North Shore State School

The administrative team at this school is widely regarded as unsupportive, controlling, and at times, abusive in their leadership style. The principal often tells staff to "stay in their lanes," a phrase used to discourage communication and collaboration, and to avoid being approached with concerns. He routinely ignores incidents of physical and verbal abuse by violent students toward both staff and other students, choosing not to intervene in order to keep suspension data artificially low. Neither the principal nor the deputy head of the lower school are visibly present in classrooms or actively engaged with teaching and learning. Instead, the leadership team exerts coercive control, often manipulating and demeaning staff. In one instance, a teacher in labor received messages from administration demanding she submit lesson plans. During my three years as an experienced teacher at this school, I experienced multiple instances of dishonesty from leadership regarding my professional conduct. My experience and input were regularly dismissed—administration even advised colleagues not to listen to me. I was reprimanded simply for trying to engage in professional discussions about curriculum and assessment. Despite these challenges, the teaching staff are dedicated and hardworking, consistently going above and beyond for their students. Many teachers spent their own money to decorate and equip their classrooms, which were then showcased to visiting district officials—though administration took credit for these efforts, despite having no involvement. This leadership team does not model effective or compassionate leadership. Their behavior is authoritarian and often destructive, creating a toxic environment that demoralizes staff. Nevertheless, the resilience and commitment of the teachers have helped uphold the school's reputation in the community. Given the current leadership, I would not recommend sending children to this school.