SCOTS PGC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Girls' Boarding and Head of Middle School
Amy Woodgate is an experienced and committed educator with a strong background in Early Years and Primary education. From teaching in the classroom, to leading and managing academic programs, Amy has spent the last 16 years creating high quality learning environments focused on developing the ‘whole' child.
As the Director of Girls' Boarding and the Head of Middle School at SCOTS PGC, her role is wide and varied. It encompasses students in Years 6 right through to Year 8, while also caring for all the girls who board at the College in the residential facilities at Glenbrae House.
For Amy, working closely with staff, students and families is the most rewarding part of her role and she's passionate about helping young people to thrive in their learning.
Whether it's building a strong foundation as students transition into Middle School, or providing students with the confidence to investigate, question and collaborate as they grow and develop, Amy draws on her diverse experience and a range of age-appropriate strategies to support students as they journey through their education. Equally, Amy's leadership in the Girls' Boarding House provides a strong and supportive environment for the girls in boarding to flourish as they discover their place in the world.
Prior to joining the College in 2019, Amy was the Assistant Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning) at Somerville House for five years. She also spent eight years at Brisbane Boys' College as a classroom teacher, year level coordinator and in acting leadership roles and before that was a classroom teacher at Moreton Bay Boys' College during its foundational years.
Andrew Millard is the Business Manager at SCOTS PGC, responsible for overseeing finance, facilities and business services at the College. Andrew commenced in 2002 and has played a key role in ensuring the College can financially respond to an ever-changing educational environment and provide facilities that are fit-for-purpose.
As a long-standing staff member, Andrew holds a deep understanding and passion for SCOTS PGC and its people. Most of all, he enjoys working within a learning environment and the variety of work his role offers.
Job Titles:
- Director of Teaching, Learning and Innovation
Blake has a passion for creating innovative and engaging learning experiences that promote quality teaching both in and out of the classroom. He has experience in education leadership roles at MLC School, the NSW Educational Standards Authority, and the International Baccalaureate Organisation. Blake's approaches to teaching and learning are underpinned by the strong theoretical understanding he gained through completing a Master of Education (Leadership and Management) in 2021.
Blake is a strong advocate for learning that extends beyond the classroom. He believes as educators, we have a responsibility to support our young people to become positive, active, and engaged global citizens, and offer more than just academic knowledge and qualifications. His commitment to the holistic development of students is demonstrated through the extensive experience he gained designing a teaching and learning framework to support the valuable learning that takes place outside of the traditional classroom setting. During his 20-year teaching career, he has led arts programs, co-curricular programs, partnerships with Round Square schools, and interdisciplinary units, while working extensively in the pastoral care space. He prioritises programs that are characterised by a strong student voice and parent/carer inclusion. Forming positive, respectful relationships with students and their families is key to success in schools.
With a passion for the Creative Arts, Blake has experience choreographing, directing, and producing musical, dance productions, and eisteddfod items. He has success at state and national levels placing at numerous competitions including Rock Eisteddfod Challenge, Cheerleading Competitions, and the Wakakirri Story Dance events.
Job Titles:
- Director of Boys' Boarding
David heads up both our Boys' Boarding Houses, caring and for our young men in Years 5 to Year 12. David and his wife, Jodi, live on campus, at Hawkins House, and enjoy being part of the day to day lives of our boy boarders.
An experienced educator, David is passionate about providing a quality, caring educational environment - one that challenges and inspires boys to become the best version of themselves and make the most of the opportunities on offer. He believes this starts with fostering positive relationships and having a community-mindedness approach.
Job Titles:
- Head of People and Culture
In the same way teachers work to unlock the potential of students, Derek Naughten's role is to foster a culture that allows staff at SCOTS PGC to do their best work.
With more than 20 years of service at the College, Derek holds a deep understanding of its history, values and community.
Beyond developing and implementing contemporary human resources practices, much of Derek's role is about empowering people to bring the school's values to life. He believes every person, regardless of their position, has a role to play in the College's mission of ‘inspiring students to be their best' and that great things happen when all staff work together in unity.
For Derek, the school's culture is reflective of its regional setting - everyone has a role to play in shaping the experience and there's a strong sense of community and belonging.
After graduating from SCOTS PGC College in 2011, Georgia spent a gap year as a jillaroo on a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory. She then moved to Brisbane to study law at the Queensland University of Technology, graduating with honours.
Following her undergraduate study, Georgia was Associate to her Honour Fleur Kingham, President of the Land Court of Queensland. After her associateship, Georgia studied a Master of Laws at Queen's University Belfast, where she graduated first in her class and with Distinction.
Georgia returned to Queensland and was called to the Bar in May 2021. She is instructed in a range of matters, including at the appellate level, concerning commercial contracts, equity, mining compensation, acquisition of land, valuer-general appeals, planning appeals, succession disputes, and declaratory and enforcement proceedings.
As a past student of the College, Georgia is an excellent advocate for SCOTS PGC and is keen to assist in its future growth and success.
Job Titles:
- Director of Co - Curricular Activities
When it comes to managing everything that happens outside of the classroom at SCOTS PGC College, our Director of Co-Curricular Activities, Jarrod Turner, is a seasoned professional. His experiences in education, sport and co-curricular are quite extensive. For many years, Jarrod was the Head of Sport at Ambrose Traecy College in Brisbane, before he and his family traded the city lights for Warwick's wide open spaces. Jarrod also has experience working within the Advancement areas of Independent Schools and systems, having been the School Partnership Manager at the Edmund Rice Foundation, as well as having various other roles such as Director of Alumni and Community Relations, and Director of Cricket within a school and University context.
In addition to Jarrod's technical and organisational skills, he has demonstrated a strong adherence to the relational nature of his roles - a character trait and skill that will stand him and our College in good stead as we move into the future. His commitment to helping others (students and staff) improve, feel supported and valued, and understanding that schools such as SCOTS PGC are community and people-focused, will ensure his and our success from a co-curricular and whole-school perspective
Job Titles:
- Company Director With Senior Executive
Jon is a company director with senior executive experience in the private and public sectors. His experience in the public sector includes Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in Queensland, Deputy Secretary of the New Zealand Treasury and CEO of the NZ Infrastructure Commission.
This was preceded by an investment banking career which included the role of CEO of an ASX listed infrastructure investment fund. Jon also served as Chair of Cromwell College at the University of Queensland. He now sits on the boards of two technology companies and continues his interest in public policy issues.
As a proud past student, prefect and College Dux, who grew up in Killarney, Jon is keen to contribute and help the College continue its strong growth - especially in the current era, with five young Graysons now students at SCOTS PGC.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal of SCOTS PGC College
Kyle Thompson is the seventh principal of SCOTS PGC College and commenced in late 2017.
He is a highly experienced educator and leader with a passion for bringing out the best in people - be it on the sports field, in the classroom or the workplace.
What started as a career in sports, after gaining his Masters in Sports Management, led to a life in education with Kyle discovering his natural aptitude for teaching after time spent coaching professional players and young children cricket, while studying at Sydney University.
After gaining his qualification in education, Kyle went on to spend seven years in the Department of Education and Training in New South Wales, before joining Cranbrook School in Sydney, serving as Sportsmaster for six years. This was followed by 11 years at Brisbane Boys' College where Kyle led significant change first in his role as Director of Sports and Activities and later as Deputy Headmaster / Head of Senior School.
During this time Kyle contributed significantly to the strategic direction of the College and was instrumental in the activation and ongoing management of a range of initiatives from pastoral care, to student leadership, to classroom learning and pathway creation.
Kyle believes a good education is all about relationships and while much of it involves academics, learning about life and how to take one's place within it is just as important.
Julian is a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon; the Royal Military College of Science, Schrivenham; and Australian Command and Staff College. He has served in Command appointments at the operational and strategic levels of the Australian Army, NATO and the United Nations as well as in a multinational capacity for the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC. He retired from the Army and began teaching secondary level science and chemistry until retirement in 2017. He is the Chair of St Stephen's Uniting Church Council, Toowoomba Building Committee and St Stephen's Toowoomba Meals on Wheels Management Committee. Julian brings experience in operating at the strategic level, and education within a girls' boarding school. He is the Uniting Church, Presbytery of the Downs representative on the Council.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Certified Financial Planner
Martin is a Certified Financial Planner® and Director of Graham Financial - a boutique financial planning practice based in Toowoomba and Brisbane since 1985. Martin is an experienced sheep and cattle grazier working for many years in western Queensland. He is also an experienced public policy analyst spending several years in Canberra working in the Treasury and Finance departments. Martin is passionate about learning and building for future generations.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chair
- Head of College
Florence Kearney (Flo) is Head of College and CEO of The Women's College, University of Queensland. With more than 40 years' experience, Flo has a distinguished career in the education of young people having been the principal of three leading independent girls' schools over the past 20 years alone. She was educated in Brisbane, has degrees in Education and Commerce and a Masters in Educational Leadership. Flo has also held wider roles in the not-for-profit sector and sporting arenas including Chair of Wesley Mission Queensland Board, Chair of Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA), Chair of the Brisbane Schoolgirls Rowing Association (BSRA) and member of the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA) Queensland Board.
Job Titles:
- Southeast Queensland Director of AgForce
Kelly is the Southeast Queensland Director of AgForce, whose core business is lobbying industry and government on behalf of members to secure sustainable, profitable, and productive agriculture in Queensland. Kelly is also AgForce's representative on the Farmsafe Australia committee.
In addition to these key roles, Kelly has been heavily involved in the Isolated Children's Parents Association. She was the lead representative for the Boarding Schools portfolio for six years as well as Queensland State Secretary for two years. Kelly lives rurally and is very engaged in the Agricultural space and passionate about educating the next generation of Agricultural leaders.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School
Building strong relationships and contributing to community have remained guiding principles throughout Richard Dobrenov's time in education.
With his career spanning more than 30 years, Richard is an experienced and innovative educator dedicated to creating learning environments that support, challenge, encourage and celebrate all students.
Beyond his belief in developing the talents of each individual, for Richard, a great school is a supportive community; a group of people that collectively can relate, contribute to and draw from the broader community within which they exist.
He has always encouraged students to move beyond their comfort zones both inside and outside the classroom and believes relationships, based on mutual respect, are key to student engagement.
Richard holds a deep understanding of independent education and has worked in day and boarding schools across metro and regional Queensland. His experience at the coalface, and at a strategic level, has enabled Richard to acquire diverse skills and perspectives. It has also seen him implement a range of initiatives designed to respond to the changing educational landscape.
Before joining SCOTS PGC, Richard was Head of Middle and Senior School at Fraser Coast Anglican College in Hervey Bay. Prior to this, he spent 29 years at The Southport School (TSS) on the Gold Coast working in various roles including Dean of Students, Day Housemaster, Boarding Housemaster and Head of Department.
Job Titles:
- Principal and CEO of Cromwell College at the University of Queensland
Simon is the Principal and CEO of Cromwell College at the University of Queensland. He has extensive experience in the education sector, in both State and Independent schools, covering all corners of Queensland and an excellent understanding of delivering education in rural and city contexts.
Prior to his current role, Simon was the Principal of an Independent Uniting Church School in north Brisbane for 9 years. During his tenure, enrolments grew from 350 students to nearly 1000. This exponential growth gave him experience in setting and driving culture and change, as well as having an integral knowledge of sourcing and procuring government funding. Simon was a key stakeholder in the 14 major capital works projects during his term and is keenly equipped to assist and mentor SCOTS PGC College into the future.
Job Titles:
- Assistant to the Director of Boys' Boarding
Stewart has extensive experience in boarding schools, with the last 17 years spent here at SCOTS PGC College. He lives in Cunningham House which houses our Junior Boys on the Oxenham Street campus, overlooking the Condamine River.
Stewart is a Warwick local and takes great pride in being part of the family atmosphere the College promotes. He appreciates the country values he was raised with which in turn helps him provide a caring and respectful boarding environment, where all students feel safe, secure, relaxed and most importantly, happy.
"Boarding is an incredible opportunity and an experience which should be enjoyed - not endured. For me, boarding is not just a job - I see these boys as my extended family."
Basketball is Stewart's second passion - he has played, coached and refereed for over 35 years at local, state and international levels. His experience on the court has also played a practical role within the boarding house by helping the boys understand the importance of good sportsmanship, teamwork and leadership.
Stewart feels it is an honour and a privilege to be gifted the role of caring and guiding young lives as our boarders navigate their educational journey at SCOTS PGC College.