his time in the front office overseeing budgets, projects and IT – amongst a myriad of other things! Peter has spent most of his working life in the Corporate world and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his role at Wantirna College.

What is your role at Wantirna College?

I am the Business Manager. All Victorian government schools have a Business Manager.

How long have you worked at Wantirna College?

I have just ticked over 5 years (which has gone by so fast) and I love being at Wantirna. I am very grateful Mr Murphy took one of the biggest punts of his career and appointed me, even though I came from outside the school system.

What are your responsibilities?

I lead all things finance/budgeting, administration, procurement, HR/contracts and many other compliance and governance bits & pieces at Wantirna, including direct management of the General Office, First Aid and Technical Support areas. Thankfully, we have a finely tuned ES team who each play their part in these important areas. At many government schools, the Business Manager manages all the ES staff, but at Wantirna, with such a big ES team, many of the team report in to their Learning Area Leaders. 

How does the work you do support students and/or teachers?

My work is about resourcing and equipping our staff to lead student learning, so although most students don’t even know I exist, the link to students is still very strong to most things I am involved with.

What is the best thing about Wantirna College?

I think the best thing about Wantirna College is that we are not prepared to just accept the status quo and that we challenge ourselves to improve – that message is not just one we give students. Whether that’s through building new facilities, streamlining processes or changing the way we do student reporting, there is a clear desire to go from good to great and not just do what always has been done just because we’ve always done it that way.

What is the most challenging aspect of your role?

I find the biggest challenge is juggling lots of competing priorities, but accepting that despite the best laid plans, your workday could be totally turned upside down if a student or staff member needs an ambulance or there is an internet outage that stops the whole school operating.

If you hosted a dinner party and had to invite three Wantirna teachers, who would they be and why?

This is just the trick question all kids ask their parents. The right answer is, I love all our teachers the same! 

If you were the boss of Wantirna College and had an unlimited budget to spend, what would you spend it on and why?

My priorities would be (are!) to refurb the B Block toilets like we did for the D Block toilets, and to rejuvenate the area near the bus stop outside the theatre and work with the SRC to install some covered areas for students who are waiting for the bus.

What’s your ideal holiday destination?

A few years ago our whole family spent 4 months doing a half-lap of Australia in a caravan. There is so much to see and experience in Australia, and I would like to do more of that.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing young people today?

With the proliferation of social media and the endless rubbish on the internet, the ability to distinguish between fact and fiction is getting so much harder for everyone, but young people especially.