A teacher who started at Corryong College in 2022 has made an immediate impact in the education sector by winning the Victorian Outstanding Early Career Primary Teacher award, which recognises effective and innovative teachers in the first five years of their career.

The criteria for the prestigious award includes demonstrated excellence in teaching practice at a Victorian government primary school and a significant contribution to improving student learning and wellbeing.

Since starting as a graduate teacher last year, Kendall Heycox has demonstrated her capacity for leadership and aptitude as an educator in a remarkably short time.

“Kendall’s calm and conscientious approach to all aspects of her work as a teacher and her willingness to shoulder responsibility while capably implementing quality learning, has been a great support to our small school community,” said acting principal, Chrissie McKimmie.

“Leading a number of improvement initiatives at the college including the Writing Professional Learning Community, Kendall is working with her colleagues to enact literacy improvements and apply her own and others’ professional learning to benefit students throughout the school.

“Already, Kendall has measurably improved outcomes in her own Year 6 classroom where students are showing marked growth in their learning and wellbeing and building a positive, aspirational culture in her college community.

“We have all loved working with Kendall and we are all very proud of her achievement,” she added.

This article appeared in the Corryong Courier, 2 November 2023.