Leadership

Kelly has worked in education since 1997 across both government and independent school sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Education in Physical Education, Health and Geography, and throughout her career has taught Physical Education, Health, Science and Humanities. Kelly has also contributed extensively in a range of middle leadership roles, helping to shape programs and support school communities. Kelly is deeply passionate about education, particularly Steiner Education, and has been part of the Orana community for 16 years. She values the richness of the Steiner curriculum, the meaningful relationships formed with students and families, and the privilege of witnessing each child’s growth over many years. Kelly feels incredibly fortunate to work in a profession that is purposeful, rewarding, and grounded in human connection. Being part of Orana continues to inspire her through its strong sense of community and the shared commitment to the development of young people.

Jeddah Teasdale is the Deputy Principal of Orana Steiner School and an experienced educational leader dedicated to fostering inclusive, engaging, and student-centred learning environments. With leadership experience across both independent and public education sectors, she has worked extensively in teaching and learning, student wellbeing, learning support, staff mentoring, and whole-school improvement initiatives. Jeddah holds a Master of Education (Primary) and is passionate about developing curious, resilient lifelong learners while supporting staff to thrive through collaboration and authentic leadership. In recognition of her impact as an educational leader, she has received an Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) Award for Excellence in Leadership. Her work is guided by a commitment to community, wellbeing, and high-quality education for every student.

Kira brings many years of leadership experience across Early Childhood Education, Outdoor Education, and Business Management to her role at Orana Steiner School. With a strong commitment to Steiner education, she is passionate about creating an environment that allows educators to focus on providing safe, nurturing spaces and maintaining a gentle, consistent rhythm for the children in their care. Kira values steady, respectful relationships with the educators and families she works with and sees it as important that teachers feel valued in their work. She also believes that strong connections with families are central to supporting the youngest members of the school community as they begin their Steiner educational journey together.

Smitha Mallya’s career as a business management professional covers a diverse range of industries from a multinational company, a Japanese bank, a UN-ECOSOC partner NGO in peace education, and a community legal centre, across many geographies including India, Japan, and Australia. Prior to Orana, Smitha has worked in a similar role at a Steiner school in Queensland and been co-founder of Bangalore Steiner School in India. Through this exposure to both commercial and not-for-profit sectors, she brings sound financial and business management combined with the discernment and empathy needed to nurture and value human connection. Rudolf Steiner’s inspiration has been a pivotal part of her family and work journey since 2006 as a parent, having seen her child’s entire schooling journey from playgroup through to Year 12 at four Steiner schools in Australia and overseas. Her interests include languages (she speaks six), conscious consumer culture, theatre & films.

Craig brings a lifetime of connection to education and community life to his role as Facilities Manager at Orana Steiner School. Born in England and arriving in Australia as a one-year-old, Craig often jokes that he has never really left school — moving from school through university and into a 27-year teaching career before joining Orana. Craig has been part of the Orana community since 2024. His deep experience in schools gives him a practical, thoughtful approach to maintaining safe, welcoming and well-functioning learning environments for students and staff. A passionate sports enthusiast, Craig’s love of rugby league began at age six while watching the 1980 Grand Final between Easts and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs — a moment that cemented his lifelong support for the Bulldogs. His interests also include cricket, golf and model railways. Craig has been married for over 25 years and shares his home with two much-loved Labradors. Among his proud professional highlights is serving for around 12 years as a selector for the Australian Schoolboys Under 15 and Under 18 Rugby League teams.

Master of Leadership and Management in Education Áine is the Executive Assistant to the Principal and Board with decades of experience teaching, managing and leading in school settings, internationally and in Canberra. Áine is responsible for providing support to the Principal on a day to day basis and supports the Board with matters of communication, compliance and membership to the association. Áine’s enthusiasm for her role centres around the satisfaction she receives from helping the engine of the school to function as smoothly as possible in order to free the teachers and educators to do their important work. Áine has a passion for learning and speaking the Irish language, reading and developing new skills, the most recent being needle felting.