David Sim and Natalie Mansour, Principals, Glenmore Park Public School and Lurnea Public School

Principals and NOII NSW leaders

Natalie Mansour and David Sim shared a desire to improve student outcomes in their respective schools, prompting them to use current research to turn the traditional professional learning model in schools on its head. Utilising the Spirals of Inquiry approach, Mansour and Sim achieved significant impact for their student populations by using professional development that caters for the specific needs of their schools and allows teachers time to collaborate in researching and implementing evidence-based practices.

In 2016, Spiral of Inquiry founders Dr Linda Kaser and Dr Judy Halbert were so impressed by how the pair had implemented the model, they asked them to lead the Australian arm of their Network of Inquiry and Innovation (NOII). Mansour and Sim began by leading 13 schools and through existing and new partnerships, the NOII NSW has become a way for schools and inquiry teams to share innovative ideas, structures and processes. Their own schools became lighthouses, with representatives from around NSW and even as far as British Columbia in Canada coming to see it in action.