About our School Board

The School Board is a legally formed body that, in partnership with our staff, is given powers to set and monitor the key directions of our school. It is the major governing body of the school and oversees the school’s performance. In essence, the role of school board is one of setting the long term future for the school and maintaining oversight (not management) of the school’s operation. It is not about running the school – that is the job of the principal. It is about providing additional expertise to help the school achieve the best outcomes for the students.

Duncraig Primary School Board meets twice each term.

The Board consists of the Principal, representatives from the staff and elected parents and community representatives. The current make up is: four staff (including the Principal) and seven parent/community members.

Duncraig Primary School Board Members

Nicole Borbas – Principal
Leah Clegg – Staff representative
Sandra Firman – Staff representative
Sara Orford – Staff representative
Tom Hockley – Board Chair/Parent representative
Nicole Becker – Parent representative
Brad McCallum – Parent representative
Maria Rudolph- Parent representative
Carly Dolinski – Parent representative
Emma Vincent – Parent representative
Russ Fishwick – Community representative

Code of Conduct
Role of Chair
Frequently Asked Questions

About our Board Members

Tom Hockley is a Town Planner and Bushfire Protection Consultant servicing a range of clients including Local and State Government, infrastructure and service providers, as well as private developers and landowners. He has 14 years industry experience in both private and government settings and has held positions in Perth, Melbourne and Vancouver. He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, a Graduate Certificate in Project Management, a Graduate Certificate in Bushfire Protection and a Bachelor of Education (Primary).

Tom has maintained a number of volunteer positions on industry committees and has continually worked to facilitate educational opportunities for his peers within the planning industry and associated fields.

A resident of Duncraig for the past 5 years with two children currently attending Duncraig Primary in Pre-primary and Year 2, Tom aims to contribute meaningfully to the school environment and outcomes for students.

Nicole Becker has been a parent and active member of the Duncraig Primary School community for many years with her youngest child currently in Year 4. Nicole has a strong background in science and has worked as a research fellow as well as taught at a university level. She is passionate about making sure the needs of all students, regardless of their abilities and backgrounds are an absolute priority. In her spare time Nicole likes baking for people she really likes.

Russ Fishwick JP is serving in his third term as Deputy Mayor at the City of Joondalup having been elected to the Council in 2006. He was Chair of the Mindarie Regional Council for 10 years. He sits on the Western Australian Local Government Advisory Board and is a WA Local Government Association State Councillor. He is a Justice of the Peace and has been a member on the States Crime Prevention Council and Anti-Graffiti Task Force.

He holds university post graduate qualifications in business and management. He has a long employment history in local government holding senior positions in metropolitan councils including acting as a chief executive officer. He has a long history as a volunteer in surf lifesaving and is a Senior Assessor for Surf Life Saving WA. Russ is also a board member at the Poynter Primary School and the Churchlands Senior High School.

Leah Clegg is a compassionate and responsive leader focused on providing an inclusive and supportive learning community that strives for excellence to empower students. As a member of the leadership team at Duncraig Primary School (DPS) since 2016 Leah has been a Deputy Principal and Principal. Leah’s extensive experience in leading diverse communities equips her to confidently promote effective relationships, whilst supporting and delivering relevant and engaging programs that meet the social, emotional and academic needs of all students.

Throughout Leah’s time at DPS she has led with a strong moral purpose and built a culture of high expectation and achievement, in which students and staff are supported to reach their full potential. Leah continues to build partnerships that encourage the engagement, full participation and empowerment of all families whilst collaborating with schools, agencies, and networks.

Emma Vincent is currently the Supply Chain Planning Manager responsible for leading a team with deep analytical expertise to provide direction on the configuration and operation of BHP’s 280 million tonne iron ore supply chain in Western Australian. Her previous role was as the Commercial Operations Manager responsible for leading Petroleum sales execution activities for BHP across the Australian and Pacific region. She has also been actively involved in cultural improvement initiatives including vice-chairing the Mental Wellness Working Group for BHP Asia, and co-founding the Women in Perth group for BHP Australia.

From 2011-2015 Emma was a full-time mother to her daughters Georgie and Keira, both of whom now attend Duncraig Primary School. During this time, Emma authored and published a pro-vaccination children’s book titled “The Measly Virus”. Emma is a graduate of the University of Western Australia, securing a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and an Honours Degree in Computing and Mathematical Sciences. In 2017, Emma was awarded the Young Catalyser award from Women in Mining and Resources Singapore (WIMAR SG) for her efforts promoting Inclusion and Diversity in the workplace. She was also selected to participate in BHP’s Future Emerging Leaders Program from 2018-2019.

Sara Orford is a teacher at Duncraig Primary School who has been at the school since 2016. Before joining the school board, Sara was the 3-6 learning team leader for three years. She is a keen member of many committees including the HASS and ICT team. Sara has previously tutored at the Ronald McDonald Learning Program, which assists school-aged children with serious illnesses and injuries to catch up on missed education following treatment and recovery. Sara graduated at UWA with a Communications and Mass Media degree majoring in Psychology and then went on to complete her postgraduate education degree.

Carly Dolinski is currently the Chief Procurement Officer at the Mental Health Commission, Government of Western Australia, responsible for leading a procurement and asset management / business services team, which provides expertise and advice related to the procurement of complex and high-value projects, as well as strategic asset management. Carly has held numerous management positions within the Department of Health, Mental Health Commission and Ministerial Offices in Western Australia. She has also worked as a researcher and principal project manager in the tertiary education sector in the Northern Territory (Flinders University of South Australia) and Canada (University of Calgary). Carly’s qualifications include a Masters of Public Health, a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Nursing degree. She has also successfully completed studies through the Australian Institute of Management WA being the Mental Health Leadership Program (Executive Sponsors Program) and Leading Collaboration Program. Carly values the role that team-work and authentic stakeholder relationships play in promoting positive outcomes in any context and enjoys finding innovative solutions to complex problems.

Carly grew up in Duncraig graduating from Carine Senior High School in 1994 and is passionate about the 6023 postcode and the amazing community within it! With regard to Duncraig Primary School, in 2021 Carly sat on the Social & Emotional Learning sub-committee and had a role in coordinating the Wellness Day, which was a great success. Carly is grateful to be able to send her children to Duncraig Primary School and she currently has a son in Year 2, with her daughter due to commence kindergarten in 2023.

In her “spare” time Carly enjoys simply being present with her family and friends.

Brad McCallum has been a teacher for 17 years and is currently Head of Health and Physical Education at Wanneroo Secondary College. Brad understands the processes involved in making decisions that affect school effectiveness and possesses the knowledge of how schools work and the parameters within which they need to function. Brad has two daughters at Duncraig Primary School and coaches a Duncraig PS netball team. Brad has also been involved in the Fathering Project at Duncraig PS. Brad provides a link to the Duncraig Primary School P&C, as his wife Amber, is a member of the P&C executive.

Sandy Firman is a teacher at Duncraig Primary School who has been at the school for over 30 years, despite some time off caring for her own children and enjoying a few years teaching on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. She is very passionate about the school community and students at Duncraig Primary School. She brings to our school board considerable community and curriculum knowledge, especially in the early childhood years.

Nicole Borbas is the Principal of Duncraig Primary School. Nicole has been in education for over 30 years and has held school leadership positions since 2014. Nicole’s background in education has been mainly in rural and remote settings, with a particular focus on multi-cultural, Aboriginal education and English Curriculum leadership. Leading schools in rural and remote settings has allowed Nicole to recognise and appreciate the contributions and impact of community relationships. Positive engagement with the community, timely and relevant communication and proactive partnerships with community groups and external agencies enables successful schools and successful students.

Maria Rudolph is a parent who has been involved with Duncraig Primary School for the past three years. Maria has children in Years 5, 3 and 1. Maria is passionate about children’s education and loves the Duncraig Primary School community. She also has a particular interest in providing equal opportunities for girls and women, and appreciates that Duncraig PS is an inclusive, supportive environment for all. Maria would like to contribute to advancing this further. Maria’s is a big supporter of the School Chaplaincy program to support students’ well-being and she has a particular interest in cross-cultural and language education.