Saint Stephen’s College: Principal Jamie Dorrington announces departure

It is not just Year 12 graduates who have been bidding farewell to their classmates as the year comes to an end.

IT is not just Year 12 graduates who have been bidding farewell to their classmates as the year comes to an end. The principal of one of Gold Coast’s most prestigious schools has announced he too is starting a new chapter.

After close to two decades at Saint Stephen’s College, Coomera, principal Jamie Dorrington has announced he will be moving on, come the end of the semester.

As only the second principal at the college, Mr Dorrington has seen the Prep to Year 12 school grow from just a few hundred pupils to a large student community of 1200.

In the past year alone the school has won a raft of awards, was named a finalist for the 2019 AFR/BOSS Most Innovative Company Awards, and was a finalist in six of the 2019 Australian Education Awards categories, including Best Secondary School (Non-Government), Best Learning Environment and Best Use of Technology.

Principal Jamie Dorrington. Picture Glenn Hampson

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS: $5 PER MONTH FOR THE FIRST 3 MONTHS

Mr Dorrington was also listing among the top 50 educators in the country as part of the Educator Magazine’s Hot List in 2019 and won the Australian Education Award for Best School Strategic Plan.

Humble, Mr Dorrington was pressed to admit he is leaving on a high note.

“People use the Australian cricket captain analogy – you go when you are still scoring runs, not in a slump,’’ he said.

“Sixteen years is a pretty good innings for me.”

Despite his long career, Mr Dorrington said he was not yet ready to fully embrace retirement.

Instead he planned to further pursue his life long passion – education.

“I hope to do some work with other schools at a broader global level, when it comes to planning and innovation,” he said.

Saint Stephen's College at Upper Coomera. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

REPORT SAYS AT LEAST SIX NEW INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS NEEDED ON GOLD COAST

“Some people say we are in the fourth industrial revolution. I think we are in a renaissance – a rebirthing of education, taking a fresh look at what we have done traditionally.’’

Mr Dorrington said he would miss the busy pace and “happy chaos’’ of school life.

“I will miss it all of it, but I don’t think I will be leaving a big void – there are plenty of people here understand how different parts of the school work. There are fantastic staff who are empowered in what they do,” he said.

“It is such a privilege to be an educator (in) such a wonderful profession that is underrated even by educators.

“To succeed as a sector, we have to get back in touch with natural education and curiosity.”

Mr Dorrington will be replaced by former Toowomba Glennie School principal Kim Cohen in the New Year.