Profile
Penny Zachariah is an innovative, passionate and dedicated educator. For the past 13 years, she has taught high school science and physics, driven by the belief that knowledge is power, every student is capable of growth and understanding, and every lesson is an opportunity to spark curiosity and help students achieve success.
Over this time, Zachariah has developed a deep understanding of the impact of literacy skills on all aspects of learning and communication, the complexity of improving these skills and the importance of retrieval practice to consolidate learning. She is therefore convinced of the need for all teachers across all subject areas to explicitly teach and have students practise these skills.
Over the last four years in her role as visible literacy coordinator, Zachariah has produced student resources and training for all high school teachers using evidence-based strategies, which has led to significant improvement in her students’ academic writing.
Sydney Square, 474 Kent St, Sydney, NSW 2000
02 9286 9500
mmaroudas@sacs.nsw.edu.au
linkedin.com/in/mikaela-maroudas-283517204
sacs.nsw.edu.au
Penny Zachariah
Assistant Head of Department and Visible Literacy Coordinator
St Andrew’s Cathedral School
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Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
2014–2016
2017–2018
2018–2019
2024–2025
Present
Inaburra School
2014–2016
Roseville College
2017–2018
Trinity Grammar School
2018–2019
HSC marker, Physics
2024–2025
St Andrew’s Cathedral School since 2020
Present
Milestones
St Andrew’s Cathedral School is a school unlike any other. For 140 years, it has been Sydney’s quintessential city school – a vibrant, diverse and future-focused community shaped by the dynamic heart of the CBD. Grounded in its Christian foundation, the school holds deep convictions about the value of each child – believing that every student is precious, deeply loved by God and uniquely gifted for a purpose. This belief underpins everything the school does, from academic programs to student wellbeing.
Character and conviction are at the heart of a St Andrew’s Cathedral School education. These qualities lay the foundation for academic excellence and holistic pastoral care, helping students to grow in wisdom, resilience and hope – so they can use their learning to positively shape the world around them.
Teachers at St Andrew’s Cathedral School are experts in their fields who thrive on the relational nature of education. They are deeply involved in the growth of each child, both in and beyond the classroom, and are continually developing their own practice through a forward-thinking professional learning program.
At the heart of the school is Gawura School, recognised nationally for its outstanding First Nations-led approach to education. As noted by the 2020 School of the Year judges, Gawura is “a lighthouse program in Indigenous education with wonderful, almost unheard-of outcomes.”
“If you have a choice between being liked and doing the right thing, doing the right thing is always better, even if it’s the unpopular thing”
Lee-Ann Prickett,
Experior Financial Group
“What I’ve learned is that when you build from your values, when you put people first, when you do the right thing even when it’s hard, that becomes your plan”
Lee-Ann Prickett,
Experior Financial Group
