I am excited to be joining the staff here at Toowoomba Grammar School in the role of Head of Curriculum. I grew up in a small coastal town in NSW and attended the University of Sydney to complete my undergraduate degree. Please don’t hold my NSW origin against me (Go Blues!). Teaching, and education, has always been a passion of mine and ever since I was in high school, the plan was to be a teacher. I graduated from the University of Sydney with a double degree in Education and Arts, majoring in both English and History. Since then, I have also completed a Master of Education at the University of New South Wales. I started my career in a comprehensive state high school in Sydney and I have worked in a variety of contexts across my teaching career. In addition, I have fulfilled a variety of roles, focusing on both wellbeing and pastoral care, as well as classroom and curriculum leadership. As a result of these different roles, I have developed a holistic approach to education, believing that educators should develop the whole person. In 2020, I moved from Sydney to Toowoomba with my wife, Stephanie, and we fell in love with the region. We now live on five acres on the outskirts of town with our horses, cats and dogs.
I am incredibly excited to be at Queensland’s leading regional day and boarding school for boys from Prep to Year 12. For generations, TGS has been educating boys and this sense of history and tradition was something that drew me to the School. A boys’ only education allows for not only a focus on academic success, but also to facilitate the growth of boys into young men of strong character and integrity. This is a core focus of TGS that I am keen to contribute to. A holistic approach to education, focusing on academic rigour, as well as character development and wellbeing, is central to educating boys to allow them to flourish individually and contribute to society.
My role as the Head of Curriculum is to facilitate the smooth functioning of our education program in the Senior School. Central to this is ensuring that our curriculum maintains the highest standards of academic rigour, building upon our excellent academic results in previous years, while also ensuring that strong character and wellbeing development is embedded into all facets of our curriculum. In addition, my role is to be a point of contact for all boys and their families as they move through their QCE years, so I look forward to establishing quality connections and working with families to ensure success. One of the focuses here at TGS is explicit instruction. This approach to teaching and learning involves expert teachers modelling to students the learning being delivered and allowing boys the opportunity to consolidate their understanding through practice and high-quality feedback. I am excited to develop and embed this approach to learning in all our teaching programs and continue to build upon the excellent academic results for our boys.
TGS is committed to building deep connections and offering extensive opportunities for our students, and this is something that I am eager be involved with and contribute to. I hope to be able to ensure a rigorous curriculum that focuses on the whole person, while also building upon the incredible opportunities for our boys to access. As the school year begins, I look forward to meeting all our families and working together to ensure the success of all students.
Latest Blog
Echoes of Home: Boarding is who we are
It's there in the early mornings before the day has properly begun, in the noise of boys lining up in the dining hall and in the easy banter that carries them back from sport in the afternoon. Just as often, it shows up in the quieter moments, the ones that tend to go unnoticed at the time but, slowly and steadily, shape who they become. There's also a shared understanding that doesn't need much explaining. What good rainfall means after a long dry spell, or how strong cattle prices on a Friday…
Fiji Rugby Tour 2026: Lessons in Adaptability and Gratitude
Set against the stunning backdrop of Fiji, the tour, held from 3 to 10 April 2026, blended high-level competition, cultural immersion and unexpected challenges. Two demanding matches against local opposition tested adaptability and resilience, while a late-season Severe Tropical Cyclone Vaianu forced significant changes to plans and schedules. Throughout the disruption, the boys’ behaviour was exemplary, drawing praise from hosts and reinforcing the values at the heart of the program. Based in…
Musicians First, Teachers Always
When the lights came up on & Juliet at the Empire Theatre, more than 6,700 audience members were treated to a bold, high‑energy production backed by an extraordinary team of professional musicians. Among them were two familiar faces from Toowoomba Grammar School: Ms Teresa Brix and Mr Mark Chalmers. For the TGS community, their involvement in one of the region’s largest theatrical productions is something to celebrate, not simply as a professional achievement, but as a powerful reminder of…
Building Good Character
This commitment extends beyond the classroom into every aspect of School life, including programs that encourage our boys to reflect on who they are, how they treat others and the kind of men they hope to become. This week, students from Years 7 to 10 took part in two significant character and wellbeing programs delivered by Damon Joseph and Daniel Principe. Although different in design, both workshops reinforced the same message, that character is learned, practised and strengthened through…
Stateside Success: The Growing US College Pathway for TGS Boys
A Parent's Perspective: From Blue & Gold to Bowling Green For the TGS boys that take the trip to the United States, their pathways are diverse, but they share a common foundation: the support, discipline and belief built on the 52 acres that is our 150-year-old campus. For past TGS mum, Adele Spurgin, the journey from watching her boys run out in the blue and gold of Toowoomba Grammar School to seeing them play together in the orange and brown strip of Bowling Green State University’s…
Helping Boys Build Stronger Identities at TGS
Social media influencers, hyper‑masculine stereotypes and the pressure to “perform” academically, socially and emotionally can distort a young man’s sense of self long before he has the tools to understand what he’s feeling. Toowoomba Grammar School (TGS) has recognised this challenge and responded with intention. Through a bespoke Pastoral Care model and a powerful partnership with Tomorrow Man and other leading professionals, the School is reshaping how boys understand identity, connection…
Cambodia Cultural and Service Tour
Across twelve days with RAW Impact, the group moved through moments of cultural immersion, physical work, reflection and genuine connection with local communities. Their words capture the impact more powerfully than any adult could. Phnom Penh: Confronting history to understand the present The tour began in Phnom Penh, where the group visited the Killing Fields and S21 before beginning their service work. For many boys, this was the moment they realised the tour would be life changing. As Year…
Old Boy Geoffrey Smith inspires at our Senior School Speech Night
Toowoomba Grammar School’s Senior School Speech Night was marked by a powerful address from Old Boy Geoffrey Smith (2002–06), recently named the 2025 Australian of the Year for Queensland. Geoffrey, co-founder of Australian Spatial Analytics (ASA), has become a national leader in recognising the untapped potential of neurodivergent Australians in the workforce. His organisation provides geo-spatial and engineering services while creating meaningful employment opportunities - with 80 per cent…
Tears at the Gate, Pride at the Finish
Melanie Elms says she regularly sees a group of TGS parents socially, they've become lifelong friends Heartfelt moments bookend the boarding years “It feels very surreal. I'm proud, but it is very surreal.” Those were the words of Mrs Melanie Elms from 'Taringa' near Edgeroi, New South Wales, as she reflected on the moment her youngest son Sam finished his time at Toowoomba Grammar School. An end to walking up to Taylor House returning a boarder to TGS forever and it comes just 12 months after…
