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CURRICULUM A N D P E DAG O GY
TERM 3, 2020
Ascott racing to success With an ambitious change agenda, principal Troy Ascott entered Coolum State High School under no illusions of the task at hand. Three years later his bold leadership has ushered the school through a remarkable transformation.
BY MARGARET RYAN
day. COVID-19 has given us a new spanner to throw into the works, and there’s more talk about
THERE’S been nothing static during Troy Ascott’s tenure as principal of Queensland’s Coolum State High School since he took on the role in October 2017. He’s rolled out his narrative to drive change in pedagogies and pro-
our wellbeing as leaders”, he says. “We have to constantly go back to the well inside ourselves to galvanise our resources. One of our biggest goals is to inspire and stay inspired.”
grams. During this time, student and staff num-
Ascott’s inspiration is former principal, now social
bers have increased, and the school has gained
activist and author, Geoffrey Canada from Harlem
more than $13m in capital improvement. And
in New York, who says, “when you see a great
enrolment numbers are still growing.
teacher, you see a work of art”. Canada presented
By most metrics, Ascott’s approach is working, and there’s more to come.
a memorable TED talk and was immortalised in the documentary, Waiting for Superman.
“School leadership is always a challenge. It’s
The school in a nutshell
extraordinarily complex and getting more so every
Coolum State High is surrounded by national park
