Media release 

6 August, 2024

Public school teachers, students, employees, parents and advocates from across NSW have been honoured at the 2024 Public Education Awards.

The 132 awardees (listed below) gathered at Sydney Town Hall last night and were celebrated for their outstanding individual achievements, breakthrough school initiatives, community partnerships and major contributions to their school communities.

Two champions of public education were also recognised with the presentation of the inaugural Outstanding Advocate for Public Education award to former High Court Justice, the Honourable Michael Kirby, who is leading the Department’s new alumni project, and outstanding educator Lila Mularczyk.

The event was the first time the awards, formerly the NSW Minister’s and Secretary’s Awards for Excellence, have been held during Public Education Week, a week that celebrates and acknowledges all who contribute to our children and young people’s educational journey.

This year also saw the introduction of the Secretary’s Award for Living Our Values, a category that recognises the Department’s support staff and teams who support our frontline staff and learners.

Of the 112 primary and secondary schools acknowledged, 27 schools received multiple awards with South-West Sydney’s Prairiewood High School and the South Coast’s Ulladulla High School receiving a noteworthy five awards each.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said she was excited to celebrate the many extraordinary initiatives, achievements and people in a week themed ‘Proud to belong’.

“The Public Education Awards are an important opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the amazing work of our teachers, school communities and other staff who each day work together to bring out the best in our students,” Minister Car said.

“This annual celebration also recognises the academic, cultural, sporting and leadership excellence of our students, as we share in their personal stories and performances.”

The winners from across NSW were selected in the following categories:

  • Minister’s Award for Excellence in Student Achievement
  • Minister’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
  • Secretary’s Award for Excellent Service
  • Secretary’s Award for an Outstanding School Initiative
  • Secretary’s Award for School Achievement
  • Secretary’s Award for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
  • Secretary’s Award for Living Our Values
  • Public School Parent of the Year Award.

Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar said the awards were an annual highlight and he was thrilled to see the introduction of the new Living Our Values award which was centred around the Department’s values of accountability, equity, excellence, integrity, service, and trust.

As a former student, teacher and principal and now parent in the public system, Mr Dizdar said he was enormously proud of public education in NSW.

“Through these awards we honour the best of the best in our system and showcase the incredible work of our schools, support staff and parents in giving our students an incredible platform on which to soar.”

Mr Dizdar also acknowledged the 11 recipients of the Parent of the Year award who perform “invaluable support roles and who contribute significantly to their local NSW public school community”.

Public Education Foundation chief executive officer David Riordan said the Foundation’s mission is to celebrate the best of public schooling which is achieved through this major annual event.

“We are honoured to once again present this event and celebrate many extraordinary initiatives and achievements from across the state, as well as amazing school achievements across primary and secondary years groups in increasing literacy and student engagement,” Mr Riordan said.

Minister’s Award for Excellence in Student Achievement:

  • Callaghan College – Jesmond Senior Campus – Chelsea Young
  • Canley Vale High School – Ryan Nguyen
  • Cowra High School – Kaili Buckley
  • Denison College of Secondary Education – Bathurst High Campus – Kai Clary
  • Elderslie High School – Emma Evans
  • Fort Street High School – Kalanie Prabhakar
  • Girraween High School – Advika Ulhaan
  • Inverell High School – Victoria Alliston and Kobi Weiss
  • James Fallon High School – Grace Alexander
  • Kempsey High School – Alice McNee
  • Lambton High School – Elana Zhang
  • Melville High School – Luca Garcia-Kytola
  • Northern Beaches Secondary College – Freshwater Senior Campus – Elani Plummer
  • Northern Beaches Secondary College – Mackellar Girls Campus – Alysha Thomas and Amber Hogan
  • Northern Beaches Secondary College – Manly Campus – Madi Heesom
  • Orange High School – Zoe Tattersall and Ellen Dolbel
  • Penrith High School – Cassidy Lauguico and Satvik Warrier
  • Prairiewood High School – Johnny Stamiris and Britney Nguyen
  • Strathfield Girls High School – Natalia Costis-Halkidis
  • Sydney Boys High School – Dean Louie Johnsun
  • Sydney Girls High School – Sofia Malik
  • The Forest High School – Mindy Mulders
  • Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College – The Entrance Campus – Makala Kricak
  • Turramurra High School – Oscar Nellist
  • Ulladulla High School – Charlotte Carter and Ellie Fitzpatrick
  • Wagga Wagga High School – Emma Mundy
  • Warners Bay High School – Jazmine O’Brien and Logan Romani
  • Whitebridge High School – Kienna Clegg
  • Young High School – Lucinda Madden

Minister’s Award for Excellence in Teaching:

  • Asquith Girls High School – Danielle Barsi
  • Bass High School – Chrysanthi Diasinos
  • Bombala Public School – Katie Brazel
  • Brisbane Water Secondary College – Umina Campus – Dominique McMahon
  • Curran Public School – Melissa Hicks
  • Denison College of Secondary Education – Bathurst High Campus – Peter Kell
  • Dorrigo High School – Aimee Dawson
  • Elderslie Public School – Jake Kercheval
  • Heathcote High School – Nicholas Tsaccounis
  • Hill Top Public School – Dannielle Reichel
  • Hunter School of the Performing Arts – Kylie Gardner
  • Kogarah High School – Patty Markos
  • Miller Technology High School – Sean Nugent
  • North Sydney Boys High School – Jacqueline Harrison
  • Orange High School – Elise McKenzie
  • Prairiewood High School – Giorgio Di Scala
  • Sydney Secondary College – Balmain Campus – Chris Brunner
  • Warilla High School – Ryan McGillivray
  • Wagga Wagga High School – Debra Clark and Samantha Shephard

Secretary’s Award for Excellent Service:

  • Albury High School – Nicole Hayward
  • Aldavilla Public School – Gaye Dufty
  • Caddies Creek Public School – Michael Roberts
  • Cowra High School – Rodney Eastwood
  • Denison College of Secondary Education – Bathurst High Campus – Carolyn Chalmers
  • Elizabeth Macarthur High School – Kylie Hedger
  • Harrington Street Public School – Amy-Lee Petereit
  • Kempsey High School – Louise Ryan
  • Narrandera High School – Joy O’Hara
  • The Rivers Secondary College – Kadina High Campus – Karen Ramsay
  • Ulladulla High School – Leanne Colley and Karyn Ingold
  • Westfields Sports High School – Andrew Rogers
  • Wyndham College – Dallas Richmond

Secretary’s Award for an Outstanding School Initiative:

  • Albert Park Public School, Blakebrook Public School, Caniaba Public School, Corndale Public School, Dunoon Public School, Goonellabah Public School, Lismore Heights Public School, Lismore South Public School, Modanville Public School, The Chanon Public School, The Rivers Secondary College – Kadina High Campus, Lismore High Campus and Richmond River High Campus, Wyrallah Public School and Wyrallah Road Public School – STEMming the Divide
  • Ashcroft Public School – Mirrung Community Wellbeing Hub
  • Bass High School, Bonnyrigg High School, Cabramatta High School, Prairiewood High School and Punchbowl Boys High School – The NSW Equity Consortium
  • Bankstown Girls High School – The Robotics Program
  • Cabramatta High School – Tasi Le Loto Girls’ Empowerment Program
  • Canterbury Boys High School – Enrichment Program
  • Central Mangrove Public School, Jilliby Public School, Kariong Mountains High School, Kulnura Public School, Peats Ridge Public School, Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre, Somersby Public School and Wyong Creek Public School – The Country’s Alive – Connecting to Country Song Writing
  • Coonabarabran High School – Ag Skills Day
  • Como Public School, Jannali Public School, Taren Point Public School, Woronora River Public School, Waterfall Public School – Small Schools’ Learning Alliance
  • Condell Park Public School – The Learning-Eco System
  • Cowra High School – Our Stories, Our Elders’ Book
  • Curran Public School – The Engagement Hub
  • Hunter River High School – Pathways to Success
  • Hunter Sports High School – Hunter Sports High School
  • James Fallon High School – Pathway Partnerships Initiative
  • Marrickville West Public School – Deadly Legends
  • Prairiewood High School – Students At The Centre (SATC)
  • Rutherford Technology High School – RTHS Women in STEM Program
  • The Rivers Secondary College – Lismore High Campus – Broader Bundjalung Language Learning
  • Warilla High School – Science HSC Success

Secretary’s Award for School Achievement:

  • Albert Park Public School – STEM Savvy
  • Bonnyrigg Public School – Bonnyrigg Kids Write
  • Byron Bay High School – Coaching and Mentoring
  • Canley Heights Public School – Targeting Teaching for Student Growth
  • Canley Vale Public School – Literacy, Numeracy & Attendance Project
  • Chester Hill North Public School – WIG Focus
  • Claymore Public School – Reading Achievement
  • Granville East Public School – Inquiry Learning – Every Space Every Place
  • Harrington Street Public School – Amplifying Attendance
  • Hunter School of the Performing Arts – Mastery Learning System
  • Liverpool Boys High School – Capability Framework
  • Oxley High School – Student Services Hub
  • Parry School for Specific Purposes – Learning Skills
  • Prestons Public School – Learner Qualities
  • Riverbank Public School – 10 Years of Data-Informed Practice
  • Secondary College of Languages – Enhancing Teaching & Learning in Languages
  • Smithfield Public School – Explicit Teaching
  • Sydney Technical High School – Shape Tomorrow: Innovating Student Representation
  • Ulladulla High School – 4Seas Future Focussed UHS Learning Culture
  • Windang Public School – Knowledge-Rich Curriculum

Secretary’s Award for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging:

  • Curran Public School – Meryn Murray
  • Oak Flats High School – Angela Byron

Secretary’s Award for Living Our Values:

  • Accountability – Teaching, Learning and Student Wellbeing – Teaching Quality and Impact – Strategic Delivery, Literacy and Numeracy Portfolio
  • Equity – Operations Division – Stacy Parry
  • Excellence – Teaching, Learning and Student Wellbeing – Samantha Wilson
  • Integrity – Early Childhood Outcomes – 100 Public Preschools Team
  • Service – School Infrastructure – Jeffrey Siebels
  • Trust – School Infrastructure – Jenny Stokes

Public School Parent of the Year Award:

  • Asquith Girls High School – Joanne Paterson Kinniburgh
  • Beacon Hill Public School – Sally Bate
  • Blackwell Public School – Julie Parsons
  • Canley Vale Public School – Saiv Mouv Cheng
  • Duri Public School – Stephen Brown
  • Elizabeth Macarthur High School – Paul Brooks and Fiona Tisdale
  • Harrington Street Public School – Jimmy Sisopha
  • Mimosa Public School – Amy Eaton
  • Prestons Public School – Kylie Tisdell
  • Rydalmere Public School – Maryanne Thompson

Read the award citations on the Public Education Foundation website www.publiceducationfoundation.org.au

Photographs of award recipients are available on request.

For more information contact:

NSW Department of Education contact: Alyssa Terese on 0418 874 473 or email alyssa.terese@det.nsw.edu.au

Public Education Foundation contact: Paul Somers on (02) 7814 2806 or email paul@publiceducationfoundation.org.au