Message from the Principal

As we approach the end of Term 3, I want to begin with a big thank you to Peter Whitby for his leadership and contribution to Balmoral this term.

Peter has brought energy, experience, and fresh perspectives to our leadership team, particularly through his work with student leadership and his support of our students and leaders. It has been wonderful to have Peter alongside us this term, and I am grateful for the contribution he has made to our school community. After a statewide recruitment and selection process, I am pleased to announce that Joshua Pollock will join Balmoral State High School as Acting Deputy Principal for Term 4, 2026.

Joshua has Deputy Principal experience in Senior Schooling at Kelvin Grove State College and brings extensive experience across senior schooling, curriculum and assessment, data, vocational education, and whole school improvement. Josh has led the Accessible Assessment Research collaboration with Queensland University of Technology involving five faculties across Kelvin Grove State College. His strong focus on student outcomes, evidence-informed practice, curriculum leadership and developing the capacity of others will be a valuable addition to our leadership team

Year 7 Museum Showcase

It was fantastic to see our Year 7 students share their Personal History presentations this week. Students explored their own family stories, connected these with Australia's history, and created artefacts to represent their learning.

It was particularly pleasing to see so many parents and families attend, connect with the learning, and engage with the artefacts their young people had designed themselves. This is authentic learning at its best: learning that is personal, meaningful and connected to the world beyond the classroom.

Year 12 Mock Exams

Year 12 students have been very busy completing their mock examinations.

This is an important opportunity for our seniors to test their knowledge, refine their preparation and build confidence ahead of their final assessments.

We look forward to welcoming our Year 12 students back in Term 4, as they access tailored feedback in preparation for their external exams part way through term 4.

Learning, Engagement and Self Direction

One of the things I value most about our leadership design at Balmoral is the opportunity to work alongside a group of school leaders who are helping shape our pedagogy and digital transformation strategy.

Earlier this week, I sat down with a number of these leaders and, as part of our conversation, we recorded another episode of our Chalk Talk podcast.

The conversation provides some great insights and affirmations from our leaders about what matters most: student learning, engagement and developing increasingly self-directed learners.

It is a great reflection of the work underway across Balmoral and the collective focus we have on creating the conditions for learners to become more curious, capable, and courageous.

Thank you to our staff, students, and families for another strong week at Balmoral. As we head towards the end of Term 3, I appreciate the continued commitment to our learners and to the work we are doing together.

Timothy Barraud

Principal