Shore School Council backs headmaster in leadership spat
The Shore School Council has written to the school community to affirm support for embattled headmaster Timothy Petterson and his leadership after it was revealed he apologised to staff for leaving them sad, angry and fearful.
The letter, signed by council chairman Bay Warburton, was sent on Saturday in response to an article published in the Herald that said Dr Petterson used a staff meeting last month to apologise and acknowledge he had been unintentionally “disrespectful, insensitive and unwise”.
Tim Petterson is the eighth headmaster of Shore School in more than 130 years.
The letter said the school council supported the headmaster and the “excellent leadership team he has assembled”, and the changes he is making to grow all students from early childhood learning to year 12 “in character and as lifelong learners”.
Dr Petterson became principal in 2020 after his predecessor served 17 years and his leadership of the elite school has divided teachers and the school community.
His apology came after teachers at Shore wrote to the school’s governing council about their concerns, which included low staff morale, Dr Petterson’s educational leadership, and his management of change at the 133-year-old institution.
Shore School has operated since 1889 and costs $36,000 to attend.Credit:Flavio Brancaleone
The letter backed Dr Petterson for his apology to staff and said it was “regrettable” it had been leaked to the media.
“We strongly endorse the actions of the headmaster in engaging with staff members to understand
and address their concerns, which we know are not shared by all staff,” the letter says.
“Given the headmaster’s words were deeply personal and intended solely for staff, it is regrettable that his apology and efforts to reach out in this way have been shared externally.”
Sydney Church of England Grammar School, founded in 1889, also called Shore School for its location on the lower north shore, has an income of $65 million annually and costs $36,000 a year to attend.
Alumni include Hollywood actor Errol Flynn, media mogul Frank Packer and former prime minister John Gorton. A quarter of students are sons or grandsons of old boys, and parents must enrol their sons on the day of their birth to ensure a place.
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