Victorian Education Excellence Awards 2023

Clare Monk’s leadership of Warrnambool West Primary School has transformed the school into a vibrant and successful environment for children’s learning.

As the principal of the school since 2018, Clare has guided exemplary school improvement, evidenced by sustained improvements in student and staff data reflecting great improvement in staff’s attitudes and in students’ learning outcomes. 

With a unique and local understanding of the barriers facing many of the children, Clare has shouldered the privilege and responsibilities of her principal role by investing first in the school’s teachers and middle-level leadership. 

Clare is building the capacity of the next generation of teachers, educational leaders, and principals through mentoring and providing targeted professional learning for her staff. Creating a culture of trust and shared responsibility in her community, her leadership is positively transforming children’s outcomes and their experience of primary education in Victoria.