Gemma Leighton
Sherwood,Australia
Summary
Dedicated Administrative Officer and Secondary School Educator with expertise in Science, STEM, and History. Cultivates positive relationships with diverse individuals, supporting students through academic and personal challenges. Collaborates effectively with stakeholders while demonstrating strong prioritization and deadline management.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Secondary School Teacher
John Paul College
02.2022 - Current
- Creating and updating sequential lesson plans and differentiated resources for a range of students (EAL/D, off-level students and students with disabilities)
- Managed Year 9 Science program for 4 years, overseeing lesson rollout, resource distribution, assessment planning, and workload organization.
- Planning and implementing updated curriculum (v8.4 to v9)
- Communicating with students, parents, guardians and other stakeholders
- Safe planning of practicals and completion of risk assessments
- Use of digital technologies to provide a range of educational activities
- Creation, marking and moderation of assessment items
- Mentoring senior students through their end-of-high-school journey and compiling references
- Senior Academic Welfare Mentor (Year 11 and 12) - maintaining consistent and detailed documentation of student academic results, socialisation, behaviour, challenges, and personal wellbeing
- Maintained confidential records for students with complex health conditions and disabilities to ensure accurate reflection of their needs and support requirements.
- Supporting students through the process of receiving a formal diagnosis, by liaising with parents, guardians, and relevant school staff, and ensuring medical and psychological updates are accurately reflected in student plans and records
- Advocating for and supporting students experiencing personal hardship and family challenges through coordinated care with school counsellors, heads of year, and external agencies
- Building safe, trusting, and positive relationships with all students, with pride in inclusive practice and sensitivity to the diverse and varying needs of young people
- Conducted parent-teacher conferences to address student performance and behavior, fostering collaboration between home and school.
Secondary School Teacher
Carmel College
07.2021 - 12.2021
- Creating and updating sequential lesson plans and differentiated resources for a range of students (EAL/D, off-level students and students with disabilities)
- Communicating with students, parents, guardians and other stakeholders
- Safe planning of practicals and completion of risk assessments
- Use of digital technologies to provide a range of educational activities
- Creation, marking and moderation of assessment items
- Tutoring senior science and modern history students
- Aiding senior students through their VET courses and compliance modules.
- Implemented innovative teaching strategies to enhance student understanding.
- Assessed student performance through various evaluation methods and tools.
- Organized extracurricular activities to promote student engagement and teamwork.
- Motivated underperforming students by providing personalized feedback on their work.
- Chaperoned school dances, field trips, and other events throughout the year.
- Collaborated with other teachers, administrators and parents to ensure student success.
Senior Staff Member
Subway Inc.
Brisbane, Australia
01.2015 - 01.2019
- Use of POS programs and other Subway Inc. applications
- Trained new staff on company policies and customer service best practices.
- Managed inventory levels and ordered supplies to meet store demands.
- Ensured compliance with health and safety regulations during food handling.
- Developed schedules to optimize staff coverage during peak hours.
- Resolved customer complaints effectively, promoting a positive dining experience.
- General cleanliness and appropriate procedure, including Covid-19 adaptations
- Supervised daily operations and maintained quality standards in food preparation.
Administration Officer
Leighton Sand and Gravel
Brisbane, Australia
01.2014 - 01.2019
- Answering general enquiries, including material costs analysis and delivery availability
- Use of MYOB, Excel and office filing systems
- Data entry and completing EFTPOS transactions and accounts receivable
- Communicating professionally with onsite and offsite customers, employees and other staff
- Work to alleviate stress by handling walk-ins, emails, phone calls and fax interactions
- Problem-solving to meet deadlines and overcome technical delays or machinery failures
- Worked to ensure quality service and customer satisfaction
- Managed administrative tasks to support operations, contributing to seamless workflow and efficiency.
- Coordinated scheduling and logistics for project teams and equipment, ensuring timely resource availability.
- Assisted in maintaining records and filing systems for documentation.
- Researched suppliers and vendors to identify optimal procurement options, enhancing resource acquisition.
- Welcomed visitors at front desk, ensuring a friendly atmosphere.
- Managed travel bookings for staff, ensuring timely and cost-effective solutions.
- Managed employee records including vacation and sick leave accruals and terminations.
- Scanned documents into electronic format for storage in database systems.
- Answered phones, directed calls to appropriate personnel, took messages and responded to customer inquiries in a professional manner.
- Prepared and maintained office filing systems, including paper and electronic files.
- Verified accuracy of invoices before processing payment requests.
- Assisted with payroll processing activities such as time sheet entry into the system.
Education
Bachelor of Secondary Education - Science, History
Griffith University
Brisbane07-2021
Year 12, Queensland Certificate of Education -
Trinity College
Brisbane01-2016
Skills
- Curriculum planning and implementation
- Digital technologies in education
- Stakeholder communication
- Mentoring
- Reception administration
- Accounts management
- Curriculum implementation
- Project coordination
- Reception and general administration
- Accounts receivable and payable
- Data entry management
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- MYOB
- ProFile
- Academic support
- Student engagement
- Customer service excellence
- Multiple priorities management
- Building relationships with young people
- Conflict resolution
- Customer service excellence
- Priority management
- Project management
Accomplishments
- John Paul College - Teacher of the Year, 2024
Certification
- First Aid Training, 2025
- Blue Card- Working With Children Check
Timeline
Secondary School Teacher
John Paul College
02.2022 - Current
Secondary School Teacher
Carmel College
07.2021 - 12.2021
Senior Staff Member
Subway Inc.
01.2015 - 01.2019
Administration Officer
Leighton Sand and Gravel
01.2014 - 01.2019
Bachelor of Secondary Education - Science, History
Griffith University
Year 12, Queensland Certificate of Education -
Trinity College