Aspiring and Early Career Principals
Date: 22-24 March 2023
Registration Closes: 13 March 2023
Location: Pullman International, CAIRNS QLD 4870
AUD $500.00+GST
= AUD $550.00
The Leadership in Learning Conference
Cairns, Queensland
Join us in Cairns for a three-day high-impact leadership conference for those who lead learning at a middle-level leadership career level and a separate focused program strand for those aspiring to school leadership or those in the early stages of school leadership.
The program starts with a high-impact day around trauma-informed practice – evidence-based strategies which work for every student in every classroom to maximise their engagement in learning. Day two and day three will run two strands. The first is focused on middle leadership of highly effective teaching practices from Teach Like a Champion and techniques to build a culture of accountability through effective conversations. The second strand is designed to focus early career school leaders on the essential behaviour of an effective school leader.
Curious about the schedule?
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Event Flyer
Meet your Keynote Speaker
Ben is a strategic thinker with over 15 years in Education and Business Management. He has been a teacher, Assistant Principal and Senior Officer (Department of Education), working across staff and student wellbeing, curriculum design, policy development and implementation. His leadership experience spans government, corporate and non-profit sector organisations. Ben has a proven track record of building longitudinal national and international partnerships and is known for building trusted relationships and partnering for meaningful impact.
Aspiring and Early Career Principals
Join us for the ultimate guide for deputy principals and principals, particularly for those new to their role or school. In this program, specialized and tailored just for you and your circumstances, you’ll have the opportunity to talk to Ben Sacco during his workshop on Trauma-Informed Practice. Here, you’ll take the lead in learning about Australian education’s new trauma-informed direction. Over the next two days, you’ll hear from experienced education aficionados Patrea Walton and Mark Campling about how to take advantage of the habits of effective leaders new to their role in school improvement. Patrea and Mark’s extensive experience in multiple sectors will ensure you have the essentials of school improvement at your hip if and when a school’s systems and routines descend into chaos.
Meet your Speakers
Patrea provides consultancy services to a number of government agencies and individuals in Queensland and Australia drawing on her extensive experience in state schooling and as a senior executive. Patrea is a member of a number of national committees and advisory board providing strategic advice on current and emerging educational matters Her focus is to provide the necessary ‘cut through’ needed to ensure evidence-based strategies are implemented across systems and within school and corporate environments securing improvement.
She can offer strategic advice on school improvement; guide and support leadership development; and as an accomplished public speaker can deliver presentations to large audiences and can deliver effective stakeholder consultation. With previous responsibility for more than half a million students, a budget of $5.4b and 1230 schools, Patrea believes that great student outcomes are built on a foundation of empowered leaders supporting teachers to implement evidence-based teaching strategies. Patrea retired from the Deputy Director-General, State Schooling Position in 2018 after having overseen significant improvements in Year 12 certification attainment by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, improvements in NAPLAN performance and the introduction of a major review into disability policy.
Mark Campling is presently an educational and leadership consultant, who focuses on tailoring leadership and coaching programs to meet teacher’s needs. Mark retired from the position of Regional Director of Metropolitan Education Region in March 2018. He has over three decades of principal and executive experience across a diverse range of schools and regions in Qld. Mark was appointed Regional Director in March 2014 after five years as Assistant Director-General, State Schools – Performance. He has more than 20 years’ experience as a Principal in primary, secondary and P-12 schools across Qld.
As Regional Director Mark led significant improvement across the Region and believes the key to success is a strong culture and a clear vision supported by evidenced based strategies implemented with precision. As the Assistant Director – General Mark oversaw many state wide initiatives including the state-wide delivery of the Curriculum into the Classroom project, Teaching and Learning Audits, the establishment of headline indicators , led the implementation of the National Partnership agreements and the introduction of Independent Public Schools. Mark’s motto has always been “If better is possible… Good is not enough.”
Teachers and Middle Leaders
Prepare to embark on your own leadership journey with our bundled schedule of workshops specifically for teachers and middle leaders looking to take control of the classroom and deliver incredible student outcomes. Have you ever yearned to better understand your students in ways that could change how they see themselves and the world around them? Continue the path of discovery started by keynote speaker Ben Sacco by learning, in addition to cases of trauma in the classroom, about how to engage in ways crucial to the development of young minds and your own professional career. Over the next two days, you’ll hear from our very own Neil McDonald about the importance of Crucial Conversations in a professional environment, and Christopher Thomas will be presenting the globally known program, Teach Like a Champion workshop developed by teacher-author Doug Lemov.
Meet your Speakers
Christopher Thomas has more than 25 years’ experience in the education sector, with an outstanding reputation throughout Australia as a Principal, Coach, Presenter and Thought Leader. In August 2015, he was appointed to the role of Director of Programs, QELi. A respected and experienced educator, who has received various Leadership awards, Christopher has served as a teacher and a Principal for over 15 years.
As a leadership and school improvement presenter, Christopher has supported many educators throughout Australia on their leadership and school improvement journey. Christopher has coached and presented extensive teacher and leadership professional learning programs ranging from teacher to executive leadership and has expertise in the areas of leading self, trust, change, emotional intelligence, professional conversations, culture, and high performing teams.
Neil McDonald has over 25 years of school and educational leadership experience, as a Queensland teacher, principal and system leader. As an Executive leader in the Department of Ecuation Queensland, Neil was responsible for developing State wide leadership and teacher capability programs. Now as CEO of QELi, Neil has positioned QELi as a nationally recognised leadership insitute, delivering high quality programs to all educators and beyond.
