What's Hot June

President’s Report:

As we power through Week 8, the energy across our schools is palpable — reports are being written, students are deep in learning, and staff are giving their all. Thank you for your continued dedication and leadership.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Secondary Principals Council Annual Conference on behalf of our Association. It was a great opportunity to maintain and strengthen our partnership with our secondary colleagues. One keynote that struck a chord was Dr Jodie Lowinger’s session, where she reminded us that principals are “presence and wellbeing” leaders before we are educational leaders. That deeply resonated with me. In my conversations with principals across the state, it’s rare for us to begin with operations or administration. More often, we talk about wellbeing — of staff, of teams, and of ourselves.

Dr Lowinger highlighted the significant emotional labour of school leadership — how we absorb stress and project calm — and the toll that takes on our minds and bodies. Encouragingly, she reinforced the importance of consistent self-care routines, however small, to mitigate these effects — a finding echoed in Dr Adam Fraser’s work.

Last week was Men’s Health Week, and I encourage all our colleagues to take stock of their health. If you haven’t booked a check-up with your GP recently, now is the time. Establishing a baseline for your key health indicators — bloods, heart health, and skin checks — is a smart and necessary act of self-care.

As you’ll be aware, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, the Hon. Prue Car MP, has taken leave to undergo treatment for breast cancer. On behalf of the NSWPPA, we have expressed our thoughts and support to Minister Car. Her strength and resilience in leadership will no doubt support her in the months ahead. She has encouraged all women to prioritise regular breast checks and mammograms — a message we strongly endorse.

We welcome the Hon. Courtney Houssos MP as the Relieving Minister for Education and Early Learning during Minister Car’s leave. Minister Houssos, who attended public primary and secondary schools in Forster, brings a strong understanding of public education and has previously served on the education estimates committee. She retains her Finance and Natural Resources portfolios alongside her new responsibilities.

Advocacy and Current Focus

Our advocacy efforts remain focused and ongoing. Key areas include:

• Principal Wellbeing and Safety: We are pushing for a strengthened parent/community charter, including a clear code of conduct outlining unacceptable behaviours and consequences. The challenge lies in balancing this with a culture of respectful collaboration. We are committed to finding that balance.
• Preschool Resourcing: We continue to call for dedicated executive leadership and administrative support for preschools located on public primary school sites. These concerns have been raised with senior DoE executives and the NSW Teachers Federation.
• National Anti-Bullying Rapid Review: We recently made a submission to the review, advocating for:
  • Ongoing flexibility in implementing evidence-based strategies tailored to local contexts
  • Additional staffing and time for school executives
  • Improved interagency cooperation and access to counselling services
  • Resources for families to better understand bullying — and what it is not
  • Greater authority for principals to manage incidents effectively

During our recent State Council meeting, delegates attended EduTech, where they participated in tailored training to improve productivity in Outlook and Teams. The sessions were delivered via wireless headphones — a novel and engaging way to interact.

We extend our sincere condolences to the family of Ken Dixon OAM, former General Manager of the Department’s Finance and Administration section. Ken’s name appeared on much of the key correspondence we received over many years. He passed away on 25 May after a long illness. He will be remembered for his service to public education.

The Association of Retired Primary Principals (ARP) continues to grow and is actively reaching out to recently retired members. Events are being held around the state, including one this week on the Mid North Coast. If you’re in touch with recently retired colleagues, please encourage them to reconnect via the link below.

Our annual awards process is now open, and I encourage you to consider nominating colleagues within your PPC who exemplify service, leadership, and excellence. Information and criteria have been sent by email.

Our Professional Support Officers continue to provide vital support to principals across the state. With Phil Seymour currently on extended leave, Louise Green and Jenni Griffiths are relieving in the role. If you require support, please reach out to Lyn, Geoff, or myself, and we will connect you accordingly.

Finally, several Executive members recently attended the 25th anniversary celebration of Zing Activ, a long-standing and valued corporate partner of the NSWPPA. Congratulations to Maria and Chris on this significant milestone and the meaningful contribution Zing has made to schools over the past 25 years.

Public Education Week:

This year's Public Education Week theme is “Ignite Your Passion”. Our Comms and Engagement team have had input into the program and resources.

There are great resources in the toolkit that you can manipulate for your own school including Canva backgrounds, social media tiles, TEAMs backgrounds, video frames, award certificates and sample acknowledgement of country.

The Public Education Week team are looking for stories to promote in the lead-up to and during the week. If your school or network of schools is doing something special (dinners, award ceremonies, special days etc) please let the team know through either of the emails below. Don’t be shy, let’s promote what our amazing public primary schools are doing.
doeevents@det.nsw.edu.au or Jeffrey.stein3@det.nsw.edu.au

The Australia Primary Education Summit:

Vice President Leah Martin and I had the privilege to represent members at the first Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) National Summit held in Canberra recently. The summit brought together primary school leaders from every state and territory and every education sector. Also in attendance were key educational partners from government and other independent bodies.

Attendees were invited to share in the development of APPA's four system priorities to improve learning outcomes, which emerged during the event. Speakers providing provocation included Julia Gillard, Professor Frank Oberklaid, President of NATSIPA Dyonne Anderson, former APPA President Norm Hart, CEO of ACARA Stephen Gniel, CEO of Upschool Gavin McCormick, and Federal Education Minister Jason Clare.

AGPPA/APPA UPDATE:

Recently, along with NSWPPA Vice President Bob Willetts, I attended national meetings in Melbourne. This included the Australian Government Primary Principals Association (AGPPA) meeting where the AGPPA National Council examined the legislative changes in South Australia that protect school staff from violence and aggression. AGPPA members also had a presentation from the Chair of the Victorian Independent Office of School Dispute Resolution, Frank Handy. This office manages approximately 30 cases a year, working with families and the system to enable students to successfully attend school and all parties to be able to build productive relationships. The independent nature of the office is something that has been highly successful and caught the interest of other states and territories. The National Council continued to progress AGPPA’s strategic plan by strengthening collaboration, shaping national policy, and empowering leaders across government primary schools.

At APPA, work started on a range of new Position Papers including Red Tape Reduction and investigating ways to raise the status of the profession. APPA members took a deeper dive into the Better Fairer Schools Agreement and also heard from two speakers: Dr Danielle Einstein, who discussed screen time and its impact on children and families, and Tim Bullard, the new AITSL Chairperson.

Farrar Memorial Agricultural High School:

Consultation is currently underway on the possibility of including female enrolments into the boarding and/or day stream at Farrar Memorial Agricultural High School. If you would like to know more or want to have a say please use the QR codes below.

NSWPPA Awards 2025 Nominations Open:

We invite members to submit nominations by 5pm Friday 29 August 2025. Nominations should be submitted using this form which can also be accessed at https://forms.office.com/r/XiESqMmM1Z

When completing the form, you will need to include:

• a citation of no more than 250 words
• a photo of the nominee
• the following information:
  •  Name of Nominee
  •  School of Nominee
  •  PPC of Nominee
  •  Name & School of nominating Principal
  •  Name & School of seconding Principal

Welcome to the Principalship:

We warmly welcome these colleagues to the principalship.

Australian Early Development Census 2024 data release:

Development Census (AEDC) 2024 data collection outcomes are now available.     

How to access the data   

• AEDC national report 
• AEDC community data   
• A detailed report that highlights the key findings from the AEDC NSW data will be available on the AEDC reports page soon

Your AEDC School Profile Addendum  

School principals have received an email from AEDC National with a unique link to download their full AEDC School Profile Addendum.  Please note this link expires within 7 days. Principals can also access the school profile on SCOUT from 20 June 2025. For more information on accessing AEDC on SCOUT visit AEDC School Profile.  

How to use the data    

• Watch the ‘About the AEDC’ video 
• Professional learning and resources   
• Register for the AEDC NSW research symposium livestream on Wednesday, 18 June 2025, where you can learn about ways to engage with the data. All sessions will be recorded and made available after the symposium.  
• Attend one of the AEDC NSW 2024 data release drop-in sessions, designed to support various stakeholders engage and ask questions about the AEDC 2024 data.  

Nanga Mai Awards:

This year marks a special milestone as we hold the 20th celebration of the Nanga Mai Awards. These awards allow us to recognise excellence in Aboriginal education across NSW public schools.  

Do you know an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander student excelling at school? An inspiring educator or colleague making a difference? A school or community member championing Aboriginal education? Now is the time to celebrate their impact. 

Nomination is a leadership action—it celebrates those shaping better futures for our students and acknowledges the value of Aboriginal and Tores Strait Islander excellence in all areas of education 

Award categories include: 

• Student Awards
• Staff Awards
• School and Community Awards 

Visit Nanga Mai Awards or read the Staff Noticeboard article to learn more and submit your nomination by Friday 4 July.  

Let’s come together to recognise the incredible stories and successes across our schools. 

Help spread the word. Share with your colleagues and communities!  

#NangaMaiAwards #AboriginalEducation #RecognitionMatters #ShapingTheFutureWithCourage

How to have hard conversations with upper primary aged children – Deputy President, Greg McLaren:

Schools may consider communicating the following to your community. The below information is related to communicating with older children about online safety. Parts of the information was originally intended for teenagers in our schools but appears to be appropriate for families and carers with upper primary aged children.

As children mature and explore the world, they can come across scenarios and have experiences that they may not know how to deal with. It is our responsibility as adults and parents to help and guide them to set boundaries, make safe choices and responsible decisions. This can help them build sensible habits when online.  

Build trust 

Develop a trust-based relationship with your upper primary aged child so that they can come to you at any time, no matter how difficult the topic might be to talk about. Think of some positive examples and support them with their decision-making process.

Listen actively 

Give your children your full attention. When they come to you for help, listen without interrupting, give your full attention and work with them to come up with answers and solutions. This will improve the communication and strengthen the relationship with your upper primary aged child. 

Get help 

If you are not sure or need more help, you can approach the school or the school counsellor or Parent Line NSW. The Australian parenting website has self-help resources to navigate issues such as technology, healthy lifestyle, school life and upper primary aged children behaviours. 

Research and further support 

Visit the Digital lives of Aussie teens to review research on how upper primary aged children interact online and the department’s Staying safe online resources to help guide and empower you and your children to improve your digital citizenship. 

FREE Legal Services Directorate Professional Learning for School Leaders – Deputy President, Greg McLaren:

Online or Face-to-Face from 8.50am on Wednesday 25 June 2025 (T2 Wk9)

Supported by the Secretary, Murat Dizdar, DoE Legal Services directorate personnel are touring the state offering professional learning. The forum entails cross DoE directorates with senior personnel giving expert advice to school leaders.

BUT

Face-to Face venue is Fairy Meadows Demonstration School.

You do not have to be at the venue as LIVESTREAM is also available.

Please register your interest by 24 June 2025: https://forms.office.com/r/bT9ALMA171

This forum will include Professor Matthews from Queensland University of Technology

After successful professional learning at Parramatta, Port Macquarie, Armidale and Albury this forum is in Wollongong. Future face-to-face forums are scheduled for Western Sydney and Broken Hill.

School Website Service Upgrade – Vice President, Leah Martin:

As you would be aware, the school website service has been undergoing an upgrade and all schools should now book their upgrade in one of the available times in Term 3 or 4 of 2025. There is plenty of great support available for this process and NSWPPA representatives have had significant input and collaboration on the process to make it a smooth and successful one. Below are a range of links and resources to support you. 

1. SWS Community of Practice Recording: For insights from the recent Community of Practice session, you can view the recording here: SWS CoP Recording.
2. Booking Form: Please use the following link to access the booking form: Booking Form
3. Project Resources: A comprehensive set of resources related to the school website upgrade is available here: Website Upgrade Resources
4. Presentation Slides: The slides from the upgrade launch webinar are available for your reference: 170625_SWS Community of Practice_UpgradeLaunch.pptx
5. Contact Information: If schools have any questions or require further assistance, please reach out via email at: sws.upgrade@det.nsw.edu.au.

Association of Retired Primary Principals (ARPP) – Vice President, Adam Wynn

I was most fortunate to attend the ARPP lunch on June 5 at the Sydney Rowing Club. A huge congratulations to the organisers who staged such a successful event bringing together around 40 retired Principals. What an amazing amount of knowledge, experience, laughter and stories these retirees shared throughout the lunch. It was great to also have our NSWPPA President, Michael Burgess and the Parramatta PPC President Craig Brown attend in support of the event and the Association. It is so important for us all to be able to maintain the connection with our colleagues and friends throughout our retirement years.

Upcoming events are planned for June 19 in Coffs Harbour, August 7 in Newcastle, September 11 in Sydney Chinatown and September 25 on the Central Coast. 

Currently there are 107 financial members and 56 auxiliary members waiting to renew their membership and we are looking to support the committee by encouraging recently retired Principals to join in the fun. Please encourage any retired Principals you know to contact the President, Tom Crocker mtcroker@bigpond.net.au , the Secretary, Kerryanne Knox kknox@bigpond.com  or send me their contact email at adam.wynn@det.nsw.edu.au . You can also check out their website at https://www.rppa.com.au/ 

We are looking to build the membership of this Association so please encourage all to join up and come along.

Assets Reference group - Vice President, Sue Maxworthy:

Our term 2 meeting saw a developing era in Assets with a full complement of regional members in attendance, plus AMU Directors from across the state and our colleagues from SPC. We encourage you to review the Assets Meeting minutes and be aware that NSWPPA is now directly connected to the Demountable Review team. This group has a direct line of feedback in the process, and you’re encouraged to reach out to your local Assets rep for review and consideration of any demountable concerns.

Anthony Buckley- Chair Assets RG and Sue Maxworthy- Vice President, Assets RG Exec Liaison

Technology Reference group - Vice President, Sue Maxworthy:

Our term 2 meeting saw a full team of regional members in attendance, with over 20 different staff from ITD sharing information and progress on technology related items throughout the day. We are excited to collaborate closely in fostering the service culture that ITD is dedicated to building. Please take a moment to review the Technology RG term 2 Report, for information relating to online learning tools, EduChat+, K-2 simplified log-in, the Ern uplift and Access Request platform progress and more. If you are seeking further clarification, please consult your local TRG rep.  

Michael Sky- Chair Technology RG and Sue Maxworthy- Vice President, Technology RG Exec Liaison

New England region PPCs - Vice President, Sue Maxworthy:

The New England Primary Principals Councils of Moree, Armidale and Tamworth are meeting week 8 to continue their strong work in the business of the Association. These gatherings provide a platform for collaboration and sharing. Principals from a diverse range of schools all over New England, come together to discuss challenges, share successful strategies, and review the matters of State Council. Moreover, participation in these meetings reinforces our commitment to principal professionalism. Given the rapidly evolving landscape of education, being abreast of these developments allows principals to effectively navigate and implement necessary changes in their schools, ensuring that we are providing the best possible outcomes for our students.

A very big thank you for your service to Kathryn Western for her leadership as President to the Moree PPC over the last 4 years. Kathryn has been successful in a Principal transfer down south and voting has been conducted for the new Moree PPC President of Michael Sky. Congratulations Michael.

I look forward to attending the Tamworth PPC meeting on Thursday 19th June to share in the work of these Principals. Thank you to Tamworth President Jodie Bishop and her Executive for the invitation.

NSWPPA 2025 Conference – Conference SC Chair, Kylie Donovan:

We are excited for our conference this year where we can meet up face-to-face and share our collective wisdom with one another! 

Speaker line up: Annabel Crabb (MC), Kath Koschel - 2025 NSW Australian of the Year, Yasmin London, Dr Adam Fraser, Dr Jana Pittman, Gilbert Enoka, Cathy Freeman OAM, Nasir Siobani, Ruby Rodgers, Bernie Shakeshaft.

Conference details

• Conference Dates: Tuesday 28/10/25 – Friday 31/10/25. 
• Speaking program and virtual option (online) is from Wed 29/10/25 – Friday 31/10/25.
• Conference Venue: Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, Phillip St, Sydney.
• Conference Theme: Together we walk forward
• Attendance to all sessions is expected, otherwise should be taken as leave. DoE may request sign on/attendance data for sessions.
• Professional behaviour matters. How we represent ourselves matters.

Book accommodation now while it is cheaper. Stay within the amount allowed in the travel policy and maybe consider other options for accommodation in the city that falls within this. Share a room, consider apartments with several bedrooms so the cost can be shared with other Principals. Do not exceed the amount set out in the policy under any circumstance. You must pay the difference if your choice of accommodation is more than the upper limit set out in the policy. Ensure you are booking this on your P-Card so the DEL signs off. A reminder: you cannot acquit your own expenses (if the SAM for example, books it for you).

Registration opens at the beginning of Term 3 and the link will be on the NSWPPA website.

Professional Learning Newsletter – Key Updates – PLO Drew Janetzki:

Updates: Term 3 programs out now:

We’re excited to welcome you to Term 3, with our programs seeing record engagement across the state.

Our flagship Art of Leadership program is nearly at capacity, with only limited places remaining for the rest of 2025 – we encourage you to secure your spot as soon as possible.

We’re proud to share that Mitch Wallis continues to gain remarkable momentum, receiving a 100% satisfaction rating from participating leaders.

If you’re interested in bringing Mitch’s powerful session to your team, please register your

Expression of Interest here:

We also acknowledge the strong response to our Tough Conversations for School Leaders session – one of our most popular offerings to date.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported our NSWPPA Educational Leadership Podcasts – your feedback and engagement help shape future episodes for school leaders across NSW.

Lastly, a reminder that EOIs are still open for those wishing to become an Accredited NSWPPA Level 1 Facilitator – FranklinCovey Leadership Content, with the close date now extended to 15th August 2025.

Submit your EOI here:

Let’s make Term 3 an exceptional chapter in our shared leadership journey.

Updates from the PSOs:

It has been wonderful to welcome Jenni Griffith and Louise Green to the PSO team. They are sharing Phil’s position until his return from leave on July 7. Just a reminder to go to the NSWPPA website and read our Quick Tips. PPCs are encourages to select and view appropriate episodes from the AMP It Up series as these generate good discussion with colleagues. You have to go to the Members section of the website and log in from there.

After viewing some of the AMP It Up videos Dubbo PPC sent this feedback in :

“The PPC engaged well with the overview and introduction of why AMP. They also appreciated that with repeated visits you could skip the general intro of each session and get easily to the main content. Together we watched Psycho and Social, and the Picard - they both started great conversations. The overall feeling in the room was confident that they could take these back to exec teams and share them at the point of need. AND that the information is current, concise and presented by people with credibility - the team found that reassuring.

The one hick up was the getting into the series, as you recall I had to call you, there seemed to be too many steps for easy access.”

Our Professional Learning Officer Drew Janetzki has placed a video on the website explaining how to access the videos from the members section of the NSWPPA website.

NSW Curriculum Key Messages - Megan Kelly, Executive Director Curriculum

We're excited to share the latest curriculum updates and opportunities, supporting you to deliver on the NSW Curriculum Reform and Our Plan for NSW Public Education.

Term 2 Week 9 – *New* Curriculum update for primary principals

A new initiative launching in Week 9, designed to support principals and school leaders with curriculum planning for Term 3.

This information session will provide strategic guidance on how to make the most of upcoming curriculum support and professional learning, helping leaders align opportunities with their school’s improvement priorities.

• Wednesday 25 June, 3:30–4:15 pm – register for this information session.

The session will be recorded, allowing leaders to engage at a time that suits them. DELs, principals and school leadership teams are encouraged to attend together to strengthen shared understanding and support collaborative planning.

Term 3 Weeks 5–9 – Curriculum professional learning K–6

Register your staff for Term 3 curriculum professional learning in English, mathematics, and CHPS (creative arts, HSIE, PDHPE, science and technology). These sessions are designed to build capability for effective syllabus implementation across K–6.

Key details

• English and mathematics half-day workshops can be attended individually or combined for a full-day program.
• CHPS sessions are standalone full-day events (catering included for face-to-face).
• Maximum 2 participants per school per session, places are limited.
• Recordings will be made available later in Term 3.

MyPL registration links

• English
• Mathematics
• CHPS

Evaluation of primary languages programs

Principals are invited to provide feedback on the teaching of languages. We are interested in hearing from all primary schools, including those that:

• currently offer department-funded language programs, such as the Community Languages Program K–6 or the Bilingual Schools Program
• run self-funded language programs.
• have previously offered a language program
• have never implemented a language program.

Please complete the questionnaire to share your insights by Friday 4 July 2025. It takes approximately 2-5 minutes to complete. Your feedback will help us better understand how language programs are being implemented across NSW public schools.

Thank you for your time and contribution. For any questions about this evaluation, please contact the Primary Languages team at primlang@det.nsw.edu.au.

Leading Effective Curriculum Implementation (LECI) orientation for primary teachers

The LECI orientation for primary middle leaders is available now. This orientation session to the Leading effective curriculum instruction (LECI) professional learning series explores how Assistant Principals and Assistant Principals, Curriculum and Instruction work closely together as middle leaders in primary schools.

The session demonstrates how collaboratively engaging in the LECI modules provides opportunities for your school leadership team to lead effective, school-wide curriculum implementation. Members of the leadership team at Terrigal Public School share their experiences of engaging with the LECI modules collaboratively as middle leaders.

Illustration of practice – transitions in the Yass network

A new illustration of practice is now available, which showcases how a network of geographically distant and small schools in the Yass Learning area plan, implement, and evaluate transition practices. These practices are designed to support curriculum implementation and ensure continuity of learning during the transition from primary to high school. The Director, Educational Leadership (DEL) and 5 schools in the Yass Learning Network provide insight into how they strategically plan and focus on curriculum implementation and transition practices.

The DEL and school leaders:

• highlight the importance of optimising cross-school activities for successful transition to high school
• outline the value of leadership and differentiated support in facilitating strategic planning
• discuss how shared pedagogy improves student learning outcomes for all students.

For further information, refer to Transitions in the Yass network

Explicit Teaching Resources – Cathy Zemaitis, Director Curriculum Implementation & Provision:

Explicit teaching resources

The suite of learning modules exploring the 8 Explicit teaching strategies is now complete. These strategy learning modules and technique guides can support a consistent understanding of explicit teaching across NSW. Schools are encouraged to identify their strategy of focus and delve deep into the content and what it looks like in their classrooms. These PL resources are designed to be broken up and delivered over a sustained period of time.  All explicit teaching strategy learning modules can be found at Leading explicit teaching. The strategy learning module and technique guides include:

• Checking for understanding
• Gradual release of responsibility
• Connecting learning
• Chunking and sequencing learning
• Sharing learning intentions
• Sharing success criteria
• Using effective questioning
• Using effective feedback.

Although these modules are complete, they will be continually reviewed and renewed based on feedback, updated research and the development of additional resources such as illustrations of practice videos and case studies. Schools are encouraged to return to the website for the most up-to-date version and revisit these strategies over time.

Questions? Reach out to the Explicit teaching team here: effectiveteachingpractice@det.nsw.edu.au