Headquarters:

43 Kenthurst Rd

Year founded:

1982

Number of employees:

200+

Phone:

02 9654 2111

Email:

hg.reception@hillsgrammar.nsw.edu.au

Website:

hillsgrammar.nsw.edu.au

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/school/hills-grammar

Karen Yager

Principal

David Hamper

Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School

Sarah Black

Head of Junior School

Leadership

A progressive and creative leader, Karen Yager brings more than 26 years of experience to Hills Grammar School after her most recent role as deputy headmaster K–12 at Knox Grammar. Her work in the education and academic world has been recognised with numerous awards, including the 2019 NSW Professional Teachers’ Council Award for Outstanding Service to Education. With an emphasis on developing each student’s unique strengths, agency and voice, Yager will continue to nurture, grow and inspire the Hills Originals to achieve their potential for greatness. She commenced as Hills Grammar’s fifth principal in January 2022 and is enjoying meeting the Hills Grammar community – students, staff and families.

Principal

Karen Yager

David Hamper joined Hills Grammar in May 2022, bringing 25 years of experience to the school. He has held a number of senior roles in diverse independent schools across Sydney, with portfolios including teaching and learning, wellbeing, innovation, staff development, human resources and school operations. Hamper has also held a number of special advisory appointments, including in curriculum design and assessment with state and national curriculum authorities, teacher education with universities in Australia and the United States, and teacher professional learning with a number of professional associations. He is a prolific writer, having authored, edited and contributed to numerous books, journal articles and atlases across diverse topics in the humanities and within professional domains.

Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School

David Hamper

Sarah Black is a specialist in inclusive education and has worked in pre-K–12 since joining the staff of Hills Grammar in 2010. Prior to this, she worked in a range of settings, including educational consultancy, as a positive behaviour support specialist, and as a leader of professional development across a number of key areas. Black believes strongly in the importance of building genuine and meaningful connections with students, families, staff and the wider community and understands the importance of the individual in the pre-K–12 journey. As a staff member, parent and alumnus, she is well placed to understand the value of the “original” student, both past, present and future.

Head of Junior School

Sarah Black

Geoff Gates

Director of Learning and Teaching

As the director of learning and teaching from pre-K to 12, Geoff Gates works closely with the heads of ECEC, junior school and senior school to ensure a high-quality curriculum is in place across the school. He also works closely with both curriculum leaders and teachers on projects such as cultures of thinking and deep learning, where the aim is to develop innovative, 21st-century approaches to learning and teaching. Gates started teaching at Hills Grammar in 2004. Prior to Hills, he worked in Sydney, London and Hamburg and has taught HSC, GCSE, IGCSE and IB diploma courses. His past leadership roles have included literacy coordinator, student services coordinator, and head of English. He has presented at education and university conferences on pedagogy, literature and creative writing practice. Gates completed a Master of Arts (Creative Writing) in 2007, a Master of Education (Leadership) in 2013 and a Doctor of Creative Arts degree in 2023. He is the author of two novels and has written for both professional publications and literary journals.

Director of Learning and Teaching

Geoff Gates

Yass Sidaros

Director of Co-curricular Programs

Yass Sidaros has spent over 16 years at Hills Grammar, which has enabled him to see that what works for one student may be different for another. In his role as the director of the co-curricular program, he oversees the operation and strategic development of the school's co-curricular program, ensuring it is able to maximise the opportunities for all students in their areas of interest. The program has six core areas, including music, leadership and service, sport, outdoor education, STEM and the creative, spoken and performing arts.

Director of Co-curricular Programs

Yass Sidaros

Christine Furner

Director of Professional Learning

Claire Napoli

Director of Advancement and Engagement

Adam Wollins

Director of ICT

David Sexton

Director Business Services

Chris Furner has held a number of teaching and leadership positions across state and independent schools. A career highlight has been the completion of a PhD on how to boost teacher learning across all career stages as a means to improve practice and accelerate student learning outcomes. She enjoys developing whole-school staff development initiatives and professional learning programs that inspire and encourage teachers and leaders and coaching them towards “outstanding teaching”.

Director of Professional Learning

Christine Furner

As the director of advancement and engagement, Claire Napoli’s role encompasses internal and external communications, enrolment, branding, school events, community relations, alumni, archiving and reception. She has a degree in business and over 20 years of marketing and business development experience. Napoli started her career in public relations and event management before moving into marketing and business development roles in the professional services sector, particularly corporate law firms.

Director of Advancement and Engagement

Claire Napoli

Adam Wollins joined Hills Grammar in July 2023. He has over 20 years of experience in the education sector, including in schools, TAFEs, universities and the NSW Department of Education. He has a proven track record in the effective creation, development and leadership of high-performing ICT transformational and operational support teams.

Director of ICT

Adam Wollins

As Director of Business Services, David oversees the financial, operational and commercial aspects of the School. In this role, he contributes to shaping and implementing strategic initiatives, supports business sustainability and enables the next phase of campus development, including the 10-year Master Plan and Strategic Plan (2026–2028). He is an accomplished executive leader with over 25 years of experience at C-Suite and Board level spanning diverse sectors including education, not-for-profit, disability, sport and professional services. He has extensive experience shaping and executing strategic plans, driving income growth and diversification, master planning and major capital projects, stakeholder engagement, leading high-performing teams and managing complex budgets.

Director Business Services

David Sexton

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Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager. As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.

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Stephen McMillan

“Having close connections with our parents, staff and community, is integral to a rich learning environment. When we work together, we can achieve amazing things”

Karen Yager, Hills Grammar

“I believe that students learn in a supportive environment with passionate and inspiring teachers and staff. We surround our students with positive creative and inspiring people, enthusiastic about their own learning and keen to immerse students in the spirit of life-long learning across the whole community”

Karen Yager, Hills Grammar

Set across 53 acres of bushland in the Sydney’s Hills District, Hills Grammar is a school where the environment is not incidental to the experience of working there — it is an integral part of it. There is also a strong community atmosphere with staff, parents and alumni all tasked with a part to play in shaping the Hills Grammar identity. The school is built on a series of values such as: integrity service excellence respect Showcasing a track record of success, the school is a three-time 5-Star Employer of Choice awardee, the by-product of cultivating a culture where education is understood as a shared endeavour. It is an environment where the unique strengths of each staff member are genuinely recognised and developed.

Learning designed for educators The centrepiece of Hills Grammar’s approach to staff development is its Professional Learning Model, led by director of professional learning Dr. Chris Furner. Grounded in adult learning pedagogies, aligned with the school’s strategic intent and staff profile and standards, the model deliberately moves away from compliance-driven professional development towards something more meaningful. This is delivered as learning that is authentic, research-based and tailored to where each educator is in their career journey. Supporting this is the Learning Centre Staff Program, which creates structured opportunities for staff to share practice, reflect on their work and learn from one another. Mentoring, leadership development and action research opportunities are embedded throughout, making professional growth a continuous and collegial practice rather than a periodic obligation. It is a model that reflects Hills Grammar’s commitment to investing in the people responsible for delivering its educational vision. Future-forward leadership The school’s commitment to its team extends to how Hills Grammar approaches leadership. Working in partnership with the governing council, school leaders maintain a shared focus on developing what the school describes as a ‘future fit’ graduate and the workforce equipped to teach them. Innovation is encouraged, and the culture is one where academic ambition and professional development are seen as inseparable. Wellbeing in a remarkable setting Staff also benefit from complimentary wellbeing programs, a genuine commitment to work-life balance and access to an Employee Assistance Program. Additionally, for educators who value a workplace where the physical environment itself is part of the daily experience, Hills Grammar’s picturesque campus offers a setting that is as restorative as it is inspiring. There is also a proactive approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), such that employees are informed and educated through integrated professional learning frameworks. Hills Grammar is proud to be actively shaping bold thinkers, and in turn empowering the people who teach them.

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