A New Era of Learning and Wellbeing

Article by Monique Austen, Director of Wellbeing and Patrick Coleman, Director of Learning

This year has marked a shift in the leadership at Grammar. Since the beginning of 2025 we have been operating under a co-leadership model, with dedicated Directors of Wellbeing and Learning. This change reflects a deliberate move to more deeply integrate academic and pastoral priorities - recognising that wellbeing and learning are not separate undertakings, but interconnected pillars of a thriving school community. At the heart of this model is a simple but powerful goal: to place students at the centre of everything we do, while also investing in our staff as our most valuable resource.

This leadership evolution reflects a broader shift toward distributed leadership - a model increasingly adopted in schools to harness the strengths of multiple leaders working collaboratively. Rather than focusing solely on the Senior Campus, both the Director of Learning and Director of Wellbeing roles are designed with a whole-school lens. This approach allows for greater alignment across grade levels, more consistent practices, and a shared vision that supports every student’s journey. Whole-school strategies have been shown to enhance staff collaboration, create efficiencies, and ultimately improve student outcomes.

"Both the Director of Learning and Director of Wellbeing roles are designed with a whole-school lens."

The Director of Wellbeing oversees our school’s wellbeing culture, ensuring that every member of our community feels safe, supported, and valued. The Director of Learning leads the strategic direction of teaching and learning across the whole school - supporting curriculum development, pedagogical innovation, and academic growth from the early years through to Grade 12. While our day-to-day responsibilities differ, we work closely together and report directly to the Principal, allowing us to align our efforts and make decisions that reflect the needs of the entire school. This structure ensures that wellbeing and learning are not siloed, but instead inform and strengthen one another.  

"As Directors of Wellbeing and Learning, our roles are both distinct and deeply interconnected."

In practice, our co-leadership model is grounded in daily collaboration and shared visibility. Both roles sit on the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring that wellbeing and learning are equally represented in strategic discussions and decision-making. Physically located in the same office area, we benefit from organic, ongoing dialogue that allows us to respond quickly and cohesively to emerging needs. Increasingly, issues and initiatives are no longer viewed through the separate lenses of wellbeing and learning, but as interconnected opportunities to support our students and staff more holistically. This integrated approach is helping us become more agile, more aligned, and ultimately more effective in meeting the needs of the Grammar community. 

As with any such change, this transition comes with a period of adjustment. It’s still early to measure the full impact of the new model, and we are mindful that we are building on the legacy of an outstanding campus leadership. Rather than replacing what came before, our aim is to evolve and extend it - bringing fresh perspectives and a more integrated approach to the challenges and opportunities ahead. Already, we’re seeing encouraging signs of stronger collaboration, clearer communication, and a shared sense of purpose among staff. We’re excited about the journey ahead and committed to continually refining our approach to best serve our students and school community.