8:30

OPENING | Opening remarks from the Chair

Lisa Davies, Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

8:35

KEYNOTE | PREMIER ADDRESS WITH Q+A

The Hon. Gladys Berejiklian, Premier of New South Wales
Q+A Moderator: Lisa Davies, Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

9:05

KEYNOTE | Reforming the School Curriculum

Professor Geoff Masters, Review Lead, NSW Curriculum Review and Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council for Educational Research

9:25

Creating a Safer Online Environment in Schools

Technology is becoming increasingly intertwined in our children’s lives, both at home and at school. The challenge for schools is to help their students navigate the online world safely, and to provide a safe online environment when they are at school. Julie Inman Grant, the only dedicated online safety regulator in the world, will outline how her team is helping schools keep their students safer online.

Julie Inman Grant, Commissioner, eSafety Commissioner

GLOBAL

9:40

KEYNOTE PANEL | International Insights and Considerations

• 2019 PISA Results
• KPIs from top-performing countries and education systems
• Translating policies where appropriate into a domestic setting

Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Educational Policy, Deputy Director, Gonski Institute for Education, UNSW
Angelo Gavrielatos, President-elect, New South Wales Teachers Federation
Phil Lambert, Director, Phil Lambert Consulting and National President, Australian College of Educators
Nicole Christensen, Principal, Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College
Moderator: Jordan Baker, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

10:10

Morning tea and networking break

STRENGTHENING THE TEACHER WORKFORCE

10:40

KEYNOTE | New Report on Building Teacher Capacity

Julie Sonnemann, School Education Fellow, Grattan Institute

11:00

KEYNOTE PANEL | Teacher Education

• Responding to subject matter and geographical teacher gaps
• Continual professional learning and investing in teachers
• Addressing the crowded curriculum in initial teacher education
• Graduate readiness for the profession
• Standards for entry to Initial Teacher Education

Paul Martin, Chief Executive Officer, NSW Education Standards Authority
Professor Mary Ryan, Dean of Education, Macquarie University
Dr. Jennifer Buckingham, Director, Strategy and Senior Research Fellow, MultiLit
Dr. Rachel Wilson, Associate Professor, Education Assessment, Evaluation and Research Methods, University of Sydney
Moderator: Jordan Baker, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

ACCELERATED LEARNING

11:30

PANEL | Gifted Students and Gifted Programs

• Do schools need specific gifted programs?
• How can schools ensure the longevity of a gifted program?
• Enabling gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Talent development and curriculum acceleration
• The value of co-curricular and enrichment programs

Dr. Rosalind Walsh, Catalyst Co-ordinator, Queenwood
Jennie Quinn, Education Officer: Diverse Learning Initiatives, Sydney Catholic Schools
Dr. Ben North, Principal Research Officer, CESE, New South Wales Department of Education
Mark Long, Principal, Penrith Selective High School
Moderator: Jordan Baker, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

RURAL AND REGIONAL EDUCATION

12:00

The Challenges and Opportunities for us All

• Exploring the impact education has on rural communities
• Meeting the challenges faced in rural Australia with an asset and place based approach
• Hearing from a rural young leader

Phil Brown, Executive Officer, Country Education Partnership
Ellie Jones, Alumni, Rural Youth Ambassadors

VISIONS FOR THE NEW ERA AND REFLECTIONS ON THE OLD

12:20

KEYNOTE | Fireside Chat with the NSW Minister for Education

The Hon. Sarah Mitchell, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, NSW
Moderator: Lisa Davies, Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

REVISITING ASSESSMENT

12:40

KEYNOTE PANEL | What are the Future of Assessments?

• What are the future of assessments?
• National and Global Models of Assessment
• What is assessment’s true purpose?
• How much is too much assessment?
• If not NAPLAN, then what?

Dr. Jenny Donovan, Managing Director, Learning Progressions and Online Formative Assessment Initiative
David de Carvalho, CEO, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
The Hon. Adrian Piccoli, Director, Gonski Institute for Education, UNSW
Moderator: Jordan Baker, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

13:10

Lunch and networking break

STREAM 1: PRIMARY SCHOOLS

DISABILITY

14:10

PANEL | Managing Disability

• Catering to diverse learners with Autism
• The effects of student anxiety
• Developing classroom and social skills
• Teacher capabilities and training

Henry Rajendra, Acting Deputy President, NSW Teachers Federation
Michelle Lawrow, Principal, Clairgate Public School
Dr. Kathleen Tait, Academic Program Director: Post-Graduate Studies in Special Education, Macquarie University
Moderator: Lisa Davies, Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

14:40

Conference Connections – Meet your fellow educators!

EXPLORING EDUCATIONAL MODELS

15:00

PANEL | Play-Based Learning

• Benefits of play-based early childhood education
• The Early Years Learning Framework: Belonging, Being, Becoming
• The National Quality Framework – Assessment and Rating
• Play-Based Learning and the primary curriculum

Elizabeth Death, CEO, Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA)
Rose Cantwell, Senior Inspector K-10 Curriculum, NSW Education Standards Authority
Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Educational Policy, Deputy Director, Gonski Institute for Education, UNSW
Lea De Angelis, Principal, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic College, Austral
Moderator: Lisa Davies, Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

15:30

Afternoon tea and networking break

SHARING SUCCESS

16:00

CASE STUDY | School Improvement at Blue Haven Public School

Paul McDermott, Principal, Blue Haven Public School

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

16:20

PANEL | Community Engagement

• Fundraising
• What are schools in high-needs communities seeking for?
• Case studies on successful and meaningful community partnerships
• Bringing the environment into the classroom
•  How principals can make a difference through tough times

Alan Gardiner, Secretary, Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations of NSW
Sherrill Nixon, Director of Donor Relations, Schools Plus
Gavin McCormack, Principal, Farmhouse Montessori School
Jennie Wilson, Principal, Moulamein Public School
Moderator: Lisa Davies, Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

CULTIVATING EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL LEADERS

16:50

CASE STUDY | Principal, School Leadership Institute

• Role of the School Leadership Institute
• Brief summary of the why developing participants’ at each point of their career is critical
• The Aspiring Principals Leadership Program and its value to participants’ leadership learning
• The pilot underway regarding identifying teachers with leadership potential and how they are being developed with reference to the new Leadership Development Continuum
• Takeaways: Using questions in the feedback package to attend to your own professional growth

Joanne Jarvis, Director, School Leadership Institute, NSW Department of Education
Karen Maraga, Principal, School Leadership Institute, NSW Department of Education

17:10

End of Conference | Remarks from the Chair

17:15

Networking drinks

STREAM 2: HIGH SCHOOLS

EXPLORING EDUCATIONAL MODELS

14:10

PANEL | Project-Based Learning

• How to transform learning across the whole school using PBL
• It’s not about PBL – it’s about teaching and assessing the general capabilities
• Myth busting about PBL (eg PBL has direct instruction)
• Transforming your school to one based on student passion, choice and the development of skills/capabilities
• The link between PBL and other inquiry pedagogies

Michael Saxon, Principal, Liverpool Boys High School
Dr. Tracey Breese, Principal, Kurri Kurri High School
Greg Miller, Principal Leader, St. Luke’s Catholic College, Marsden Park
Megan Krimmer, Headmistress, Abbotsleigh
Moderator: Murat Dizdar, Deputy Secretary, School Operations and Performance, NSW Department of Education

14:40

Conference Connections – Meet your fellow educators!

BEHAVIOUR

15:00

PANEL | Behaviour Management

• Whole-school approach to behaviour support
• Proactive classroom management
• Selection of evidence-based programs and practices
• Physiological safety and sense of belonging
• Case study of a school that has reduced suspension
• Trauma informed practice training for staff

Murat Dizdar, Deputy Secretary, School Operations and Performance, NSW Department of Education
Dr. Lorna Hepburn, Researcher, Association for Positive Behaviour Support Australia
Mark Morrison, Principal, Macleay Vocational College
Moderator: Jordan Baker, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

15:30

Afternoon tea and networking break

CULTIVATING EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL LEADERS

16:00

CASE STUDY | Principal, School Leadership Institute

• Role of the School Leadership Institute
• Brief summary of the why developing participants’ at each point of their career is critical
• The Aspiring Principals Leadership Program and its value to participants’ leadership learning
• The pilot underway regarding identifying teachers with leadership potential and how they are being developed with reference to the new Leadership Development Continuum
• Takeaways: Using questions in the feedback package to attend to your own professional growth

Joanne Jarvis, Director, School Leadership Institute, NSW Department of Education
Craig Brown, Principal, School Leadership Institute, NSW Department of Education

CREDENTIALS OF TOMORROW

16:20

KEYNOTE PANEL | Pathways Challenging the Norm

• New Literacy and Numeracy tests
• What could unis use that might be better than the ATAR?
• How can we improve community perceptions of non-university post-school options and pathways?
• How can we reduce the stress of the senior years of school while still building resilience?

Kim Paino, General Manager, Marketing and Engagement, Universities Admissions Centre
Paul Martin, Acting CEO, NSW Education Standards Authority
Patrick O’Reilly, Principal, Southern Cross Catholic Vocational College
Erica Thomas, Head of School, Newcastle Grammar School
Moderator: Jordan Baker, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

VET UPDATE

16:50

KEYNOTE | VET delivered to secondary students in NSW – Catering to Diversity or Meeting the Needs of Employers?

Professor John Polesel, Co-Director, Centre for Vocational and Educational Policy, The University of Melbourne

17:10

End of Conference | Remarks from the Chair

17:15

Networking drinks