St Michael's Named Best Use of Technology Winner at 2026 Australian Education Awards

St Michael's Grammar School has been named the 2026 Australian Education Awards winner for Best Use of Technology. The award recognises the School's sustained, whole-school investment in technology that puts students first, strengthening teaching, learning and wellbeing across every year level.

The win builds on the School's recognition as an Excellence Awardee in the same category in 2025, marking a second consecutive year of national acknowledgement for St Michael's approach to education technology.

A whole-school approach, centred on students

This year's win reflects a whole-school commitment to the use of technology that is thoughtful and purposeful, always focused on further enhancing the student learning experience. Several initiatives underpinned the recognition:

• A unified, real-time data platform that brings academic, wellbeing and engagement information together in one place, helping staff identify student needs earlier and coordinate support around them. 
• A managed learning device program, ensuring students and staff have consistent, well-supported access to technology across the School.
• Responsible, student-centred adoption of AI, integrated thoughtfully into teaching and learning.
• Recognition as a Microsoft Lighthouse School, reflecting the School's standing as a leader in innovative use of education technology.

Together, these initiatives free educators from unnecessary administration, allowing them to focus on what matters most: teaching, connection and student wellbeing.

Technology in service of learning

At St Michael's, technology is never pursued for its own sake. Every decision is made deliberately, with student learning, wellbeing and agency placed at the centre. This latest recognition reflects the strength of that approach across the whole School community — from classroom practice to the systems that support staff and students behind the scenes.

The Australian Education Awards are presented annually to recognise excellence among schools, principals, department heads and teachers across the country. The Best Use of Technology category evaluates how a school's technology fulfils a genuine need in and outside the classroom, the impact of that technology on the school community, the quality of its implementation, and the evidence that it has supported student learning outcomes.

St Michael's congratulates the Learning Technologies and ICT Team, and all staff across the School, whose dedication and innovation made this achievement possible.

Our Head of School on stage for a night of national recognition

Highlighting the benefits of improved data access and governance in supporting student wellbeing and learning outcomes, Gerard Houlihan said the initiative had helped staff "identify emerging concerns earlier and coordinate timely interventions, with a marked increase in student wellbeing".

He said it had also "strengthened infrastructure and governance to reduce data-related cyber risks to the organisation" while supporting ongoing improvements in student support and educational outcomes.

The initiative had further "increased accountability and enabled a more holistic, consistent approach to supporting student learning across the School" by providing real-time access to key data and allowing staff to track students' progress over time.

Beyond St Michael's own award, Gerard Houlihan, also had the honour of presenting on the night, taking to the stage to acknowledge the Best First Nations Education Program.

It was a privilege for our Head of School to help mark that moment, and a reminder of the depth of achievement being celebrated across the Australian education sector on the night.

St Michael's also named Senior School of the Year Excellence Awardee

St Michael's was also named a Senior School of the Year Excellence Awardee, recognising schools with consistently high standards of teaching and professional learning, strong student outcomes, and a clear commitment to innovation and community connection.

The recognition reflects the leadership of Emma McDonald, Head of the Senior School and Deputy Head of the School, and the teaching, pastoral and departmental leaders shaping the experience of every student in Years 7–12. Our submission highlighted our focus on Student Agency, the Teaching, Learning and Caring Framework, the Revised Timetable, Year 9 Unleashed: Tasmania, the redesign of learning spaces including the new Coleman Courts, and our partnership with the Parent Community Association (PCA).

Speaking about the importance of place in shaping community and creating meaningful connections, Gerard Houlihan said, “identify emerging concerns earlier and coordinate timely interventions, with a marked increase in student wellbeing.”

“Strengthened infrastructure and governance to reduce data-related cyber risks to the organisation and supports ongoing improvements in student support and educational outcomes.”

“Increased accountability and enabled a more holistic, consistent approach to supporting student learning across the School by facilitating real-time access to a broad range of key data, and allowing staff to securely generate reports themselves, track students’ longitudinal development and their progress against their peers."