Meet the Executive Team

Click here to meet our Head of School

Mrs Dyer commenced with Newcastle Grammar School in 2015 as Head of Primary. She began her teaching career in Sydney and, during her 16 years in both boys’ and girls’ independent education and co-educational schools, she found her passion as an innovative leader who creates a genuine point of difference for her school community. She is committed to developing ways to foster student tailored learning programs across all areas of the primary education experience. Alicha is a respected leader, and she believes that caring for staff and students is paramount to a school’s success.

Being part of an innovative school environment that strives for excellence in all areas of education is what matters to Mrs Dyer. During her career she has been Head of Wellbeing, Head of Teaching and Learning, Deputy Head of Primary and now has over 10 years’ experience as Head of Primary.

An educator with over forty years’ experience working with young adolescents, Dr Parsons holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education with specialisation in Mathematics along with Diplomas in Teaching and Theology. He holds postgraduate qualifications specialising in adolescent self-efficacy and identity development and education, a Master’s Degree in Educational Studies (with Distinction) from the University of Newcastle and a Doctor of Education from Griffith University. In 2013, Dr Parsons attended Harvard University and completed the Improving Schools – the Art of Leadership (AOL) course through their Graduate School of Education.

In 2014, Dr Parsons was admitted as a Fellow to the Royal Society for the Arts (FRSA) and in 2015 he was a finalist in the Queensland College of Teachers’ Professor Betty Watts OBE Memorial Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Teaching. This recognised his work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying on scholarships in boarding schools. Following ten years as Deputy Headmaster at The Southport School in Queensland, Dr Parsons moved to Newcastle in 2016 to take on the position of Deputy Head of Newcastle Grammar School with a special responsibility for Student Wellbeing.

David has worked within the Executive Team of Newcastle Grammar as Head of Finance and Business Services since 2014 having joined the School two years prior as company accountant. David developed a broad financial skill base following extensive periods working in Audit and Business Services first in Sydney and then in the Upper Hunter. David is a member and graduate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia.

David has worked across a broad range of business areas including finance, governance, strategy, compliance, property and operations. During his time at NGS he has also developed skills in property management, refurbishing and managing a large investment with commercial tenants. He has also governed and led projects across systems and property. David has knowledge and experience managing critical incidents and cyber security and is involved in business planning and cyber preparedness. Governance skills gained while working as Company Secretary in not-for-profit and for-profit enterprise have been fine-tuned, and David graduated as a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2018.

Mrs Peterson holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and a Master’s of Educational Studies (with Distinction) Pedagogy from the University of Newcastle. She has worked at NGS for over 18 years and is the recipient of an Outstanding Professional Service Award for her contribution to ETA (English Teachers’ Association) NSW. In 2012, Mrs Peterson was appointed to the role of Director of Staff Accreditation and Professional Development. She was also appointed to the ISTAA (Independent Schools Teacher Accreditation Authority) council to guide policy and process on teacher accreditation in the Independent Schools sector. She has helped to revise the Professional Teaching Standards at the level of Experienced Teacher and assessed applicants for Experienced Teacher, Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher.

Mrs Peterson worked with AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) to review the National Professional Teaching Standards. She has recently been appointed to NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) as a representative for AISNSW (Association of Independent Schools of NSW) as an external assessor for HALT (Highly Accomplished Lead Teacher). In 2014, Mrs Peterson was appointed to the position of Director of Learning and Teaching at NGS and has held and developed this executive role since.

Mr Philip Fielden started at Newcastle Grammar School as Director of Studies in 2016. He worked closely with Mrs Lisa Peterson and the Heads of Department to update the organisation’s approach to curriculum, assessment, managing academic-related school events and timetabling. Mr Fielden brings a wide range of education and leadership experience to NGS; he began his teaching career in the UK at Bradford Grammar School and emigrated to Australia in 2000. Before arriving in Newcastle, he spent 16 years working at The Hills Grammar School in Sydney. He holds three university qualifications, including a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Macquarie University. In addition, Mr Fielden has co-authored several History books published by Cengage, from Stage 4 through to HSC level.

Since the start of 2021, Mr Fielden has worked on school strategy and led the process of writing the most recent School Strategic Plan for 2023-2025, which involved an extensive period of consultation and collaboration with a variety of stakeholders. The implementation program, involving nine Strategic Planning Teams, has now been in full flow for the last 12 months.

Mrs Lynch has been at NGS for eight years, initially joining as an English and Ancient History teacher and later moving to the Assistant Head of the Languages and Literacy position until 2021 when she joined the Executive Team in her current role as Director of Studies. Leanne has been an educator for 33 years and for 23 of these she has held a variety of leadership positions that have delivered a valuable depth of educational experience and operational knowledge, including Head of Teaching and Learning, Deputy Head and Acting Principal.

Leanne has had extensive HSC English Marking experience, as a Marker for 13 years, a Senior Marker for eight years and as a Supervisor of Marking for the HSC English Advanced Paper for four years, a role which saw her lead the Newcastle Marking Centre operation for NESA. She has also served as a member of the English Extension 1 Examination Committee, writing HSC examinations. Leanne has been an ISTAA Assessor marking Experienced Teacher submissions at the AIS and she holds a current Child Protection Investigator qualification. Leanne has been fortunate enough to run tours to Europe and the USA, providing enriching, practical experiences for her students to grow and learn, building their awareness and responsibilities of global citizenship.

Mr Collins has been at NGS for five years, initially joining as Head of Global Studies. Prior to this, he was Head of Department at The King’s School in Sydney for five of his eight years. Drew has held a number of positions including lecturer at University of Newcastle, author of the ongoing series of Stage 3 and 4 Geography textbooks (Oxford University Press), and in 2018 was an AIS conference convenor (Geography). Drew has been an HSC Examination Writer and Marker, represented teachers on syllabus writing projects with NESA and is a member of the Geography Teachers Association of NSW and ACT (Councillor, writer and conference presenter).

Earlier in his career, Drew taught at The Pittwater House Schools (an independent school on the northern beaches of Sydney), on the Central Coast for NSW Department of Education and taught for 3 years in UK (London). Drew has been lucky to have travelled extensively which brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the classroom and operational roles. These include both personal and school tours in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

Mr Kozey holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and worked in Sydney prior to moving to Newcastle in 2018. He was responsible for the review of risk management procedures at NGS, and currently sits on the Uniform and Workplace Health and Safety committees and coordinates the Workplace Learning program at NGS. Mr Kozey currently holds the position of Debating Chair and Coordinator at the Heads of Independent Co-educational Schools (HICES). He is responsible for the design, management and daily operations of this state-wide debating competition involving nearly 50 schools, and 280 teams.

 In 2019, he designed the NGS Supporting Athlete Performance (SAP) program to ensure students competing at a high level athletically are supported to perform academically. NGS SAP has since attracted several emerging athletes and has contributed greatly to the recent sporting success of NGS teams. In 2020, Mr Kozey developed the myNGS Passport program, providing NGS students outstanding co-curricular opportunities to flourish outside the classroom, and in 2022, myNGS Passport was awarded one of nine Australian Education Awards for Excellence. Recently, Mr Kozey presented to an Australasian Round Square forum on the design of a meaningful Co-curricular program.