Meet Nick: Philosopher and veteran educator

Our Principal, Nick Lynch, is an educator through and through. Over the course of 35 years, he has taught in schools across Australia and overseas. And he’s been the Principal of several large schools in the eastern states. He’s a cooperative, inclusive leader — but there’s more to Nick than meets the eye.  

From Adelaide to Africa

Nick earned his stripes at the University of Melbourne, where he studied education. He taught Maths in Adelaide for many years and realised he had quite a knack for helping disengaged students. Nick has always known that children learn best when they’re happy and having fun. He worked out pretty quickly that the best way to empower students is to understand their interests and meet them where they are.

After educational tours in Ireland and the UK, Nick and his wife Rebecca accepted a scholarship to travel to South Africa. They visited schools, orphanages, and juvenile prisons. And they met a lot of disengaged boys and young men. A big part of Nick’s life’s work has been taking young men through rites of passage and having frank conversations about what it means to be a confident, responsible human. 

Acknowledging feelings, emotions, and embracing close friendships is good for people of all genders, of course. But macho cultures and antiquated ideas of what it means to be a ‘real man’ are particularly dangerous for boys. ‘Our work focused on being strong in heart and smart in mind,’ Nick explained ‘on listening more than you talk, and on recognising how power structures affect different people’.

Practical, enriching skills

With the goal of engaging at risk students, the school bought a house over the road. Without leaving school property, students learned hands-on, life-enriching skills. Specialist lessons in horticulture, permaculture, plumbing and plastering improved confidence, practical knowledge, and attendance. 

This work, which started in Adelaide, continued in Africa at Thutong ya Bana (Young People’s Place of Learning)in Galeshewe, South Africa. During his tenure, Nick sought to encourage colleges to place more emphasis on students’ practical skills over theoretical knowledge — giving them more access to fulfilling work once they left school.

 
 

A stay in WA

Wanting their kids to experience Australian schooling, Nick and Rebecca moved to WA in 2003. Nick became Principal at Christian Brothers College of Agriculture — a school of 100% boarders. The community had a population of about 50% First Nations children from Country all over WA and Nick speaks fondly of the students’ willingness to share their culture and traditions at school.

Bureaucratic frustration

In 2011, Nick found himself in Queensland. With increasing demand on teachers and students thanks to what he describes as a ‘too much, too soon’ mentality, he was at a crossroads. He was frustrated by the bureaucratic demands placed on schools thanks to standardised tests — especially when peer-reviewed research is so clear about what kids really need. 

Nick was tired of working in school communities in which ‘people didn’t want to change. We’ve got to keep up with the research,’ he says ‘we know what’s good for students and we know we need a paradigm shift in education’.

Lucky for us, in 2019, Nick and Rebecca were planning a move to Albany. He says a few colleagues sent him the job ad for a school, perched atop Torbay Hill. It was 4,000km from Roma, Queensland, but it aligned closely with Nick’s philosophy of education.

The first year

A natural early bird, Nick starts his day with quiet contemplation on the school’s front deck. He loves listening to all the goings-on in the bush — taking a mindful moment to prepare for the day. 

Nick is a listener. And he’s spent a lot his first year as Principal listening to students, staff members, and parents. He’s excited about the future of Woodbury Boston — especially because so much of what we’re doing aligns with the latest educational research.

With deep respect for the Woodbury Boston way and the school’s collective memory, Nick and the staff are evaluating teaching and learning practice. With so much gold on Torbay Hill — so much that aligns with Best Practices — it’s important that the school can communicate precisely what it’s doing and why.

Woodbury Boston’s strategic direction is another priority. Nick loved the recent 40th birthday party. ‘Celebrating the 40th anniversary was remarkable — my goal is to develop a strategic plan so that we’ll all be back to celebrate again in another 40 years. Forrest and John created a very special place and I’m proud to be part of it’.

Just for fun

Nick and Rebecca are loving their new life in Albany. They’ve moved into a new home and Nick spends his weekends designing the garden. He’s creating a cottage garden and experimenting with native plants and permaculture. The couple are keen bushwalkers, beach goers, and wine tasters — and the Great Southern ticks all the boxes.

If you’re keen to have a chat — about anything from evidence-based education to fruit tree grafting — Nick’s door is always open.

 

Recommended Reading

Woodbury Boston Primary School is a progressive independent school nestled in the bush between Denmark and Albany WA. We know that children learn best when they’re happy and having fun. With a strong focus on community, respect, independence and nature-based teaching, our students learn the Western Australian Curriculum and so much more. For more information or to book a personal tour, please ring 9845 1185.

Community, Philosophy & PracticeMartha Barnard-Rae