Committee

One of the cornerstones of The Cottage School philosophy is cooperative decision making. The school’s governance structure is based on this principle; decisions are made between members of the school’s community. The school is governed by a Committee consisting of the School Leader, teachers and parents.

The Committee meets approximately 9 times a year and is ably assisted by several subcommittees and working groups. Committee provides the governance and strategic direction for the school. All members of the community are welcome to attend meetings. Parent and teacher involvement at Committee level allows for input regarding the strategic direction of the school whilst safeguarding the integrity and accountability of the educational program.

Roles and Responsibilities of Committee and Sub-committees and Working Groups can be found here.

Below are our Committee Members for 2025

Lou Kirkwood – President

Kate Cashman – Vice President

Mel Thurling – Secretary

Mattie Dodd – Treasurer

Hilary Purdie – School Leader

Tom Barnes – Teacher

Kath Windfeld-Petersen –  Teacher

Hana Patel – Teacher

  Michelle Mihalic – Teacher

Cat Coventry – Teacher

Stephanie Becker – Teacher

Jeff Harris – Parent Representative

Oliver Bodak – Parent Representative

Andrew McLachlan – Parent Representative

Mat Usher – Parent Representative

Find out more about the Cottage School Philosophy or read some of our Policy and Procedures