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Cross-Sectoral Leadership Conference

28-29 March 2026 | Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens

Hosted in partnership with The Teachers’ Guild of NSW
(P2P) Peer to Peer – Opportunities, Possibilities: Transformative Leadership
in Education

BUY A PASS Register Your Interest

Early bird rate expires 19 December 2025

overview

Hosted in partnership with The Teachers’ Guild of NSW


(P2P) Peer to Peer – Opportunities, Possibilities: Transformative Leadership in Education

This dynamic two-day Cross- Sectoral Leadership Conference unites system leaders, middle leaders, aspiring leaders, and principals from both schools and universities to collaboratively explore the future of educational leadership in an era of rapid transformation.

Centered around the theme “(P2P) Peer to Peer – Opportunities, Possibilities: Transformative Leadership in Education,” the conference is designed to foster cross- sector collaboration and inspire visionary leadership practices.

Why Attend?

  • Make your voice count in shaping the future of educational leadership
  • Gain actionable strategies from visionary leaders across educational sectors
  • Network extensively with peers from diverse educational institutions
  • Participate in rich, interactive leadership development workshops
  • Explore cutting-edge issues including AI integration, equity initiatives, and innovation frameworks
  • Leave inspired with a practical toolkit for transformational leadership

Conference Objectives

  • Foster leadership capacity across diverse educational contexts
  • Encourage cross-sector collaboration to address systemic challenges
  • Equip leaders with tools for ethical and effective use of emerging technologies
  • Promote equity and innovation as central pillars of educational leadership
  • Create sustainable peer-to-peer networks that extend beyond the conference

What’s Included?

  • Full access to all keynotes, panels, workshops, and roundtables
  • Comprehensive welcome pack and conference materials
  • Networking breakfast, lunch, and refreshment breaks
  • Entry to the Saturday evening Networking Dinner Reception
  • Certificate of completion for 12 hours of professional development

Speakers

Dr Frederick Osman

President, The Teachers Guild of NSW

Murat Dizdar PSM

Secretary, NSW Department of Education

Dallas McInerney

CEO, Catholic Schools NSW

Prof Susan Ledger

President, NSW Council of Deans of Education

John Goh

Principal, Merrylands East Public School

Lee Barrett

Prompt Engineer and AI Advocacy Officer, CEnet

Dr Phil Lambert PSM

Phil Lambert Consulting

A/Prof Anna Du Plessis

Director of the Office for Professional Learning, University of New England

Dr Peter Webster

Former Principal, St John XXIII Catholic College

Hon Adrian Piccoli

Former Minister for Education NSW

Chris Bradbury

Principal, Radford College

Matt Macoustra

Head of School, Newcastle Grammar

Liliana Mularczyk

Director, Secondary Education, NSW Department of Education

Monica O’Brien

Head, Curriculum and Assessment, Catholic Schools NSW

Rebecca Butterworth

Principal, Hunter Valley Grammar School

Robert Nastasi

Principal, St Paul’s Catholic College, Greystanes

A/ Prof Karen Livesey

School of Information and Physical Sciences, The University of Newcastle

Agenda

9:00 am

WELCOME REMARKS | Dr Frederick Osman, President, The Teachers Guild of NSW

9:10 am

OPENING | Opening remarks from the Chair

Liliana Mularczyk, Director, Secondary Education, NSW Department of Education

INSPIRING CHANGE AND CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION

9:20 am

10:00 am

PANEL DISCUSSION | Collaborative Leadership in Action

Murat Dizdar PSM, Secretary, NSW Department of Education

Dallas McInerney, CEO, Catholic Schools NSW

Prof Susan Ledger, President, NSW Council of Deans of Education

Moderated by: Hon Adrian Piccoli, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry

10:40 am

Morning Tea & Networking

11:10 am

Keynote Address | Future Leadership Trends in Education

A/Prof Anna Du Plessis, Director of the Office for Professional Learning, University of New England

12:00 pm

  • Exploring how aspiring leaders must shift from traditional management approaches to dynamic empowerment processes that prepare students “for their future, not our past”
  • Practical strategies for creating peer-to-peer leadership networks that bridge schools and universities, enabling cross-sectoral knowledge sharing and innovative problem-solving in educational settings.
  • How aspiring leaders can cultivate the skills needed to navigate complex educational challenges, including implementing new assessment processes and pedagogical practices that respond to rapidly changing global talent demands.

12:30 pm

  • Strategies for effective communication between senior leadership and teaching staff
  • Cultivating professional learning communities that drive student success
  • Implementing evidence-based innovations while maintaining team cohesion

1:00 pm

Networking Lunch

STORIES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

2:00 pm

  • The hidden connections between high school STEM participation, university trends, community events and government policies.
  • Strategies for developing transformative outreach programs that engage diverse audiences, with practical approaches to overcoming barriers in STEM participation and creating sustainable community partnerships.
  • Effective leadership frameworks that support and empower first-generation students in education, including mentorship models, institutional support structures, and policy recommendations that create genuine pathways for underrepresented groups in STEM education.

2:30 pm

  • Insights from leading St John XXIII Catholic College to global recognition as one of the world’s most innovative schools.
  • Reimagining traditional learning spaces and pedagogical approaches.
  • Strategies for developing a purpose-centred organisational culture where students and staff are empowered to explore, innovate and challenge within a framework of clear values and mission.
  • How purpose-driven leadership can break away from the industrial model of education to create learning environments where every student and staff member can flourish.

2:50 pm

  • Honouring institutional legacy while implementing progressive educational approaches
  • Developing future-focused learning environments that maintain academic rigor
  • Building leadership capacity across the school community to sustain transformation

3:10 pm

  • Transitioning leadership and maintaining momentum in a high-performing educational environment
  • Implementing Harvard and Oxford leadership principles to drive academic excellence and school reputation
  • Balancing tradition with innovation through strategic infrastructure development and community engagement

3:30 pm

Afternoon Tea & Networking

4:00 pm

  • The VUCA (volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous) world in which education now operates
  • The futility of seeking refuge (a safe harbour) in such times over accepting and facing turbulence to actually set a course and get there; and
  • The kind of transformational capabilities educators need to navigate in this context to strengthen the safety and wellbeing of fellow educators and to equip students to thrive not just survive in life and work

4:50 pm

Closing Address | Robert Nastasi, Principal, St Paul’s Catholic College, Greystanes

5:00 pm

End of Day One

6:00 pm

Conference Dinner

9:00 am

OPENING | Opening remarks from the Chair

Lee Barrett, Prompt Engineer and AI Advocacy Officer, CEnet

MORE STORIES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

9:10 am

  • Transforming school operations through innovative scheduling
  • Leveraging technology and social media to enhance educational practices and global connections
  • Building authentic community partnerships in a culturally diverse setting

9:30 am

  • Aligning school values with strategic initiatives to drive meaningful change
  • Developing innovative programs that prepare students for future challenges
  • Building a culture of continuous improvement through reflective leadership practices

9:50 am

Morning Tea & Networking

THE ROLE OF AI IN TRANSFPORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

10:20 am

  • Evolving from technology adaptors to sophisticated AI integration strategists
  • Transforming from intuition-guided decision-making to continuous evidence-based governance
  • The scale and scope of personalised learning.  How soon? How effective?

10:50 am

  • Ensuring AI tools reduce rather than reinforce existing educational disparities
  • Developing institutional policies that balance the benefit of AI with robust protection of student data, privacy, and agency
  • Effectively nurturing the character traits needed to succeed in an AI-enhanced world

11:20 am

  • Assessments – How can we safeguard against plagiarism? Should we be trying?
  • What policies can we implement to ensure that there is a safe and responsible use of AI?
  • Are we in danger of losing the human interaction and guidance that only teachers can provide?
  • How best can we prepare the students for a post-school world?
  • Should values and character education form a greater part of the curriculum?
  • How do we ensure that there is equity in accessing AI tools for all students and schools?
  • How do we ensure that teachers are fully up to speed on platforms and emerging technology?

12:00 pm

End of The Conference

Pricing

Packages Price
Conference$795$745+GST Early Bird Rate Early Bird Rate

Early bird rate expires 19 December 2025

Sponsorship & exhibition opportunities

Want to get involved? Contact Andrew Sinkovich for a copy of the sponsorship & exhibition prospectus today!

Andrew Sinkovich
Sponsorship & Exhibition Sales Manager
+61 2 9080 4308
[email protected]

ConnectMe

ConnectMe • Networking enhanced

All of our events utilise a bespoke dynamic smartphone app, ConnectMe – which guarantees attendees a premium event experience. Logins are sent prior to the conference commencement allowing you to check who’s attending, schedule in meetings and catch ups, participate in live Q+A and interactive polls, and much more. ConnectMe ensures you never miss a beat prior, during and post event.

Event Code of Conduct

We want everyone who comes to our events to have a great experience. This code explains our expectations and rules, which includes general good practice behaviour, and how to report anything witnessed or experienced that goes against them. Read our Event Code of Conduct here.

when & where

28 - 29 Mar 2026

Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens, Broke Road Pokolbin
2090 Broke Road, Pokolbin, NSW 2320
(02) 4998 2000
all.accor.com/hotel/6941/index.en.shtml

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contact

Still have a question?

General Information & Registration
Customer Service
+61 2 9080 4307
[email protected]

Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
Andrew Sinkovich
+61 2 9080 4308
[email protected]

Speaking Enquiries
Keith Barks
[email protected]

Marketing & Media Enquiries
Alys Pryde
[email protected]

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