Neil Andary
“I enjoy having the opportunity to make a difference to young children’s lives. I love watching them grow and develop and seeing them become confident, competent and compassionate people. It’s a fascinating journey.”
Neil Andary is not your typical educator let alone principal. He spent the first 20 years of his working life in business, first running a family warehousing and distribution company and then an indoor sports centre in Adelaide. This foundation in the business world and not in education is what makes Neil such a great leader for Christ Church Grammar School and in his previous school, Prince Alfred College, Adelaide.
He spent 16 years there in a variety of roles including head of the preparatory school, deputy headmaster and acting headmaster. During this time, he helped develop a strong academic and pastoral culture within the college and was instrumental in expanding its early learning centre. He also promoted the concept of “physical literacy” for students and introduced a program that helps students work with an occupational therapist and build their core strength.
Neil believes relationships are at the core of education, " teaching is about relationships. We all want to be valued, heard and cared for. If you know your students and you value who they are and their differences then they will generally work much harder."
Adapted from the Domain Review