Leadership Team
Leadership Team
Perth College is led by a Principal, Vice Principal, Director of Junior School, Director of Learning and Teaching (7 to 12), Director of Wellbeing, Director of School Operations (PK to 12), and Director of Finance.
Our Leadership Team provides vital support in daily operations and strategic direction for staff and student wellbeing, and learning and teaching.
For more information about our School Council, please visit our Governance page.
Clare Johansen | Interim Principal
Clare is a passionate advocate for girls’ education with over 20 years of diverse leadership experience in Australia, the UK and the UAE. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Human Resources Management (MHRM) from the University of Newcastle, along with a Master in Educational Leadership from UWA and a Certificate of School Management and Leadership from Harvard. Clare was recognised with the Aware Super Michael Dwyer Scholarship for Emerging Leaders in 2022, joining Perth College the same year as Vice Principal. Clare became the Interim Principal in mid-2023, where she collaborates with the School Council and Leadership Team to drive the school’s strategic vision, fostering a culture of growth and innovation.
Rod Dowling | Acting Vice Principal
Rod focuses on empowering his teams and students to strive for excellence and promotes a model of lifelong learning. He has held various leadership positions, including Deputy Principal, Dean of Studies, Head of Year, Head of Health and Physical Education, and Head of House. Rod has recently commenced a Doctor of Education at the University of Notre Dame, focusing on teacher attrition and retention in Western Australia. He also holds a Master of Religious Education, a Master of Education (Leadership and Management) from the University of Notre Dame, and a Certificate of School Management and Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His extensive experience in leadership, developing strategic plans, implementing visions of learning, and engaging with the whole school community is an asset to Perth College.
Katy Howes | Director of Junior School
Katy shares a great passion for community and nurturing a positive school environment. For the past fifteen years she has proudly held several leadership positions in Australia and internationally, and most recently joined us from another private girls’ school where she developed a strong interest in supporting young people to become confident and motivated lifelong learners. Katy holds a Master of Education (Leadership), a Bachelor of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Education (Primary) from Edith Cowan University. She also has a Professional Certificate in Positive Education from the University of Melbourne. The theory of positive education strongly influences and guides Katy’s leadership style and pedagogy. Improving and fostering wellbeing for students, staff and the greater Perth College community is always at the heart of Katy’s decision-making.
Nicole Blyth | Director of Learning and Teaching (Years 7 to 12)
Nicole has joined us after working for more than 20 years in private all-girls education, across several leadership positions. Nicole has previously held senior leadership positions including Dean of Academics overseeing academic administration and teaching and learning data management, and before that, she held the role of Dean of Teaching and Learning. Nicole has significant experience in leading Learning and Teaching departments through change to create thriving and collaborative learning communities. She is known for taking an innovative and well-researched approach to delivering educational excellence, ensuring students are prepared for our changing world. Nicole holds a Master of Education with Honours from the University of Western Australia focussed on ICT and teacher training. She also has a Bachelor of Education (Chemistry and Physics) and a Bachelor of Arts (Secondary Education) from Edith Cowan University.
Lucy Sabatini | Director of Wellbeing (Year 7 to 12)
Lucy is responsible for enhancing all aspects of student wellbeing and ensuring that this underpins the School’s Vision, Purpose, and Values. With extensive experience in the fields of Pastoral Care and Learning and Teaching, Lucy relishes opportunities to support and empower young people by engendering an authentic approach in the wellbeing field. As well as leading and improving Perth College’s flagship InsideOut program, Lucy also oversees supporting First Nations students and supports the Heads of Year, Chaplain, Health Centre, and Psychologist/Counsellors in their roles. Lucy holds a Master of Education (Leadership), a Bachelor of Education (Human Biology and Economics), and a Graduate Certificate in Education (Leadership and Management). Lucy believes that wellbeing must be placed at the heart of education; she is driven to support every young person to flourish, thrive, and achieve.
Gary Racey | Director of School Operations
Gary has held numerous senior leadership positions in various education sectors and has a Master of Educational Leadership. He is passionate about 21st century learning and pedagogy that engages young people and prepares them to be global citizens. He seeks to influence the world of education to change, mold, and transform students’ lives for the better, through a technology-driven approach coupled with self-directed learning and a pastoral philosophy. He is passionate about preparing children to be resilient, and responsive to an ever-changing world, and to develop values that will enable and encourage them to serve the wider community. These goals and aspirations revolve around creating an environment that leads education; a contemporary approach to thinking, teaching, and learning that embodies a culture of innovation.
David Timmins | Interim Director of Finance
David is a Chartered Accountant and has spent the last 20 years in commerce in the independent education sector. Prior to joining Perth College, he was Director of Finance at a leading private boys’ school. In that role he managed the School’s financial resources; building programmes with a combined construction value exceeding $100m; oversaw a steady increase in enrolments; assisted in the appointed Investment Advisors with the management and growth of the investment corpus; acted as the School’s representative for the Superannuation Master Trust; attended Board, Foundation and Committee meetings as an ex-officio member; and attended to the secretarial and governance requirements of the Board, School and Foundation. He is currently a Trustee of the Perth Diocesan Trustees and has recently served a three-year term as a Board Member of the Association of Independent Schools WA (AISWA).
Get to know us by visiting our school.
Our goal is to inspire joy in learning, every day. All our academic and co-curricular programs are created specifically for girls, in an environment that nurtures confidence and determination.
