Right Person, Right Time

Ushering me into his office, Lawrence exhibits his trademark smile, warm demeanour and matching vocal timbre. Being approachable is in his DNA and a part of his new role that he takes very seriously.

But being appointed Head of Middle School is much more than a popularity contest, and within minutes of chatting, it’s clear that Lawrence would never have applied for the position if he didn’t feel fully prepared. 'I've been in school leadership of various kinds for a long time, and I've learnt pretty quickly that it's got to be the right time, right place, right position. You can’t do a leadership role without feeling ready for it and like you can really invest in it.'

In 2021, Lawrence was encouraged to apply for a leadership role in the Senior School. A role he hadn’t even contemplated. The simple act of someone believing in him shifted something. Within months, he found himself not just in the role, but acting up into an even bigger one. 'A few weeks in, you just have to do it,' he says. 'And you realise what you are able to do.'

Throughout 2025, with the School’s backing, he completed the Association of Independent Schools of NSW globally acclaimed National Flagship Program to further extend himself. When the Middle School leadership position came up, he felt ready, applied and beat applicants from all over the world.

The theme of being seen, backed and believed in threads through everything he talks about. It’s the heart of his pastoral philosophy, and it’s impossible to miss how deeply he cares about student needs. 'Young adolescents need to be reminded that they’re important,' he says. 'Their automatic response to most things is that no one cares about them.'

Lawrence has spent much of his career with Years 7 to 10, observing how they tick and trip up. He’s acutely aware that boys often won’t talk when asked directly and that they worry about being seen getting help. He believes that the magic lies in relationships built quietly and consistently, over time. Maintaining a system that promotes opportunities for relationship building is high on his agenda, and he extols the virtues of Heads of House, Home Group Teachers and Wellbeing Team members. 'All students need to know there are people in their corner. So, when the need is there, they know where to go.'

His experience teaching in a single-sex environment showed him that co-education was where he wanted to be. Why? 'The simple answer is that reality is important. I felt that the boys were missing day-to-day interactions with half of humanity, and it showed in how they talked about women. It wasn’t always derogatory, but it was missing something. They weren’t experiencing the other gender as colleagues or friends.'

But he concedes that even in a co-ed environment, respect needs to be consistently modelled and reinforced. 'Our expectation is that everyone should feel safe, have a voice and be respected regardless of who they are. It’s a very important message that students need to hear and see across all aspects of school life – not just when issues are being dealt with. We are pretty unique in this space in that students can wear whichever uniform items they want, and as much as possible, we allow them to play the sports of their choosing. Seeing people breaking moulds and being celebrated is important, and I think we do that really well. They are starting points for these considerations.'

Lawrence is equally conscious of guiding students to appreciate what’s on offer at Pembroke. 'We are privileged to be in an environment like this, so we should be using that and sharing that. Service is one of the pillars of our Strategic Plan, and the emphasis on it is building, which I’m excited to be a part of.'

This thinking formed part of the vision that he pitched when applying for his new role. Students who feel connected not just to each other, but to the wider world. And students who understand they can contribute, whether their world is small or vast. 'School should be set up so that students learn how they can make an impact in their world. I want them to come out of here feeling like they can contribute and that they want to.'

When I ask whether he plans to reshape the role now that he’s stepping into it, he smiles. 'I’m not going to pretend to be someone I’m not, so it’ll certainly reflect me as a character. But I’m not here to make wholesale changes. This is a really well-functioning community.'

As for how being a parent has influenced him as a teacher, it might not be what you’d expect. He says that teaching has taught him patience as a parent. 'Most importantly, I’ve learnt that a teacher and a parent are very different things. Your kids don’t want everything to be a lesson.' He laughs as he describes his own son seeking out role models beyond home. 'And that’s important. The more voices they learn from, the more they can work out who they are.'

It was, in fact, the advice of Pembroke teachers that sent Lawrence on the path to teaching. They agreed he was good at relating to people and that the profession would be right up his alley. His Maths Teacher, Mr Hilditch offered practical advice about university pathways and, he says, 'It has always felt like the right decision.'

Given all the added responsibility, Lawrence will only be teaching one class this year. Outside of that, he intends to be as visible as possible, getting to know around 900 students and inviting them to get to know him too. 'I want them to know what I value, what I think and what I think they can get out of this place, which is a lot more than an ATAR.'

He also intends to nurture his teachers. 'It's not an easy job to do if you're not into it, right? So, you’ve got to create an environment where they are being supported, extended and challenged. That’s something I want to make sure is continued, so we have people who are really invested in the place. Because they need to be.'

While he’s cautious about sweeping statements on technology, Lawrence is clear about the pressures young people face in a world shaped by social media and rapidly evolving AI. He worries about the expectation that adolescents should somehow resist systems designed to capture their attention, calling it 'A pretty unfair burden to place on a developing mind.' For him, the remedy isn’t necessarily banning technology outright but ensuring students have the grounding, relationships and critical thinking to navigate it.

And when it comes to AI, he’s pragmatic about the pace of change, noting that assessment systems are already struggling to keep up. 'We can’t pretend students won’t use it. The question is how we teach them to use it well.' He doesn’t see AI as a threat to learning but a prompt for schools to double down on the skills that matter most, including human connection and communication. As he puts it, the future belongs to students who understand themselves and can work with others, 'because a lot of what they’ll be doing doesn’t even exist yet.'

Lawrence’s knowledge is vast, and we could have talked for hours given the affable ease with which he articulates. But he’s a very busy man who will have little spare time in the year ahead. In case you’re curious what he’ll do when he does, it’ll be spent with family, playing basketball (when the body allows) and adding to his basketball card collection.

Kate Holland (1992)
Pembroke Alum