BOARD BACKS PRINCIPAL
Top school puts faith in principal to lead
THE board of a prestigious Gold Coast school has reinforced its support for its principal after an ongoing battle with a group of parents. Jeff Davis was yesterday reappointed as the executive head of Hillcrest Christian College, off the back of recordbreaking enrolments and Year 12 results. The decision follows a controversial year for the school’s leadership, including the departure of senior staff.
THE board of a prestigious Gold Coast school has reinforced its support for its principal after an ongoing battle with a group of parents.
Jeff Davis was yesterday reappointed as the executive head of Hillcrest Christian College off the back of record-breaking enrolments and the highest Year 12 results in the Reedy Creek school’s history.
The decision follows a controversial year for the school’s leadership, including the departure of senior staff and accusations of bullying, which were denied and found to have no bearing by a review by the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board.
The board’s decision to reappoint Mr Davis followed an extensive review into his achievements, school performance and feedback from across the community.
“I feel very blessed to be continuing this work,” Mr Davis said.
Mr Davis said his calling to the role, faith and support of community members had been of huge support.
“Having a faith in God is the most important thing to get me through every type of adversity, just doing every day what God has called you to do. This is my calling and I will continue until I am called elsewhere.
“The job of a principal is getting increasingly more difficult. We are seeing that in numerous schools – bureaucracy and social media can make the job almost untenable – but what we as school leaders have to do is put the children first.
“We must ensure every decision we make is a focus on learning.”
Cherilyn Evans, who has grandchildren at Hillcrest, said she and other parents were buoyed by the announcement.
“He is an innovator,” she said. “This decision, it releases him to do the job he was employed to do.
“We felt we would be losing a treasure if he left.”