Leadership

Leadership which focuses on improving teaching and learning has a significant impact on student achievement. At Launceston Grammar, we use evidence informed teaching and learning practices coupled with highly qualified staff who show a genuine interest in each child’s development to ensure the delivery of outstanding education with excellent results.

School Board

The Launceston Church Grammar School Board is responsible for the well-being of the School, taking or endorsing strategic and financial decisions, and monitoring the School’s finances. The Board is governed by the Christ College Act 1926.

The Board has the following major roles:

  • The setting and overseeing of the strategic plan and educational philosophy of the School;
  • The care of the School’s physical fabric, both existing and future;
  • The care of the School’s finances and risk framework;
  • The care of the spiritual welfare of the School; and
  • In addition, the Board is responsible for the appointment of the Headmaster.

The School Board consists of twelve members in addition to the Bishop as Visitor: four members appointed by the Visitor, six members by the Old Launcestonians’ Association and two by the Board of the Christ College Trust.

The Headmaster attends all Board meetings (except in special circumstances) and the Chief Operating Officer as Secretary to the Board, also attends.

Each Board member is appointed for a term of five years and will continue thereafter until their successors are appointed but for no longer than 12 consecutive years.

The Board is supported in its work by three committees composed of members of the Board. The committees include Finance, Risk and Compliance, and Facilities Management.

Current Board Members come from a wide range of backgrounds, including Information Technology, Design and Construction, and Community Development, and are deeply committed to the School’s continuing success. They are regular visitors to the School, meeting staff and students in order to be in tune with developments and current sentiments.

The current Chair is Mr Nigel Bailey who can be contacted c/o Launceston Grammar, 36 Button Street, Mowbray Heights, Tasmania 7250 or via chair@lcgs.tas.edu.au

Nigel Bailey

(Chair) MBA GAICD

Nigel Bailey

(Chair) MBA GAICD

Nigel has more than 25 years’ experience in the media sector, having established and operated a successful consultancy practice, followed by senior executive, general management, operations and ICT roles across Australia and New Zealand.

He returned to Tasmania with his family in 2014, is current Leader, Information Technology (CIO) at Tasmanian GBE TasNetworks, and a current member of the State’s peak body for ICT, TasICT, where he has served as Vice President and is the current Chair of the Cyber Security Sub-Committee.

Nigel was appointed to the Launceston Church Grammar School Board by the Christ College Trust in 2017 and to the role of Board Chair in 2019.

Nigel’s long family connection to Launceston Grammar dates back to the late 1800s, and is a parent of two current and two former Launceston Grammar students.

Fiona Woolcock

(Deputy Chair)

Fiona Woolcock

(Deputy Chair)

An Old Launcestonian, Fiona is a former parent of the School. Fiona is also a current committee member of the Old Launcestonians’ Association.

Fiona has a background in Nursing working at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and as a Specialist Oncology Nurse in Launceston at the WP Holman Clinic.

She also has had considerable experience in the Advertising Industry where she worked at The Campaign Palace in Sydney and Bates in London, working with national and global accounts Australian Meat & Livestock, Bonds, Nokia, Marks & Spencer, Royal Mail and Energizer Europe.

Fiona is a passionate Launcestonian and has recently worked alongside her husband to successfully manage their own business and was integral to merging that business into Knight Frank Tasmania.

Fiona joined the School Board in 2016 appointed by the Old Launcestonians’ Association.

She has a diverse background working closely with people in many industries across all levels of these businesses.

Parent of two former students.

Heath Clayton

RAIA

Heath Clayton

RAIA

A Registered Architect, with extensive experience in design, construction and project management with a particular interest and passion in Education design.  Heath holds a post-graduate qualification in Environmental Planning and has completed a Diploma in Management and Leadership.

Appointed to the Board in 2015 by the Christ College Trust and Chair of the Facilities Management Committee.

Parent of three current students, Heath is actively involved in coaching a number of sporting teams.

Claire Gregg

Claire Gregg

Claire is a private practice town planner currently serving as a Tasmanian Planning Commissioner.

Claire is an Old Launcestonian, Class of 1997 and has served as the Honorary Secretary of the Old Launcestonians’ Association since 2015.

Appointed to the Board in 2018 by the OLA and Chair of the Risk and Compliance Committee.

 

Dallas Frost

FCA

Dallas Frost

FCA

Director and senior adviser at Frostbatten Chartered Accountants, a Launceston-based accounting firm, with 25 years of experience in accounting, business and tax advisory to the SME market.

Dallas joined the board as an OLA appointee in September 2020 and is Chair of the Finance Committee.

Parent of one former and one current student.

The Right Reverend Dr Richard Condie

(Visitor) B Soc Sc, B Th, Dip Min, D Min, GAICD

The Right Reverend Dr Richard Condie

(Visitor) B Soc Sc, B Th, Dip Min, D Min, GAICD

Bishop of Tasmania
Visitor to Launceston Church Grammar School

Richard is the 12th Bishop of Tasmania, commencing in this role in March 2016. Prior to coming to Tasmania, he was the Vicar of St Jude’s Church in Carlton for 14 years, one of Melbourne’s largest Anglican churches. Richard was also Archdeacon of Melbourne, responsible for 17 Parishes in the inner city. He has served as a Director of Ridley College, an Anglican training college, and President of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion, Victorian Branch. He was Lecturer in New Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne from 1995-2002. 

Dr Rosemary Callingham AM

Dr Rosemary Callingham AM

Rosemary has an extensive background in mathematics education in Australia, in teaching and research. Internationally she has worked in Hong Kong and with UNICEF in North Korea. She is an acknowledged expert at using Rasch measurement techniques and has collaborated with some of the top specialists in this field.

Rosemary joined the Board as a Bishop appointee in December 2021.

Polly Flanagan

B.A. Dip. Ed. (Tas), Grad. Dip. Ed. Admin, M.Ed. (Melb)

Polly Flanagan

B.A. Dip. Ed. (Tas), Grad. Dip. Ed. Admin, M.Ed. (Melb)

Polly brings over 40 years of experience as an educator to the Board. She has worked in government, Catholic and independent schools and held a variety of senior leadership positions. These include the Executive Officer of Staff Development and Appraisal at Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Director of Leadership at Melbourne Grammar School and 10 years as the Principal of Shelford Girls’ Grammar in Caulfield.

Polly has been an active member of a number of educational organisations including the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Board (VCAA), the Australian Heads of Independent Schools’ Association-Victorian branch (AHISA), the Association of Heads of Anglican Girls’ Schools Victoria and Vice-President of Girls’ Sport Victoria (GSV).

Polly has a particular interest in educational leadership. She has presented at international education conferences and participated widely in professional development activities including leading workshops and seminars for senior leaders, students, teachers and parents.

Keith Calvert

BSc

Keith Calvert

BSc

Keith is drawn to organisations that have a strong sense of purpose and gravitates to people with an open and curious growth mindset. Having achieved solid outcomes within the public and private sectors, Keith has a proven track record in complex and creative problem-solving, often deploying human-centred design methodology.

Keith’s private enterprise experience has included regional economic development, Food and Agribusiness and the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector. Career highlights include launching Australia’s first organic infant formula, and being part of establishing two of Tasmania’s nationally recognised food brands.

In the public sector, Kaith spent thirteen years as a director of the Federal Government’s primary business advisory program, giving him exposure to a wide range of business models and contemporary business practices.

Keith has solid experience in creating high-performing teams. Strong stakeholder management skills and initiating and facilitating effective collaboration are well demonstrated in Keith’s career history.

Keith and his wife Lil have two current and one former Launceston Grammar student.

Keith holds a Bachelor of Science (Aquaculture) (Hons).

John Lamb

John Lamb

Mr John Lamb is a respected and successful Australian business leader, predominantly in the minerals sector, with a career spanning over 30 years in Australia and Southeast Asia.

He has held Chair and CEO roles in the Mining, Civil Construction and Transport sectors, in both listed and unlisted companies, and has a reputation for delivering safety, environmental, operational and financial targets, managing risk and achieving business growth, and above all delivering great outcomes for community stakeholders.

His diverse directorships include an ASX-listed mining company, a large pastoral company, an indigenous development board, a state minerals council, a historical citizens club and numerous private companies.

Mr Lamb is a Chartered Professional Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and an Order of Merit Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

John was appointed to the Board by the OLA in May 2022 and is a member of the Risk and Compliance Committee.

John and his wife Joanne have had two children at Grammar since 2012 and are active members of the Grammar community.

Patrick Parkinson

AM, MA, LLM, LLD

Patrick Parkinson

AM, MA, LLM, LLD

Dr Patrick Parkinson AM, MA, LLM, LLD is an Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Queensland. He was Dean of Law at UQ from 2018 – 2021 and prior to this was a professor of law at the University of Sydney. He is a specialist in family law, child protection, law and religion and the law of equity and trusts. His books include Australian Family Law in Context (8th ed, 2023), Tradition and Change in Australian Law (5th ed, 2013), Family Law and the Indissolubility of Parenthood (2011), The Voice of a Child in Family Law Disputes (with Judy Cashmore, 2008), Child Sexual Abuse and the Churches (2nd ed, 2003) and Principles of Equity (editor, 2nd ed., 2003).

Professor Parkinson has been a member of the NSW Child Protection Council, and was Chairperson of a major review of NSW law concerning child protection which led to the enactment of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW). From 2004-2007 he was Chairperson of the Family Law Council, an advisory body to the federal Attorney- General, and also chaired a review of the Child Support Scheme in 2004-05 which led to the enactment of major changes to the child support system. He was appointed as a member of the Order of Australia in 2009. He was President of the International Society of Family Law from 2011-14.  In 2017-18 he was a member of the Independent Advisory Council for Redress for Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse which advised the federal Government on the design of the Redress Scheme.

He now lives in the Launceston area and is Executive Director of Publica (www.publica.org.au). He is also in part-time practice as a lawyer.


Senior Leadership Team

Dale Bennett

Principal

Dale Bennett

Principal

Sheona Carter

Head of Junior Campus

Sheona Carter

Head of Junior Campus

Nicholas Foster

Deputy Principal/Head of Senior Campus

Nicholas Foster

Deputy Principal/Head of Senior Campus

Linda Holdaway

Chief Financial Officer

Linda Holdaway

Chief Financial Officer

Adrienne Kile

Executive Officer - People, Compliance and Information

Adrienne Kile

Executive Officer - People, Compliance and Information

Learning Leadership Team - Junior Campus

Lisa Watson

Assistant Head of Junior Campus

Lisa Watson

Assistant Head of Junior Campus

Claire Calvert

Primary Years Programme Coordinator

Claire Calvert

Primary Years Programme Coordinator

Georgia Greig

Early Learning Educational Leader

Georgia Greig

Early Learning Educational Leader

Learning Leadership Team - Senior Campus

Natalie Stewart

Co-Director of Teaching and Learning (Grades 10-12)

Natalie Stewart

Co-Director of Teaching and Learning (Grades 10-12)

Sarah Shepherd

Co-Director Teaching and Learning (Grades 7-9)

Sarah Shepherd

Co-Director Teaching and Learning (Grades 7-9)

Simon Shaw

Senior Teacher (History, Sociology), Co-Director of Pastoral Care, Head of House (Fraser)

Simon Shaw

Senior Teacher (History, Sociology), Co-Director of Pastoral Care, Head of House (Fraser)

Mark Webster

Co-Director of Pastoral Care, Head of Wilkinson House, Head of Media

Mark Webster

Co-Director of Pastoral Care, Head of Wilkinson House, Head of Media

Professional Services Team

Malcolm Dolman

Head of Enrolments

Malcolm Dolman

Head of Enrolments

Theunis Pieters

Head of Hawkes Boarding

Theunis Pieters

Head of Hawkes Boarding

What you are studying?

PhD – Sport and Exercise Science

What are your interests in life? 

Helping aspiring young athletes to reach the highest levels possible in their chosen sport by being the best strength and conditioning coach to them that I can be. I love working with students that are motivated and want to be the best version of themselves in their chosen sport. Personally, I love playing sports and am still involved in competitive track running and I play rugby for Launceston’s Premier rugby team, The Tigers.

Why do you like working at Grammar Boarding?

I love the boarding community at Grammar as it has provided me with a sense of belonging and has been my family away from family for the last 3 and half years that I have been at Grammar.

Chaplaincy Team

Reverend Matthew Pickering

Senior Campus Chaplain

Reverend Matthew Pickering

Senior Campus Chaplain

Martha Parkinson

Lay Chaplain, Junior Campus

Martha Parkinson

Lay Chaplain, Junior Campus

Rachel Pickering

Head of House (Roff), Christian Studies Coordinator, Teacher of Christian Studies and English

Rachel Pickering

Head of House (Roff), Christian Studies Coordinator, Teacher of Christian Studies and English


Student Leadership

Leaders enable people towards a vision, and we are proud of our students who take on leadership roles at our Junior and Senior Campuses.

Junior Campus

Junior Campus Co-Captains – Ivy Rapley and Zane Dean

Senior Campus

Senior Campus Co-Captains – Asha Pohan and Thomas Beaumont
Senior Campus Co-Vice Captains – Poppy Loane and Samuel Quinn