Matt Donlevy and Denis Clarke share the leadership responsibilities as Co-Directors of Health & Physical Education. Matt serves as Director of Health & Physical Education on Thursdays and Fridays, while Denis leads the department on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
Matt brings 14 years of teaching experience, gained within the Western Australian and Victorian Education Departments. His career includes roles as a Curriculum Support Teacher (HPE) for the WA Education Department and Deputy Principal. For the past four years, he has also contributed to the development of future HPE practitioners as an adjunct lecturer at Murdoch University.
Denis contributes 40 years of teaching experience spanning the UK, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Western Australia. As Co-Director of HPE, he shares leadership responsibilities for Physical Education, Health Education, Outdoor Education, and the Specialist Football Programs.
Both Matt and Denis are passionate about their Learning Area and believe HPE is crucial for all students, regardless of perceived academic or sporting ability. Their shared philosophy emphasizes that everyone has a body, a mind, and emotions that need to be understood and managed throughout life. They aim to create fully inclusive environments where students are encouraged to personalize learning rather than compare themselves with peers. Courses are collaboratively developed using a student strength-based approach, particularly responding to an environment which includes a high proportion of gifted and talented, and artistic young people.
In the delivery of content and the assessment of that learning, Matt and Denis jointly consider how students learn, focusing on enabling students to understand their learning processes and how those techniques can be transferred into myriad environments.