Mark Simpson
Location Evanston South, SA
School Leadership Experience
Primary School • Secondary School
Sector Experience Catholic • Independent
State/Territory Experience SA, VIC
Professional Experience
2010 to current, Principal, Trinity College, Gawler, SA
2009, Head of Faculty, Rosetrevor College, S & E, Woodforde, SA
2008, Dean of Students, Trinity College, Gawler, SA
1991-2008, Director of Staff Development, Head of Faculty, House Coordinator, Sacred Heart College
1988-1990, VCAB curriculum coordinator, Boarding House mentor, The Geelong College
1984-1987, Year level coordinator, PEP coordinator, P and F coordinator, Saint John’s College, Whyalla
I believe that academic excellence is the cornerstone of any school and at Trinity South we have successfully focused staff on attention to data and we have led significant cultural change in this area. We have used a Performance Team to measure, diagnose and respond to data and introduced ACER testing driving impressive improvements in the performance of more able students with the year 9 cohort of 120 students growing by 5.1-5.7 above stanine in one year (ACER). We have utilized a Jolly Phonics program to realize improved reading and spelling results. We introduced a shared classroom practice program, appraisal and enhancement program that emphasized academic excellence, and introduced academic awards and assemblies to improve status and engender greater support from parents which improved the results of our more able students.
We have restructured the Learning Support Faculty to provide a more efficient and improved delivery of these services empowering classroom teachers and raising the performance of these students. Students are now more appropriately referred to learning support and teachers have been trained to provide greater in-class support to students and additional school support officers have been more effectively utilized using grant money. This has resulted in and a significant growth in the less able 20% of students, well above expected NAPLAN growth rates.
I have led a transformative strategic values exercise at Trinity South to identify our values of Faith, Character & Endeavour. All school planning is guided by these values as they live beyond the posters in every classroom and in the diary. They are evident for students in a number of ways and help students see Middle School as a transition rather than as separate to the Junior school while at the same time preserving age appropriate programs for both.