ALLAN SHAW

While only recently concluding over 25 years of leadership in education, the last seven as Principal of The Knox School in Melbourne, Allan has professional skills and experiences built over the years in schools and three careers outside of schools. These were as a goldsmith, a professional white water rafting guide and as Chief Executive to AHISA (The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia).

Allan had worked in all three school sectors across two state departments of education, a Catholic systemic high school and extensive experience in a boy's boarding school, prior to his commencement as Foundation Principal at Peter Moyes Anglican Community School (PMACS) in 1999. During the years at PMACS (1999-2005), the school grew from prospective earth works to a school of nearly 1000 boys and girls from four-year-old through to Year 12, and around 90 staff.

Allan has taught Visual Arts and Design and Technology, from upper primary classrooms through to year 12 and beyond at University and TAFE. In previous roles, he has been Head of Department, staff professional coach in combining good pedagogy with ICT in the classroom (ICT in schools was the basis of his master’s degree), and Director of Staff Development and Education Technology.

In 2008, Allan became a Fellow of the Australian Council for Education Leaders (ACEL) and is a published contributor on the use of digital technologies in schools and active on social media discussing educational topics. Allan has also recently become a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators. Allan was a foundation member of the board of AITSL (Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership) in 2010 and deeply involved in the development of Australian Professional Standard for Principals.

As Chief Executive to AHISA (2005-2012), Allan had regular contact with members, visiting many schools and providing advice or conduits to advice for members on many subjects and conducting many formative appraisals for members. He met regularly with Federal Ministers for Education and their staff, the CEOs and senior staff of ACARA (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority) and AITSL, the CEO of what is now ISA (Independent Schools Australia), other national principal associations, senior officers in the Federal Department of Education, and worked closely with many other national education professional organisations, especially ACEL. These interactions were all aimed at the development of national education policy to best support children and young people in member’s schools, that is independent schools across the country.

As Principal of The Knox School (TKS) in Melbourne (2014-21), a strategy of personalising schooling was and remains actively pursued at multiple levels, including formal partnerships with the University of Melbourne and the Mastery Transcript Consortium in the USA, and until recently Monash University. The major threads to this strategy are the development of staff capacity and the development of an innovative culture of learning focussed on holistic student outcomes. These are exemplified in the strong entrepreneurial skillset, design thinking and student agency that many students now successfully exhibit, in addition to their academic knowledge and skills.

Allan and Susan have two adult children and they now look after a dog who thinks it is human. Allan enjoys yoga, cycling and ocean swimming as exercise and has practised meditation, twice a day for more than 30 years.