MSOs are strong ‘families’ of schools that aim to deliver better outcomes for students. They do this by strengthening support for principals and teachers, reducing administrative burdens, and allowing schools to focus more on learning and wellbeing – together.
Watch the video below to learn about the Multi-School Organisation model.
MSOs seek to lift student outcomes by uniting families of schools under one executive leadership team to:
- strengthen support for principals and teachers
- reduce administrative burden
- allow schools to focus more on learning and wellbeing — together.
In practical terms, this means:
- curriculum, teaching practice and professional learning is aligned across schools
- operational matters are centralised, so principals are freed up from administrative processes
- a shared executive team provides clear accountability and direction.
Benefits of being part of an MSO
Students
- MSOs have emerged internationally as a powerful mechanism to improve student engagement and learning.
- Learning will be supported by strong school communities and the collective expertise of staff from across the MSO.
- The MSO model supports high quality teaching and a common curriculum. This complements the results achieved through the Lifting Literacy initiative as well as the focus on numeracy.
Teachers
More effective lesson planning and reduced administrative duties, freeing up more time for:
- teaching,
- supporting students with additional needs and
- professional development.
School leaders
Reduced administrative burdens, enabling a greater focus on leadership, teaching and learning and community engagement. School leaders will also have:
- increased professional development,
- a broader peer network to collaborate with and
- increased access to mentoring.
Parents
Schools will be better supported to provide high-quality education and address barriers to learning.
Overview of the MSO Trial
The Independent Review of Education in Tasmania found that Tasmania could benefit from trialling new ways of organising schools to enhance sharing of resources and services. It identified Multi-School Organisations as a way to do this.
Schools will continue to keep their own identity and community connections. They will be closely supported to work towards the shared priorities of the MSO. Initially, students will see minimal day‑to‑day change. Any curriculum or teaching changes will be introduced gradually over time.
The Tasmanian MSO Trial is evidence-based and is being independently evaluated. Continuous improvements will be made to ensure the model works in the Tasmanian context, for our schools and our communities.
McKinnon, an independent not-for-profit organisation, is partnering with the Department to deliver the MSO Trial. McKinnon is providing philanthropic funding and in-kind support to build expertise in the MSO model in Tasmania. Three MSOs will be established over the five-year Trial (2026 – 2030). These MSOs will be based in the south, north and northwest, providing a statewide Trial of the model in Tasmania.
Find out more about the trial in the Tasmanian Education System Reform MSO Fact Sheet (PDF 436KB).
Learn about the establishment and progress of Tasmania’s first three MSOs.
MSO1
MSO1 commenced in the south in term 1, 2026 with the following schools:
In 2027, Hobart City High School will join MSO1.
2026 has been a foundational year for MSO1. Member schools have worked together to agree shared priorities and ways of working that that provide the foundation for alignment, decision-making and accountability as the MSO grows. During this time MSO1 has had a sharp focus on:
- school improvement, curriculum and whole school routines
- building leadership capability, particularly among middle leaders, and
- shared priorities, leadership roles and consistent ways of working.
This is what we are hearing about the experience for the principals involved in MSO1:
“We’re already seeing ourselves as a collective and talking about the students within the MSO rather than the students just within our individual schools.”
“Support from like-minded people has really energised our staff; relationships have started already.”
“For us is middle leadership, we are now part of a team where there’s somebody else that’s doing a very similar role at another school and we can be back and forth having those conversations, actually meeting with each other and developing something that’s better and stronger.” For more information about MSO1, please contact MSO1@decyp.tas.gov.au
For more information about MSO1, please contact MSO1@decyp.tas.gov.au
MSO2
MSO2 will commence in the north of the State in term 1 2027 with the following schools:
- Ravenswood Heights Primary School
- St Leonards Primary School
- Youngtown Primary School
These schools are participating in a staged and supported onboarding period over July – December 2026. This includes a dedicated onboarding program for school leaders designed to build:
- shared understanding (eg MSO model, evidence-based education, individual contexts, shared priorities)
- relationships and ways of working
- leadership capability
- implementation and change readiness.
MSO3
MSO3 will commence in 2028 in the north west.
The process to select schools will be run in early 2027.
School groupings
The Tasmanian Government is committed to improving student outcome for all students.
All Tasmanian schools not in an MSO are working together in a School Grouping. School Groupings are laying the foundations for full-system rollout of MSOs. They offer many similar benefits to an MSO but don’t have the same structural and governance changes.
Each School Grouping is led by an experienced Executive Lead. Executive Leads line manage principals across School Groupings. This ensures cohesive, system aligned leadership that supports sustained improvement in every school.
As the system transitions to MSOs, School Groupings will ensure every school has access to the support it needs. School groupings will allow schools to:
- work together
- share expertise
- increase consistency and
- focus on improving student learning and wellbeing.
There are 11 School Groupings across Tasmania.
View the 2026 School Groupings list (PDF, 162 KB).
For more information on School Groupings, please contact schoolgroupings@decyp.tas.gov.au