Jesse Whittaker has been confirmed as the new permanent principal at Banmira Specialist School.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
As a teenager, Jesse Whittaker volunteered at Banmira Specialist School. Now, he is the school’s new permanent principal.
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Mr Whittaker grew up and attended school in Mooroopna while his father worked in an abattoir and at Shepparton Preserving Company before moving into disability support work.
“I noticed how much he liked doing that work and working with young people,” Mr Whittaker said.
After his experiences volunteering at Banmira, Mr Whittaker was encouraged to study education in Bendigo.
He returned to Banmira to do his placement and when he went to thank the staff after he finished, he was invited to stay and started teaching in 2011.
Mr Whittaker was made wellbeing lead in 2020 and after previous principal Angela Buxton took on a new role with the regional area team in February 2025, he stepped up to be acting principal.
A strong ethos for connection and equity clearly underlines Mr Whittaker’s work; he prioritises bonds that families have with the school and recognises that Banmira has a significant portion of students that come from a lower socio-economic background.
“It’s disadvantage piled on disadvantage,” he said.
He has worked with a number of children who are in out-of-home care and ensures “they get the same opportunities as their peers”.
Mr Whittaker said the students at Banmira often had different goals to mainstream schools and “our goal is to help the kids be as independent as possible”.
“Little things can become a huge achievement, getting a job is a huge thing,” he said.
Although he has taken a higher position, Jesse Whittaker still spends time with the students at Banmira.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Although he has stepped into a higher position, Mr Whittaker still pitches in when needed, because “someone needs to do it”.
“I volunteered here and I’ve literally done all the things,” he said.
“It’s given me that breadth and knowledge of the school like the back of my hand.”
One of Mr Whittaker’s favourite memories at the school is the debutante ball that involved high-school students from across Shepparton volunteering to teach dancing and supporting the Banmira students on the day of the event.
He loved seeing the students from the different schools dancing together and breaking down barriers.
“It’s the most amazing wholesome celebration,” he said.
Mr Whittaker has two children, Harper, 10, and Arlo, 8, with his wife, Kayla Whittaker, who also works at Banmira as the senior campus unit leader.
When he has the time in between taking his kids to weekend sports, Mr Whittaker enjoys expanding his record collection, which contains everything from The Beatles and AC/DC to Lola Young.
“It’s a little treat for me to buy a vinyl, and another, and another, and another,” he said.
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