Our Leadership
Kimberley Tempest – Principal
Kimberley Tempest is the Principal of Cobram Secondary College and an award-winning educational leader with experience across Victorian government and Catholic education sectors. As the first person in her family to complete Year 12 and attend university, Kimberley believes education has the power to change lives and that the quality of a young person’s education should never be determined by postcode. Since 2017, she has led Cobram Secondary College through significant growth, with a strong focus on student wellbeing, staff development and rural education. Kimberley received the 2023 Colin Simpson Outstanding Secondary Principal Award, was named Cobram’s Citizen of the Year in 2024, and was a finalist for the 2025 Australian Education Awards Secondary Principal of the Year.
Dianne Ferguson – Assistant Principal
Dianne Ferguson is an Assistant Principal (Years 11–12) at Cobram Secondary College with more than 40 years of experience in education. An advocate for equity in education, Dianne believes that every young person has the capacity to achieve and deserves access to meaningful learning opportunities. Dianne’s leadership has a commitment to building strong, collaborative partnerships with staff, students, parents, carers and the broader community to create environments that are both academically enriching and genuinely supportive of student wellbeing. Dianne is driven by the belief that schooling must equip young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to contribute positively to society and lead fulfilling lives beyond the classroom. She strives to ensure that every student feels valued, supported and empowered to reach their potential. Dianne is passionate about mentoring educators new to the profession, finding great reward in supporting them as they grow and develop in their teaching practice.
Matthew Hendry – Assistant Principal
Matt Hendry is the Assistant Principal (Years 7–10) at Cobram Secondary College and has worked in teaching and educational leadership since relocating to the Cobram region in 2009. With more than 15 years of experience at the College, Matt has played a key role in leading staff and programs that support student engagement, connectedness and wellbeing. Matt is passionate about building strong partnerships between school, home and the broader community to ensure every student feels supported to participate fully in their education. He believes that while academic achievement is an important outcome of schooling, it is only one measure of success. His work is underpinned by a commitment to helping young people develop the skills, confidence and resilience needed to lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. Through his leadership, Matt strives to create a school environment where all students feel valued, connected and empowered to reach their potential.
Jane Hutchinson – Assistant Principal
Jane Hutchinson is passionate about creating learning environments where every young person feels known, valued, and challenged to achieve their personal best. Having worked extensively as a secondary teacher and educational leader in a variety of systems, she has developed a deep understanding of the importance of strong relationships, engaging teaching and high expectations in supporting student success.
As a Leading Specialist she believes secondary education is about far more than academic success — it is about developing confident, resilient and compassionate young people who are equipped to thrive beyond the classroom.
Jane is driven by a strong commitment to student growth, teacher collaboration and building a positive school culture where high expectations and genuine care go hand in hand. She believes schools play a vital role in shaping not only future pathways, but also the character, confidence and sense of belonging of every student.
Lachlan Marchant – Director of Wellbeing
Lachlan Marchant is the College Director of Wellbeing & Engagement, leading the school’s whole-school approach to student, staff, and family wellbeing. Since joining the College leadership team in 2025, Lachlan has helped strengthen and embed a comprehensive wellbeing model across our three subschool teams, increasing the visibility, accessibility and impact of wellbeing support across Years 7–12.
Lachlan also leads our transformational wellbeing placement student model, enhancing staffing capacity, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting improved student wellbeing outcomes. Lachlan is passionate about creating safe, inclusive and connected school environments where every student can thrive. He brings extensive experience in school wellbeing, student support and regional Department of Education wellbeing leadership, and is formally trained in social work, family services, leadership and strategy.
