General News
11 February, 2026
Peter Clayton retires after a 45 year career
There was high praise for a stellar career in education and the community for the retiring Warracknabeal Special Development School principal, Peter Clayton.
There was high praise for a stellar career in education and the community for the retiring Warracknabeal Special Development School principal, Peter Clayton.
Staff, students, and parents attended an afternoon tea to mark a 45-year career described as one of commitment and excellence, and to celebrate the development of education that changes lives for members of the community who had not always had the opportunity to learn, grow and become valuable contributors.
Incoming principal John Grieves welcomed attendees, acknowledging the significant legacy he would inherit. He invited faculty members familiar with Peter to speak on behalf of the school.
School council president Helen Dillon expressed gratitude for Peter’s guidance and his valuable contributions to the school.
West Grampians Special School chair and Horsham Special School principal, Ben Tait, acknowledged Peter's total commitment to special development education and said his kind approach to everyone was evident throughout his career.
"If there were no teachers in the classroom, Peter would step in, and similarly, if there were no bus drivers, he would drive the bus," he said.
Mr Tait announced that the new playground would be dedicated to Peter and named in his honour.
He also presented Mr Clayton with a plaque and uncovered a bench with an inscription honouring his career.
A former SEIL, Brendan Ryan, echoed the high praise for Peter's career in special development education and said he represented the education department in praise of a long and dedicated career.
High praise from his peers and fellow educators highlighted his immense contribution to the school and the individual lives of students and families he had served.
However, Peter said he was grateful to the staff and students who had made him who he was and that he was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people.
"I could not have done what I have, and for so long, without the amazing staff I have worked with and without the support of my wife and family," he said.
He recalled the lives of students who had been changed by the advancement in Special education over the almost five decades he had been at the school.
As examples, he described the changed life of one student who hid under the dashboard of the car she was travelling in on her first trip past the outskirts of Warracknabeal, and another who came to the school unable to speak and, after two years, became a confident public speaker.
He said these were just some of the changes that special education makes in students' lives.
"It changes lives outside of the classroom, too," he said.
Mr Clayton was part of the planning stage for the new facility, which is now enjoyed by staff and students.
Staff members Melissa Evans and Alli Pish said Peter had been a dedicated teacher for special development education and had made a significant contribution ot the community.
Speaking at the celebration, Ian Penny said Peter's 45-year career and dedication to special development education were unparalleled.