st andrews Christian college

wantirna south, melbourne
About Us

Leadership

Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

Executive Leadership Team

Our College leadership is committed to leading St Andrews Christian College and glorifying God in all decisions. Each leadership team member brings unique skills and professional insights for the benefit of our students, staff and community.
Mr Nick Haines

Principal

Nick Haines is the 5th Principal of St Andrews Christian College, commencing at the beginning of 2023. Nick graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Sport/Outdoor Recreation & Bachelor of Education, and has since completed a Masters of Business Management (MBA), specialising in Educational Leadership. Nick comes with 20 years of experience in education, working in both government and independent schools and has over a decade of executive level leadership experience, including Head of Middle School, Head of Campus, Deputy Principal and now Principal. Nick is passionate about the place of Christian Education in the faith formation of students and their understanding of the world through a biblical perspective. Nick wishes to see students equipped and enabled to fulfil their God given purpose during and beyond school. Nick desires for all staff, students and families to experience a strong sense of belonging whilst at St Andrews Christian College, and encourages students to take hold of every opportunity they are presented with in their time at the College.

Mr Michael Swanborough

Deputy Principal - Learning & Teaching

Michael Swanborough joined the St Andrews team in 2020 as the Head of Learning and Teaching and commenced as the Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching in 2022. Michael has been involved in Christian Education over the last 35 years and has held senior leadership positions in three Christian Schools. During this time Michael has been a member of an author team for a Year 7 – 10 Mathematics series and has presented at Mathematical Association of Victoria conferences, training sessions for teachers and revision lectures for students. More recently, Michael has been a contributor and presenter for the Teaching and Learning Framework established by Christian Schools Australia. Michael has a passion for seeing students develop a personal faith as they come to understand their place in God’s Big Story and fulfil their calling and purpose in Christ. Outside of school, Michael enjoys participating in a range of sporting activities and spending time with his family.

Mrs Lisa Wilks-Beasy

Deputy Principal - Operations

Lisa Wilks-Beasy brings to the role of Deputy Principal – Operations, a wealth of experience in educational environments and international corporate settings. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Education, (Melbourne University) and a Master of Education (Edith Cowan University). Lisa has mentored staff and planned large research projects for professional learning and is particularly passionate about exploring Innovative Learning Environments to capture the innate capacities of all students. She has held roles as Head of Wellbeing (Whole school), Head of English, Deputy Head of English, Year 7 Coordinator and enjoys developing high performance culture and engaged staffing teams to empower exceptional outcomes to expand students’ vision and preparedness for the modern world. Additionally, Lisa has global experience in Human Resources and International Recruitment. She has a vision for community and parent engagement and has a desire to inspire a thriving involvement of students, staff, and College families within St Andrews Christian College

Mr John Presant

Head of Secondary School

John Presant was born in California, USA and completed his schooling and undergraduate degree with majors in History and Philosophy from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Upon completion of a Diploma of Education (Secondary Teaching) from Deakin University, John began teaching in Australian schools. He has extensive experience in teaching commerce subjects, such as Legal Studies and Business Management, and is an experienced Exam Assessor for VCE Legal Studies. He has taught in both Christian and APS schools with experience in leadership in both Student Pastoral Care and Curriculum Development. After finishing a Master of Education (Educational Leadership) from Melbourne University John has been in Senior Leadership positions in schools for the past ten years. One of the highlights for John is seeing the growth and transformation of the Secondary school at St Andrews during his time at the College. A keen sportsman, John has competed in basketball, tennis, baseball and even AFL and Cricket. He is a passionate follower of the Melbourne Football Club in addition to his hometown Rams, Lakers and Dodgers.

Mrs Janita Bratton

Head of Primary School

Janita Bratton joined the St Andrews team in 2023 as the Head of Primary. She has recently completed her Masters in Educational Leadership, and comes with over 20 years of experience in education. This includes teaching interstate, overseas and most recently in Christian schools more locally. She has enjoyed contributing to the teaching manual, Transformation by Design: Crafting Formational Learning as well as a CEN (Christian Education National) induction course for new teachers. She is passionate about seeing a biblical approach imbedded in education. Knowing students and how they learn is foundational to excellent educational outcomes and is consistent with how God sees each one of His children, as unique and wonderfully made! She is an advocate of great parent partnerships in nurturing all aspects of the educational journey.

Mr Darren Waterworth

Business Manager

Darren Waterworth commenced working as Business Manager at the College in 2007. He was responsible for the major task of relocating the College from Burwood to the Wantirna site in 2009-10 and has worked with architects and consultants in undertaking the various building projects on the College campus. He has worked in senior financial management roles in the not for profit sector for over 30 years, working in church, charity and educational organisations. He holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and is a CPA. He worships at the Box Hill Salvation Army and is a keen brass musician.

Board of Governance

Our College Board is the governing body of the school, responsible for ensuring a broad and balanced campus environment that facilitates high-quality education and is consistent with Christian values. 
Mr James Bligh

Chair

Mr Peter Lewis

Vice Chair

Mrs Sharon Rowland

Board & Correspondence Secretary

Mr Thomas Chong

Mr Alan MacGavin

Mrs Susan Dunn

Rev. Brian Harvey

Justyna McKenna

Rachel Bird

Stephanie Thor

St. Andrew's Christian College
Board of Directors Biographies

Democratic Statement

(Affirmed: March 2022, Next Review Due: March 2024)

The College Board affirms the ongoing commitment of the College to adhere to the following democratic principles:

  • elected government
  • the rule of law
  • equal rights for all before the law
  • freedom of religion
  • freedom of speech and association
  • the values of openness and tolerance

These principles are expounded within the College community through their application in College policies and procedures.

College Constitution

St Andrews, as an incorporated company, is governed by a Constitution which was drawn up when the College was first established. From time to time during the College’s history this Constitution, which is alternately known as The Articles of Association, has been updated.

The Constitution mainly focuses on the appointment and duties of the Board (or Council as it is referred to in the Constitution). The expectation is that all other operational and strategic decisions regarding the College will be taken by the Board or through their delegates, the Staff of the College. In practice, the Board limits itself to strategic decision making and governance, with all operational decisions being delegated to the Principal and the senior staff. This makes the appointment and performance management of the Principal a key responsibility of the Board.

St. Andrew's Christian College
St Andrews Constitution Memorandum

Board Policies and Procedures

This section outlines the policies and procedures adopted by the Board to facilitate the performance of the Board’s duties and responsibilities.

These policies and procedures have been formally adopted by the Board and are therefore binding unless a subsequent Board resolution amends them. That said these items are subject to change whenever the Board, as a group, determines they need to be amended to meet the changing needs of the Board or the College community at large.It should be noted that the contents of these policies and procedures are subordinate to the College Constitution. If they are found to be in conflict with the Constitution, the Constitution will always take precedence and the policy or procedure should be amended at the earliest opportunity by the Board.