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09 SEP 2025
The Tasmanian Government has announced a landmark partnership with McKinnon to deliver Australia’s first trial of a new way of organising schools that brings them together under a shared leadership structure to lift standards and improve outcomes for every child.
The five-year Multi-School Organisation trial, beginning in Term 1, 2026, will involve three Southern Tasmanian schools that will operate as a family, supported by a joint executive team that takes on administration and back-office tasks. Principals will be freed to focus on teaching and learning, teachers will gain access to stronger professional development and opportunities to collaborate, and students will benefit from consistent high-quality teaching and additional support when they need it.
The Multi-School Organisation model hardwires shared leadership, accountability and support across a family of schools. It cuts the administrative workload of principals, creates the conditions needed for every teacher to strengthen their practice, and ensures all students receive the support they need to fulfil their potential.
The model draws on proven success overseas. In England, similar school groups known as Multi-Academy Trusts have transformed outcomes in disadvantaged communities. According to the UK Department for Education, over 70% of previously underperforming schools improved to a “good” or “outstanding” rating after joining a Multi-Academy Trust.
McKinnon organised a delegation of politicians and education leaders to the United Kingdom in 2024 to see the model in action. Among the delegates was Minister Jo Palmer, who saw first-hand how schools working together can lift standards. The Tasmanian Government has since committed to trialling the approach, delivering on a key recommendation of the Independent Education Review.
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“Education is the foundation of opportunity, but outcomes across Australia are slipping and the equity gap is widening – with a third of students nationally not reaching literacy and numeracy benchmarks. This reform gives schools the structure and support to work together rather than in isolation. It allows principals to lead, teachers to teach and students to thrive.”
McKinnon will work closely with the Department for Education, Children and Young People as an implementation partner. It will provide international expertise, philanthropic investment and long term support. An independent evaluation will ensure transparency and build an evidence base to guide broader reforms.
Mr Baird said the initiative has significance well beyond Tasmania.
“Our role is not to run schools, but to help governments take the best global evidence and turn it into lasting change. If this works in Tasmania, it can reshape the way we think about schooling across Australia. We are proud to stand with teachers, leaders, parents and communities at the start of this exciting journey.”
With bipartisan backing, Tasmania’s trial will build the evidence base for reforms that could be scaled across the country.
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