Holly Wedd
Orara High School, NSW
Gumbaynggirr
Teaching Fellow
At Orara High School in regional NSW, Holly Wedd is transforming how students experience and succeed in maths. In a school community where 24% of students identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 20% come from EALD or refugee backgrounds, Holly recognised that capable students were opting out of higher-level maths due to lack of confidence and literacy barriers. She designed a unique combined Maths and English Program, a targeted initiative that has doubled enrolments in Advanced and Extension Maths and supported 100% of participating students to continue into Stage 6.
Holly’s leadership has reduced maths anxiety and lifted engagement by embedding research-informed practices such as cognitive load theory and inquiry-based learning across her faculty. Her work has sparked a cultural shift in how maths is taught, perceived and valued — by both staff and students.
Beyond her school, Holly plays a key role in strengthening maths education across NSW. She is the Rural Learning Exchange Mathematics Network Facilitator, supporting over 450 teachers in remote and regional areas, and coordinates a collaborative leadership network of 13 high schools in the Coffs Harbour–Clarence Valley region. As a Board Member of the Mathematics Association of NSW and an embedded instructional leader with the Mathematics Growth Team, Holly contributes to state-wide curriculum development and professional learning. She is also a lecturer at Southern Cross University, shaping the next generation of mathematics educators.
Through every role, Holly champions equity, collaboration and high expectations — for her students, her peers and the system she continues to influence.