Townsville Grammar School (TGS) has welcomed new principal Timothy Kelly into the fold at the beginning of 2018 after now-retired principal Richard Fairley called it a day at the end of last year following 20 years at the helm.
Mr Kelly was the deputy headmaster of Toowoomba Grammar School for eleven years, prior to taking on the role at TGS and said he was very much drawn to the opportunity offered by the role of principal of TGS “as much of my experience has been in Queensland Grammar Schools and the reputation of Townsville Grammar School speaks for itself”.
“Having spent time as a deputy headmaster of a school of similar size I feel well-prepared for this role and the move to principalship seemed a natural progression,” Mr Kelly said.
“In my position at Toowoomba Grammar School, I provided whole-school leadership and had full responsibility for the operational management of the school,” he said.
“Before moving to Toowoomba, I was the head of faculty – business at Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie), which is where I began my teaching career.”
Using his knowledge from his pre-education employment in the financial sector, Mr Kelly established the business faculty at Churchie and was responsible for all business and information technology subjects, vocational education programs and career education.
Over the next few months, Mr Kelly said he’s looking forward to spending time getting to know the school community – the staff, students and parents – as well as developing a thorough understanding of the culture, operations and traditions of the school.
“Throughout the year, I am keen to start work on developing strategies to ensure that the success of Townsville Grammar School continues in the long term.
“With change a constant in education, the challenge probably foremost in our minds at this time is the changes to senior studies scheduled for rollout in 2019.”
Mr Kelly said he’ll use his combined experience in schools and in the commercial world to work with the Grammar community to develop strategies and implement programs, including:
● The provision of a stimulating, balanced and inclusive educational environment where students feel comfortable to take appropriate risks to challenge their intellectual, physical and personal growth, while ensuring the school’s history and traditions continue to be valued
● The development of a resilient and empathetic school culture that is characterised by positive, supportive relationships, respect and mutual understanding
● Developing young people of character through the provision of a well-disciplined, structured environment where expectations are clearly articulated and enforced
Since arriving in mid-December, Mr Kelly and his family have been enjoying setting up their new home and getting to know the city and its surrounds.
“What has struck me most since our arrival in Townsville is the strong sense of community evident here and I thank those that we have met for their generous welcome to North Queensland.”