We talk to Milgate Primary School Assistant Principal, David Mander, on the importance of community and how ClassCover has given him his time back.
Milgate Primary School Overview
- Location: East Doncaster, Victoria
- Established: 1982
- Students: 790
- Staff: 89
- Using ClassCover since: 2022
About the School
Milgate Primary School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) primary school located in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs. Known for its strong sense of community and inclusive approach to learning, Milgate fosters a nurturing environment where inquiry-based learning ignites curiosity, creativity and real-world connection.
At Milgate, learning doesn’t happen in isolation. Even in core subjects like Maths and English, lessons are carefully linked to broader inquiry units, for example, connecting literacy and numeracy to environmental science themes, helping students see how their learning applies beyond the classroom.
According to Assistant Principal David Mander, the school’s philosophy is centred on “developing the whole child” and encouraging a love of lifelong learning. Students are supported to build a global perspective, develop critical thinking skills and grow into confident, curious learners prepared for an ever-changing world.
This approach is particularly important at Milgate, where around 50% of students come from a language background other than English, and where many students benefit from strong routines, relationships and familiar faces.
Meet David Mander: A Day in the Life of an Assistant Principal
David Mander has been part of the Milgate community for most of his career, nine years as Assistant Principal and nine years as a classroom teacher before that. Describing himself as “part of the woodwork”, David’s connection to the school is obvious.
As Assistant Principal, David oversees Daily Organisation and Disability Inclusion, two roles that place him at the centre of supporting students, staff and families.
“A typical day for me starts at around 8am,” David explains. “Managing relief teachers is a big part of my role, but I also walk the school, make sure everything’s ready for the students, and support teachers and kids throughout the day.”
Milgate is more than just a workplace for David. His children attend the school, and the family often visits on weekends to play in the playground. “It’s a real part of me,” he says. “I get a sense of pride coming into Milgate every day because I’ve seen so many changes over the years.”
The Challenge: Finding the Right Relief Teachers
With a large and diverse student cohort, including neurodivergent students and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, continuity and familiarity are critical at Milgate.
“What’s really important to us is that the relief teacher who comes in knows the students, knows the staff and feels part of our community.”
Before using ClassCover, booking relief teachers was time-consuming and frustrating. The process relied heavily on manually texting relief teachers one by one and waiting for responses.
“Before using ClassCover, I would message one teacher, wait to hear back, then send another message and wait again,” David explains. “It was very challenging and time-consuming, and I was on the phone a lot more than I wanted to be.”
When no local teachers were available, agencies were used as a last resort, but this often created new problems.
“Our experience with well-known agencies was that they always sent a different person every time. We’d spend time introducing them to the school, but then we might never see them again. It’s a real challenge when people don’t know the school or the students.”
How Milgate Uses ClassCover
Using ClassCover, David can log in, enter the date and time, and choose exactly which relief teachers receive the booking. He typically sends requests to a small group of local CRTs, with the flexibility to delay notifications, for example, allowing a delay before the job moves to the next teacher.
CRTs can also block out unavailable days, meaning David only contacts teachers who are actually available.
“One of my favourite features is being able to select the CRT who’s the best fit for a particular class. Some of our relief teachers are passionate about early years learning, while others are more experienced in upper primary. Being able to use filters and drill down means I can choose the most qualified person for the job.”
If a teacher calls in sick early in the morning, David can place a booking straight from his phone, confident that it will quickly reach the right people.
The Impact: Stronger Relationships and Better Outcomes
Today, Milgate has built a strong pool of local relief teachers, including retired teachers, staff on family leave, and educators who want to stay connected to the school casually.
“We’re fortunate to have a great group of local CRTs who feel part of our community. They come to our Christmas parties, they know the kids, and the students know them.”
The impact on students has been powerful.
“Using ClassCover means that CRTs who go into a class know the kids well and have formed connections with them. We have students who rely on that connection, so seeing a familiar face at the door really puts them at ease.”
On Teacher Appreciation Day, students even created thank-you videos for relief teachers — a clear sign they are seen as valued members of the school community.
“ClassCover has given me my time back. If a teacher comes up to me and says, I'm not well, I'm not going to be in tomorrow, I can put that booking in and set and forget. And then I can go and do the things that I'm passionate about, like working with students, supporting teachers and building up our school community, not waiting for relief teachers to accept jobs every day.”
