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Pre-Conference Workshops

Delegates are able to register for one of two pre-conference sessions running on Tuesday 6 October.

The Financial Literacy Workshop is available for all delegates, with a special discounted rate available for AHISA General and Aspirants. if you are not an AHISA General Member or part of the Aspirant Program, you will need to register at the non-member price.

The Governance 101 Masterclass session is offered exclusively to AHISA Aspirants. This session is the final session in the masterclass series which began in May 2026. Registraitons for this Masterclass have now closed.

 

Please see details below on how to register for each event.

Financial Literacy Workshop

School financial management essential for senior leaders


Tuesday, 6 October 2026, 1100 - 1700

Cost:
$400.00 per person (AHISA General and AHISA Aspirant Members)
$600.00 per person (Non-member delegates)

Registration for this course can be completed when registering for the Leading, Learning and Caring Conference. Or if you would like to only attend the Financial Literacy Masterclass please email [email protected]

This half-day program is designed to introduce participants to the knowledge required to oversee financial responsibility of an independent school. John Somerset (Somerset Education) will lead participants through financial papers and the ‘need to know’ imperatives for school management. 

 1000  Registration open 
 1100  Session 1:
  • War stories and three key questions to ask
  • Definition of school financial sustainability – from my research
  • Attributes of a financially sustainable school – financial and non-financial
  • Accounting for non-accountants
  • Practical exercise – Refer to your audited accounts
 1230  Lunch
 1315  Session 2:
  • Calculation of important ratios – theory and practice
  • Are we Profitable
  • Are we Solvent (pay our debts on time)
  • Are we Sustainable- ability to service debt and improve campus
  • Applying those calculations to your school
 1445  Session 3:
  • Practical Exercise
  • Assess you school’s financial health
  • Use a manual Financial Health Assessment worksheet or
  • Use Financial Survey Reports if they participated in the Financial Survey for Schools
  • Set a target annual operating surplus – Financial Sustainability Planner template – either manual version or from the survey portal for participants
 1545  Afternoon tea 
 1615  Session 4:
  • Good Practice Budgeting and Reporting
  • Practical exercise - Your key metrics 5 years into the future – using the Somerset Key Indicator (SKI) Report
  • Scenario “what if” analysis and forecasting – using the SKI Scenario Report
  1700  Workshop concludes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presenters

   

 John Someset
Somerset Education

 Catherine Galvin
Somerset Education

 

Governance 101 Masterclass Series

Please note that the session in Perth is the final session of the course which begins on Monday, 18 May.

## REGISTRATIONS FOR THIS WORKSHOP HAVE NOW CLOSED ##

Timing:
The session will run from 1200-1700 on Tuesday 6 October 2026.

 

AHISA, in partnership with Board Matters, has developed a Masterclass Series on School Governance designed to support and strengthen governance capability within AHISA schools, by equipping future leaders.

The Series will be covered in two full-day workshops and one half-day workshop, complemented by two one-hour online tutorials.

In-person Workshops A and B will be delivered in Sydney, NSW, while Workshop C will form part of the pre-conference program on 6 October before the AHISA Leading, Learning & Caring Conference in Perth. The two online tutorials will follow Workshops A and B, providing further consolidation of learning.

Download a copy of the Course outline HERE

 

Dates and venues for all workshops/tutorials are below. By registering for this event you are signing up to attend all sessions as listed below.

  • Monday 18 May 2026 – In person event
    Novotel Sydney Darling Square
  • Monday 15 June 2026 - Online
    Webinar link will be sent to all registered delegates
  • Friday 7 August 2026 – In person event
    Novotel Sydney Darling Square
  • Friday 21 August 2026 - Online
    Webinar link will be sent to all registered delegates
  • Tuesday 6 October 2026 – In person event
    Crown Towers Perth