Area Principal Forums - Department of Education
The Department of Education’s Area Principal Forums support principals as instructional leaders, ensuring system level awareness, with professional learning focused on:
- general operations
- resource management
- improving student learning and wellbeing outcomes.
These forums include 4 events:
- 3 forums held over 3 terms
- Government Schools Principals Conference as the key event in the remaining term.
2024 forums
Area Principal Forums have taken place in Term 4 and will be delivered across all areas again in 2025.
There were no Area Principal Forum events in Term 3, 2024, due to the scheduling of the Victorian Schools Principals Conference.
2025 forum dates and registration
Register for the Area Principal Forums via your area office – invitations will be sent out.
North Eastern Victoria Region
2025 datesTerm 1
- Goulburn - Wednesday 19 February
- Inner East - Wednesday 26 February
- Outer East - Thursday 20 February
- Ovens Murray - Tuesday 18 February
Term 2
There are no Area Principal Forum events, due to the scheduling of the Government Schools Principals Conference in Term 2.
Term 3
- Goulburn - Wednesday 13 August
- Inner East - Tuesday 19 August
- Outer East - Thursday 28 August
- Ovens Murray - Tuesday 12 August
Term 4
- Goulburn - Wednesday 29 October
- Inner East - Wednesday 5 November
- Outer East - Thursday 6 November
- Ovens Murray - Tuesday 28 October
North Western Victoria Region
2025 datesTerm 1
- Hume Merri-bek - Tuesday 25 February
- Loddon Campaspe - Tuesday 18 February
- Mallee - Tuesday 4 March
- North Eastern Melbourne - Thursday 27 February
Term 2
There are no Area Principal Forum events, due to the scheduling of the Government Schools Principals Conference in Term 2.
Term 3
- Hume Merri-bek - Thursday 14 August
- Loddon Campaspe - Tuesday 12 August
- Mallee - Tuesday 26 August
- North Eastern Melbourne - Wednesday 20 August
Term 4
- Hume Merri-bek - Wednesday 12 November
- Loddon Campaspe - Tuesday 28 October
- Mallee - Tuesday 11 November
- North Eastern Melbourne - Thursday 6 November
South Eastern Victoria Region
2025 datesTerm 1
- Bayside Peninsula - Wednesday 19 February
- Inner Gippsland - Tuesday 18 February
- Outer Gippsland - Tuesday 25 February
- Southern Melbourne - Thursday 6 March
Term 2
There are no Area Principal Forum events, due to the scheduling of the Government Schools Principals Conference in Term 2.
Term 3
- Bayside Peninsula - Thursday 28 August
- Inner Gippsland - Thursday 14 August
- Outer Gippsland - Tuesday 19 August
- Southern Melbourne - Thursday 21 August
Term 4
- Bayside Peninsula - Thursday 13 November
- Inner Gippsland - Thursday 30 October
- Outer Gippsland - Tuesday 11 November
- Southern Melbourne - Friday 7 November
South Western Victoria Region
2025 datesTerm 1
- Barwon - Monday 24 February
- Brimbank Melton - Thursday 20 February
- Central Highlands - Tuesday 4 March
- Western Melbourne - Thursday 27 February
- Wimmera South West - Wednesday 26 February
Term 2
There are no Area Principal Forum events, due to the scheduling of the Government Schools Principals Conference in Term 2.
Term 3
- Barwon - Wednesday 13 August
- Brimbank Melton - Tuesday 26 August
- Central Highlands - Wednesday 20 August
- Western Melbourne - Wednesday 27 August
- Wimmera South West - Thursday 21 August
Term 4
- Barwon - Wednesday 29 October
- Brimbank Melton - Wednesday 5 November
- Central Highlands - Wednesday 12 November
- Western Melbourne - Friday 14 November
- Wimmera South West - Thursday 30 October
Register for a forum
Register for the Area Principal Forums via the link provided by your area office.
Audience
Principals, assistant principals, school leaders, system leaders.
All government school principals within each of the Department of Education’s 17 areas are invited to the forums.
Facilitators
The Executive Directors host their area forum with guest speakers and Department of Education presenters.
Structure
The Area Principal Forums are one-day events held in each area across 3 school terms per year.
The forums generally consist of 3 workshop-based sessions relating to the key theme of the forum.
The remaining term is reserved for the annual Government Schools Principals’ Conference.
These forums support principals’ leadership journeys, with content from the Academy’s Leadership Excellence Framework used to develop sessions.
Attendance requirements
All government school principals are strongly encouraged to attend.
Learning outcomes
The Area Principal Forums:
- enhance collaboration between school leaders, regional and area leadership
- empower school leaders to improve their schools and contribute to the broader system
- provide an opportunity to consider localised implementation of teaching and learning approaches such as the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 and Department of Education initiatives.
Fees and financial support
Fully subsidised by the Department of Education for Victorian government school participants.
