2026 Victorian Education Excellence Awards finalists

Nadia Bettio is a principal who leads with a commitment to equity, integrity and excellence. She has developed a clear, values-driven vision for Tarneit Rise Primary School, grounded in fairness, inclusion and high expectations for all. As founding principal, she worked with students, staff and families to build the school’s vision, values and culture, creating a strong sense of belonging and shared ownership.

With 91 per cent of students from language backgrounds other than English, she has led a whole-school, evidence-based approach to literacy, prioritising explicit phonics instruction and oral language development. Backed by her processes for collecting and analysing data, Nadia regularly evaluates the effectiveness of staffing, interventions and programs to ensure measurable improvements in student learning and wellbeing. This has helped her identify effective teaching practices and areas for growth.

Tina Coumbe has focused on continuous improvement and renewal during her 12 years leading Crib Point Primary School. She has addressed and corrected the school’s financial deficit, built strong, coherent and clearly articulated wellbeing systems, established consistent curriculum and pedagogy across all classrooms and strong community confidence through authentic connections and genuine relationships.

Tina has transformed teaching and learning into a highly collaborative, data-informed and inclusive model that prioritises student achievement and wellbeing. She has completed training in every major initiative implemented, including Sounds-Write, Corrective Reading and the Berry Street Education Model, ensuring she leads improvement from a position of deep knowledge and credibility. Importantly, Tina has not only led these programs but taught them herself, demonstrating a belief in leading by example. Strong partnerships with families, allied health professionals and external agencies meet diverse student needs while maintaining a focus on learning and wellbeing.

Natalie Grieve is a principal whose instructional leadership, evidence-informed practice and deep commitment to inclusion have transformed Mount Waverley North Primary School.

She has built a high-performing school culture grounded in strong teaching, shared accountability and continuous improvement, with student outcomes in reading, writing and numeracy consistently above state benchmarks. Natalie has also created a safe, welcoming and culturally responsive school community, with strong results in student wellbeing, inclusion and belonging.

Eloise Haynes has led significant improvements at Lyndhurst Secondary College, creating a safe, orderly and inclusive learning environment where every student is supported to succeed. Through her leadership, staff endorsement of a focused learning environment rose from 12 per cent in 2022 to 69 per cent in 2025, while effective teaching time increased from 59 per cent to 72 per cent. She expanded vocational pathways from one Vocational Education and Training program to 8, strengthened engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse families through multilingual and interpreter-supported processes, and introduced innovative programs to re-engage vulnerable students.

Eloise’s leadership has delivered lasting improvements in learning, wellbeing, attendance and post-school opportunities, making a profound difference for students, families and the wider community.

As principal of one of Victoria's largest specialist schools, Ashwini Sharma has lifted the bar for both students and staff at Warringa Park School. Ashwini has created a culture of high expectations that recognises ‘ability’ over ‘disability’. Under her leadership, student satisfaction, attendance, and literacy outcomes have improved dramatically.

Last year, 88 per cent of students achieved at least one level’s growth in their reading comprehension, while the percentage of students with limited letter recognition dropped from 61 to 44.

When Liz Swan became principal of Bayswater Secondary College, enrolments were declining and the school was undergoing a period of transition. Liz initiated a cultural transformation that has resulted in strong enrolment growth, renewed community confidence, better learning outcomes and greatly reduced staff turnover.

One of Liz's most impactful changes has been the introduction of the Grade 5 Taste Testers program, designed to reduce anxiety and improve secondary school readiness. What began as a targeted transition initiative has grown to support more than 500 students each year across the entire local community.

Mentone Park Primary School teacher Emma Free organised a community-wide book donation initiative, helping students access a range of books. This popular initiative helped families feel more engaged in students’ learning and reinforced the importance of literacy in the community. It is just one way she has shown her deep commitment to improving student learning and wellbeing outcomes through evidence-informed practice, collaboration and high expectations.

Emma has shown leadership in improving student learning outcomes through effective teaching practices, targeted professional learning and a focus on high-quality instruction. She has also supported teachers to implement highly effective strategies that reduce cognitive overload and improve learning retention for all students.

Nyah District Primary School teacher Pam Paynter’s classrooms are calm and supportive environments, which help Prep students move into formal school and engage confidently with learning. Pam supports a diverse range of learners, including many starting school with little early childhood education. Through her approach, students consistently grow in their academic performance, as well as in their social and emotional development. She establishes safe, structured and inclusive learning environments through routines, explicit instruction and clear learning intentions.

Using assessment data, observations and student feedback, Pam monitors how students are progressing and adjusts instruction to make sure they are supported and challenged to achieve success. Her dedication to professional growth is reflected in the way she thoughtfully incorporates current research and best practice into her daily teaching. As an active and highly respected member of the leadership team, Pam plays a significant role in shaping and driving improvements across the entire school.

Jesse Waters is an outstanding primary teacher whose creative, evidence-based practice is making a strong impact on student learning and engagement at Hastings Primary School. Jesse creates rich, student-driven learning experiences that build strong foundations in literacy while celebrating inclusion, curiosity and identity. Her work has extended beyond the classroom through bilingual family engagement, innovative inquiry learning and culturally inclusive projects, including mentoring a disengaged student to help design the school’s first culturally inclusive Koorie uniform. Jesse’s practice reflects deep professionalism, strong relational teaching and a clear commitment to improving outcomes for every student.

As a leading teacher for student voice and agency, Suzanne Cory High School’s Dolly Nguyen has had a big impact on teaching and learning outcomes across the whole school community. She has achieved this through evidence-informed practice, student partnership and helping students develop ways to self-regulate. She has set up structures that mean students get a say in how the school runs – from curriculum and assessment to wellbeing priorities.

Dolly has driven improvements in student engagement, agency and learning outcomes while creating a culture where students and teachers work as genuine partners in learning. She has strong curriculum knowledge, practises highly effective planning and creates inclusive and intellectually engaging learning environments where students are challenged and supported to succeed.

John Waller is the Head of Music at Lorne P–12 College and a highly respected music educator whose work has transformed opportunities for students in a small rural school community. Over more than 20 years in music education, he has built a thriving, industry-connected program grounded in inclusion, high expectations and authentic learning. His students have achieved outstanding results, including perfect VCE study scores, Premier’s Awards and Top Class selections, while the school’s music culture now reaches across the wider community.

Stawell Secondary College teacher Ling Zhao’s teaching philosophy is grounded in maintaining high expectations while making sure her students feel supported, challenged and capable of success. Ling creates an orderly, inclusive and engaging learning environment, and her teaching has contributed to strong student outcomes and high levels of engagement. VCE Chinese Language, Culture and Society results consistently perform above the state mean and students have achieved success in numerous state, national and global competitions. She values collaboration and actively contributes to a professional culture that supports continuous improvement in teaching, learning and wellbeing.

Ling works closely with colleagues to strengthen curriculum delivery and whole-school improvement. As Head of Chinese and VCE Coordinator, Ling works with students, staff and families to monitor academic progress, attendance, engagement and wellbeing.

Hayley Bone is an exceptional early career teacher whose impact on student learning and wellbeing is both measurable and highly valued by the Colac West Primary School community. Now in her third year of teaching, she translates evidence-informed practice into meaningful outcomes for all students. Teaching a combined Prep, Grade 1 and Grade 2 class, Hayley skilfully plans for a wide range of developmental stages and curriculum levels.

This targeted approach has led to significant improvements in student learning, with students demonstrating increased confidence, resilience, independence and achievement. Hayley has established highly effective phonics groups within her classroom, embedding structured, evidence-based approaches that have driven strong literacy growth. Her work in this area has been recognised by local schools, with other teachers visiting to observe and learn from her phonics lessons.

A calm corner with soft lighting, weighted blankets, noise-cancelling headphones, brain food opportunities and access to one-on-one time with their teacher. This is how Mitcham Primary School teacher Emmerson Hickleton makes sure her classroom provides a peaceful and safe space for learning. She demonstrates an exceptional commitment to learning and wellbeing that is informed by evidence and has students’ needs at the centre. Students are explicitly taught to name their emotional states and choose their own appropriate regulation strategies.

Emmerson uses feedback from students, colleagues and leadership to adjust her approach promptly and thoughtfully. Student outcomes reflect the quality of this practice, with all of Emmerson’s students achieving expected or above expected growth in literacy and numeracy. Emmerson’s collaborative approach, reflective practice and commitment to continuous improvement mark her as a highly promising educator with a growing impact across her school community.

Donnybrook Primary School’s Cate McPherson is warm, kind and engaging with every one of her students, prioritising a welcoming, connected relationship with their families. She has established strong routines with her students and has high expectations for what they can achieve.

In her classes, Cate is focused on enabling every one of her Prep students to learn to read, write and be numerate, and she expects and ensures that all her students engage and participate during class time. Her approach is data-driven, and Cate looks for extra opportunities to monitor her students’ progress, adjust lesson design, and include individualised practices for every student in her class. Over the course of her 3 years as a teacher, student achievement has moved from ‘very good’ to ‘exemplary’.

Melinda Olden is an outstanding early career secondary teacher whose warm, nurturing and student-centred approach is making a strong impact at Eaglehawk Secondary College. She creates safe and engaging learning environments where students feel valued, supported and confident to take risks in their learning, while designing learning experiences that strengthen student voice and choice.

Beyond the classroom, Melinda leads the arts curriculum team, mentors colleagues in implementing curriculum updates, and plays a key role in the school’s Koorie program, promoting culturally inclusive practice, belonging and respect. Her collaborative spirit, commitment to continuous improvement and deep care for students make her a highly valued member of the school community.

Since beginning her teaching career at Phoenix P–12 Community College, Laura Rogers has demonstrated an ability to influence student learning and wellbeing outcomes well beyond her years of experience. Through her unwavering commitment to evidence-based practice, high expectations and instructional excellence, Laura has become a highly respected leader of literacy improvement in the college. Her leadership and teaching practice have had a significant and measurable impact on student achievement, teacher capability and whole-school instructional practice.

Laura delivers high-quality lessons grounded in contemporary educational research, translating that evidence into practical, whole-school improvement initiatives. These strengthen teaching quality and student outcomes across Phoenix P–12 Community College.

Mildura Senior College Business Manager Jade Jackson contributes to safe, welcoming and well-resourced learning environments where staff can do their best work and students their best learning. She understands that facilities, budgets, staffing and systems are essential to student engagement, achievement and successful post-school pathways. A defining feature of Jade’s work is the strength of the systems and processes she develops.

She has refined financial and administrative procedures that promote accountability, consistency and financial safety across the school. Jade is also a highly strategic and creative problem solver. Staff regularly seek her advice because she is approachable, practical and focused on finding a solution. Whether supporting a program budget, resolving a resourcing issue or identifying ways to help students experiencing disadvantage, Jade consistently balances financial responsibility with student needs.

Business Manager Heather Seddon’s strategic and effective practices have transformed the financial and resource management of The Grange P-12 College, contributing to improvements in student outcomes from Prep to Year 12. Heather’s rigorous financial discipline, evidence-informed planning and strategic foresight have directly led to substantial capital investment in facilities, learning environments and resources. This has contributed to the college being able to respond to contemporary student learning and wellbeing needs.

Heather links resources directly to student need data, helping the school to hire more specialist staff and adopt programs that support diverse learner pathways and drive better outcomes. Her financial stewardship has also led to important and successful community partnerships, including the college’s Sports Science Academy and new STEM Academy.

Bass Coast College Business Manager Gabe Windsor has brought structure, consistency and a sense of calm to a complex school environment. She has reviewed and reshaped education support staff team structures, clarified roles and responsibilities, and introduced a more functional and accountable operating model. This has created greater uniformity in how teams work together and a clearer understanding of expectations across the college.

Gabe has also improved transparency of financial, reporting and administrative processes, with the school council now having a better understanding of the college’s financial position. This has strengthened confidence in the council’s decision-making and enabled more informed and strategic discussions at all levels. Gabe leads by example, sets clear expectations, follows through on commitments, and creates an environment where people feel both supported and accountable.

At Broadmeadows Special Development School, professional learning is extended beyond teachers to include allied health professionals and education support staff, recognising the role all school staff play in student success. Taking part in La Trobe University's Momentum Study further strengthened this work, giving staff access to current research, examples of exemplary practice and opportunities to reflect on and refine their own approaches. The school also set up systems and processes that helped teachers use their new professional knowledge in the classroom.

Collaboration was key to this, with dedicated team-planning time, instructional coaching, peer observations, learning walks and data-inquiry cycles creating opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and evaluate its impact. Through this work, teachers helped better understand and meet students’ individual learning needs, preferences and communication styles. This helped create calm, orderly learning environments and high levels of student engagement across the school.

Kiewa Valley Primary School has been recognised for its clear, evidence-based and collaborative approach to whole-school improvement. Led by a strong commitment to student learning and wellbeing, the school has embedded data-informed practice, professional learning, coaching and continuous improvement across all teams. This sustained work has helped rebuild community trust, strengthen school culture and deliver significant gains in student outcomes, including progress from a ‘Transform’ rating in 2023 to a ‘High’ rating in both learning and wellbeing in 2025.

Wellbeing and learning are deeply connected at Tullamarine Primary School. The school’s improvement journey has been driven by a focus on student wellbeing and learning outcomes, centred on strengthening student connectedness, engagement and teacher practice. Staff analysed video recordings of their practice, set individual goals and took part in feedback and reflective processes. Dedicated coaching structures, learning walks and a coaching handbook ensured consistency, accountability and sustainability across the school.

The school has also invested in the capability of its leaders by taking part in the Victorian Academy’s Leading School Improvement program. The impact of this work has been significant. Students have shown more connectedness and a stronger sense of belonging, alongside demonstrated improvements in reading and mathematics achievement.

Beveridge Primary School’s Education Support team makes sure no student falls through the gaps, supporting 870 students across 2 campuses with daily wellbeing check-ins, small-group sessions and individual counselling. Led by 2 wellbeing education support leaders, the 29-member team runs ‘wellbeing afternoons’ for students who need extra help with regulation, resilience and social connection. Students can take part in sport, gardening, cooking, mindfulness, art, social groups and Minecraft.

The team uses attendance, behaviour and engagement data to identify students who need support, working closely with teachers, families and outside services. It also helps families with practical needs, including food and uniforms. The approach is delivering results. In 2025, 85 per cent of students responded positively to questions about self-regulation and goal setting in the annual Attitudes to School Survey. The school also received a 90 per cent trust rating from colleagues in the 2025 School Staff Survey.

Through phonics instruction, lived experience, mentoring of staff and expert communication with families, Geelong English Language School’s multicultural education aides (MEA) are helping newly arrived children and young people learn to read, write, listen and speak English, to prepare for mainstream schooling. The MEAs contribute personal and cultural insights from their own English-language learning journeys to inform the school’s instructional model. Staff give students voice and agency by empowering them to use their first languages.

The impact of their work is clear, with students running assemblies and speaking with confidence. The team supports families to understand the rules, expectations and processes of the Victorian school system. They also engage with families in their first languages to explain the importance of water safety, swimming and first aid programs.

The Cultural Education Team at Parkville College helps young people reconnect with learning, culture and community. Working with First Nations, African diaspora and Pasifika young people, staff build learning around each student’s identity, experience and aspirations. Students explore culture and contemporary issues, work with Elders and mentors, lead discussions and help shape their own learning, building confidence, participation, wellbeing and connection to school.

The team has also developed a whole-school approach to culturally responsive practice, supported by professional learning twice each term, curriculum-day sessions and induction resources for new staff. This helps teachers and staff better understand and respond to students’ cultural identities and experiences. In partnership with teachers, wellbeing and youth justice staff, families, Elders and community organisations, the team has strengthened culturally safe practices across the college. Students who had previously disengaged from education are rebuilding pride, connection and a stronger sense of their future.

Maryborough Education Centre’s Music and Performing Arts Program has made music a powerful way for students to connect, build confidence and discover what they are capable of. Beginning in 2022 with just 15 students, the program now reaches more than 250 each week across Prep to Year 12 through instrumental lessons, choirs, ensembles, jam sessions and targeted programs. Students with disability, attendance challenges or a history of disengagement learn and perform alongside their peers, with flexible pathways, adaptive technology and extra support opening up opportunities.

The Maryborough Education Centre’s Music Igniting Neural Integration program uses daily sessions to support language, literacy and social skills in younger students. The players take the stage at NAIDOC events and community carols, and some even perform with Musica Viva and at the Melbourne Recital Centre. For many young people at Maryborough Education Centre, music has become a place where they find friendship, confidence and their first experience of success.

At Monash Children’s Hospital School (MCHS), educators keep children and young people engaged with their learning by creating safe, supportive, inclusive environments in hospital wards, mental health units, outreach clinics and other specialist settings. Last year, staff provided 1,500 students with high-quality, continuous and individualised learning.

The cohort is extraordinarily diverse and includes those experiencing acute and chronic medical conditions, complex mental health needs, neurodevelopmental differences, and trauma. Inclusion at MCHS is not a concept, it is a daily practice. Student voice is central, learning goals are co-constructed, and teaching is continuously adapted to each young person’s needs. The compassion and dedication at MCHS help some of Victoria’s most vulnerable learners stay connected to their education, their peers and their future educational and vocational pathways.

Western English Language School (WELS) teaches one of Victoria's most complex student groups: newly arrived refugee and migrant students who may have little or no English, interrupted schooling, trauma, disability or health needs. Most stay for 6 to 12 months before moving to a mainstream school, so WELS builds safety, belonging and learning from day one. Teachers use regular assessments to understand each student's strengths and needs, adapting lessons while maintaining high expectations.

Multicultural education aides and interpreters help staff understand students' backgrounds and work with families to shape support. The school also partners with organisations such as Foundation House and Refugee Health Nurses to coordinate support around health, trauma and settlement. Strong attendance, high student engagement and positive feedback show the difference WELS makes in a short time, giving its students a strong start and the skills to keep learning wherever they go next.

The Learning Enhancement and Achievement Program (LEAP) at Great Ryrie Primary School supports high-ability learners through a thoughtful, evidence-based and inclusive approach. The program demonstrates that high-ability education is not just about acceleration, but also understanding each learner’s needs and responding with differentiated, intellectually rigorous experiences that build confidence, engagement and achievement.

Through ongoing use of assessment data, strong partnerships with families, and a clear focus on creativity, collaboration and higher-order thinking, LEAP has created a culture in which students are challenged, empowered and inspired to achieve their personal best.

Knox Park Primary School’s partnerships with Monash and Swinburne universities, CSIRO and Mount Burnett Observatory showcase its commitment to authentic, future-focused learning opportunities that extend high-ability students beyond the classroom. For example, students took part in astronomy and STEM experiences, connecting classroom learning with scientific inquiry. Students engage with professionals and broaden aspirations through learning linked to space science and artificial intelligence.

This commitment to innovation and inquiry was acknowledged and celebrated in the National ANZAC School Awards for its use of technology-rich and inquiry-based approaches. The school’s high-ability students are actively involved in goal setting and reflect on their progress through student conferences and personalised extension opportunities. Staff maintain high expectations for all learners and work collaboratively to make sure high-ability students are consistently challenged within classroom programs and targeted extension opportunities. The school has also welcomed educators from other schools to observe its teaching practice and high-impact instructional approaches.

Spirited and lively debates about The Hobbit, using props and costumes, are a feature of the high ability students’ program at Wheelers Hill Primary School. Grade 6 ‘literature sleuth’ students study The Hobbit and write responses, discuss complex themes and take part in the debates. Other students apply mathematical rules and constraints to design logos or take part in other projects that enable them to apply their learning. These opportunities mean students can pose questions and take ownership of their learning through inquiry, collaboration and creative problem-solving.

Students take part in academic competitions and compare their achievement with students from other Australian schools. Teachers use data to identify students to ensure targeted support and extension and engage in collaborative planning to ensure consistency and innovation in delivery. Teachers also take part in ongoing professional learning to ensure all students have opportunities to succeed and grow.

Craigieburn Secondary College supports high-ability learners through an inclusive, whole-school approach that combines enrichment, extension and acceleration with targeted support. Through its Craigieburn Excellence and Achievement program and broader multi-tiered system of support, the college recognises that high ability does not mean students don’t need support.

Its work includes strong use of data, personalised pathways, student voice, family partnerships and advanced opportunities such as challenge enrichment series, Centre for Higher Education Studies programs and VCE-level tutoring. This evidence-based and equity-focused approach is strengthening students’ agency and achievement.

Cranbourne West Secondary College’s Magnum Opus program is having a positive impact on high-ability students. In 2025, 25 Year 10 students completed Unit 3/4 General Mathematics, achieving 13 study scores above 40 and a cohort average above 40. The program ensures that high-ability students are systematically identified, monitored and extended, resulting in outstanding academic outcomes, strong engagement and clearly defined pathways into senior secondary success and post-school opportunities.

Strong partnerships with families support student success. Regular communication regarding progress, pathways and wellbeing mean informed decision-making and shared responsibility for learning. The school engages with external organisations and professional networks to enhance opportunities. Student engagement is strong and sustained. Attendance data, student voice and learner behaviours indicate high levels of motivation, agency, and commitment. Students actively shape their learning pathways through subject selection, goal setting and participation in accelerated programs, strengthening ownership of learning.

Clyde Creek Primary School has embedded global learning and engagement in ways that have strengthened student voice, inclusion and learning across a diverse school community. Through a commitment to cultural inclusion, global perspectives and authentic student leadership, the school has achieved strong outcomes in student engagement, including 89 per cent for sense of inclusion, 81 per cent for sense of connectedness and 70 per cent for student voice and agency.

By integrating global learning across the curriculum, building staff capability and creating meaningful community and international partnerships, the school is equipping students to be confident, curious and compassionate learners in an interconnected world.

Preston South Primary School emphasises learning through action with students expected to create, make or act in ways that make a difference to their own lives or the lives of others. Students have supported schools in Afghanistan through advocacy and resource development. They have worked with WaterAid and Soap Aid on the design and promotion of hygiene, such as handwashing to support communities across Asia and Africa.

Students have worked with not-for-profit organisation SolarBuddy to assemble and distribute solar lights to children in communities without electricity and worked with a school in India to create a digital cookbook promoting food sustainability and intercultural understanding. These examples represent a broader, sustained approach in which global learning is embedded across year levels and curriculum areas. Student engagement is high across the school with students reporting that they are highly motivated, connected to their learning, and empowered to engage deeply with purposeful work.

Lifechanging trips to New Zealand and Fiji have been memorable features of the Yuille Explorers Program at Yuille Park Community College. The program demonstrates the impact of global learning and engagement on student outcomes, particularly for students facing complex social and educational barriers. In one of Ballarat’s most disadvantaged areas, the college’s Flexible Learning Option campus supports students from trauma-affected and low socio-economic backgrounds.

In 2023, the school started a bold initiative not only to teach students about the world but immerse them in it – culminating in a trip to New Zealand in 2024 and to Fiji in 2025. Students showed increased self-confidence, resilience and leadership through student-led fundraising, public speaking and team-based community events. Studying Māori and Fijian customs and history, students develop respect for cultural difference and an ability to reflect on their own cultures.