Billy Barnes is a class act

Officially stepping into the role of acting principal on May 5, Billy brings with him more than a decade of experience, a deep respect for education, and a personal philosophy rooted in people, culture, and connection.

“Initially, the career pathway was to try and play footy,” Billy laughs.

“Once that came out of sight, it was, right, teaching and learning, because I just love that space.”

Raised in Deniliquin and trained in Bendigo, Billy’s educational journey has been far from linear.

He started in Western Australia, facing 34 energetic Year 5s straight out of university.

“It’s sink or swim, I suppose, in terms of diving in and being at the forefront,” he said.

“I learned a lot and had really good mentors along the way.”

From WA to Torquay and then Kyabram P-12 College, where he led initiatives in teaching, learning, staff development and school-wide behaviour support, Billy built a reputation as someone who thrived on challenges.

At just 31, he stepped into his first assistant principal role.

Now, leading Tatura Primary – a small school with 190 students and 21 dedicated staff – Billy is already making an impact.

“It’s great to be able to come to a small school, being able to know all the students by name, their stories, the families, and obviously the staff as well,” he said.

In his first days, Billy met one-on-one with every member of the team, from teachers to the bus driver, to build relationships and gain an understanding of the school’s recent journey.

And there’s plenty to build on.

“The data is a real selling point,” Billy said.

“A lot of the academic data is above state level – even staff weren’t aware of just how strong it is.”

However, Billy is just as focused on what lies beneath the numbers.

“There’s been a noticeable decline in some wellbeing data,” he said.

“We’re seeing confidence and resilience levels dip.”

In response, Year 5 and 6 students are engaging in small-group sessions to “unpeel the layers” and strengthen their communication skills before transitioning to secondary school.

Additionally, he credits the school council for their active community role, including preparing 13,000 meals through the Friday Breakfast Club.

“The vision is making sure that the kids are community-minded,” he said.

As for his leadership mantra?

“It sounds cliché, but it is very much the way I operate: students first, staff first, always.”

With his sleeves rolled up and his sights set forward, Billy is ready for whatever comes next.

“We’re in the problem-solving business,” he said.

“There’s always a challenge to solve – and I love that.”