As I reflect on my first AGM and Conference as APF President, I am incredibly proud of the strength of our organisation and, more importantly, the remarkable Principals and Assistant Principals we have the privilege of representing.

Under this year’s theme, “Leading with Courage,” we brought together an incredible group of Principals and Assistant Principals for connection, reflection, learning and inspiration.

A sincere thank you to our wonderful speakers for their insights and contributions, to our State Councillors for their involvement, and to Kimberley Tempest for doing such a fantastic job as our MC. We also acknowledge our valued sponsors and partners, whose ongoing support helps make events such as this possible.

This year's AGM and Conference also marked an important chapter for the APF, with changes in leadership and a renewed commitment to strengthening our advocacy, representation and support for the Principal Class. While we reflect proudly on the contributions of those who have helped build the APF, we also look forward with confidence and determination to the work ahead. Please find a feedback form in this newsletter to help in planning for our future events.

Full Funding Announcement

As I am finalising today's newsletter the Premier and Minister have just announceed an agreement to deliver full funding to Victorian Government Schools.

The Australian Principals Federation (APF) acknowledges the Victorian Government’s commitment to delivering full funding for Victorian government schools under the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).

This is an important commitment for Government education and one that the APF has consistently advocated for on behalf of principals and assistant principals across Victoria.

For too long, Victorian government schools have been expected to deliver high-quality education, meet increasingly complex student needs and respond to growing community expectations without the funding required to do so. Full funding is not about providing schools with additional luxuries. It is about ensuring they have the resources necessary to deliver the quality education every Victorian child deserves.

While this commitment is welcome, the APF acknowledges that the proposed timeline means full funding remains more than five years away. For schools already facing significant financial pressures, increasing student complexity and growing demands on resources, five years is a considerable period to wait. The challenges facing our schools are immediate, and the APF believes it is essential that meaningful funding increases are delivered progressively, rather than schools having to wait until the end of this period to see the benefits. Principals and assistant principals need certainty and adequate resources now to support their students, staff and school communities.

The APF welcomes the commitment but emphasises that it must now translate into a clear, transparent and timely funding agreement, with additional resources flowing directly to schools.

Our message continues to be simple – if we expect Victorian government schools to deliver a world-class education, we must fund them to do so.

The APF looks forward to working constructively with the Victorian Government and the Department of Education to ensure this commitment delivers meaningful and lasting benefits for every government school community.

Parent Payments

The Australian Principals Federation supports the principle that every child should have access to a high-quality public education, regardless of their family's financial circumstances. If the Victorian Government is serious about ensuring that public education is genuinely free and accessible to every child, then it must commit to fully funding every Victorian government school.

However, we are concerned about the practical and financial implications of changes to the Parent Payments Policy.

Schools have historically relied on voluntary parent contributions to help provide the programs, resources and opportunities that their communities and parents value. If these changes result in reduced revenue, the Department must recognise that schools will face difficult financial decisions.

Our principals should be focused on leading teaching and learning, not continually having to find ways to absorb funding shortfalls.

We are calling on the Department to work genuinely with principals, understand the financial implications for individual schools and ensure that policy changes do not come at the expense of educational opportunities for students.

If the Department wants to reduce schools' reliance on parent contributions, it must also address the funding gap those contributions have traditionally helped fill and we continue to advocate for full funding of all Victorian schools.

State of the Sector Survey

The PeopleBench 2026 State of the Sector survey is open and we're encouraging our members to include their voices.

Now in its sixth edition, State of the Sector considers how schools are experienced as workplaces: staff sentiment and culture, strategic priorities, challenges and opportunities, and the future of working in schools.

Importantly, this year’s State of the Sector moves beyond identifying all the problems. Reflective of leader effort everywhere, this year’s report will add an exploration of positive action and outcomes being achieved across the country.

We’d like our member’s perspectives well represented in the national snapshot!

Completing the survey takes between 15 and 20 minutes, and gives you the opportunity to:

See the findings first. Get an early-release copy of the summary report before it goes public.
Join an exclusive briefing. PeopleBench have offered to co-host an exclusive member-only walkthrough of the results.
See what’s changed. Compare this year’s national picture with last year’s.

Survey link: https://hubs.la/Q04zf-2g0

Permission to Teach Framework Consultation Sessions

The Victorian Institute of Teaching is reviewing the Permission to Teach (PTT) framework, and you’re invited to contribute your experience and perspectives.

Webinar topics

Please join them for a one-hour webinar for your chance to provide feedback on

proposed changes to the PTT framework and transition to CATT (Conditional Authority to Teach)
how these changes may affect schools and employers
our proposed co-regulatory approach, including employer agreements
opportunities to reduce regulatory burden for employers
proposed implementation timelines and next steps.

Webinar details

You’re encouraged to register for one session that best reflects your school setting

Primary Schools (metro) – 22 October, 10:00am - 11:00am
Secondary Schools (metro) – 23 October, 10:00am - 11:00am
Primary and Secondary Schools (regional) – 26 October, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
VET Schools – 27 October, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

The School of Play- AGM 2026 Offer