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At Calrossy, we’ve long lived out the knowledge that you don’t need to be at a sandstone city campus to shape the future of education. One of our own, James Forsyth, is proving just that—helping lead the charge in implementing the new Stage 6 Geography syllabus and mentoring colleagues from across NSW’s independent schools, all from our base in regional Tamworth.
A long-time advocate for continual professional learning and peer collaboration, Mr Forsyth, is a prominent figure in the Geography teaching community through his work with the Association of Independent Schools of NSW (AISNSW). His involvement spans over a decade of contribution, presentation, and leadership at both the AISNSW Geography and Society and Culture Conferences.
“I thoroughly enjoy attending professional development to improve my pedagogical and content knowledge of my subject areas, mentoring skills, and to network with other teachers,” he says.
Under the guidance of respected education consultant Carlo Tuttocuore has grown his influence as an educator. He currently serves as the AISNSW Geography Convenor, coordinating major conferences and supporting independent school teachers across the State. His expertise is regularly sought in shaping and interpreting new syllabus documents, providing formal feedback to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), and offering clarity and guidance to fellow educators.
Beyond conference stages, he’s also a familiar face in senior assessment circles, having served as an HSC Geography marker, assessor, and an eight-year member of the NSW Independent HSC Trial Exam Writing Committee. Most recently, he returned from presenting at the 2025 AISNSW Geography Conference at Loreto Kirribilli, where he sat on the Q&A panel discussing the rollout of the new syllabus and led a session on the Stage 5 Sustainable Biomes and Agriculture unit due for implementation in 2027. This year will be the first year that the new Stage 6 Geography Syllabus will be examined.
Mr Forsyth says any syllabus change results in significant work for teachers.
“However, it is reinvigorating for teachers to engage with new content. The curriculum review was imperative to reduce the cognitive load on students to allow teachers to drill down into content more deeply to allow for mastery level of learning. This has required teaching pedagogical practices to involved where students are required to engage in more applied and critical thinking.”
His professional impact doesn’t stop at experienced educators. As AISNSW Teaching Hub Coordinator, he mentors pre-service teachers, supporting the next generation with insights into both pedagogy and subject mastery.
“AISNSW and Carlo Tuttocuore have opened so many professional opportunities to me that, through the power of networking with colleagues in Sydney, I have been able to improve my practice—which has been instrumental to the growth of my students,” he says.
“Just because we are in regional NSW does not mean that you cannot be at the forefront of change or be a changemaker in education.”
With his passion, commitment, and leadership, Mr Forsyth is proving that excellence in education knows no postcode—and that regional schools like Calrossy can be powerful drivers of progress across the state.
