‘Perhaps the most important realisation for any school community is that culture is never owned by leadership alone.’ In her first column for Teacher, Associate Principal Rachael Lehr explores how strong, positive school cultures are deliberately built through everyday actions and shared responsibility.

In this exclusive extract from his new book The Children We Leave Behind: How School Could Be Done Differently, former Australian Council for Educational Research CEO and Teacher columnist, Professor Geoff Masters AO shares details of the Fremantle Fast Track Program – an alternative, senior secondary education program in Western Australia.

As a school, establishing partnerships that tap into external resources and expertise can enhance student outcomes. At Findon Primary School, a partnership with CSIRO has engaged students with the aviation and aerospace industries and even supported the design of a whole-school STEM program. Find out more in this article. 

The 2026 recipient of the Global Teacher Prize has been announced – Rouble Nagi from India took out the top prize. One Australian teacher was a top 10 finalist this year – Colleen O’Rourke from the Hills Cristian Community School in Adelaide, South Australia. Teacher caught up with her shortly after she was named a finalist to find out about the work she’s been recognised for. 

From inside the classroom to the school’s outdoor spaces, there’s plenty to consider when it comes to learning spaces. In this edition of Researching education: 5 further readings, we share 5 resources on the topic of learning spaces.

‘… research published in recent months has shown how students’ dispositions to learning are shaped by us, and how these dispositions in turn influence achievement.’ In his latest Teacher column, Professor Martin Westwell – Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education – discusses the maths gender gap.

Teacher Editor Jo Earp is joined by Dan McShea, Foundation Principal of Notre Dame P-12 College in Queensland, for the final episode in Series 3 of our School Assembly podcast series, where we have been following Dan’s journey as he builds a new school from the ground up. 

At Reptile Encounters, we bring Australia’s incredible wildlife directly into classrooms. Our mobile zoo of native animals like reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds gives students the rare opportunity to experience real, living creatures, right where they learn. Through interactive, curriculum-aligned presentations, students engage their senses, deepen their scientific understanding, and build lasting emotional connections with nature.

Last term, the 2024 recipients of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching were announced. In this episode, Alice Leung and Daniel Edwards join us to share some of their favourite learning activities to run in the classroom, discuss why STEM is for everyone, and share how they use social media to connect with experts.

Welcome back to a brand-new year of Teacher. As usual, we’re kicking things off with our round up of the key themes and dates for 2025 – that should provide some extra inspiration and resources for your lesson planning over the next 12 months.