Ms Rachael Falloon
Currently serving as Principal of Fintona Girls’ School, Ms Rachael Falloon is a dedicated educational leader with over three decades of experience in school leadership across Australia. Ms Falloon characterises contemporary educational leadership through her strategic vision, community engagement, and commitment to fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and student agency.
At Fintona, she has successfully navigated complex challenges including COVID-19 adaptations, major infrastructure projects, and organisational restructuring while maintaining educational excellence and an environment of curiosity and possibility for all students. Her ability to balance tradition with innovation is evident in her comprehensive brand review and masterplan revision, creating learning environments that truly serve pedagogical and wellbeing objectives.
During the pandemic, Ms Falloon demonstrated adaptability, implementing highly successful online learning and connecting programs at a school that was not previously a 1:1 laptop school. She has significantly enhanced community connections, strengthening parent and alumni engagement while also building student engagement beyond the classroom and bolstering enrolments.
A defining characteristic of Ms Falloon's leadership is her commitment to improvement and student agency. She has pioneered initiatives involving students in building design workshops, leadership selection processes, and is passionate about providing space for students to lead their own initiatives. She also relishes a challenge. Ms Falloon approaches such as an opportunity to learn, to innovate, to reflect, and to be brave, reflecting her encouragement of others to take a risk, to look outward and embrace the unknown.
Her experience encompasses co-educational, single-gender, day and boarding environments, alongside leadership roles which have included Head of Mathematics, Senior Head of House (leading school-wide academic and personal development programs), Deputy Head and Principal. With a drive to provide learning opportunities beyond the classroom, Ms Falloon has coached many sporting and cultural teams and led many school tours to far flung places around the globe. Her experiences have sharpened her focus on transforming pastoral programs, implementing peer coaching initiatives, and fostering learning environments that support a deeper knowledge of self, celebrate a ‘can do’ attitude, and provide an environment where we are equipping young people, not just to navigate, but lead in an every-changing and complex world.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master in Organisational Leadership from Monash University, and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School. Ms Falloon maintains active involvement across a breadth of professional associations including the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and serving on the Committee of Management for Girls Sport Victoria.
Alongside her life as an educator, family is her focus, with home projects a great distraction.