Victorian President's Report

It was a pleasure to connect with so many of you at the recent Principals Conference - nice to put faces to names or voices from phone calls! We are sincerely grateful to The Academy for providing the APF with the opportunity to host a stall in the Networking Space. This visibility led to a strong level of engagement, with a number of new members joining on the spot. This is a reflection of the growing relevance and reach of our work. 

While we acknowledge that our membership is naturally limited by the number of school leaders in the state, we take pride in being a specialised organisation solely focused on the unique needs and challenges of the Principal Clasship. Our size is not a limitation, but a strength as it enables us to provide focused, uncompromised, and effective representation. Our membership continues to grow, reflecting the increasing confidence school leaders place in the APF as their voice in the profession.

Last week I acknowledged the wonderful achievement of 60 years with Department of John Mooney, from the Emerson School in Dandenong.  I'm please to share these two videos with members highlighting his career.

Declaration of Private Interests

A reminder that the Declaration of Private Interests is due by June 26th. This must be completed once each financial year or if there is a change in your previously declared private interests. This forms part of the broader Conflict of Interest policy. The policy requires all school staff to avoid actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This is to ensure your personal interests do not influence your public duties. Please reach out if you ever have questions or concerns in this area.

Access the Declaration of Private Interests form through Employee Self Service in eduPay. Select the 'My declarations’ tile and complete the form online, by 5 pm on Friday 26 June 2026. 

Capital Works Fund

The Government’s Capital Works Fund is now open for schools. These grants help schools with smaller projects that make a big difference. Schools can apply for one of three funding streams:

• Small Priority Projects: These are grants of up to $150,000. They can fund small renovations to learning spaces.
• Student Inclusion Projects: These are grants of up to $350,000. They can fund projects that help children with disabilities or additional needs. This could be inclusive playgrounds. It could also be making indoor and outdoor learning areas more inclusive.
• Larger Priority Projects: These are grants of up to $600,000. They can be used for high-priority work or improving the condition of buildings and grounds.

For more information - 

As we have very quickly moved into the change of season, winter seasonal absences is a challenge and at times like this it is important to prioritise and support your school and staff through this period.  Staff flexibility and co-operation is essential and with only a few weeks to go until the end of term, I know many of you are clearly focussed on the end of term date.