St Michael's Receives Two Excellence Awardees in 2026

St Michael's Grammar School has been recognised at the 2026 Australian Education Awards, the peak national award program for schools, earning Excellence Awardee status in two categories: Secondary School of the Year (Non-Government) and Best Use of Technology.

The recognition continues a sustained period of national distinction for the school, building on awards received in 2024 and 2025 across junior school leadership, learning environment design and technology.

Our Recognition at a Glance

• Secondary School of the Year (Non-Government) — Excellence Awardee (2026)
• Best Use of Technology — Excellence Awardee (2025, 2026)
• Primary School Principal of the Year (Non-Government) — Excellence Awardee (2025)
• Primary School of the Year (Non-Government) — Excellence Awardee (2024)
• Innovation in Learning Environment Design — Excellence Awardee (2024)
• Most Commended Youth Production in Victoria — GREASE: The Musical (2025)

Senior School of the Year: What the Award Recognises

The Secondary School of the Year award acknowledges schools that demonstrate consistently high standards of teaching and professional learning, strong student outcomes, effective stewardship of facilities and resources, and a clear commitment to innovation and community connection.

At St Michael's, this recognition reflects the vision and leadership of Emma McDonald, Head of the Senior School and Deputy Head of the School, and the teaching, pastoral and departmental leaders whose work shapes the experience of every student in Years 7–12.

Key elements of the winning submission included:

• a strong and explicit focus on Student Agency, empowering learners to take ownership of their growth
• our Teaching, Learning and Caring Framework, which underpins high-quality practice and relationships
• our Revised Timetable, designed to better support learning, wellbeing and balance
• innovative programs such as Year 9 Unleashed:Tasmania, which challenges students through purpose-driven experiential learning
• the ongoing redesign of learning spaces and the opening of the Coleman Courts, enhancing learning and Co-curricular life
• the depth and strength of partnership with our Parent Community Association (PCA), reinforcing the importance of shared endeavour

Our outcomes speak for themselves:

• 100% of VTAC applicants receive first-round offers each year, embarking on diverse and distinguished professional pathways.
• Our graduates consistently report higher overall satisfaction with their schooling experience than peers in like Victorian schools.
• Our productions are recognised as sector‑leading in both school and professional circles, and generations of Old Michaelians credit their performing arts education with shaping their success across diverse industries.

From left: Matthew Heinrich, Director of ICT and Learning Technologies, Kenise Tong, Senior Business and Process Improvement Analyst and Greg Plum, Information Communications Technology Manager and Sailing Coach. 

Best Use of Technology: Back-to-Back National Recognition

For the second consecutive year, judges have recognised St Michael’s for:

• the intentional and strategic use of technology to enhance student learning
• the way technology is used to support staff and reduce administrative workload, and
• the care taken to implement change across a complex K–12 environment.

In our 2025 submission, we highlighted:

• a strategic and sustainable approach to device management
• the ethical, purposeful use of AI as a learning tool
• strong student voice, with students co‑designing our approach to digital literacy and citizenship

In 2026, our focus shifted to a major whole‑school transformation: replacing fragmented systems with a unified, real‑time data platform. 

This platform integrates academic, wellbeing and engagement information into a single environment—reducing duplication, improving data accuracy and lowering administrative burden for staff, while enabling earlier identification of student needs and more coordinated academic and wellbeing supports. 

Importantly, this work was driven by a clear educational purpose: ensuring teachers and support staff have timely, meaningful insights to respond effectively to each student, while preserving time for teaching, care and connection.

Judges acknowledged both the scale of this transformation and the professionalism with which it was delivered, balancing innovation with consultation and student-centricity. 

A Note from Gerard Houlihan, Head of the School

"These achievements reflect extraordinary leadership and teamwork. My sincere thanks to Emma McDonald and Matthew Heinrich, together with their teams, for their leadership across these areas of our School. I also acknowledge the outstanding staff of St Michael's, whose care, dedication and creativity continue to define our reputation."