Joshua Basford is the Thebarton Senior College teacher whose literacy reforms and student leadership programs are reshaping outcomes at a Category 2 disadvantaged school serving students from over 76 cultures.   Recognising that many Australian-born students were arriving with significant schooling gaps, Joshua led a proposal securing a five-year speech pathology partnership, screening or supporting 558 students in 2025 alone.   This led to the trialing andLearn more >

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Steph Insanally is a transformative music educator whose work has redefined what arts education can achieve in one of South Australia’s most complex school communities.   As Head of Music at Ngutu College, an independent K-12 school in Woodville North serving a cohort where 51% of learners are Aboriginal and over 81% experience disability, trauma or additional learning needs, StephLearn more >

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Diane Pashen is a proud Wiradjuri woman and student-focused education leader committed to redefining excellence in public education for First Nations students. Her leadership is grounded in high expectations, strong academic outcomes, cultural inclusivity, equity and evidence-informed practice.  At Bellbird Park State Secondary College, a school of over 1,800 students with 54 different languages, Diane has led the creation ofLearn more >

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Bradley Headlam is the Assistant Principal at North Geelong Secondary College whose Be Bold Be Heard (BBBH) program has closed a persistent gender gap in student voice and turned adolescent girls into leaders of school-wide change.   Launched to address disengagement revealed in Attitudes to School Survey data, the program equips students to analyse their own school data and drive systemic changeLearn more >

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Dr Dawn Grant-Skiba is the Principal and Executive of Warrah Specialist School, an independent K–12 school on a 12-hectare bushland campus in Dural, NSW, inspired by Rudolf Steiner education and dedicated to students with moderate to severe intellectual disability, and complex learning needs.   Under Dawn’s leadership, Warrah has built on its established strengths in life skills andLearn more >

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Olivia Watson is a classroom teacher, Head of Literacy and Disability Coordinator at East Kalgoorlie Primary School, combining culturally responsive pedagogy with explicit, evidence-based instruction to lift outcomes at an outer regional WA school where 90% of students are Aboriginal and educational disadvantage is significant.  Olivia’s leadership has transformed the school’s approach to inclusive education and disability support.Learn more >

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Kaylene Mladenovic leads education at the Cleveland Education and Training Centre, based within Cleveland Youth Detention Centre, where 97% of students identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and most have experienced significant trauma.   When Kaylene began in early 2024, student achievement data was not comparable to other Queensland youth detention centres, so she drove a cultural shift from aLearn more >

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Tammy Anderson has demonstrated an enduring commitment to culturally responsive leadership, professional learning and collective improvement throughout her leadership of Briar Road Public School situated on Dharawal Country since 2013. As an Aboriginal leader, Tammy brings cultural knowledge, community voice and a deep commitment to Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing into the leadership of whole-school improvement. Her work demonstrates that improved educational outcomesLearn more >

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Eloise Boyd is the Complex Behaviour Support Coordinator whose whole-school implementation of the Berry Street Education Model has transformed how students regulate, engage and learn.   Identifying through suspension data, behaviour referrals and classroom observations that dysregulation was undermining outcomes, Eloise used a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support mapping process to pinpoint gaps across the school’s support tiers.   After training in the Berry Street model,Learn more >

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Kate O’Donnell is the founder of GOAL College, a Sydney senior high school ​​with two campuses on Gadigal and Wangal country, built from the ground up to give disengaged, at-risk students a genuine alternative to traditional schooling.   Drawing on four years working with public education leaders in the USA on outcomes for disadvantaged students, Kate started the school a decade ago withLearn more >

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Andrew Clifton is the principal transforming outcomes at Euabalong West Public School, a small K–6 school of 18 students on Wiradjuri Country in Central West NSW, where 73% of students sit in the lowest socio-educational quartile.  Leading with equity, cultural responsiveness and high expectations, Andrew has built a positive, respectful staff culture and strengthened cultural safety for AboriginalLearn more >

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Steve Kanowski is a Queensland Principal who turned oral language data into a whole-school redesign, rebuilding how young children learn to speak, connect and thrive at school.   At Berrinba East State School, where 31.9% of students were arriving developmentally vulnerable in communication skills, Steve led the rollout of Play Pedagogy and OPAL, blending explicit instruction with play-based learning groundedLearn more >

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Samuel Charlton advocated, designed and built McAuley Community School’s first systematic enrichment program, identifying a gap in provision for high-potential learners whose results placed them well above benchmarks, but who weren’t being meaningfully extended in class.   Samuel incorporated AGAT results alongside numeracy, literacy and ICT data to build a more robust, multi-measure picture of student potential, ensuring high-potential learners weren’t identified on academic performance alone. Samuel developed the school’s first framework for identifying these students and giving them qualitatively differentLearn more >

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By Sherrill Nixon, CEO, Schools Plus 5 August 2026 This year’s NAPLAN results contain some encouraging signs. More Australian students are excelling in numeracy, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, demonstrating that progress is possible. But beyond the national averages lies the story we should be paying closest attention to, and one we’ve beenLearn more >

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Alexandra is an experienced and innovative educator, educational leader and policymaker who is deeply committed to making our schools and system work better for the benefit of all children. She has held teaching, school leadership, and advisory roles across the government, Catholic and Independent sectors, with a specialty in primary and early years learning. Alex has also delivered major initiativesLearn more >

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Frequently asked questions  Do I need to be wealthy to leave a gift? Not at all. Every gift makes a difference, even a small portion of your estate can help support more students and teachers.  Can I change my Will later? Yes. You can update your Will at any time. A solicitor can help you make a simple additionLearn more >

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Scott McKnight is a Director in the Private Equity team at Pacific Equity Partners (PEP), one of Australia’s leading private markets fund managers. Scott has extensive experience investing in and working alongside management teams across a range of sectors, including education and related services. Scott represents PEP on the boards of several portfolio companies, supportingLearn more >

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Pamela Longstaff is a commercial lawyer and executive leader with more than 25 years’ experience, including as a CEO and non-executive director. Her senior executive roles have spanned commercial law; corporate governance; government, industry and regulatory affairs; and sustainability. She is experienced in the operating environments of ASX Listed, Government, statutory, private, and for not-for-profitLearn more >

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Australia stands at a pivotal moment in its relationship with artificial intelligence. The release of national and sector-specific policies including Australia’s National AI Plan, the AI Plan for the Australian Public Service, and the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools, signals a clear intent to harness AI for the public good. These frameworks emphasise sovereign capability, safety, responsible use and workforceLearn more >

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