NSW Premier Chris Minns has congratulated 14 of the State’s best teachers whose commitment to quality education has been rewarded with a 2027 Premier’s Teacher Scholarship.
The scholarship program was open to NSW teachers from government and non-government schools and preschools, and to teachers at TAFE NSW Institutes, with nine recipients coming from a public school this year.
It provides each recipient with $15,000 in funds for a five-week study tour during 2027.
Since they started in 1999, more than 570 Premier’s Teacher Scholarship recipients have been able to develop their skills and knowledge in a chosen field of expertise.
The 2027 Premier’s Teacher Scholarship recipients were presented at a reception at Parliament House on Tuesday, 12 August 2026.
Katie Jackson, Pittwater House, Collaroy, was named recipient of the NSW Premier's NESA Quality Teaching Scholarship.
2027 Premier's NESA Quality Teaching Scholarship: Katie Jackson (Pittwater House, Collaroy): From knowing to doing: Investigating whole-school conditions that make quality teaching the norm, not the exception.
This scholarship is open to teachers currently teaching in NSW schools or NSW early childhood education and care services.
The scholarship is for the study of quality teaching. It is designed to support teacher accreditation and professional development, to provide resources and evidence to improve practice, and to celebrate and acknowledge teacher excellence in NSW.
The successful applicant's research may be incorporated into NESA resources supporting quality teaching across NSW.
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers reflect and build on national and international evidence that a teacher's effectiveness has a powerful impact on students, with broad consensus that teacher quality is the single most important in-school factor influencing student achievement. Continually improving teacher quality is considered an essential part of the NSW Government's efforts to improve student attainment and ensure NSW has a world-class system of education. For example, applications by interested teachers could propose to:
- investigate global trends in teacher quality, professional development and mentoring, and how these could be applied in NSW schools and/or early childhood services
- investigate the representative tasks of expert teachers and how their impact on students, schools and other educators is measured
- research how high-performing systems currently develop, identify and share the knowledge and practice of expert teachers
- Identify the aspects of teaching standards in Australian and international contexts that have been successful in driving widespread quality teaching and investigate key features of their successful implementation
- research how expert teachers in Australian and international contexts can lead to higher performance by leading professional development
- investigate the current and emerging themes of quality practice in teaching and professional development across national and international educational contexts
- research what professional development and mentoring practices are valued by teachers at all career stages and leaders in national and international contexts.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning and Minister for Western Sydney, the Hon. Prue Car stated:
‘’ These incredible teachers will bring new skills, fresh ideas and inspiration back to their classrooms, helping shape the future of students across NSW.
Congratulations to all recipients. Your dedication represents the very best our public schools have to offer.’’
Mrs. Jackson said: ‘’ [I’m] still a little amazed and very honoured to have been awarded the NSW Premier’s NESA Quality Teaching Scholarship.
It gives me the opportunity to spend some time next year exploring something I care deeply about. We know a lot about what good teaching looks like, but how do schools actually make it happen consistently across every classroom?
Such an incredible opportunity. I’m excited to get started and see where it takes me.’’
Pittwater House stated: ‘’We are incredibly proud that our Director of Teaching and Learning, Mrs Jackson, has been awarded the Premier’s NESA Quality Teaching Scholarship – a highly sought-after scholarship supporting research and professional learning in Australia and overseas.’’
Mrs Jackson’s research, "From Knowing to Doing: Investigating Whole-School Conditions That Make Quality Teaching the Norm, Not the Exception", will explore how high-performing schools create the conditions for excellent teaching in every classroom - consistently.
As part of her research, Katie plans to visit high-performing schools in Australia and the United Kingdom, examining not only what excellent teaching looks like in the classroom, but the leadership decisions, curriculum systems, structures and professional learning that enable it to become embedded across an entire school.
Her research will explore how shared, high-quality curriculum resources, whole-school approaches to teaching and strong professional cultures can reduce teacher workload and enable teachers to focus more deeply on the craft of teaching and student learning.''
“Ultimately, the scholarship is about understanding how schools reduce variability in teaching quality so that a student’s experience of excellent teaching is not dependent on which classroom they happen to walk into,” Katie said.
Mrs Jackson joined Pittwater House Principal, Dr Middleton, at NSW Parliament House, where Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car presented awards to this year’s recipients.
Pittwater House was one of only two independent schools recognised.
Dr Middleton said the award reflected Mrs Jackson’s commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, her passion for professional growth and her dedication to improving outcomes for students and colleagues alike.
The insights Mrs Jackson gains will help inform teaching and learning at Pittwater House, while her findings will also be shared with the wider NSW education community through NESA, professional learning networks and educational forums.
''Pittwater House congratulates Mrs Jackson on this outstanding and richly deserved achievement and looks forward to following her research journey.'' the school said
The 2027 winners are:
- - NSW Premier's Anika Foundation Youth Depression Awareness Scholarship: Karen Jubb, Shortland Public School and Hunter School of the Performing Arts and Shirley Lu, Prairievale Public School, Bossley Park
- - NSW Premier's Creativity across the Curriculum Scholarship: Parisa Marathocabitis, Hilltop Road Public School, Merrylands
- - NSW Premier's Early Childhood Australia Education Scholarship: Jessica Petkos, Darlinghurst Public School, Potts Point
- - NSW Premier's Economics and Business Educators NSW Commerce Scholarship: Lili Braidner, Bethany College, Hurstville
- - NSW Premier's Hicksons Lawyers Rural and Remote Education Scholarship: Rikki Commens, Southern Cross School of Distance Education, East Ballina
- - NSW Premier's History Teachers’ Association History Scholarship: Ellen Marsh, Lisarow High School and Fiona Radford, Pymble Ladies' College
- - NSW Premier's NESA Quality Teaching Scholarship: Katie Jackson, Pittwater House, Collaroy
- - NSW Premier's Teachers Mutual Bank Aboriginal Education Scholarship: Casey West, Singleton Heights Public School
- - NSW Premier's University of New England STEM and Technology Scholarship: Melissa Tindall, MidCoast Christian College, Taree
- - NSW Premier's University of Sydney Mathematics Scholarship: Jessica Magee, St Ursula's College, Kingsgrove
- - NSW Premier's Vocational Education in Schools Scholarship: Bradley Ryan, Shepherds Park Education and Training Unit, Wagga Wagga
- - NSW Premier's Western Sydney University Inclusive Education Scholarship: Alice Leung, Concord High School
Further information on each scholarship can be found at nsw.gov.au/enhance-your-career/nsw-premier-s-teacher-scholarships
Sponsoring organisations who have helped to make the award possible include: The Anika Foundation, Early Childhood Australia NSW, Economics and Business Educators NSW, NSW History Teachers Association, NSW Education Standards Authority, Teachers Mutual Bank, Western Sydney University, University of New England, University of Sydney, Hicksons Lawyers and the NSW Department of Education.
2027 NSW Premier's Teacher Scholarships recipients with the NSW Deputy Premier / Minister for Education and Early Learning. Photo: NSW Education Dept./NSW Government