26 Aug 2024
Principals and school leaders shine at annual conference
On Monday 29 July, The Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership (the Academy) had the pleasure of hosting over 2,700 school and system leaders from across Victoria at the annual Government Schools Principals’ Conference.
The event brought together 1,330 principals, close to 1000 assistant principals, and a number of Department of Education leaders. The theme for the 2024 conference was ‘Leading Together: Inspire, learn, network.’ This year’s theme enabled participants to explore the concept of collaborative leadership, while networking with colleagues from across the state.
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The day commenced with a welcome from Academy CEO Dr. Marcia Devlin AM and a Welcome to Country from Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Perry Wandin. Attendees also enjoyed a student performance by the ‘Marimba Taters’ of Tate Street Primary School, which was then acknowledged by The Hon. Ben Carroll MP, Minister for Education through his empowering address.
The Minister then referenced ‘investing in what is our most important future resource – our young people’ and quoted Nelson Mandela who famously said, 'Education is the great engine of personal development.’ The recurring theme of his speech pointed towards the need to equip young people with the tools they need to succeed in life.
He called on attendees to participate and collaborate across the day, citing the event’s theme, ‘Inspire, learn, network.’
The Minister noted that principals will be supported in attracting teachers, and that work is underway to retain teachers in the profession and noted a range of health and wellbeing resources.
Following this, we heard from Dr David Howes, Deputy Secretary, Schools and Regional Services who provided an update about the:
- Framework for Improved Student Outcomes 2.0 (FISO 2.0)
- Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VLTM 2.0).
Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM delivered the first keynote presentation for the day, "Leading with impact: Mastering the art of modern leadership". Kirstin is one of the world's most recognised leadership experts and has been ranked as one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world. Throughout her keynote address, Kirstin unpacked the concept of collaborative leadership. One principal shared that their ‘key takeaway from today is that principals should lead with their head and their heart, with passion’.
The second keynote presentation, "Using evidence on implementation and on practice: a powerful combination", was delivered by Dr Jenny Donovan, CEO of the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) and explored evidence from the research about leading school-level change, as well as insights from AERO’s own work to apply these approaches in Australian schools.
Dr Donovan’s keynote also considered implementation evidence, to maximise learning for every student. Jenny’s presentation was timely for school leaders, as they embed the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0. Fiona Rosa, Principal at Thomastown Meadows Primary School, shared that she is increasingly excited to engage with the VTLM and have this continue to shape teaching practice in her school.
Simon O’Brien, Principal in Residence at the Academy noted, ‘Dr Jenny Donovan really captured and shone a light on some of the key things school leaders and their teams need to be focused on as we move into changes in practice both flagged by the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0 and the Big Six in Reading’.
Throughout the second part of the day, attendees participated in a range of workshops, with 30 sessions on offer for school leaders to select the professional learning most aligned to the needs of their schools. Many of the sessions were developed and delivered by school staff, providing great opportunities for school leaders to learn from one another. These were highly sought-after sessions that schools put an enormous amount of work into developing. Nathan Van Der Monde, Principal, Warburton Primary School, explained that the conference offered a program that was ‘very differentiated’ and that it was ‘really valuable, as you get to choose what you want to learn’.
Jenny Atta PSM, Secretary, Department of Education, provided the closing address for the conference, acknowledging and celebrating the work that happens in all schools across the state, each day.
The Academy would like to extend a very big thank you to each of the presenters, especially the leadership groups from over 30 schools who shared their experiences and provided insight into what collaborative leadership looks like across Victorian government schools.
We hope all attendees left feeling inspired and invigorated - with renewed opportunities and support from a network of like-minded, exceptional leaders.
Resources
Visit the 2024 Government Principals Conference resources page for keynote videos, speeches and access to presentations.
