Toowoomba Anglican School headmaster Simon Lees reflects on 10 years of growth

From a historic regional Queensland primary school with dwindling enrolments to the best co-ed primary and secondary school in the region, read how this headmaster transformed a regional private school.

Toowoomba Anglican School head of school Simon Lees reflects on 11 years of bringing an age-old institution into the 2020s. Picture: Christine Schindler

A chorus of students cheering “go TAS” at a school sports match in early 2018 was a pivotal moment in Toowoomba Anglican School’s history, which consolidated fragmented pieces of old and new, to bring together day and boarding, secondary and primary students together.

The school now ranks as the best co-ed school in the Darling Downs, second only to Fairholme College and the Glennie School, and 78th in the state.

Bringing an independent Anglican co-ed primary only school into the 2020s as a day and boarding, co-ed kindergarten to year 12 modern school has been no ordinary feat, and is a defining legacy of Toowoomba Anglican School head of school Simon Lees.

Mr Lees will end his decade-long tenure over Toowoomba Anglican School at the end of the year, and take up the role of executive principal at Reddam House in Sydney, one of the top NSW schools.

Toowoomba Anglican School head of school Simon Lees said one of the things he will miss the most is the view from his office and the picturesque campus of the school. Picture: Christine Schindler

“When I came to the school in 2013 it was in great difficulty with the enrolments falling to about 360 students,” he said.

At that time it was known as the Toowoomba Preparatory School and was looking at expanding with a secondary school.

“I’ve always looked for jobs where there is a challenge,” he said.

While the school was on the cusp of change, what sealed the position for Mr Lees was the “great sense of connection I had when I walked around the school meeting the students for the first time – something that doesn’t happen at every job you walk into”.

Over his decade at the school he has learnt to be patient as the changes took place, and was grateful for the leadership team who helped navigate the financial and cultural difficulties of the time.

One growing pain was the school’s name – Toowoomba Anglican College and Preparatory School – stuck somewhere between a school and college.

Toowoomba Anglican School Head of School Simon Lees reflects on 11 years of bringing an age-old institution into the 2020s. Picture: Christine Schindler

But that all changed when the school finally launched the Together we are TAS branding campaign, uniting the divisions in the school, he said.

In 2018 at a sports match, a “go TAS” cheer rallied the students watching from the sidelines as he had never seen before.

“Everyone got behind the new name and there was no longer any division between the day or boarding schools, the primary and secondary, and the old generation and the new,” he said.

From the first 12 students who graduated in 2018, to the 50 students who graduated in 2024, Mr Lees said he was constantly in awe of what they were achieving.

Mehar Fegan and Tom Gray arrive at Toowoomba Anglican School class of 2024 school formal. Friday, November 15, 2024. Picture: Christine Schindler

“We aren’t just surviving, we are thriving,” he said.

“For a school our size (700) we are punching well above our weight.”

The achievements go beyond their academic lead and into sporting accomplishments, with a soccer community club of up to 200 players, and most recently the school winning the title of the most outstanding tennis school in Queensland. 

Another achievement has been the renovation of the Connal building, which brings old architecture into the 2020s, much like the school has done for education in the Darling Downs in the past decade.

Born in the UK, Mr Lees initially started off as a geography teacher, taking up the position at TAS after a number of leadership roles at schools in Asia and Australia.

After 11 years at the helm he said has a “long list” of people to thank with a strong leadership team behind the next head of school.

The new TAS Head of School is yet to be announced.