Leading School Improvement
About the program
Lead with clarity. Drive improvement with confidence.
Strengthen the capability of your leadership team to drive improvement strategies aligned to goals in your Annual Implementation Plan and School Strategic Plan.
This program provides school leaders with dedicated, structured time to work together. You will have the opportunity to:
- build shared leadership practices within your school and across different schools and sectors
- share insights and learn from real-world experiences of peers
- sharpen your collective understanding of how leadership drives whole-school improvement.
What you'll learn
- Develop strong, aligned leadership practice. Build a leadership team that works cohesively, communicates with a common language, and leads improvement with purpose.
- Plan improvement with precision. Identify your school’s current stage of improvement through a guided self-assessment to set a clear direction.
- Lead strategic, sustainable change. Implement short-, medium- and long-term improvement priorities with an agile and sustainable approach.
- Develop a Strategic Improvement Project. Focus on a real challenge in your school, ensuring the learning directly aligns and support goals in your Annual Implementation Plan or School Strategic Plan.
Expert facilitators
This program is led by an expert team of Academy Principals in Residence, supported by respected school improvement specialists; Bruce Armstrong and Michelle Miller. They bring deep knowledge of the Victorian education system, understanding the complexities and challenges, and a proven track record of leading lasting, school-wide improvement.
Bruce Armstrong
Bruce has dedicated his career to public education improvement in Victoria through leadership, innovation, policy development and system reform. An inspirational education leader of local, national and international renown, a strategic thinker, pioneer and change agent, Bruce brought deep knowledge and expertise to the responsibility of leading improvement in 1540 government schools.
Bruce is highly respected and regarded for having demonstrated what it takes to transform schools at the coalface. He significantly lifted the performance of low and high-performing schools as a principal before contributing to wider system reform.
'I believe that system leadership is crucial to improvement and that the Academy is the engine that can deliver this improvement to Victorian schools. I offer lived experience of school leadership in Victoria and will bring that ‘grassroots’ perspective to our work.'
Michelle Miller
Michelle is a former Primary Principal and Victorian School Principal of the Year, having led improvement and change in multiple schools in the Western Districts. Most recently, as the substantive principal at Warrnambool East Primary School, Michelle led the design and implementation of a comprehensive school improvement strategy and instructional capability improvement program in her school. Michelle has also completed the Open To Learning leadership™ facilitator trainer in how to have challenging conversations (contracted through the Academy).
'As a school principal, I have dedicated my career to improving student achievement and wellbeing, and engaging deeply and meaningfully with my school community. Of all the lessons I have learned in my career, the ability to bring out the best of people is among the most important. Leading meaningful and enduring change in schools means constantly developing and inspiring your staff.'
Adam Hogan
Adam is a strategic and values-driven executive recognised for building clarity, capability, and confidence within complex systems. He has more than two decades of experience leading transformation across education, government, and the not-for-profit sector, consistently delivering sustainable improvement in performance, culture, and trust.
As a principal with the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, Adam leads statewide initiatives that strengthen executive capability, system reform, and organisational excellence. A former College Principal, he has guided large public organisations through renewal — reshaping governance, culture, and strategic alignment to deliver measurable outcomes for students, staff, and communities. Adam has achieved the highest level of statewide performance for schools through transformational leadership.
A Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and MBA Dux, Adam brings to leadership a rare combination of systems intelligence, composure, and purpose. His approach integrates strategic foresight with disciplined execution — creating organisations that are high-performing, accountable, and grounded in public value.
Dean King
Dean brings over 28 years of experience in education and has been a proud member of the Elisabeth Murdoch College community for more than 24 years. Now serving as Principal, he is passionate about student outcomes and school improvement, with a strong focus on teacher learning, evidence-based practice, and building effective learning cultures.
Dean has completed key leadership programs such as Unlocking Potential and Evolve, and is trained in Growth Coaching, Open to Learning Conversations, and Agile leadership. Dean holds a Master’s in School Leadership, a degree in Mathematics and Physical Education, and a Graduate Diploma in Sport Management and Marketing. Outside of school, he is a proud husband and father of three, enjoys an active lifestyle, and can often be found outdoors; especially on a mountain bike trail.
Dean currently works as a Principal in Residence at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, strengthening the quality and impact of Academy programs by providing expert advice, thought leadership and specialist expertise in professional learning and school leadership.
Michelle Hibbert
Michelle Hibbert is an experienced mainstream and specialist school principal who has spent most of her education career in the Latrobe Valley.
Before joining the Academy, Michelle managed a team in Outer Gippsland, focusing on establishing support for schools in East Gippsland as part of the recovery efforts from 2019-20 eastern summer bushfires.
Michelle currently holds the position of Manager of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership Regional Centre in Moe, where she leads strategic initiatives and oversees the delivery of services across the region.
Simone Higgins
Simone was the Principal of Grahamvale Primary School where she led the school community for seven years before taking up the new position as manager of Academy Shepparton at the beginning of 2023.
She has been a member of the Network Executive and Communities of Practice, working and learning alongside colleagues to develop and bring strong professional learning opportunities to the leaders and staff in schools.
Simone is passionate about teachers and leaders coming together to collaborate and build their knowledge and capacity. She is continually inspired by the ongoing learning opportunities that enables teachers, principals and system leaders to provide and deliver a high-quality education that meets the social, emotional and educational needs of all students, and allowing them to reach their full potential.
As the Manager of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership Regional Centre in Shepparton, Simone enjoys the opportunity of bringing teachers, leaders and system leaders together to access and deliver high quality professional learning in regional areas.
Who should apply
Roles
Designed for school principals, who can invite up to 3 members of their school leadership team. This may include:
- an assistant principal
- a campus principal
- a member of their leadership team.
This program caters to the specific needs of all leaders, including those in small school and special schools.
School sectors
This program is available to the following school sectors:
- Victorian Government
- Catholic
- independent.
Delivery
Over 4 months, you will engage with and contribute to:
- 1 online orientation session (1.5 hours)
- 3 full-day workshops (21 hours)
- 3 online peer learning sessions (3 hours)
- Self-directed learning (10-15 hours).
Orientation
Kick off with clarity and connection, build your network and know exactly what to expect.
You will:
- meet your lead facilitators, who will outline the program journey and show you how to navigate Academy Online with ease
- meet your dedicated peer learning group, matched (where possible) based on your school’s improvement priority, so you can collaborate with leaders facing similar challenges
- explore the key frameworks, tools and resources that shape the program, and get clear guidance on what’s needed ahead of each workshop.
Workshops
Workshop 1: Leadership to make it all happen
Explore the pivotal role leadership plays in driving school improvement, as a team and as an individual leader. Examine how improvement unfolds in schools, the stages of school improvement, and the leadership capabilities and dispositions needed to guide meaningful change.
Workshop 2: Building capacity and learning from others
Deepen your understanding of leadership for improvement by focusing on how to build teaching capacity. Hear directly from principals who have led improvement journeys in schools, and learn from their practical insights, strategies and theory of action.
Workshop 3: Implementing and embedding continuous improvement
Use data effectively and articulate clear success criteria to guide your improvement work. You will present your Strategic Improvement Project, receive feedback from peers, reflect on next steps, and determine how you will apply your learnings back in your school.
Peer learning sessions
Connect with leadership teams from other schools in small, purposefully matched triads. These sessions offer rich opportunities for networking, reflection and collaboration. Guided conversations help you make sense of workshop content, refine your implementation strategies, and prepare your Strategic Improvement Project.
Self-directed learning
Engage in self-paced activities that help you:
• assess your own leadership approach
• evaluate your leadership team’s culture and effectiveness
• understand your school’s stage of improvement
• design a clear improvement initiative tailored to your context.
You will be supported with step-by-step guidance and high-quality resources.
Learning outcomes
You will gain knowledge and understanding of how to:
- identify your leadership strengths and growth areas ─ individually and as a team
- explore evidence-based improvement theories to understand how leadership drives school improvement and apply these directly to your school’s goals
- assess your school’s current stage of improvement and develop a clear plan aligned to the School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan
- establish effective processes for engaging staff and stakeholders, building trust, supporting successful implementation of improvement initiatives, and building teacher capability through evidence informed adult learning approaches.
Completion requirements
To successfully complete this program, you will need to:
- attend orientation
- attend, and actively participate in all 3 workshops
- attend, and actively participate in all 3 peer learning sessions
- present your Strategic Improvement Project at workshop 3 and submit the project on Academy Online.
Fees and support
We significantly subsidise costs for all participants.
| Government school | Non-government school | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee per participant | $400 (excl. GST) | $2,000 (excl. GST) |
Financial support
Victorian school participants may be eligible for additional subsidies.
