St Luke’s Grammar School: New principal Geoff Lancaster’s plans to prepare kids for post COVID world
The new principal at one of the northern beaches’ most exclusive schools, St Lukes, has revealed his major focus for a post-COVID world. He has also provided a glimpse at how he will steer a $20m redevelopment set to increase student numbers by 600.
Manly
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A new principal has taken over the top job at one of the most exclusive private schools on the northern beaches.
Geoff Lancaster’s appointment at St Luke’s Grammar School in Dee Why, follows the retirement of Jann Robinson, who held the position for 15 years.
It’s his first principal role, and follows three years as Deputy Principal at Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School in north NSW and 10 years at St Columba Anglican School at Port Macquarie where he was a teacher of software design and development and head of innovative learning.
“St Luke’s is a high performing school with engaged students and passionate teachers,” Mr Lancaster told the Manly Daily.
“It’s got a good name in the community and a good academic record.”
With his background in innovation, Mr Lancaster said he wants to better prepare children for a rapidly-changing world.
He said the school wants to harness what it has learnt from online learning put in place during COVID-19.
He also said he wanted to develop what is often called soft skills, even though he doesn’t like the term.
“I want to put more things in place that encourage kids to think deeply, critically and be creative,” he said.
“I want to connect with business and industry so they get authentic experiences during school.”
Mr Lancaster, who grew up in Lane Cove, and whose wife and two of his three daughters are also teachers, has arrived during a period of change at the school.
A new junior school building has just opened and a new senior school building refurbishment has started which will see a new food technology and science labs ready for 2021.
In 2020 new senior electives have also been added to the expansive curriculum, including photographic and digital media, and marine and aquaculture studies, as well as new co- curricular activities including photography, app design and cheerleading.
Mr Lancaster will also have to lead the school through a huge $20m expansion if the Anglican Church gets planning permission to create a new senior campus for Years 10 to 12 at 800 Pittwater Rd, which is currently home to Fitness First, Officeworks and a medical centre, with a new sports centre at 224 Headland Rd, which at the moment houses industrial units.
It will also mean the number of pupils will increase by 600 to 1600.
But the controversial plans have met with opposition from local residents who say the traffic at drop-off and pick-up will be even worse than it is now.
“I’m excited about being able to help grow the school,” Mr Lancaster said.
“There’s demand and with more space we can fuel that demand.
“I’ve not met the neighbours yet, but we are interested in their point of view.”
He said they are keen to minimise traffic issues around the site, but generally it was only for around 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon.
“We have put some processes in place to minimise traffic disruption and we are happy to hear from people about that,” he said.