Staff Appointments – Leadership
Parents will have received a communication from the Headmaster’s Office in January announcing the appointment of Mrs Julie Payne as Director of Business and Operations with effect from Monday, 10 March 2025. This newly established role aligns with the School’s strategic directions and follows the departure of Mrs Christina Onley after her highly successful tenure as Chief Financial Officer. Mrs Payne’s appointment concludes an extensive executive search process.
Mrs Payne brings extensive leadership experience to the role. Her deep belief in education’s impact on young lives has driven her career over the last twelve years serving Catholic schools in Queensland. In her current role as Director of Finance, Infrastructure and Information Services at the Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools, she oversees the operations across thirty-two schools serving over 10,000 students, leading a team of thirty-five employees.
Previously, Mrs Payne served as Business Manager at St Ursula’s College for five years and she currently serves as a Director on the St Ursula’s College Yeppoon Governing Board. Her career also includes experience in healthcare. Mrs Payne’s expertise spans finance, governance, operations, technology, and infrastructure. She has demonstrated success in building strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, including schools, the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office, the Diocese, and external agencies. This combination of experience and relationship-building skills positions her ideally to oversee and lead the School’s business and financial operations.
Mrs Payne’s qualifications include Fellowship of CPA Australia, Graduate membership of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Commerce. Her extensive experience in similar projects, relationships, and knowledge gained across the education industry lay a strong foundation for what is required to achieve the School’s strategic initiatives that will benefit the boys, staff and community of Toowoomba Grammar School.
Mrs Payne impressed the selection committee with her strategic capacity, commercial acumen, collaborative approach, commitment to TGS’s vision, enthusiasm, and record of achievement. She is excited at the prospect of returning to being deeply involved in one school and has expressed how much she is looking forward to supporting Toowoomba Grammar School in achieving its strategic objectives.
Internal Appointments
We congratulate the following staff on their appointments:
Academic
Kellie Dixon | Acting Director of Performing Arts
Boarding
Luke Paffey | Head of Boarding House - Groom
Operations and Support
Kabe Ciccolini | Head of Sport
Kellie Richter | Co-Curricular Administrator
Kyle O’Toole | Sports Officer following the successful completion of his Traineeship
Nakia Palmer | Teacher Aide – Junior School following the successful completion of her Traineeship
Returning Staff | Senior School
We are pleased to announce that Ashley Henderson has returned to a teaching role at TGS. Ashley’s subject areas include Science, Mathematics and Design and Technology.
Siobhan Fagan has commenced in the role of Senior School English Teacher. Siobhan is a familiar face within our community, having undertaken regular supply teaching and short term contracts across both the Junior and Senior Schools.
Ingrid Gow joins the Science department replacing a member of staff on long service leave. Parents may know Ingrid as she has previously completed contracts within our science department. Ingrid has a strong background in science most recently teaching biology, agriculture and religious education at Downlands College.
Returning Staff | Junior School
We are delighted to welcome back Liz Geiger to the Junior School as Year 3 Teacher. Liz has great expertise in Early Childhood education integrating literacy and numeracy through all subject areas which will be a wonderful asset to the Year 3 cohort.
Jess Westerhout is teaching the additional Year 2
class for 2025. Jess has taught Year 1 and Year 2 in the Junior School and is highly regarded for her knowledge and expertise in our literacy programs and supporting families and boys through the Early Years phase.
Jayne McLean has been appointed to the position of Diverse Learning Co-ordinator – Junior School. Jayne’s extensive background in teaching across all Primary age groups together with expertise to support diverse learning needs across both Junior and Senior age-groups supports this newly designed role. Jayne will work with students and families in the Junior School through to Year 7 supporting the transition from Junior to the Senior School.
Academic Appointments | Senior School
Ashleigh Hegvold has commenced in the new role of Inclusive Education Teacher - Senior School. Ashleigh most recently held the role of Support Teacher for Literacy and Numeracy at Harristown State High School, where she was also the co-chair of the Diverse Learning Team and member of the Individual Curriculum Plan team.
Cate Jackman has commenced in the part-time position of Careers Advisor and Teacher – Senior School. This follows the departure of Jacqui McIlroy. With over 30 years of experience in education and career development, Cate has held senior leadership roles in both pastoral and academic care. Most recently, Cate worked as Career Support Officer at St Joseph’s College. Prior to this, she dedicated over 20 years at St Ursula’s College in various capacities, including Pastoral Head and Career Advisor. Cate’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education from the University of Queensland, a Master of Education (with Distinction) from the University of Southern Queensland, and a Graduate Certificate of Education (Career Education and Counselling) from Queensland University of Technology (2021).
Erin Wakefield has been appointed to the position of Senior School Science and HPE Teacher. Erin is a recent graduate of University of Queensland, where she completed a Bachelor of Health, Sport, and Physical Education (Honours). Erin's practical experience includes placements at Nudgee College and Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, where she taught a variety of subjects, including Biology, Junior Science, and Health and Physical Education. Beyond the classroom, Erin has also worked as a Rugby Coach and Boarding Supervisor in Corfe House.
Sam Walker has joined the Technologies Department as a part-time Senior School Industrial Design and Technology and Drama Teacher. Sam has spent the past six years as an Arts, Technology, and Wellbeing Teacher at Crusoe Secondary College in Bendigo, Victoria. He also brings valuable expertise from his time as an Education Support Officer at Bendigo South East Secondary College. Sam holds a Bachelor of Primary and Secondary Education, majoring in Visual Arts with a minor in Student Wellbeing. His qualifications are further enriched by specialised training in Industrial Design and Technology.
Academic Appointments | Junior School
Kara Carrigan has joined the Junior School as part-time Music Teacher for Semester 1, 2025. Kara brings over 14 years of experience in music education, most recently serving as a Music and Digital Technologies teacher at St Philomena’s Catholic School.
Operations and Support Staff Appointments
Kym Stewart has commenced as the new Boarding House Manager - Mackintosh. Kym brings a wealth of experience from her time as Senior Boarding Supervisor at St Saviour’s College, where she served for nearly three years. During her tenure, she also stepped into the role of Acting Head of Boarding.
Jenny Bazley has commenced in the role as Boarding House Manager for Boyce House. Jenny is no stranger to TGS and the boarding community, having previously worked in various administrative roles throughout the School as well as serving as a boarding supervisor in Corfe House.
Natalie Cowling has commenced as a part-time Boarding Supervisor in Groom House. Natalie brings a wealth of experience across education, aged care, tourism, and the arts. She holds a Bachelor of Education obtained from University of Technology, Sydney and has worked in various roles, including primary teaching, gymnastics coaching, and historical tour guiding. Most recently, she has been a Lifestyle Coordinator in aged care, where she has supported and engaged residents through programs.
Jed Garratt has been appointed to the newly created role of Boarding Activities Coordinator. Jed will be working on a part-time basis to manage formal extended learning programs that advance the Co-Curricular opportunities for TGS boarders. Some parents may already be familiar with Jed as he has worked as a casual Boarding Supervisor since October 2023.
Drew Fenton is the School’s new Head of Basketball
and First V Coach. With over 20 years of coaching experience at domestic, national, and international levels, Drew has a strong track record in player and program development. Most recently, he led the Rockhampton Cyclones to the 2024 NBL1 North Women’s Championship while also serving as Player and Coach Development Manager and a Basketball QLD State Performance Program (SPP) Coach. Drew will oversee all aspects of the program, bringing leadership and strategic vision to drive TGS Basketball forward.
David Werth and Jack Robotham have both stepped into new roles as Athletic Development Coaches. David will work in a part-time capacity and Jack in a full-time role. David and Jack are already part of the TGS team, with David having worked casually as a Strength and Conditioning Coach since April 2021, and Jack working part-time in the same role since June 2023.
Stacey Fowler has commenced in Student Services as our Administration Trainee (Business Services). Stacey has previously worked as a Critical Care Registered Nurse and Education and Simulation Instructor in various Melbourne hospitals. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Health Science (Public Health), and a Graduate Diploma in Nursing (Emergency Care). Stacey will work alongside Kate Wormwell in Student Services and will undertake her Certificate III in Business.
Sudeep Pokhrel has joined out IT team as an intern. Sudeep, a recent graduate from UniSQ, joins us through the Professional Year Accreditation Program, managed by the Australian Computer Society (ACS). This program provides Sudeep with the opportunity to complete 240 hours of practical experience at TGS over a 10-week period. It aims to equip graduates with valuable real life skills and experiences to support their transition from study to the workplace. Originally from Nepal, Sudeep holds both undergraduate and master’s degrees in Information Technology.
We have welcomed Thomas Warburton-Smith to the School as our new Gap Student, replacing Ed Munro-Martin. Thomas commenced Monday, 20 January and is from Kent in the UK. Thomas has experience in retail sales and coaching tennis.
Resignations
Rina Scott-Wilson has placed her resignation from the role of School Counsellor to be effective Friday, 12 February 2025. I wish to thank Rina for her unwavering integrity and enthusiasm for the care of our students. Her exceptional knowledge of mental health, combined with her therapeutic skills have made a significant impact on the lives of many boys and their families. We particularly appreciate Rina's dedication to becoming a youth mental health first aider, growing staff understanding of youth mental health, and delivering brain training programs.
Jacqui McIlroy has departed her Teacher – Senior School position at end of last year. Jacqui has been a valued member of our Careers team since 2020, serving in a part-time capacity and contributing as part of the personal counselling team. She has provided invaluable support and career guidance to our students, as well as their families, and has been a key contributor to the success of our many careers events. During her time with us, Jacqui also commenced her Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at QUT and was recently recognised with the IAPP Westin Scholar Award, highlighting her potential as a future leader in the field of Data Protection and Privacy. Jacqui accepted a new role as Careers Practitioner at St Ursula's College. We thank her for the care, guidance, and dedication she has shown to our students during her time at TGS.
Drew Saunders finished in his role as Indigenous Education Coordinator at the end of last year. During Drew's time at TGS, he has provided invaluable guidance and support to our First Nations students, contributing to the Indigenous Education Tutoring Program within Boarding, which has had a positive impact on both academic achievement and personal growth of our indigenous boarders. Drew has also worked as a casual Boarding Supervisor within Corfe House, supporting the youngest members of the TGS boarding community. We thank Drew for his dedication to TGS and sincerely wish him all the best with his future endeavours.
Maddi Payne has departed her Teacher Aide position in the Junior School. We are grateful for the years of service she has contributed to the Junior School. Her dedication to supporting our students with their academic and personal development is sincerely valued and appreciated. We wish Maddi all the very best with her future endeavours. Maddi’s last day will be 24 January.
