"We are committed to excellence across all of our academic pursuits. We are proud of the broad liberal education we provide our students which has language learning at its heart."
Shauna Colnan has had a distinguished career as an educational leader in the NSW independent schools’ sector. She is the longest serving Principal of International Grammar School, having served with distinction since 2014.
Before becoming the Principal of International Grammar School, Shauna was Deputy Principal and Head of the Senior School at MLC School, and before that, Head of Curriculum at Abbotsleigh. For 16 years Shauna worked at Barker College and led one of the nation’s largest English Departments. She was then promoted as Barker’s first Head of Curriculum and Professional Development.
Shauna began her teaching career at Ravenswood School for Girls where she taught English, History and Drama. Her capacity as an educational leader has been enhanced by academic studies at the University of Sydney, the University of New England, Harvard University, New York University and most recently at the University of Cambridge where she undertook study in transformational leadership and strategic decision making in 2024 at the Judge Business School.
Shauna holds graduate and postgraduate qualifications in business administration, the arts and education. She has a special interest in Shakespearean scholarship and performance, and was awarded the John Bell and Joyce Williams Prize in Shakespeare Studies from the University of Sydney.
Shauna completed her MBA at the Graduate School of Business at the University of New England in 2006 where she was awarded the Highest Academic Achiever Prize.
Shauna is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors which has enhanced her governance, strategic and risk management capacity.
Shauna is a passionate teacher who continues to teach English at IGS. She is also a curriculum expert. She has worked on secondment at the NSW Education Standards Authority and was seconded to the national project unit, a strategic team that shaped the NSW response to the emerging national curriculum.
Shauna was NSW supervisor of HSC English marking and served on the examination committee setting the HSC English exams for over a decade. Shauna’s career has also seen her educating those who aspire to teach and to lead through the Teacher Education Program at Macquarie University and by mentoring aspiring Principals through the Association of Independent School Flagship Program.
In accordance with International Grammar School’s mission, Shauna believes that the abiding role of schools is to equip students to be ready for a complex world.