By Bridget Cook
A HAMPTON Park business manager has taken out a top honour at the prestigious Victorian Education Excellence Awards last week.
Hampton Park Primary School’s business manager Bronwyn Minihan, who has been at the school for 14 years, was announced the winner of the mecu Outstanding Business Manager Award category at the awards ceremony at Crown Palladium on Friday night.
Ms Minihan will now receive a $10,000 professional development grant to take part in a program.
School principal Christine Wakeling nominated Ms Minihan for the award, mostly for her work as team leader when the school was involved in a workforce reform field trial.
Ms Minihan said she led the design framework to assist schools to develop the leadership and pedagogical role of business managers and education support staff.
“This resource should build leadership capacity, improve communication and develop mutual respect between principals, teachers and business managers who are all responsible for student learning.
“I even travelled overseas to see how other schools utilise support staff.
“We then had to report our findings back to the Department of Education.”
Ms Minihan said the school was chosen to take part in the trial, because of their existing support staff.
“Being such a multicultural school, we already had Sudanese, Chinese and Indian aides, as well technology, wellbeing, music and general teaching support staff.” Ms Minihan said she was honoured and privileged to even be nominated for the award.
South Eastern Metropolitan Region MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Education Inga Peulich congratulated all the winners from the south east.
“The Victorian Education Excellence Awards recognise the innovative, passionate individuals and teams who take that extra step to make our schools exceptional places to learn,” Ms Peulich said.
“I am especially pleased that the south-east preformed well in the award recipients.
“The professional development grants will enable teachers to further their professional studies and experience, and bring back their ideas to their schools and colleagues.”
