Ms Ellie McDougall brings regional experience, authenticity, and a belief in public education to her role as Principal of Camberwell High School, shaping its next chapter.
When Ms Ellie McDougall walked through the doors of Camberwell High School at the beginning of Term 4, 2025, she knew she was stepping into a community with a proud history and strong reputation. The co-educational government secondary school, established in 1941, is home to around 850 students, including a vibrant international program. For Ms McDougall, taking on the role of principal is both an exciting professional challenge and a personal commitment to public education.
“I like to lead with care, clarity and coherence, but with both my heart and my head,” she says. “For me, it’s about high levels of empathy, but also high expectations. I try to take a collaborative and transparent approach, building strong trust and collective responsibility among staff and students.”
This balance of empathy and expectation has defined Ms McDougall’s leadership journey – one that began in regional Victoria and has now brought her to one of Melbourne’s most established public schools.
Ms McDougall grew up in Ararat, a regional town in western Victoria where her family had deep ties. “My grandfather was mayor when I was born, so our family was very connected to the community,” she recalls. She attended Catholic schools – Marian College and St Mary’s Primary – before completing a Bachelor of Physical Education with a minor in Science. Her final teaching placement brought her back to Ararat College, the local public secondary school, where she began her career.
“I was lucky enough to pick up a scholarship position at Ararat College as a graduate in 2009,” she says. “From there I moved very quickly into positions of responsibility. By my second year I was already a Year 9 Coordinator, then later took on daily organisation and leadership roles in the junior school.”
Her progression through leadership was steady and swift. “I came back from my first maternity leave and moved into the daily organiser role,” she recalls. “By 2013 I was acting junior school leader, looking after Years 7–9. That was a leading teacher role, and I stayed as a leading teacher until 2018.”
In 2016 she also stepped up as Acting Assistant Principal. “Those roles gave me experience across all levels of a school,” she says. “It was a really good grounding before moving into principalship.”
By 2018 she had left Ararat College for an Education Improvement Leader role with the Department of Education in the Wimmera South West. Based in Horsham, she supported schools across a vast area. Spanning from the south coast up to the Mallee, she says the role gave her perspective on the diversity of contexts schools work in, and the importance of tailoring leadership and support to each community.
During her second maternity leave, Ms McDougall added another dimension to her career by studying for an MBA. “Most people in education go on to a Master of Education, but at the time those programs weren’t as developed as they are now,” she explains. “I was also thinking about my direction – I thought an MBA might give me options if I ever wanted to move outside education, but it would also strengthen my skills if I went into leadership. It’s turned out to be incredibly useful in school leadership.”
By 2019 she was back at Ararat College, stepping into the role of Acting Principal. “It wasn’t something I ever expected to do,” she admits. “But along the way I’ve always had leaders who believed in me, encouraged me to take leaps into roles I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Once I stepped in, I realised how much I enjoyed it.”
Initially Acting Principal for 18 months, she became substantive in July 2020, in the middle of COVID-19. “My whole interview was online,” she recalls. “It was such a strange time. But that period really shaped me – resilient, adaptable, and deeply conscious of wellbeing for staff and students.”
In 2024 she returned briefly to the Department as an Executive Principal with the Differentiated School Support Initiative (DSSI), working on a project with secondary schools across the Wimmera South West. She says the experience helping other schools on improvement projects and seeing the breadth of work across the region provided a valuable perspective.
If there is a single thread running through Ms McDougall’s career, it is her belief in the value of public schooling. “I’m very passionate about public schools,” she says. “Everyone should have opportunity through education, regardless of the family or circumstances they’re born into.
“I went through the Catholic system, and it was a great experience for me,” she says. “But when I began teaching at Ararat College, I became aware of contexts I’d never experienced – levels of disadvantage that really opened my eyes. I strongly believe that education should not be determined by your background.”
Growth
At Ararat, Ms McDougall oversaw significant growth, with enrolments rising from 270 in 2019 to 350 by the time she left in 2025. That experience of leading a regional school with high levels of disadvantage gave her a sharp perspective on equity and opportunity. Moving to Camberwell High School, where the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) suggests relatively low disadvantage, brings a contrast she acknowledges openly.
“It’s a very different context,” she says. “At Camberwell we have about 850 students, around 100 of whom are international, and 110 staff. At Ararat we had about 50 staff. So it’s a big step up. But the fundamental issues – student wellbeing, quality teaching, supporting staff – those are the same everywhere.”
Her leadership philosophy has evolved through experience and reflection. She describes herself as someone who leads “with transparency and vulnerability”, qualities she says took time to develop.
“As a young leader, I thought everything had to be shiny and perfect. I would see other leaders speak and think, ‘I need to be like that’. Over time I’ve realised authenticity is far more important. Staff and students respond when they know you’re real with them. Vulnerability can build trust. It doesn’t mean lowering expectations – it means being honest about challenges, and then working through them together.”
That authenticity underpins her emphasis on collaboration. “I like to lead with people, not do things to them. For me, it’s about creating an environment of high trust, where staff feel empowered to take responsibility together. That’s when you get real collective efficacy.”
She often refers to the idea of balancing “head and heart” in leadership, influenced by professional learning with educational leader Tracey Ezard. “It resonated with me – leading with both intellect and empathy. You can’t do one without the other.”
Since starting this term, Ms McDougall has been careful to listen before acting. “I’ve been doing one-on-one meetings with every staff member. I’m about halfway through the 100 or so. Those conversations are vital, because they help me understand not just what staff do, but what drives them and what they care about. It’s the human element that matters most.”
Through those discussions, she has been struck by the pride staff feel in their school. “They’re very connected to Camberwell, and they have strong ideas about where we could go next. It’s been incredibly valuable.”
The timing of her arrival has been fortuitous. “It’s review year, so we’re at the end of a four-year strategic plan,” she says. “Because my appointment took a little longer, the review was delayed, so I’m here at exactly the right moment to lead the next plan. It’s exciting to be part of shaping the direction from the ground up.”
Looking ahead, she wants to connect wellbeing and learning in a stronger, more systematic way. Schools often take a reactive approach, responding only after issues arise. She says a better strategy is to implement consistent routines and multi-tiered support systems, ensuring staff and students know what to expect and that support is embedded in everyday practice rather than reserved for crises.
She also wants greater clarity in how the school approaches teaching and learning. “We’ll be refining our meeting schedules, our professional learning structures, and making sure staff see themselves in the strategic plan. If change is going to be sustainable, staff need to understand the ‘why’ behind it.”
Challenges
Professional learning is another area Ms McDougall is passionate about. But she knows it can be overwhelming. “Sometimes you get offered so many programs, and people say, ‘This is really great, you should try it’. It’s easy to get distracted,” she says. “Early in my leadership I found myself saying yes to too many things. But if you give staff too much, nothing sticks. It becomes surface-level, compliance-driven, and there’s no deep change in practice.”
Instead, she has sharpened her focus. “I try to stick with high-quality programs like those from the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, which are affordable and excellent. One of the best programs I’ve done was the Harvard Data Wise course in 2020, which I took a group through. It was pivotal for me as a school leader, because it taught me to slow down, to look at the evidence, and to ensure people are really engaged in the process of improvement rather than rushing change.”
Ms McDougall also makes a point of investing in leadership development at all levels. “Not just formal leaders, but that next layer of emerging leaders too. It’s about building capacity across the school so we have strong leadership throughout.”
Like all principals, Ms McDougall is navigating recruitment challenges. “That wasn’t a surprise – I knew it would be the case. But it reinforces how it must be even more challenging for rural and remote schools. If metropolitan schools are struggling, the pressure on isolated schools is enormous. I really admire the work those schools do to sustain a strong workforce.”
At Camberwell, the larger staff provides some buffer, but Ms McDougall is clear-eyed about the challenges. “It’s something we have to manage very carefully.”
She adds that recruitment challenges also place extra weight on principals as they make staffing decisions. “It’s one of the most complex parts of the role right now –juggling staffing, timetables and resources while trying to maintain consistency for students. It’s something every principal is living with, day in and day out.”
Ms McDougall is also a strong believer in professional networks. She has long been active in the Victorian Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP), serving as president of her local group while in Ararat. “It’s a fantastic association for like-minded principals,” she says. “It’s proactive and solution-focused but also provides advocacy for the profession. The connections are invaluable – the annual conference always fills the bucket.”
She is also a member of the Australian Principals Federation, an organisation she says plays a vital role in ensuring national representation for their voice. With workforce shortages, heavy workloads, and growing expectations, collective advocacy is essential, she says.
These networks, she explains, are not only about advocacy but about sustaining leaders themselves. “It can be an isolating role at times. Having those connections – people you can pick up the phone and talk to – makes all the difference.”
Looking long-term
Camberwell High has a long tradition of stability in leadership. Ms McDougall is just the 11th principal in 84 years, following her predecessor who led the school for around 14 years before retiring.
“I was pleasantly surprised by that tradition of tenure,” Ms McDougall says. “Most principals here have stayed at least a decade, if not longer. It speaks to the strength of the school community.”She is conscious of stepping into that legacy while also charting her own direction. “It’s about respecting the history and strengths of the school, while also asking what comes next. I want to build on what’s already here but also make sure we’re preparing students for the future.”
Despite the size of Camberwell High, Ms McDougall makes a deliberate effort to stay connected with students. “I walk around during class time and yard time, I meet with student leaders weekly, and I take a Year 9 mentor class. That’s really important to me – understanding what’s happening on the other side of the desk.”
She also joins in school life whenever possible. “Today I’m umpiring the Year 12 versus teachers’ netball game,” she laughs. “Those moments matter – they show students that you’re part of the community.”
It’s in those informal moments, she adds, that relationships are built. For Ms McDougall, being present and engaged in the school community – whether by supporting students, participating in activities, or simply being visible – has a significant impact. She believes effective leadership isn’t just about making major decisions; it also involves showing up consistently in everyday moments.
“Being a principal is incredibly challenging, but it’s also deeply rewarding,” she says. “It’s a privilege to see the growth of young people and to know you’ve had an impact. That’s what keeps me anchored – the students. Because at the end of the day, they’re the reason we do what we do.”
It is that sense of purpose that drives her through the long days and complex decisions. “The role can be exhausting. But when you see students flourish, when you watch staff grow in their practice, when you know you’ve made a difference – that’s the reward. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
