College Leadership Team
Principal, Mr Graham Leddie
Principal – Graham Leddie
BA GradDipEd MEDL MRE MACE
Graham Leddie was appointed Principal of Waverley College in January 2017. Mr Leddie is passionate about boys’ education and believes that learning outcomes are closely linked to the quality of the teacher as well as students social and emotional wellbeing.
“Waverley College is at the forefront of Catholic education in Australia and has a strategic direction to develop innovative learning, student formation and wellbeing programs designed to assist boys to flourish across their spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, cultural and physical dimensions.
I am excited to be a part of the College as it continues to educate young men, challenging them to actively reflect on their learning and to develop habits that help them become lifelong learners.”said Mr Leddie.
Prior to his appointment at Waverley College, Mr Leddie was Deputy Principal at St Joseph’s Nudgee College in Queensland, an Edmund Rice School which participates in the GPS Association. Prior to the role as deputy, he held two other senior positions as Dean of Administration and Dean of Teaching and Learning. During his early teaching career, he worked at the Rockhampton Grammar School and SCECGS Redlands.
Mr Leddie was educated at Sydney Grammar and holds a Master of Educational Leadership and a Master of Religious Education from the Australian Catholic University and Boston College. Recently he completed the Business Executive Program at the Stanford Business School where he focused on developing innovative practices, strategic leadership in dynamic environments, managing bias in strategic judgement and strategic crisis management.
Graham has two children and loves sports and the great outdoors. He has climbed many mountains around the world including Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro.
Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning, Ms Elizabeth Watson
Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning – Elizabeth Watson
BEd (Hons)
Elizabeth graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Education in Mathematics. Her high-level academic results and excellent teaching practicums (one international practicum in Thailand teaching English) elevated her to “Targeted Graduate” status where she was appointed to her first teaching post at Randwick Girls High School. During her first seven years as a Mathematics Teacher at Randwick, she experienced many leadership positions including Acting Head of Mathematics. Elizabeth accepted a promotional role in 1999 as Head of Mathematics at Waverley College where she successfully coordinated a dynamic and progressive department. During her tenure at Waverley College, she has experienced a number of senior leadership roles including, Acting Director of Personnel (2014) Director of Curriculum (2015-2016), Director of Teaching and Learning (2017-2018) and was appointed Deputy Principal, Teaching & Learning in 2019.
In 2019, Elizabeth was the recipient of the National Excellence in School Leadership Initiative (NESLI) Scholarship for Lead and Expert teachers and took study leave in Finland to collaborate with Finnish educators and explore their highly regarded Education System. During 2020- 2021, Elizabeth accepted a secondment position with EREA as the Acting Director of Learning where she worked with staff, students and school leaders across the 54 EREA schools nationwide.
Her passion and commitment to education and lifelong learning are evidenced by the many roles undertaken in this field over her teaching career. They include Lecturer at the University of Notre Dame; Executive Officer for the EREA National Learning Reference Group; facilitator and presenter at various pedagogical, wellbeing and leadership forums for Waverley, CEO and EREA.
Elizabeth returned to the College this year in her role of Deputy Principal, Teaching & Learning and is currently finalising her Grad Cert in Religious Education with plans to continue her Master of Educational Leadership studies in 2023.
Deputy Principal – Students – Ms Gabrielle Smith
Deputy Principal – Students – Gabrielle Smith
BEd MEd
Gabrielle joined Waverley College in 2018 as Director of the Junior School bringing considerable expertise in the delivery of innovative and challenging pedagogy.
Prior to her appointment at Waverley College, Gabrielle was Acting Head of Junior School – Loreto Kirribilli, where she taught and worked for 12 years. Her previous roles included Head of Curriculum, Religious Education Coordinator and Assistant Head of Junior School. Prior to Loreto Kirribilli, Gabrielle worked at St Scholastica’s College Glebe, and Stonar School, Bath, England.
Gabrielle holds a Master of Education and Bachelor of Education and was recently awarded a National Excellence in School Leadership Initiative Scholarship.
Gabrielle is passionate about delivering an education that equips the students in her care with the skills to thrive in the world they will enter at the completion of school. The world is changing at a rapid rate, and students need to be able to critically think, communicate, collaborate and create to keep up. She believes in the importance of driving school-wide pedagogy that supports this through the explicit teaching of these domains.
Three key focus areas Gabrielle has been working on in her role as Acting Deputy Principal (Teaching and Learning) include Collaborative Learning Spaces, the Learning Walk Program and Deep Learning.
Gabrielle has spoken of some of her other highlights since beginning at Waverley – her launching of the new Learning Hub in the Junior School; developing a Lunchtime Talks initiative where inspiring members of our community are invited in to share their career journey; developing STEM Club, Innovation Club and Sustainability Club, and spearheading the future ‘Wingara’ project – the 5000m2 of bushland behind the Junior School.
Director of Junior School, Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Director of Junior School, Gabrielle Bransby
Gabrielle was appointed as the Director of the Junior School in December 2022. She held this position for 18 months previously in July 2020. She joined Waverley College in 2011. Prior to her appointment as Director, Gabrielle held the position of Assistant Director of Junior School/Curriculum for 1 year and previous to that held Assistant Director of Curriculum for 6 years.
Gabrielle holds a Bachelor of Education and is currently completing her Masters in Religious Education. She was recently awarded a National Excellence in School Leadership Initiative Scholarship.
Gabrielle is passionate about creating a learning environment where students are able to thrive, follow their interests and passions and be equipped with the skills required for an ever-changing world. She believes teaching fundamental skills is paramount in education as well as providing rich, authentic and challenging programs for all students.
Gabrielle has spoken of some of her other highlights since beginning at Waverley – the launch of one-to-one devices for each student, the implementation of flexible furniture, new innovative and creative programs and LMS systems, the creation of the Teaching and Learning Framework, and the opening of the new classroom and playground space in the Junior School in 2021. Most recently, she has been part of the design and set up of the new Science Laboratory in the Junior School.
Director of Co-curricular – Mr Stephen O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular – Stephen O’Donnell
BEd Human Movement and Health Education
Stephen has 23 years of teaching experience in a range of schools throughout Sydney and in the UK. Mr O’Donnell holds a Bachelor of Education (Human Movement and Health Education) through the University of Sydney, as well as a Certificate in Religious Education RLSSA and SLS. He is a Bronze Examiner, St John First Aid – Trainer and Assessor / Advanced First Aid
It was a personally significant moment returning to the College as an Old Boy (class of 1990) and joining the Teaching staff. Other highlights include winning the 2017 Dual Football and Rugby CAS premiership.
His passions include teaching PDHPE to the young boys of Waverley as well as Surf Lifesaving in his free time.
Director of Mission & Identity – Suzanne Walsh
Director of Mission & Identity – Suzanne Walsh
BEd, MEd
Sue has been teaching for 30 years and during this time has held a wide range of Pastoral Leadership positions in different Catholic schools throughout Australia and the USA. She has taught at St Joseph’s Regional and Mackillop Senior College in Port Macquarie, St Ignatius’ College Riverview and St Louis University High School, in St Louis, Missouri. She has recently joined the Waverley College leadership team after 3 years at The Cardoner Project – a Jesuit youth ministry offering service experiences to students post-school.
Sue has a Bachelor of Education from Sydney University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from ACU. In addition to this, she also holds a Diploma in Catechetics from the Thomas Aquinas Academy.
Sue is an enthusiastic Business Studies, Commerce, Geography and RE Teacher and throughout her teaching career, one of her most memorable teachings moments was working with students on a camp for children with disabilities and seeing the smiles on the students’ faces as they interacted with the “big guys” and noting that the senior students were even more thrilled.
Director of ICT, Innovation and Campus – Simon Potter
Director of ICT, Innovation and Campus – Simon Potter
Originally from the eastern part of England and having graduated from Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke in Geology and Geography, Simon began his IT career working in a UK government department providing support on network infrastructure. He then certified as a Novell Master Engineer and moved on to a Post Graduate Legal College initially providing Level 3 support and then subsequently moving into a Team Leader role within the same organisation.
He emigrated to Australia with his Australian wife in September 2005 and commenced work at Waverley College as the sole IT Support person in November that year. Since those early days, he is now the proud father of 3 children and has progressed from IT Manager into his current role of Director of ICT, Campus and Innovation. Throughout his early career, he developed a strong customer service ethic and a passion for supporting technology in the Education space. He is most proud of the development of the IT Support structures that have matured at Waverley and which provide excellent support to all members of the Waverley community.
Director of Curriculum – Lynsey Porter
Director of Curriculum – Lynsey Porter
BA (Hons) PGCE English
Lynsey Porter is the Director of Curriculum at Waverley College. She has been an educator for eighteen years including fourteen years at Waverley College and eight years in the role of Head of English. She has also delivered English teaching methods to undergraduates at Southern Cross University. Lynsey graduated from the University of Liverpool in the UK attaining a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English Language and Literature. She then embarked on post-graduate study in education by completing her Post Graduate Certificate in Secondary Education at the University of Manchester also in the UK. Lynsey’s expertise in curriculum is in the area of English where she has fifteen years of experience as an HSC teacher and HSC marker across all English courses.
Lynsey is passionate about raising standards of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum and honing twenty-first century skills such as critical and creative thinking and communication. She defines herself as a lifelong learner and recognises the need for both educators and students to be open to the possibilities of changing the face of education both now and in the future. To this end, Lynsey identifies the mentoring of other educators, as they embark on their own career journey, as imperative. Lynsey finds it difficult to pinpoint a specific favourite teaching moment but finds joy in the moment any student in her class gains the confidence to work independently from her and trust in their own ability.
Director of Business Services – Mr Bryn Gregerson
Director of Business Services – Bryn Gregerson
B.Bus CPA
Bryn is the Director of Business Services at Waverley College. He was appointed initially as Business Manager of Waverley College in December 2005. Mr Gregerson is responsible for the overall business operations of the College including financial management, budgeting, the strategic plan and capital development of the new masterplan.
Prior to his appointment at Waverley College, Mr Gregerson held the position of Assistant Bursar at Presbyterian College (PLC) in Croydon. During his early career, he held senior finance roles at the University of Sydney and TAFE NSW.
Mr Gregerson was educated at Sydney Technical High School and holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) as well as being a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA). Bryn is a member of the Association of School Business Administrators (ASBANSW) where he holds the position of Secretary on the Executive of the State Committee as well as serving on the Professional Development and Planning committees. Bryn is also the Convenor of the South Eastern regional group of schools for ASBANSW.
Bryn lives in the Sutherland Shire with his family.
