The 2023 Victorian Education Excellence Awards winners are outstanding teachers, principals, business managers, and support staff demonstrating outstanding dedication and achievement in government education, selected from 47 finalists.
In addition, the Lindsay Thompson Award for Excellence in Education was awarded to one overall winner whose contribution was judged to be the most outstanding to Victorian school education.
Congratulations to all of the 2023 award winners.
Lindsay Thompson Excellence in Education
Balwyn High School – Learning and Teaching Team
Balwyn High School offers a comprehensive High-Ability Learning Program that is available to all enrolled students at the school.
The school’s Learning and Teaching Team developed the high-ability program to differentiate for all students, whatever their level of learning, significantly extending students’ learning capability and access to high-ability learning at the school.
Students are empowered to build their own decision-making capability from their entry at Year 7.
Targeted strategies and learning opportunities developed by the team are extending high-ability learners across individual classes, and through self-directed research tasks and competitions. Advanced level extension subjects and the dedicated Selected Entry Accelerated Learning program are offered alongside co-curricular programs, including the school’s music, debating and sports programs, and a Maths Games Day run by the Mathematical Association of Victoria.
The school’s inclusive high-ability provision is resulting in student outcomes and levels of achievement consistently amongst the highest for Victorian open-entry public schools.
Individual Award Winners
Outstanding Primary Principal
Clare Monk, Warrnambool West Primary School
Clare Monk’s leadership of Warrnambool West Primary School has transformed the school into a vibrant and successful environment for children’s learning.
As the principal of the school since 2018, Clare has guided exemplary school improvement, evidenced by sustained improvements in student and staff data reflecting great improvement in staff’s attitudes and in students’ learning outcomes.
With a unique and local understanding of the barriers facing many of the children, Clare has shouldered the privilege and responsibilities of her principal role by investing first in the school’s teachers and middle-level leadership.
Clare is building the capacity of the next generation of teachers, educational leaders, and principals through mentoring and providing targeted professional learning for her staff. Creating a culture of trust and shared responsibility in her community, her leadership is positively transforming children’s outcomes and their experience of primary education in Victoria.
Colin Simpson Outstanding Secondary Principal
Kimberley Tempest, Cobram Secondary College
Since Kimberley Tempest took on the role of principal at Cobram Secondary College, students are finding new pathways to improved learning outcomes.
Kimberley’s initiatives are re-engaging staff and students with the college and education. Introducing individual learning plans and a blended curriculum with an applied learning approach, Kimberley has also initiated a working college farm run by staff and students, and a successful re-engagement program for students who find it hard to connect with a standardised schooling structure.
Cobram Secondary College’s location in rural Victoria has, until recently, meant limited opportunity and access to Vocational Education and Training (VET) for interested students. Creating links and active partnerships within the local community, Kimberley has now established several VET subjects at the college.
Transforming the community of Cobram Secondary College to a learning environment responsive to student need, Kimberley has built trust and a common sense of purpose between college and the community.
Outstanding Primary Teacher
Ruth Chambers, Wonthaggi Primary School
Ruth Chambers’ long-standing commitment to the musical and cultural education of children at Wonthaggi Primary School is made stronger by incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
Ruth has developed programs of song and dance that bring Wonthaggi Primary School together to work alongside Senior Boon Wurrung Elder, Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir. Ruth brings in music, language, and games from the Boon Wurrung community. Ruth’s work is joyous, with other teachers keen to learn from the programs that she has developed with students.
Modelling best practice in cultural awareness, Ruth’s approach is enriched by her lived experience of working in Aboriginal communities. Initiating and now leading the Cultural Awareness team, Ruth is supporting staff to embed their knowledge of Koorie perspectives within their classrooms and daily practices.
Ruth’s musical and cultural leadership has created a celebratory engagement with Koorie knowledge at the school that is bringing great joy and new awareness to staff, students, and their families.
Outstanding Secondary Teacher
Elizabeth Ferguson, Pascoe Vale Girls College
Elizabeth Ferguson’s deep knowledge about the interrelatedness of wellbeing and learning has guided her outstanding contribution to the improvement journey of Pascoe Vale Girls College.
In her 3 years at the college, Elizabeth’s educational leadership as the Positive Climate for Learning teacher has united staff through evidence-based practice and programs that are amplifying girls’ voice, agency, and leadership in their learning.
Leading the school’s implementation of many department initiatives including school-wide positive behaviour support, Amplify and a sequenced Social and Emotional Learning program, Elizabeth’s commitment to fostering equity, excellence and learner agency has resulted in strong improvements in students’ wellbeing and learning outcomes.
Introducing Sociology as a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) subject, Elizabeth’s class achieved a VCE median study score of 30.78 and several 37+ study scores. Elizabeth is now developing the VCE subject for delivery to 3 other schools in the Merri-bek North Education Plan
Outstanding Early Career Primary Teacher
Kendall Heycox, Corryong College
Since starting with Corryong College in 2022 as a graduate teacher, Kendall Heycox quickly demonstrated her capacity for leadership and her aptitude as an educator.
In 2022, the rural community of Corryong had been significantly impacted by bushfires and the remote learning periods of recent years. Kendall’s calm and conscientious approach to all aspects of her work as a teacher, and her willingness to shoulder responsibility while capably implementing quality learning, was a great support to the small school community.
Leading a number of improvement initiatives at the P-12 college, including the Writing Professional Learning Community, Kendall is working with her colleagues to enact literacy improvements and apply her own and others’ professional learning to benefit students throughout the school.
Already, Kendall has measurably improved student outcomes in her own classroom where students are showing marked growth in their learning and wellbeing, and building a positive, aspirational culture in her college community.
Outstanding Early Career Secondary Teacher
Alice Hu, Elevation Secondary College
Before coming to Elevation Secondary College, Alice Hu participated in several national and international programs aimed at improving women’s access to STEM subjects, particularly mathematics.
Despite mathematics being a subject that students can find challenging, graduate teacher Alice has built positive and high-achieving classroom environments with her passion for evidence-based teaching practice. Applying her mathematics expertise with a differentiated teaching approach, Alice is helping her students to recognise and celebrate their progress towards individual learning goals.
Alice’s determination to deliver fully differentiated mathematics learning for students of every ability has significantly increased student engagement and outcomes at the college.
Engaging the Mathematics Department at The University of Melbourne to run logic and career inspiration workshops at the school, Alice worked with teachers to identify mathematics potential in female students. Over 40 students attended the voluntary workshops, with Years 7-9 girls now demonstrating higher ‘mastery’ levels.
Outstanding Physical Education and Activity Teacher
Paul Baks, Belle Vue Park Primary School
Nearly half of Belle Vue Park Primary School students speak a language other than English at home, with many refugee families having to negotiate the challenges of being new members of the community and school.
Noticing the low physical education participation rates of his female students, Paul Baks placed a particular emphasis on ensuring his physical education program was inclusive, non-competitive, and engaging for young female students from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Convinced that physical activity in young girls can help build social confidence, positive body image and overall health, Paul worked closely with Netball Victoria and local community agencies such as the Darebin Netball Association, to form a netball team. Seeking further support from local business to sponsor uniforms, Paul has helped to establish the skills and confidence of the girls as a team.
With the encouragement of their families, Paul is expanding this initiative and transforming the outcomes of young people in his community.
Outstanding Business Manager
Sharon Veale, Warringa Park School
Warringa Park School is among the largest multi-campus special needs schools in Australia. As the special school’s long-standing business manager, Sharon Veale has overseen the school’s growth from 1 to 4 campuses and accommodated increases in enrolments from 190 to 740 students.
Sharon’s engagement with department initiatives and systems have supported the growing school community to achieve positive student outcomes. Consistently seeking her own professional development, she successfully extends her knowledge and experience to the mentoring of her own extensive administration and Human Resources team, building their capacity and confidence.
Leading with encouragement and care in her own school, Sharon is also a member of the Business Managers Association, Business Managers Wyndham Network, and the Multi-campus Schools Network in Victoria. A mentor to newly appointed business managers in special school settings, Sharon is sharing her knowledge to nurture good business management practice at every level of the sector.
Team Award Winners
Outstanding School Improvement
Wangaratta West Primary School – Leadership Team
Working together over several years to develop into a high-performing school improvement team, the leadership team at Wangaratta West Primary School has led an inclusive process of deep renewal at the school.
Working collaboratively with staff and their professional learning community, the team co-created new learning materials, practices, and processes. The team’s implementation of a Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support framework has significantly improved the wellbeing of staff and students and is ensuring a calm and inclusive learning environment.
To strengthen the school’s culturally inclusive practices, leadership recruited a Wellbeing team and established the student Mundgee Group as a platform to promote and celebrate Koorie culture as a school.
The leadership team have a shared commitment to realising the school’s vision of ‘developing learners for life who care for themselves, others and their environment’.
Data shows clear evidence of significant improvement in attitudes and student outcomes at the school.
Outstanding Education Support Team
Mooroopna Park Primary School – Wellbeing team
Mooroopna Park Primary School’s Wellbeing Team is working with its wider community to improve outcomes for students and their families.
Implemented by a wellbeing coordinator, speech therapist and a chaplain, the team delivers an Oral Language Program and speech pathologist support, a fortnightly paediatric clinic, a Healthy Food Program, access to a play therapist, Chaplain support, and dental, vision, and hearing checks for all students.
With Community Hubs Australia, a Community Hub was established by the team during the recent floods, where families from the local area could come to collect food, toys, bedding, and clothes donated by the community.
Mooroopna Park’s inclusive health and wellbeing programs have seen profound improvement in attendance, behaviour, and learning outcomes. Working with the community in new ways, the Wellbeing Team is creating services, access, and opportunity for students and their families to fully engage with education.
Outstanding Inclusive Education Team
Bentleigh West Primary School
At Bentleigh West Primary School, students are encouraged, celebrated, and empowered by their differences. Inclusive practices are embedded in the school’s culture, with strong systems and structures in place to support the team around the learner.
A strong focus on Universal Design for Learning combined with the adoption of a whole-school approach to implementing the Response To Intervention model, has created a systemic transformation at the school. In combining evidence-based practices and policies with an emphasis on student wellbeing, the school is experiencing strong growth in student achievement.
The school also participates as a Disability Inclusion lighthouse school and has been instrumental in supporting local and regional schools to successfully implement recent system-wide reforms.
Described as a school that goes ‘above and beyond’ to support students with disability, Bentleigh West Primary School’s openness to new initiatives and system-wide collaboration is supporting outstanding outcomes for their students.
Outstanding Koorie Education Team
Swan Hill Specialist School – School Inclusion Team
The School Inclusion Team at Swan Hill Specialist School has embarked on a significant journey to acknowledge and represent local Wemba Wemba culture at the school.
Seeking opportunities to learn from Koorie leaders, staff at every level of the school have undertaken professional learning to improve their Koorie understanding and capability.
Creating many visual representations and acknowledgments of Koorie culture and perspectives at the school in partnership with the Wemba Wemba community, the inclusion team is working to create a culturally safe and inclusive environment for their Koorie students.
For each Koorie student at the school, the ways in which they can successfully learn and participate in education are respected as both an individual and from a cultural perspective.
Individual education planning and increased cultural representation and acknowledgement at the school is empowering Koorie students to succeed in their learning journeys and to celebrate their culture and identity.
Outstanding Provision for High-Ability Students (Primary)
Daylesford Primary School
Creating an aspirational culture for all students, Daylesford Primary School is nurturing children’s potential with an inquiry-led approach that is enriching their curriculum and community.
Accessing professional learning and support from the high-ability toolkit and the High-Ability Practice Leader role, the school is creating opportunity and access for high-ability learners in inquiry-based extension programs that are inspiring children of high-ability to experience learning in new ways.
Connecting with programs from the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series and Victorian High-Ability Program, students interact with the local community and wider education network in student-led projects and initiatives. Collaborative learning and outstanding classroom practice has strengthened the school’s emphasis on individual goal setting and student agency, increasing high-ability achievement outcomes across the school.
Partnering with the University of New England, the school has worked closely with the university to video document their exemplary high-ability provision for inclusion in the department’s updated high-ability toolkit.
Outstanding Provision for High-Ability Students (Secondary)
Balwyn High School – Learning and Teaching Team
Balwyn High School offers a comprehensive High-Ability Learning Program that is available to all enrolled students at the school.
The school’s Learning and Teaching Team developed the high-ability program to differentiate for all students, whatever their level of learning, significantly extending students’ learning capability and access to high-ability learning at the school.
Students are empowered to build their own decision-making capability from their entry at Year 7.
Targeted strategies and learning opportunities developed by the team are extending high-ability learners across individual classes, and through self-directed research tasks and competitions. Advanced level extension subjects and the dedicated Selected Entry Accelerated Learning program are offered alongside co-curricular programs, including the school’s music, debating and sports programs, and a Maths Games Day run by the Mathematical Association of Victoria.
The school’s inclusive high-ability provision is resulting in student outcomes and levels of achievement consistently amongst the highest for Victorian open-entry public schools.
Dr Lawrie Shears Outstanding Global Teaching and Learning
Werribee Secondary College – Global Citizenship Team
Werribee Secondary College welcomes students from over 50 nationalities and international students from 11 different countries.
Throughout 2022-23, the college engaged in extensive reflection through the Council of International Schools re-accreditation process for their International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, reassessing how to best create a learning environment that truly fosters global citizenship and intercultural learning.
For staff and students, global citizenship means empowered and empathetic students who demonstrate an appreciation of cultural diversity and take an active interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and global issues and perspectives. Intercultural learning occurs when increased knowledge and skills support the ability of students to interact meaningfully with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Collaboratively renewing their curriculum, the College has built more active partnerships with the local Bunurong people, the Aboriginal Wellness Foundation, and global learning partners. Initiating multiple global citizen-focused learning opportunities, they are renewing their intercultural and global priorities through the lessons and language of every classroom.
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