Head of Barker College, Mr Phillip Heath AM, has been named School Principal of the Year (non-government) and also achieved the much-lauded award of Australian School Principal of the Year at the 2023 Australian Education Awards.
Each year, the Australian Education Awards showcase the top performing schools and school leaders for their outstanding achievements and transformative work that makes a profound difference to the lives of young people across Australia.
Describing the principal as “the consummate planner”, Barker College said Heath understands that the future belongs to those who prepare for it.
“He works extremely well in partnership with the Council of Barker College to deliver the Mission and Vision of the School which is expressed in Christian endeavour and is characterised by ‘inspiring hope’ beyond the North Shore, beyond Sydney, beyond Australia, to a global level,” the college said.
“Always energetic and consistently forward-thinking, Mr Heath’s leadership brings a first-rate school education to Barker’s students and enables a vibrant community to flourish so that it is a place of belonging for all.”
Barker College is an independent Anglican co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school, located in Hornsby, a suburb of Sydney’s North Shore.
Heath is the ninth principal of the College in its 133-year-history and has been principal for 10 years. He has led the college’s transition to become fully co-educational, from pre-kindergarten to Year 12, and established three Indigenous school campuses during his tenure; Darkinjung Barker on the NSW Central Coast, Ngarralingayil Barker in the Lower Hunter, and Dhupuma Barker in northeast Arnhem Land.
For his service to education and his commitment to creating greater opportunities for Indigenous students, Heath was awarded a Member (AM) in the general division of the Order of Australia, as part of the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
