Co-designing a new organisation structure
The challenge
A large multi-campus government school in regional Victoria engaged SenateSHJ to review and evolve its leadership structure. There was a clear opportunity to clarify roles, responsibilities, and points of accountability across senior and middle leadership.
Approach
We quickly identified what was and wasn’t working through surveys and leader conversations, and reviewed structures from other schools for inspiration.
Through workshops and 1:1 sessions, we co-designed a new structure aligned to the school’s strategic goals – defining design principles, identifying required shifts, and testing high-level options for structure and ways of working.
We then supported implementation: developing a detailed organisational chart, role descriptions for senior leaders, and identifying ways of working changes required to support the new model. Throughout, we advised leaders on managing change and helped engage staff and the school community.
Outcome
The new structure went live in Term 1, 2025. Early feedback suggests increased clarity and strong staff support for the new direction.
Quote from senior school leader
The year has started on a really positive note, with staff embracing the changes and collaboratively working through any grey areas. The increased clarity provided by the new structure has been well received, and staff seem genuinely happy with the direction we’re taking.
During our new staff induction last week, it was fantastic to present a clear organisational structure, helping to set expectations and provide a strong foundation for new team members.
There’s still plenty of work ahead, but we are already seeing early rewards from our investment in these new roles, and we couldn’t have made this progress without the guidance and support from you both.
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