Farewell to Jane

On Friday we said farewell to Jane Davies, the esteemed Principal of Prace College. After 15 years of dedicated service, Jane leaves behind a legacy of inclusivity, passion, innovation, empathy, and compassion.

Jane joined Prace in January 2008 as a Youth Programs Coordinator and went on to become Assistant Principal and then Principal of Prace College. Under her guidance, our youth program grew from 34 community VCAL students into a thriving independent school with over 90 students enrolled across our two campuses.

Jane came to Prace with a wealth of experience working with young people in the education sector. She was instrumental in developing VCAL, a state-wide, senior secondary program for young people wanting a more ‘hands-on’ education, that was introduced in 2002. She continues her advisory work and has delivered professional development training and program development work for young people including significant curriculum input for the new VCEVM (Victorian Certificate of Education Vocational Major) and the VPC (Victorian Pathways Certificate) in 2023.

A driving force at Prace, Jane joined our senior management team in 2011 and was a key player in the registration of Prace College as an independent school and the construction of campus facilities with fit-for-purpose learning spaces in Reservoir and Mernda.

Jane implemented innovative programs including the PreCal class for students who were disengaged from mainstream education but were not quite ready to get back into full time study. Jane also introduced the Young Mums VCAL program in 2012.

In 2020 and 2021, Jane steered the Prace College team through COVID-19 with professionalism and positivity, ensuring students stayed engaged and focused on their VCAL certificate. This required extensive planning and review, utilising creativity, and innovation.

Jane is a passionate advocate for marginalised young people and believes

“We need to ensure that every student, regardless of background, has the opportunity to get the very best education and complete their senior secondary education the way they need to complete it, not the way we want them to complete it. So that every student has the possibility of a positive and successful life.”

Join us in celebrating her achievements and wishing Jane all the very best for the future.