Hayley Berry

July 7, 2025 by Hayley Berry Leave a Comment

Haileybury Rendall School has solidified its status as a leading Northern Territory school by ranking as the number one primary school in two recent independent measures of academic performance.

The School has maintained its leading position in the 2024 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) primary school rankings in the Territory for the fourth consecutive year. Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit the NAPLAN annually, which assesses their abilities in literacy, reading, writing and language conventions.

Better Education, a national school comparison website, has also awarded the School a ranking of 100, its highest possible rating. The independent school indexing website has ranked schools within states/territories based on English, Maths and overall academic performance in 2024.

“Haileybury Rendall School is proud to have received a perfect Better Education ranking of 100 in 2024 and for each of the last four years. We are also proud to again be the top NAPLAN ranked primary school in the NT in 2024, an honour we have held since 2021,” said Principal Andrew McGregor.

Further, he stated that “these outstanding academic results affirm the effectiveness of our teaching model and recognise the wonderful Haileybury community who support it. This includes our brilliant teachers, students and their families who have all worked together to achieve such remarkable outcomes.”

Haileybury Rendall School uses an evidence-based approach to ensure it uses best teaching practice to build strong foundations in students’ literacy and numeracy.

This approach has led to the development of the research-based explicit teaching model, an evidence-backed, highly effective method for assisting students to learn, retain and build foundational skills in the primary years.

Haileybury Rendall School’s brilliant teachers use explicit teaching to develop literacy and numeracy through a three-stage process where students learn through the teacher initially providing explicit instruction and demonstrations, guided practice and feedback and reinforcement through the independent application of learning and activities.

July 7, 2025 by Hayley Berry Leave a Comment

It has been an energising few months at the OHA as we continue to build momentum and deliver initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for our alumni community.

Our recent Young Professionals Networking Event was a tremendous success, bringing together emerging professionals and experienced industry mentors to exchange insights, foster connections, and support the professional growth of our next generation of leaders. The energy in the room was a powerful reminder of the strength and generosity of our network.

We have also celebrated the vibrancy of our international community, with recent alumni events involving graduates of Haileybury Tianjin, reinforcing the OHA’s global reach and the enduring bonds that unite Haileyburians across borders.

Our Haileybury Rendall School Dinner in Melbourne was a particularly special occasion. The evening brought together graduates and staff in a celebration of shared experience and connection; an inspiring reminder of the power of community.

In response to growing engagement from younger members, we are introducing a Young Alumni Sub-Committee to help shape initiatives that reflect the interests and aspirations of our emerging leaders, ensuring the OHA remains dynamic, inclusive and relevant.

We are also thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of OHA Ignite, our new entrepreneurship program designed to champion bold ideas and empower early-stage alumni ventures. Launching in October, with applications opening in November, the program will offer seed funding, mentorship and the support of our global alumni network.

As we head into the OHA’s peak event season, we look forward to welcoming you at our upcoming Signature Events, including the Sursum Corda Business Leaders event, Mornington Peninsula Luncheon and OHA Golf Day.

Thank you to all who continue to share your stories and champion the OHA’s mission. As always, we encourage you to reach out, get involved and remember to ‘stay connected.’

Millie Hogben (OH 2013)
President of the Old Haileyburians Association

July 7, 2025 by Hayley Berry Leave a Comment

In April, Haileybury Tianjin proudly hosted its third annual Micro Film Festival. This vibrant celebration brought together students, parents and teachers to explore and share stories of school life from Haileybury Tianjin through film and visual storytelling.

The festival served as a creative platform for students to gain fresh perspectives on their world. Open to all members of the School community, it invited teams of students, parents and teachers to embark on a month-long collaboration to produce films that were capped at five minutes.

This year’s theme of ‘Show U in Haileybury’ encouraged students to create micro-dramas that authentically portrayed stories of school life, showcasing unique stories from Haileybury Tianjin.

To foster learning and creativity, all project teams were provided with expert guidance from a teacher mentor and industry professionals, including representatives from the Tianjin Film Association and China Central Television.

The festival judging format promotes community involvement and professional recognition of excellence by combining public online voting (60%) and professional jury evaluation (40%).

The coveted Best Picture Award, attracting the highest votes from both the professional and public votes, was Pencil Eraser Man by Year 4 student Joseph. “I was showing my friend a ruler that looked like a saw. My friend tried to cut my eraser with it, and that gave me a great idea. I drew a face on the eraser and stuck four pencils into it. That’s how Pencil Eraser Man was born,” says Joseph.

The Most Influential Award, securing the highest online votes, went to Gold House, Year 11, Keys — You are Special You. It was a compelling and original story about the formation of a senior school band.

July 7, 2025 by Hayley Berry Leave a Comment

Year 10 student William’s passion and commitment to honour the memory of the Anzacs has led to a “life changing” trip to Türkiye to trace their footsteps on the shores of Gallipoli.

His keen interest and passion for military history was demonstrated when he was awarded a prestigious 2024 Premier’s Spirit of Anzac prize for his project exploring the Anzac legacy and the significance of the Shrine of Remembrance Melbourne.

William’s innovative artwork titled ‘Receipts, Red Cross and Remembrance’ was influenced by the montage-style glasswork ceiling by Australian artist Leonard French found in the Great Hall at the National Gallery of Victoria. French also created the stained-glass windows in the David Bradshaw Chapel at Keysborough.

William completed the inspiring study tour of Türkiye in late 2024, along with 12 other students.

While at Gallipoli, William made an emotional tribute to honour Lieutenant George Webster Binnie, an old Haileyburian killed in action at Quinn’s Post in 1915, by locating the panel featuring Lieutenant Binnie’s name at the Lone Pine Memorial.

William found the Gallipoli “steep cliffs and almost impassable terrain” to be difficult to navigate and was grateful for outdoor experiences provided at Haileybury, such as trekking the Larapinta Trail in Year 9, which helped to prepare him for the physical challenge.

This year William is also one of a handful of Years 9 and 10 students who have been appointed as Shrine of Remembrance Melbourne Young Ambassadors. In this role he participates in projects and commemorative services. In April he attended the Premier’s Anniversary of Anzac Day State Luncheon, participating in a Question and Answer session with several other past recipients of the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize.

“The Premier’s Sprit of Anzac Prize study tour was a life-changing trip. The incredible cultural and historical experiences, combined with lasting friendships, were all significant in giving me a firm direction for the future,” says William. He is keen to continue his interest in military history and honouring the Anzacs.

William acknowledges the support he has received from the School OHA, Archives and Castlefield teams, particularly Head of Campus Mrs Katrina Manson and Brighton campus Middle School staff, including Mrs Linda Lightwood. He also thanks Building and Grounds Supervisor Mr Edward Baxter, the Moorabbin Air Museum and Shrine of Remembrance volunteers.

July 7, 2025 by Hayley Berry Leave a Comment

When Haileybury student Anay (Year 10) decided to conduct a survey on the psychological impacts of lockdown on school-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic, he did not anticipate that it would pave the way for him to become the youngest presenter at a prestigious international conference.

In late 2024, Anay presented his pioneering study on the psychological challenges of long-duration space missions at the prestigious 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC24) in Milan. IAC24 was attended by experts from space agencies, companies and research centres from across the world. 

The Year 10 student says his research was sparked by the experience of COVID-19 lockdowns which caused him to reflect on the “psychological parallels between lockdown life and the challenges faced by astronauts.”

These parallels included confinement, isolation and disruption from normal routines. “This perspective aligned closely in developing extended reality (XR) technologies to support astronaut mental health,” he says.

Anay’s research explored how immersive natural environments could mitigate stress, elevate mood and enhance cognitive performance, all factors essential for maintaining wellbeing on long duration space missions.

His opportunity to present at IAC24 eventuated after Anay connected with a researcher at a workshop he attended on Humans in Spaceflight. This connection led to an invitation to join a multi-disciplinary university team, co-write a manuscript and ultimately present the findings at the congress.

Anay had the privilege to meet multiple astronauts and hear their stories. They “were incredibly inspiring and reminded me to dream big and aim higher,” he says. He also visited Thales Alenia Space, a global space manufacturing company in Turin, where he saw the Lunar Gateway space station under construction.

Anay says the experience has been inspirational and educational. “I left Milan with new collaborators, sharper research ideas, and an even stronger drive to push the boundaries of space medicine. It reinforced that curiosity and commitment matter far more than age.”

The congress provided a platform to network with international industry experts. “With over 14,000 attendees from 120 nations, it was truly mind-blowing. Hearing from global experts sparked new ideas for research I now want to explore further,” he says.

Anay is grateful for the support which has enabled him to attend IAC24. “I’m incredibly grateful to my research team and research lead for taking a leap of faith and trusting me to deliver the entire presentation. I’m also thankful to my parents, who flew across the world with me (without them this opportunity would not be possible), and to Haileybury.”

Looking ahead, Anay will present research at the Humans in Space Symposium at the 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney later this year. His abstract was selected for presentation through a competitive review process.