Alison Fahlbusch named new principal at Benowa State High School

She’s been acclaimed as the best in the business, now she’s bringing her winning formula to the Gold Coast. Meet the new principal at one of the city’s biggest high schools.

A principal acclaimed as the best in Australia has taken the reins at one of the Gold Coast’s biggest high schools, promising to build on its already stellar reputation among the local community.

Alison Fahlbusch was named the government sector School Principal of the Year at the Australian Education Awards in August for her work leading the 2000-pupil junior school at Marsden State High School.

Ms Fahlbusch was recognised for her focus on teaching students rather than subjects and helping them gain skills they need for the future – an approach she intends to continue in her new role as principal at Benowa State High School.

“I think they (the award judges) were particularly interested in what we were doing in our junior secondary area,” Ms Fahlbusch said.

“In particular with our STEM innovations. We have a new STEM centre of excellence and academic centre of excellence up there.

“We really had a focus on educating our Marsden graduates for the future.

“For employment in the future and jobs that probably haven’t even been thought of. It’s the skill sets that we’ve got to give the kids.

“As teachers, as school leaders, we’re more adaptive. We have to be future focused and think about where our students are headed.”

New principal Alison Fahlbusch at work at Benowa State High School. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Ms Fahlbusch began her career at Elanora State High School where she later had a spell as Acting Principal, and has also worked at Miami State High School and Palm Beach Currumbin, where she was principal of the middle school.

She said she was “excited” to take up her new role at Benowa, where she has taken over from long-time principal Mark Rickard who retired earlier this year.

“It’s a great school, with a great reputation,” Ms Fahlbusch said. “Our community and our staff here are fabulous.

“I think certainly if you are living here in our catchment, you’ve hit the jackpot.

Alison Fahlbusch with her School Principal of the Year – Government award at the Australian Education Awards in Sydney in August.

“What sets Benowa apart in terms of the education we can deliver to our kids here is that we cater for all manner of learners.

“So we have academic programs in STEM. We have academic programs in languages, with French Immersion being probably our most well known academic excellence program.

“We are also a Steiner school and we deliver the Waldorf program, which caters for academically focused kids who just might think a bit differently.

“We also have strong performing arts excellence programs, we have the sports excellence programs.

“We offer great opportunities for all our students and we cater for an individualised pathway as kids move through.”

Principal Alison Fahlbusch in her office at Benowa State High School. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

In August, Benowa State High was subject of criticism from some parents when it announced it would withdraw from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

At the time the Department of Education say the decision was taken because the program had a high drop-out rate and caused cost and staffing problems for the school.

However Ms Fahlbusch said Benowa, which is part of the Council of International Schools, retained a strong “global outlook” and would be taking part next year in a DEI Global Competence Education Trial.

“Benowa is up there as one of the most culturally diverse groups of kids that I have seen,” Ms Fahlbusch said.

“Being a CIS school, it goes hand-in-hand nicely.

“We are able to give students global perspectives, we are providing them with world views which will serve them well in the future.”

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Originally published as Alison Fahlbusch named new principal at Benowa State High School