Kate Hadwen

I was blessed to grow up on a property between Goondiwindi and St George in rural Queensland where I learned so many important life skills that have remained with me to this day and assist me in my role of Principal of Pymble Ladies’ College.

My first job after leaving university was teaching a combined kindergarten to year three class, and since then I have held various teaching and leadership roles from kindergarten to year 12, including boarding, at schools in most states across the nation.

I have also worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Child Health Promotion Research Centre and Senior Lecturer at Edith Cowan University where I remain an Adjunct Research Fellow.

I truly love being part of the development of a young person’s life and supporting their journey, knowing that, in some small way, you have helped mould who they will become.

At Pymble, we encourage and teach our girls ways to look after their health and wellbeing. If you want students – and staff – to show up as their best selves each day, you need to practise that same self-care.

For me, that involves spending quality time with my beautiful family, which includes my parents and two sisters, my husband Matt, our five children, their partners and our two dogs. I also try to run five kilometres each day, partake in Pilates and exercises classes and consume a mental diet of inspiring books and podcasts.

Our College values of care, courage, integrity, respect and responsibility are embedded in our community, and I see firsthand our staff, students and families demonstrating them in action each and every day, even when no one is looking.

Pymble creates a safe, challenging and empowering environment for girls to have a go, try new subjects and sports, assume leadership roles and find their voices. It is incredibly rewarding to watch our students discover strengths and skills they didn’t know they possessed and develop a growing awareness that they can do anything they put their minds to.

We want our students to be courageous deep thinkers and adept users of technology, and we want them to celebrate diversity in all its forms and to be caring and respectful. We believe these attributes will equip Pymble girls to change the world in a positive and meaningful way.

I am so proud to be the leader of such a special team. Our staff members are hard-working, talented, can share a good laugh and are deeply caring. I love the way they care for our students and each other, and I learn from them every day.

For someone who is thinking of joining Pymble, what are you waiting for? Come exactly as you are and meet our family. Each member brings a different skillset and story, and we can’t wait to hear yours.