INFORM Newsletter
VASSP Conference 2026 Edition
President's Report
Belinda Hudak
VASSP President
2026 VASSP Conference: Stronger Together
This year’s conference was particularly special as we celebrated 70 years of VASSP, bringing together more than 260 school leaders, education partners and colleagues from across Victoria under the theme Stronger Together: Leading with Impact.
The conference sold out in record time, reflecting both the strength of our Association and the importance Principals and Assistant Principals place on opportunities to connect, learn and support one another.
Across the two days, delegates heard from an outstanding line-up of speakers including Dr Louise Mahler, Simon Dowling, Milo Wilkinson, Ben Shewry, Scott Darlow and Professor Arnold Dix, each bringing a different perspective on leadership, trust, belonging, influence and leading through challenge. We were also pleased to welcome the new Minister for Education on Day 2 and continue the important connection between school leaders and government.
Our theme, Stronger Together, was evident throughout the conference. Whether through the formal sessions, conversations over coffee or connections made around the dinner tables, the two days reinforced the value of collegiality and the importance of a cohesive education system where government, the Department of Education and school leaders work together to develop solutions, strengthen implementation and improve outcomes for our students.
A sincere thank you to our delegates, presenters, Business Partners and sponsors, and to everyone who contributed to making the conference such a success. A special acknowledgement to Conference Manager Jacqui Bates, COO Amy Rashid and the entire VASSP team for the enormous amount of work behind the scenes.
After 70 years, the strength of VASSP continues to be its people, and this conference was a wonderful reminder that we really are Stronger Together.
We look forward to seeing you again in 2027.
Save the Date
VASSP President Online - Term 3 Member Update
Please join the VASSP President online for member updates and Q&A.
Tuesday 8 September
12pm – 1pm
Online – Zoom (Access meeting link here)
Conference Video
It was great to have Education Web Solutions (EWS) with us at the conference, once again capturing the magic across the two days and producing a high-quality highlights reel.
EWS are also behind the design of our new VASSP website. If you haven’t already, be sure to check it out!
EWS – The experts in school websites, photography, videos and drones.
Clontarf Foundation
Opening the conference, Year 10 students Jhye Ritchie and Ryan Hood from Bairnsdale Secondary College and the Clontarf Foundation, accompanied by Matthew Joseph of the Clontarf Academy.
The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and by doing so equips them to participate more meaningfully in society.
Clontarf Foundation – Charitable not-for-profit for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men
Chief Operating Officer's Report
by Amy Rashid, Chief Operating Officer
VASSP Conference 2026 | Speaker Snapshots
Speakers - Day 1
Arnold Dix
Leadership in Times of Crisis
Arnold Dix reminded us that leadership in a crisis is deeply human. Drawing on extraordinary experiences, he spoke about the power of collaboration, trust and bringing people together around a clear mission.
His reflections challenged transactional approaches to leadership, instead emphasising relationships, evidence, truth and the importance of understanding the social and human dimensions of complex problems.
Perhaps the simplest message was also the strongest: just showing up matters. In moments of uncertainty, leadership is not about having every answer, but being present, building trust and working together towards what matters.
Key takeaways
- Leadership in crisis is deeply human
- Collaboration works best when people are united around a clear mission
- Trust, truth and evidence matter, particularly when the stakes are high
- Sometimes leadership starts with something simple: showing up
Scott Darlow
Leading with FLUTE - Forgiveness, Love, Understanding, Tolerance and Empathy
Through humour, storytelling and music, Scott Darlow explored belonging, reconciliation and what it means to understand who we are as Australians.
Using his FLUTE lens: Forgiveness, Love, Understanding, Tolerance and Empathy, Scott challenged us to think about the relationships we build, what we are passionate about and why we do the work we do. A particularly powerful reminder was that our most valuable currency is not money, but time.
Key takeaways
- Understanding our shared history matters, but belonging is also shaped by the stories, experiences and identities we bring with us
- Time is one of the most valuable things we can give
- Know what you are passionate about and why it matters
- Empathy is what brings change
Milo Wilkinson
The Neuroscience of Belonging: Designing Leadership that Connects
Milo Wilkinson took us inside the neuroscience of how we think, respond and connect, exploring the ways our brains can shape both leadership and belonging.
From our tendency towards negative thinking to the power of visualisation, priming and deliberate questioning, Milo challenged us to become more conscious of the patterns influencing our behaviour. Her message was not simply to think differently, but to recognise that where we put our mind, our body will follow.
Key takeaways
- Our brains naturally gravitate towards the negative. We can consciously choose a different response
- Visualisation can help us mentally rehearse how we want to respond and perform
- The questions we ask matter
- Take time to stop and take stock of what you are facing
- Curiosity requires us to be willing to sit with discomfort
Speakers - Day 2
Ben Shewry
Building Excellence: Cultivating Sustainable High-Performance
Ben Shewry explored what it takes to build and sustain high-performing teams, with a strong focus on culture, connection and the way people experience their workplace.
Rather than seeing performance as something driven only by standards or results, Ben emphasised the importance of creating the conditions in which people can do their best work. Connection, positivity, trust and having faith in your people all play a part.
Key takeaways
- Get to know your staff on a human level
- Strong performance is built on connection and connectedness
- Stay positive and allow that energy to influence those around you
- Put faith in your people
- Kindness has a place in high performance
Simon Dowling
Leadership: Less Doing, More Designing
In a highly interactive workshop, Simon Dowling challenged leaders to shift from being exceptional doers to deliberately designing the conditions in which others can contribute, grow and lead.
The session explored how everyday leadership habits can create greater agency and reduce dependency, moving from solving, answering and fixing towards coaching, asking, trusting and redesigning.
Key takeaways
- Ask: Is the way we are doing today’s work making tomorrow’s work easier?
- Move from doing to designing.
- Ask “who?” rather than “how?” to build capability, not dependency.
- Use questions, not topics, to create more purposeful conversations.
- Start with the future and consider what you want to be “Future Proud” of.
- Small changes in leadership habits can have a disproportionate impact.
Dr Louise Mahler
Leading with Gravitas
Louise Mahler closed the conference with plenty of energy, movement and a good belly laugh.
In a highly physical and interactive keynote, Louise explored how the way we use our body, voice and presence influences how we communicate and connect with others. Through practical demonstrations, she gave delegates simple frameworks and tools to strengthen communication, engage an audience and increase their impact.
Key takeaways
- How we hold ourselves influences how we are perceived.
- Effective communication is about more than the words we use.
- Our body, voice and presence all contribute to influence.
- Small physical changes can strengthen how we engage an audience.
A special thank you to our delegates who were such good sports and joined Louise on stage!
Lightning Talks
What a privilege it was to hear directly from our own school leaders, generously sharing their experience, ideas and practical approaches with colleagues from across the state.
The strength of the Lightning Talks is their authenticity. They are grounded in the real work of leading Victorian secondary schools, with practical insights that can be taken back and applied in different contexts.
A huge thank you to each of our presenters for stepping forward, sharing your expertise and contributing so generously to the professional learning of our VASSP community.
Lightning Talks included:
‘Camp Schmamp’: Replacing our Year 8 camp with a 4 day program
Vanessa Pratt, Strathmore Secondary College
Maximising your leadership structure
Marina Walsh, Kyabram P-12 College
‘’A house is a home’; House Systems: Building connectedness, wellbeing and shared responsibility.
Ben Toyne, James Ryan & Bonne Keating, Tarneit P-9 College
Leading Change in a Diverse Secondary School
Paul Dawson, North Geelong Secondary College
Authentic Agency, Lasting Equity: Empowering Victoria’s Future Changemakers. Be Bold, Be Heard.
Brad Headlam, North Geelong Secondary College
Leading Together: Organisational design, creating the framework for success
Katrina Palmer & Cleo Lazaris, Kurnai College
Making VASSP Work for You: Regional and State Committee Meetings + Advocacy, Learning & Support
Ian Macleod, Mount Waverley Secondary College & Jill English, Footscray High School
Supporting Students in the Youth Justice System
Anne-Maree Kliman, Parkville College
Developing Leadership Capacity – how to grow leadership at every level
Kylie Hand, Bendigo Senior College & Richelle Hollis, Eaglehawk Secondary College
VPC – Culture and Country: Improving Outcomes for First Nations Students Through Culture and Connection to Country
Lewis Gunn, Mildura Senior College
Impact of school culture on School Improvement – Staff and Students
Patricia Broom, Beechworth secondary college
The MGC Gen AI Roadmap: Language, Guardrails and Expectations
Tamy Stubley, Melbourne Girls’ College
AI and assessment in a teacher shortage: where it belongs, and where it does not
Edeixia & Prahan High School
AI is more than a chatbot.
Dave Armstrong, Wangaratta High School
VASSP Bank First Awards
Congratulations to Dave Armstrong, Wangaratta High School, and Patricia Sklavakis, Assistant Principal at Port Melbourne Secondary College, recipients of the 2026 Bank First–VASSP Professional Learning Awards.
Dave’s award will support a professional study tour to Singapore, exploring how artificial intelligence can be implemented at scale to improve learning, equity and school leadership. Patricia will undertake specialist professional learning in instructional coaching to further develop the Classroom Excellence Framework at Port Melbourne Secondary College.
These awards recognise school leaders committed not only to their own professional growth, but to bringing their learning back to strengthen leadership and practice across Victorian government schools.
Our sincere thanks to Bank First for their longstanding support and continued investment in the professional growth of our school leaders.
Toast to State Education
It was a privilege to recognise Frank Sal and Brian Wheeler, whose decades of service to Victorian public education have included providing invaluable care, wisdom and support to school leaders through the Department’s Principal Support Unit.
Often working quietly behind the scenes, their practical advice, advocacy and genuine care have made a lasting difference to many principals across the state.
We were delighted to welcome former VASSP President Frank Sal to deliver this year’s Toast to State Education, and to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution both he and Brian have made to our profession.
An exclusive member offer from Atomi
Great to see you at VASSP. We brought along a sneak peek at what’s launching for the VCE, and if you caught Mel Evans’ keynote or dropped by our booth, you saw what the Atomi platform can do. We’ve worked with the VASSP team to craft a special offer available exclusively to member schools.
Here’s what you’re getting:
● Free access through the end of 2026
● Discounted rates for 2027 contracts that are signed before December 19th 2026
● Full staff and student onboarding
● Dedicated Customer Success Manager invested in your schools success
What we’ve built:
VCE-aligned video lessons in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Physical Education. Personalised revision that finds gaps and closes them. Clear analytics your teachers can act on.
1 in 3 Australian schools trust Atomi to deliver curriculum-aligned content that engages learners. Now your Year 12 cohort can be part of that, from day one.
👉 Connect with us to get started
Made to engage with learners today.
Offer available to new customers only. Exclusive to VASSP member schools. Valid until 19 December 2026. Price is excl. GST. Atomi is an independent product not endorsed or affiliated with VCAA. Refer to the VCAA website for the official VCE study design.
Atomi once again partnered with us to make VASSP’s 70th Anniversary special. Members enjoyed the goodies, gelati, and plenty of fun at the photobooth with colleagues and their Leadership teams. Thank you to our partners at Atomi for a wonderful evening.
Gabrielle Williams, Minister for Education
We were pleased to welcome Victoria’s newly appointed Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, the Honourable Gabrielle Williams, to address the VASSP Conference.
The Minister’s attendance provided an important opportunity for our school leaders to listen and continue the important dialogue between Victorian secondary principals and government.
Photos
We are incredibly fortunate at VASSP to be supported by wonderful business partners who provide a wide range of support. Once again, MSP supplying the photography throughout the conference.
"For 35 years, MSP Photography has been proudly capturing memories for families and schools across Australia. From little smiles to important milestones, we’re honoured to create beautiful, lasting memories that can be treasured for generations to come."
Day 1
Conference Dinner
Day 2
Professional Learning & Upcoming Events
Coming up:
- Responding to Challenging Behaviours – Friday 4 September, VASSP Offices
- Applying for Principal Class Positions – Tuesday 8 September, VASSP Offices
- AGM and Leadership Seminar – Friday 13 November, Pentridge
For further information and to register for events visit VASSP Professional Learning
