Bishop Druitt College recognised nationally as a 5-Star Employer of Choice

Bishop Druitt College (BDC) has been recognised nationally as a 5-Star Employer of Choice by The Educator. This recognition highlights the college's workplace culture within the Australian education sector, marking a repeat milestone following its previous selections in 2023 and 2025.

The announcement builds on a period of sustained momentum for the leading co-educational K–12 institution on the Coffs Coast. In addition to the employer accolade, BDC recently received an Excellence Award in the Regional School of the Year category ahead of the Australian Education Awards this August. This follows the college's strongest academic results to date in 2025, where 80% of university applicants secured early entry offers into competitive fields such as Medicine and Engineering.

The annual 5-Star Employer of Choice Award is based on an evaluation process evaluating employee satisfaction, leadership support, workplace policies, benefits, and professional growth opportunities.

National Recognition for BDC’s Workplace Culture

The college intentionally embeds personal and professional support into its daily operations. Rather than viewing staff solely as employees, BDC prioritises regular climate check-ins, structured feedback loops, and targeted wellbeing initiatives, such as dedicated term activities and 'Chalkies', the weekly Friday staff café.

Sarah Stokes, Head of Primary, noted:

"The leadership team ensures our staff feel heard by conducting regular check-ins to gauge the school climate, allowing leaders to genuinely understand and support the team’s day-to-day experience. Ultimately, BDC builds a culture of clear transparency, ensuring every individual feels respected as a person, not just an employee."

Collaboration Across 'The BDC Way'

Operationally, the campus relies on a shared framework known as 'The BDC Way', which focuses on wellbeing, inclusion, service, and empowerment. This framework bridges the gap between primary and secondary teams, connecting faculty and operational staff alike.

Deputy Principal Sue O’Connor explained:

"In a dynamic K-12 environment, these values strengthen partnerships between primary and secondary teams, while also connecting faculties, year groups and professional and operational staff in a shared commitment to student success."

Driving Regional Innovation

As a regional school, BDC has established a reputation for pedagogical innovation. Through programs like BDC Investigations, Project-Based Learning, Kaizen, and World Options, teachers are given the autonomy to design creative, passion-led learning environments.

Innovation & Professional Learning Coordinator Joel Davis added:

"By trusting our teachers as the experts they are and celebrating their creative courage, we have built a vibrant system where both staff and students thrive."

Structured Professional Growth

Principal Simon Doyle emphasised that sustainable success requires embedding professional learning directly into daily practice. BDC facilitates this through Teams of Practice (TOPs) for cross-disciplinary collaboration, Program Evaluation Days, microcredentials, and peer mentoring via the Teaching Hub.

Mr Doyle stated:

"This culture of trust, collaboration, and purposeful experimentation ensures fresh ideas continually enrich the art of teaching and strengthen our teachers' expertise in the classroom. This national achievement reflects our belief that supporting and valuing our staff is fundamental to delivering exceptional education."

Official Feature: The Educator Article & Award Index: 5-Star Employers 2026 List