OLMCBI 209

Our Principal, Judith Weir, has been awarded a Menzies School Leader Fellowship for 2021–2023. Judith is one of six innovative leaders from Victorian government, Catholic and independent schools who have been afforded this honour, and we have good reason to be proud of and delighted for her.

The fellowship program is delivered by the Menzies Foundation, together with a multi-sector collaboration group, including the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Each two-year $150,000 Fellowship program includes:

  • creating and leading an in-school collective efficacy research project;
  • participation in a leadership development program co-designed by education leadership expert, Laureate Professor John Hattie;
  • individual leadership coaching;
  • travel grants to undertake study trips and attend a number of professional development workshops;
  • Menzies Alumni membership.

There is an explicit focus on increasing the skills and capability of Fellows to generate behaviours and actions that produce collective efficacy at the school and network level. As is evident from this description, not only Judith but the OLMC community will be the beneficiary of this wonderful opportunity.

The College congratulates the other 2021–2023 Fellowship recipients who will support each other in building school and network efficacy:

  • Kate Fogarty - Principal, Assumption College
  • Kate Dullard - Principal, Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School
  • Aaron Petersen - Assistant Principal, Glen Eira College
  • Michelle Carroll – Principal, St Catherine’s School
  • Maria Karvouni - Principal, Auburn High School.

Judith offered the following reflection on what the Fellowship means to her:

It is an honour to be considered for a Menzies School Leader Fellowship and I am delighted to be one of only six people to have been offered this very exciting opportunity. The Program will support Fellows to develop personal insight, experiment with the development of new skills, and apply this learning in real time.

The Collective Efficacy project provides a key learning context for leaders to reflect on their practice at the individual, school and system level. The focus of our work is always improving the opportunities for our students, therefore, to be so strongly supported to grow and develop through this program will be of benefit to our leaders, teachers and students.