Our Team.

Although born in Grafton many years ago to West Australian parents, David spent significant years living and learning in different countries. Some years later, while volunteering as a rock climbing instructor to underprivileged youth in the Canadian Rockies, he thought that teaching might in fact be a way to contribute to community. This meant returning to Newcastle, and gaining another degree, this time in Secondary Education at the University. Since then, he has taught English (and several others subjects) in Papua New Guinea, Canada, and for the past 25 years, the Lake Macquarie and Newcastle region. 

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David is the father of five globetrotting children and is married to a Teacher/Librarian with an amazing knowledge of all things books. The house is full of books, travel memories and plans, and quite often good food and friends.

Recent roles in school leadership, educational consulting, and as the founder of an educational tour company, have allowed David to investigate educational innovation around Australia and the world. He is passionate about creating a local, progressive, option for young people in Newcastle - one that is truly student centred.
 

About the photo:

This portrait of David was taken some years ago on a multi-day train journey from Beijing to Tibet. The goal was Mt Everest (which was achieved), but this moment captures the impact of high altitude while eating breakfast, hiding the inner joy and happiness that honestly is there.

Kimberly grew up exploring the mountains  and freshwater lakes of British Columbia, Canada.  Living in an agricultural valley meant lots of space, freedom, practical hard work and a small school. This came with rare learning opportunities; like the design and construction of outdoor ice rinks and a rock climbing wall, regular outdoor education and the autonomy to organise and run festivals and tournaments. Thanks to the teachers who were willing to move to Nowheresville, Canada, Kimberly actually remembers school and understands firsthand how valuable the right learning environment can be.

She has always been a project-oriented, interest-driven learner with a voracious appetite for novelty, which is to say, she was and is constantly making things, taking up new hobbies or travelling. 

At University, Kimberly explored degree subjects as diverse as Engineering, Pre-Medical sciences, Business Communications and Advanced Ceramics (what David Epstein calls “range” her parents called “expensive”). But a few weeks of volunteering with young people in South America convinced her that education was the right path. 

She moved to Australia and obtained a BA/BTch (with distinction, 2009) and qualifications to teach English Literature, Visual Arts, Science and Mathematics. She went on to teach Years 7-12 at schools in the Hunter and Central Coast regions where she uncovered a passion for helping inspire and motivate students who struggled to thrive in more conventional classes.

For the past few years, while taking time to raise their two kids, Kimberly has had the opportunity to pursue art as a career path; creating art for exhibitions, festivals, murals and is now author-illustrator of a picture book being published in 2025 (Affirm Press). 

Other than that, Kimberly will be out there looking for quiet and wild places up trails and down rivers, where everything is free to be completely itself and in so doing, fit perfectly into place.

Born in the north of Tasmania to a dairy farming family, Brendon’s early life was characterised by loving and resilient parents who, despite their own lack of education, understood the importance of securing educational opportunities for their three sons.  While still very young, Brendon's family moved to the Yarra Valley in Victoria where the family farming enterprise diversified into beef cattle.

Brendon attended a private school in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne where, inspired by excellent teachers who genuinely cared, he made the decision to take up a career in teaching. After moving to Newcastle to complete his Bachelor of Education (1996), Brendon’s early teaching positions included  Auckland, New Zealand and the Western Suburbs of Melbourne where he was first asked to take a leadership position in a small but rapidly growing school.

In 2007 Brendon returned to Newcastle where he has been involved in school leadership and culture development across several independent schools.

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With a career spanning over 27 years in secondary school education, Brendon brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for fostering nurturing student cultures and deeply engaged school communities.

Brendon’s commitment to education extends beyond traditional methods; his experience in school development has shaped him to become a staunch advocate for the strength of smaller, community-oriented schools that offer real-world learning experiences. His goal is to prioritise and cultivate positive cultures within secondary schools, ensuring that every student benefits from a secure and engaging educational experience.

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When he’s not championing educational excellence, Brendon enjoys exploring the great outdoors with his children. Whether hiking, mountain biking, or savouring a well-brewed cup of coffee, he values quality time spent in nature and with loved ones.

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Brendon’s blend of professional expertise and personal enthusiasm makes him a valuable asset to our team, dedicated to enhancing both community and culture within our educational framework.

Joshua grew up in the scenic rim of northern NSW and spent his childhood building tree houses and bike tracks along the river bank on his parents sugar cane farm. Given time and space to roam, Joshua’s childhood was a mix of creativity and enterprise with canoes made from roofing iron and billy cart races down the main street of town.

From an early age Joshua had a love of reading, outdoor adventure and contemplation. He attended a variety of schools, both public and private as well as a year of homeschooling while travelling around Australia. This diversity of experience has gifted Joshua with an appreciation of the ingredients that make for effective and enjoyable learning.

Joshua received a scholarship and moved south to the Hunter Region to study a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (2007). During this time he took advantage of opportunities to volunteer with young people in the local and international communities. After graduation, Joshua went on to teach at local public and independent schools while refining his craft as an English teacher by studying a Master of Arts (Writing & Literature) at Deakin University. 

Parallel to these academic pursuits, he became increasingly passionate about facilitating outdoor education experiences - organising and leading annual expeditions and multi-day hikes. Joshua completed a Cert IV in Outdoor Leadership and founded the Invictus Wellbeing Program which now runs in schools across Australia and New Zealand. This experience allowed him to spend a number of years travelling to schools in Australia and abroad in order to train staff and glean insights about education in a variety of contexts. 

Joshua’s most recent role has been Leader of Learning (Humanities) in a cross disciplinary faculty that fosters student learning through project orientated pedagogy. As an experienced HSC marker, 7-12 teacher and curious learner himself, Joshua is passionate about Socratic pedagogy that gives space for every voice to be heard, every intelligence to emerge and for every child to feel relationally connected as they tread the path towards adulthood.

Outside of term time you are likely to find Joshua with his wife and two kids, heading up a lonely dirt road in their camper trailer, looking for a remote view, a secluded waterhole or an unmarked free camp.

Sue spent her formative years learning from her Nan and Pop on their self-sustaining farm in the hinterland of the Hawkesbury River. Experiences like driving a tractor, horse riding, and drenching cattle, allowed her to push the boundaries of what she could do. It was here that she learnt the importance of community connection when, at the end of these hard, hot weekends, her Pop would invite his community to share what little they had. Her Nan taught her the importance of care for country and how a shared meal could build and nurture this community. 

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Growing up on the Central Coast she found a sense of empathy and fairness through the various sports she did with her brothers. When she began coaching, she realized her gifts lay in building strong relationships that valued the contributions of others, and developed each person’s individual abilities.

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She went from building bike tracks on her family farm to building her own home at an early age with her partner. Her enjoyment of a challenge and learning new things was instrumental in the success of the many projects she undertook, teaching her the value of perspective taking, problem solving and collaboration. 

Inspired by her relationship with her own HSC English teacher, Sue realized the power of literature to transcend time, allowing us to meet ourselves in other peoples’ stories. But it was as she bushwalked, listening with awe and wonder to her nan’s stories, that she realised her passion for teaching.

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Graduating from Newcastle University with a Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Teaching (English), Sue has gone on to work in education for the past 20 years. Her experience as a Leader of Learning, Leader of Wellbeing, Gifted Education Project Officer, University Lecturer and classroom teacher continue to revitalize her passion for an education that is relevant to young people and grounded in a curiosity about themselves and their world.

Sue is currently continuing her quest for knowledge as she travels Australia with her husband and two children, spending time in remote communities and spectacular landscapes. She still enjoys playing sports with her friends and reading extensively but her great love is still drifting about on her boat, fishing.

Coming soon...

Coming soon...