Victorian President's Report

I hope all members have had a strong and positive start to the school year. For me, stepping into this new role has certainly brought a significant change - no lost preps appearing at the office door, no teachers (or Principals) seeking urgent password resets after the holiday break, and fewer of the daily parent queries that are such a familiar part of school life!

While the transition away from the normal rhythm of principalship has felt unusual at times, the year has begun with great purpose and momentum. I am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to work alongside Jenna, Phillip and Wayne as we support members and advocate on behalf of the profession. A key focus has been strengthening our engagement with Regions, the Department and Government to ensure the voice of principals remains central in conversations and decisions impacting our schools and our leadership.

I look forward to continuing this work throughout the year as we support one another, strengthen our collective voice, and advance the priorities that matter most to principals across the state.

This week, I had the opportunity to attend the launch of the 2026 Teacher Excellence Program and the New Principal Orientation at The Academy. The work of The Academy team continues to be of the highest quality, playing a critical role in strengthening our profession and supporting the development of outstanding teachers in every classroom and exceptional principals leading every school. I congratulate those who have been selected to be part of these programs.

As we start the year a good reminder to all of our members about the support provide through the Principal Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the dedicated services provided:

• School Policy Templates portal (staff login required) – to minimise administrative workload
• Principal Mentoring – to reduce isolation and build social capital
• Regional Capability Building – to improve the support received from regional leaders and staff
• Proactive Wellbeing Support (staff login required) – to provide opportunities to debrief with experienced psychologists and new principal check-ins
• Principal Health Checks (staff login required) – free and confidential proactive health consultations
• Complex Matter Support Team (staff login required) – to minimise workload and stress associated with managing and responding to complex cases
• Early Intervention Program (staff login required) – to provide proactive access to professional support to prevent health and wellbeing risks from escalating.

For more information on the services, refer to the Principal health and wellbeing intranet page (staff login required)– contains information on principal health and wellbeing, including key supports and contact details

Finally, we are pleased to welcome the recent influx of new members. We encourage our current members to continue spreading the word and advocating for the APF as the only industrial body and union that exclusively represents Principals and Assistant Principals with unwavering dedication and commitment.

As always, if you are in need of advocacy or support please do not hesitate to reach out for assistance.