Organisational Structure

Catholic education contributes to the Church's mission and also to the local communities in which our schools exist.

System support is grounded in the belief that, "the work of the school is irreplaceable and the investment of human and material resources in the school becomes a prophetic choice." (#21 The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium)

Townsville Catholic Education Office has responsibility for ensuring that each school is adequately and equitably resourced through the provision of centralised services. This acknowledges that our Diocese supports several small schools in rural and isolated areas, as well as schools that from time to time experience fluctuating enrolments.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Jacqui Francis, are three directorates to provide a system approach to funding and the establishment of a range of system positions to deliver school-based services. At the same time, the Catholic Education Office works toward creating an atmosphere of local autonomy and responsibility within each school community.

Directorate Responsibilities

Ross Horner, Director - Leadership and School Development

The Leadership and School Development Directorate incorporates the business functions of School Improvement, Leadership Development, Capital Facilities, Maintenance and Accommodation, Workplace Health and Safety, Kindergartens and Student Support Services. The Directorate is accountable for:

• Providing overall accountability for the management of a significant capital budget and major maintenance.
• Ensuring schools and colleges in the Diocese of Townsville have the leadership, resources and specialist student services available to achieve quality outcomes for students.
• Informing long term and operational staffing requirements based on the school capital works and development programs
• Delivering growth to enrolment in schools and sustainability of Catholic education throughout the Diocese.
• Delivering an integrated program for school improvement initiatives.

Director - Learning, teaching and Catholic Identity

This Directorate is responsible for three key areas for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Townsville. Catholic Identity, Learning, Teaching and Indigenous education are important elements within the Catholic Church’s mission in education. The Directorate is primarily focused upon helping schools offer an educational foundation for life to the full, meaning the full development of the person intellectually, spiritually, physically, morally and emotionally. In particular this Directorate pays particular attention to:

• Developing a school culture that promotes learning
• Promoting data informed school practices
• Development of effective pedagogy
• Development of a sustainable curriculum
• Development of expert teaching teams
• Emphasis on best practice in learning and teaching
• Promotion of Catholic Identity
• Promotion of effective practices for Indigenous education

Jennifer Blackshaw, Director - Organisational Services and Capability

The Organisational Services and Capability Directorate incorporates the business functions of Staff Services, Finance, and Information and Communications Technology, and is accountable for:

• Leading and continuously improving organisational services (ie. Human Resources Management, Financial Management, and ICT Management).
• Contextualising these services to the operating environment.
• Ensuring TCEO has a culture that drives excellence in delivery of these organisational services.
• Ensuring these services contribute to achievement of TCEO outcomes.

TCEO Positions

TCEO staff, January 2018