Peter Shepard’s journey into teaching is a little different to most. His early career was spent in corporate marketing roles, but he soon discovered that something didn’t feel quite right.. What he was selling no longer aligned with what motivated him.
“I wanted to finish my day selling something that I really believed in, and what I believe in is education.”
That realisation became a turning point, with Peter deciding to move away from corporate life and return to university to study teaching – a move that reshaped his career and his sense of purpose.
Today, Peter is the Campus Principal at OneSchool Global’s Berwick campus in south-east Melbourne, where he has worked since the start of 2024.
The role of a Campus Principal is demanding by nature, but for Peter, the challenges are far outweighed by the rewards.
“It’s a broad portfolio where both strategic and operational thinking are required. Yes, I go home exhausted, but I go home happy. I go home knowing that I’m doing work that really matters.”
Before joining OneSchool Global, Peter worked at a number of independent Christian schools in Melbourne. When he began considering his next chapter, he kept hearing positive things about OSG.
“I heard about the sort of students that I’d be working and then the interactions I had were really positive. The work you get to do with the kids, built around learning to learn is really attractive and something you don’t find teaching anywhere else.”
While the school is attended by families of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, Peter is clear about the school’s operational independence and focus on learning.
“The students are all from the same church, but that doesn’t make any difference to who they are when they’re at school. At school, they’re kids who are here to learn. Their church commitments happen outside of school, so our role is to take care of their academic development.”
Peter openly acknowledges that OSG’s approach to learning is different to traditional school environments, but in his mind that’s one of the school’s biggest strengths.
“As a teacher here, you’ve got to be willing to open yourself up and let the students lead you along the way. Yes, you need to know your stuff and be a really good operator, but our learning to learn framework sets you up to be the best teacher you can possibly be. It’s different from traditional teaching, but if you’re open to that, you can come here and flourish – because the kids will let you flourish.”
For teachers considering their next move, Peter’s message is clear
“If you’re ready for a slightly different way to do it, but a really joyful and amazing way to do it, this is a great place to work.”
Find your ideal role at OSG here.
About OneSchool Global
OneSchool Global is an independent school network that has more than 8,000 primary and secondary students and 2,000 staff across the globe, in regions including United Kingdom, North America, Europe, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and the Caribbean. Our students come from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church community; however, OneSchool Global is not a religious school and only teaches religion as required in the curriculum.
