Published on: 24 February 2022




At the beginning of the year the Preparatory School welcomed Mr Grant Haggerty in the role of Leader of Innovative Technologies.

In this role Mr Haggerty will lead the development of the School’s Innovation Lab as well as integrate new technologies into the classrooms.

Mr Haggerty has over 22 years experience as a teacher. Having spent his early teaching years as a Design and Technology teacher, he subsequently went on to become the Director of ICT Integration and Innovation and Head of Technologies at Aquinas College. Prior to commencing at Christ Church, Mr Haggerty spent two years working as the Elementary School ICT Integrator at Seisen International School, a Catholic girls’ school in Tokyo.

Mr Haggerty has already implemented several new and exciting programs in the Innovation Lab.

“The students have already been developing their design thinking skills through projects such as app prototyping and designing themed chess boards that will then be 3D printed. Some of the younger year groups from Pre-Primary to Year 4 have been building up some of their basic coding skills to prepare them for some problem-based projects later in the year.”

“This year we will be working towards integrating the skills we are learning into their other subject areas such as HASS and Science, giving the boys a chance to showcase their design thinking and problem solving further.”

In the second half of the year, Mr Haggerty will work with the Year 6 boys and their teachers, to assist with their Endeavour Market Projects, done in conjunction with MLC. “This project, that was introduced last year, encourages innovation and entrepreneurship as students develop unique ideas and a basic business model to design, build and market a product,” explained Mr Haggerty.

Mr Haggerty described the importance of the Innovation Lab and what the boys learn there, saying “I believe the Innovation Lab will become a place where the students grow as creative problem solvers in a hands-on environment. Throughout their lessons the boys not only cover the technologies curriculum but also work to develop their 21st century skills such as; critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration and teamwork, personal and social skills, and ICT skills.”