Welcome to Ben Jeacocke

At the start of this year, we welcomed our new Deputy Head of School and Head of Senior School Mr Ben Jeacocke. Here we learn a little more about him.

The warm welcome I have received from students, staff, and families has been amazing. I am very grateful to be joining such a caring, values-driven community, and everyone I have connected with has spoken so highly of the School. Camberwell Grammar has a long tradition of preparing young people to make a positive difference to others, and I am very much looking forward to building strong connections across our community.

I grew up in a small town in country NSW and went to high school in Albury. University days were spent in Canberra and, after starting my teaching career in country NSW, I spent two years working in Northamptonshire, England. I was fortunate to spend the entire time in the same school, which allowed me to get to know students and their families, as well as the staff. It was terrific to play for a local village cricket team, and a steep, but enjoyable, learning curve was taking on new challenges – including refereeing inter-school soccer fixtures and teaching sports such as rugby union and trampolining!

As well as Health and Physical Education, I also teach History so the opportunity to spend holidays filled with travel and new experiences throughout Europe was amazing. Upon returning to Australia, I worked at Overnewton College, including time as a Head of House and Deputy Head of Senior School. Most recently, I enjoyed ten years at St Michael’s Grammar School in roles including Head of House, VCE Coordinator, and Head of Senior School for the past 5 years.

Keeping active is a regular part of my day, usually by going for a run or going to the gym. I am a passionate Essendon Football Club supporter and I certainly have a love of sport, whether watching live or on TV. My Melbourne Cricket Club and Victoria Racing Club memberships provide great enjoyment and the chance to spend time with family and friends. When I was growing up in the country, one trip to the city each year was a highlight. Now, even after being a Melbournian for 20 years, I am grateful for being able to enjoy so many incredible opportunities on offer in our fantastic city to watch sport, attend festivals, and visit exhibitions.

My partner Efthamia and I have two children, Alec (Year 2) and Evie (Prep). We do as much as we can as a family. We love going to the football or a big bash game and we enjoy being active. Our weekends are filled with playing cricket, basketball, bike rides, or kicking the footy at the local oval. Evie loves her gymnastics sessions and Alec is a keen swimmer and they have both already joined me supporting CGS on Saturday mornings! Spending time with extended family and friends is also important to us.

My message to young people is that they should seek to have ‘stories to tell’ from their time at school. Therefore, it is vital to provide students with opportunities for challenge, achievement, and growth across a wide range of settings. I know that Camberwell Grammar already places significant emphasis on this facet of education, which I believe complements our strong focus on young people being their best in their academic studies too. We do this by providing a rich range of opportunities including academic engagement, co-curricular pursuits such as sport and performing arts, community service, and leadership. It is vital that we encourage students to engage not only in those activities which link to familiar passions, but also to try those that provide a new experience and the chance to explore, be curious, and discover new talents and interests. Through these opportunities, young people develop a stronger understanding of themselves and build a sense of connection to their peers and their community. These become the stories of their time at school, to be shared as a demonstration of their growth, learning, and effort and to show they have a good understanding of themselves as an individual capable of making a positive difference in the lives of others.

Our challenge as a society is to grow young men of character, who know themselves and understand the power that they hold as a son, sibling, friend, partner, teammate, or colleague to make a positive difference in the lives of others as they move through their school years and to the next stage of life beyond school.