Leading, Learning & Caring Conference 2018

Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 April 2018
Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart

The AHISA 2018 Leading, Learning and Caring Conference was a tailored program for the senior leaders and pastoral care staff of our members’ schools.

Pre-conference programs were run on Thursday 12 April including a Masterclass on ‘Difficult Conversations’, as well as an Aspirant Roadshow for those who aspire to Headship. A school visit program visiting 10 local independent school campuses ran prior to conference on Wednesday 13 April.

Keynote Speakers
Anh Do (Author, Actor, Producer and Comedian) The Happiest Refugee
Professor Stephen Dinham OAM PhD (Emeritus Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne) Being an evidence-based instructional leader
Adjunct Professor Steve Biddulph AM (Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Author) Lessons from 40 years of learning and teaching
Adjunct Professor Erica McWilliam (Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education, QUT) Educating for creativity and wellbeing
Dr Tony Fernando (Consultant Psychiatrist, Senior Lecturer in Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland) Compassion is happiness

Conference Committee
Tony Freeman, Principal, Fahan School (Chair of Conference Committee)
Beth Blackwood, CEO, AHISA
Jacqueline Conboy, Deputy Principal, St Mary’s College
Cawley Farrell, Deputy Principal, St Michael’s Collegiate
Kira Grantham, Event Manager, AHISA
Tameika Grist, Director of Pedagogy, St Mary’s College
Eamonn Pollard,Principal, MacKillop Catholic College
Anne Veenstra, Business Manager, AHISA

Registrations
422 total registrations
By state: 14 ACT, 108 NSW, 64 QLD, 35 SA, 35 TAS, 124 VIC, 35 WA, 6 International

ISCA & AHISA National Education Forum ‘A national perspective’

Monday 20 August 2018
Hyatt Hotel, Canberra 

The 2018 National Education Forum was a one day event that brought together representatives from the Independent sector including principals, members of governing bodies, business managers and sector representatives from other national and state based organisations.

Focusing on the most pressing education issues and policies, it offered an opportunity for delegates to gain valuable insights from leading sector thought leaders, as well as providing an occasion to meet and exchange ideas with colleagues.

Special Guests 
Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, Senator for SA, Minister for Education and Training, Liberal Party of Australia
The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Deputy Leader of the opposition, Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Australian Labor Party
The Hon Bill Shorten MP, Leader of the Opposition, Australian Labor Party

Key speakers
Colette Colman, Executive Director, ISCA              
Richard Gerver, Educator, Thought leader and Author
David Gonski AC, Chairman, ANZ Banking Group
Governance and how it might apply to the schooling context now and in the future
Dr Mark Merry, National Chair, AHISA and Principal, Yarra Valley Grammar School VIC
Lisa Rodgers, CEO, AITSL National priorities to build, enhance and sustain effective teaching and leadership across all education systems
Trevor Young, Founder, PR Warrior Exploring the impact and influence of social media on school communications

Registrations
335 total registrations
By state: 36 ACT, 128 NSW, 7 NT, 47 QLD, 25 SA, 6 TAS, 59 VIC, 27 WA

AHISA New Members Conferences

Friday 25 to Sunday 27 May 2018, East Hotel, Canberra
Friday 17 to Sunday 19 May 2019, East Hotel, Canberra

The AHISA New Members Conference is a weekend conference held in Canberra each year. The purpose of the weekend is to establish an immediate network for our newer members while providing an introduction to our association and an overview of areas crucial to the Headship role. The conference also builds the relationship and information exchange between AHISA’s board members and new members. Board members present their reflections and experience on a range of topics, and selected experts are also invited to present on key areas of leadership and school business including media management, legal matters and contractual arrangements.

2018 Registrations  32 Delegates  5 Corporate Partners  11 Board Members / National office staff  5 Invited speakers

2019 Registrations  33 Delegates  5 Corporate Partners  10 Board Members / National office staff  3 Invited Speakers

Financial Literacy Workshops

Saturday 14 to Sunday 15 July 2018, Bond University QLD
Friday 12 July 2019, National Australia Bank NSW

Financial literacy is often identified in survey responses from AHISA’s aspirant members as a field of leadership less familiar to them than other tasks such as instructional leadership, pastoral care, marketing and so on.

AHISA has sought to address this gap by engaging school financing expert, John Somerset, to provide a small group workshop that matches theory with practice in a small group and collegial environment. Combining John’s sessions with input from current Heads has provided a strong overview of the financial management of a school for both our aspirant members as well as general members looking to round out and refresh their own skills.

Registrations
QLD: 18 total registrations
NSW: 24 total registrations

Aspirant Head Events

Aspirant Head Roadshow: The pathway to Headship
Friday 17 May 2018, Prince Alfred College SA

Aspirant Head Masterclass: Creating a confident and creative presence
Thursday 26 July 2018, MLC Building, Sydney NSW
Thursday 28 February 2019, Scotch College WA
Thursday 14 February 2019, Brisbane Girls Grammar School QLD
Thursday 28 February 2019, NAB Academy, Melbourne VIC

AHISA has continued to support staff from our members’ schools who aspire to Headship with a range of Roadshows and Masterclasses across most branches over the past two years.

The Aspirant Head Roadshow presented in Adelaide in 2018 was the last in that particular series which focussed on the path to Headship. Andrew Reed (General Manager, Hender Consulting) talked attendees through the recruitment process and what search agents’ are looking for when recruiting for a new Head, while Ben Tallboys (Principal, Russell Kennedy Lawyers) outlined what aspirants can expect and be alert to when they are presented with that coveted first contract. Dr Nicole Archard (Principal, Loreto College) was also able share her journey of Headship and offer insights into the realities of the role.

Feedback from attendee surveys led to the design of our new Masterclass series which focusses on the application and interview process, and the importance of a confident presence throughout this process. Fiona Hutton (Hutton Consulting) led the first of these workshops in Sydney in 2018, and Neville Lyngcoln and Rosie Rowe (Lyngcoln Consulting) continued with the delivery of these in WA, QLD and VIC in 2019.

Registrations
SA: 18 total registrations
WA: 43 total registrations
NSW: 30 total registrations
QLD: 25 total registrations
VIC: 28 total registrations

Chairs, Boards & Heads of Independent Schools Forums

Series 1: The relationship between a head and a chair
Friday 18 May 2018, Prince Alfred College SA
Friday 27 July 2018, MLC Building, Sydney NSW
Friday 22 March 2019, Scotch College WA

Series 2: Crisis Alert! The board’s role when things go (publicly) wrong
Friday 15 February 2019, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, QLD
Friday 1 March 2019, NAB Academy, Melbourne VIC
Friday 26 July 2019, The Women’s College, NSW

AHISA continued to deliver the Forum series which focussed on the critical professional relationship between a Head, their Board Chair and their Board Members to SA, NSW and WA over the course of the past two years.
This series considered topics including: 

• Two’s Company: Chair and Head of School Panel: How do you achieve the best dynamic between the Chair of the Board and the Head of a school?
• Sharing Practice: Models of Governance in Independent Schools
• Review of Board Performance: How do Boards review their performance? 
• Professional Growth, Performance Review and Renewal Practices for Heads

Using the feedback received from member surveys, AHISA designed and delivered a new series of Forums addressing the crucial incidents that are faced by Heads and Boards. Through the sharing of real life experiences of members, along with the wisdom of experts in the field of law, governance and media, this series ran across QLD, VIC and NSW. Topics included:

• Revealing the great school governance formula
• The role of the Board in a crisis: lessons from the trenches 
• The operational and strategic divide
• Crises and media management 

Registrations
SA: 31 total registrations
NSW (Series 1): 90 total registrations
WA: 48 total registrations
QLD: 70 total registrations
VIC: 67 total registrations
NSW (Series 2): 47 total registrations

2019 Biennial Conference

Tuesday 1 October 2019 – Marketing masterclasses (optional)
Tuesday 1 October 2019 – School visit program (optional)
Wednesday 2 to Friday 4 October 2019

The 17th Biennial Conference was held in Perth under the theme of Forging the Future.

Highlights

• Pre-conference Marketing Masterclasses run by corporate partner imageseven
• School Visit Programs to 17 local independent campuses
• H-ED Talk presentations featuring 16 members sharing 10-minute presentations on programs, case studies and initiatives from their schools
• Leadership sessions that provided a choice of nine electives for delegates. These included philosophical discussions around justice and morality , to social advocacy for students, trust in leadership, dissecting the dreaded imposter syndrome, and looking at demographics trends shaping our nation 
• Workshops offered six interactive sessions from practical skills such as public speaking and media management, to panel sessions discussing the management of parental expectations and how to attract and nurture the next generation of leaders to the profession
• The Great Debate featured a range of speakers and provided an entertaining close to the conference
• Gala Dinner at Optus Stadium where outgoing member Sholto Bowen (Huntingtower VIC) gave a moving response to Rev Chris Ivey’s farewell to all outgoing members

Keynotes

Bernard Salt AM	Futurist, author and managing director of The Demographics Group Future trends from a demographer
Mehrdad Baghai	Co-founder, Chairman and Global CEO, High Resolves Future of assessment
Dr Jordan Nguyen	Engineer, TV presenter, author Evolving intersections between technology and humanity
Miho Taguma	Senior Policy Analyst/Project Manager, The OECD Project Future of Education and Skills 2030 The future trends in international education
Mark McCrindle	Social researcher, advisor, author, thought leader and Principal of McCrindle AHISA Social Capital survey findings
Prof Deborah Terry AO	Vice Chancellor, Curtin University The future of universities

                                                                                                     

Conference Committee

Dr Mark Merry	Principal, Yarra Valley Grammar VIC and National Chair, AHISA (Chair of Conference Committee)
Donella Beare	Principal, St Stephen’s School WA
Beth Blackwood	CEO, AHISA
Dean Dell’Oro	Headmaster, Hale School WA
Jenny Ethell	Former Principal, Perth College WA (Committee member until close of 2018)
Kira Grantham	Event Manager, AHISA
Meg Melville	Principal, Penrhos College WA
Pat Rodrigues	Principal, Court Grammar School WA
Anne Veenstra	Business Manager, AHISA
Stephen Webber	Headmaster, Guildford Grammar WA

Registrations

322 total registrations
Delegate breakdown: 211 AHISA Members, 4 Honorary Members, 1 HMC & ISNZ Member, 7 Invited guests, 4 National office staff, 27 Speakers, 68 Corporate Partners/Sponsors
AHISA Members by branch: 67 NSW/ACT, 32 QLD, 22 SA/NT, 9 TAS, 45 VIC, 29 WA, 7 Overseas