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The Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit
A premier gathering of Australia’s foremost educators, thought leaders, and policymakers for insightful conversations.
5 March 2025 | ICC Sydney
Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit 2025: Uniting Australia’s Leading Educators
The Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit is back on March 5, 2025, at the ICC Sydney, inviting Australia’s top educators, school leaders, policymakers, and education professionals. This premier event for Australian education will feature insightful discussions on challenges in today’s classrooms and proven strategies for enhancing student learning and teaching practices across the nation.
The SMH Schools Summit 2025 is designed for teachers, school principals, and education sector leaders to explore cutting-edge policies and evidence-based approaches. Discover new insights to address student engagement, teacher support, and academic performance through actionable policy and innovative grassroots solutions.
Confirmed Speakers for 2025
The Hon Prue Car MP
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning
Phillip Heath AM
Head, Barker College
Jeanette Holland
Principal, St Agnes Catholic High School
Murat Dizdar PSM
Secretary, NSW Department of Education
Paul Martin
CEO,
NESA
Belinda Giudice
Principal, Gledswood Hills High School; Board Member, Australian Education Research Organisation
Chris Bradbury
Principal, Radford College
Stephen Gniel
CEO, Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority
Denise James
Principal, Bulli High School
David Stitt
Principal, The Entrance Public School
Kevin Carragher
Director of Education and Research, Sydney Catholic Schools
Toni Lyle
Principal, Karuah Public School
Brendan O’Connor
Principal, John the Baptist Catholic Primary School
Lisa Brown
Principal, Meriden School
Carolyn Blanden
Principal,
Warakirri College
The Hon Adrian Piccoli
Former Minister for Education NSW
Peter Hill
Director of Schools, Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong
Dr Jenny Donovan
CEO, Australian Education Research Organisation
Prof Michele Bruniges AM
Industry Professor, Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, UTS
Martin Graham
Deputy Secretary Learning and Student Wellbeing, NSW Department of Education
Prof Jenny Gore
Laureate Professor at the School of Education, The University of Newcastle
Prof David de Carvalho
Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Theology, University of Notre Dame Australia
Dr Nathaniel Swain
School of Education,
La Trobe University
Jocelyn Seamer
Founder,
Jocelyn Seamer Education
Prof Jae Jung
School of Education, UNSW
Rebecca Birch
Academic in Residence, Queenwood
Sarah Warby
Director of Professional Practice and Research, Loreto Kirribilli; HALT Assessor, NESA
Edmund Misson
Deputy CEO,
AITSL
Miriam Scott
Generative AI Education Consultant, Association of Independent Schools of NSW
Dan French
Acting Deputy Secretary, Strategic Priorities, NSW Department of Education
Danielle Purdy
Executive General Manager Learning Outcomes, Catholic Schools Parramatta
Prof Matt Bower
Professor of Learning Technologies, Macquarie University
Lee Barrett
Prompt Engineer and AI Advocacy Officer, CEnet
Shaun Ruming
Chief People Officer, NSW Department of Education
Henry Rajendra
President, NSW Teachers Federation
Stef Thom
Learning Partner: Learning & Teaching, Catholic Schools Broken Bay
Dr Paul Wood
Director of Education Standards, NSW Department of Education
Leanne Brooke
Advanced School Counsellor, NSW Department of Education
Cara Varian
CEO,
NSW Council for Social Services
Doug Taylor
CEO,
The Smith Family
Lucy Carroll
Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
Anthony Smith
Teaching and Learning Coordinator, Narromine Christian School
Anthony England
Director of Innovative Learning Technologies, Pymble Ladies College
Alexandra Smith
State Political Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
Glenn Fahey
Program Director- Education Policy, Centre for Independent Studies
Angela Debnam
CEO, Kokoda Youth Foundation
Kate Bartley
Design Consultant, Edugrafix
Christopher Harris
Education Reporter, The Sydney Morning Herald
Agenda
5 March 2025
7:50
Registration and Morning Coffee
8:20
OPENING | Opening remarks from the Chair
David de Carvalho, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Theology, University of Notre Dame Australia
8:30
Ministerial Address
The Hon Prue Car MP, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning
Followed by Q and A with Alexandra Smith, State Political Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
9:00
Keynote Address: Addressing the challenges of the year ahead
Murat Dizdar PSM, Secretary, NSW Department of Education
Followed by audience Q and A moderated by Lucy Carroll, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
9:30
Panel: Establishing and enhancing students’ sense of belonging
- The importance of student and teacher relationships
- The significance of school belonging in protecting mental health
- Practical strategies to foster positive student belonging
- Student solutions to rebuilding belonging in schools
Leanne Brooke, Advanced School Counsellor, NSW Department of Education
Peter Hill, Director of Schools, Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong
Toni Lyle, Principal, Karuah Public School
Phillip Heath AM, Head, Barker College
Moderated by Lucy Carroll, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
10:00
Keynote Address: Disrupting Disadvantage in Australian Schools
- Maximising impact
- Concentrations of Disadvantage in Australian Schools
- Evidence-Based Approaches for Policy and Interventions
- Enhancing Education through Socio-Economic Diversity
Prof Michele Bruniges AM, Industry Professor, Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, UTS
10:20
Panel: Alleviating disadvantage in Australian schools
- Addressing disadvantage through early education
- Evidence-based approaches to achieve long-term outcomes for young people experiencing disadvantage
- Improving outcomes for priority equity cohorts
- Strategies to improve school attendance and year 12 completion
- Enhancing pathways for post-school support
- Issues in tracking and measuring equity
Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family
Cara Varian, CEO, NSW Council for Social Services
Belinda Giudice, Principal, Gledswood Hills High School; Board Member, Australian Education Research Organisation
Jeanette Holland, Principal, St Agnes Catholic High School
Moderated by Lucy Carroll, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
10:50
Presentation by Kate Bartley, Design Consultant, Edugrafix followed by morning tea
11:20
Panel: Harnessing the power of AI in the classroom
- Responsible AI in the Age of Pervasive Tech
- From Automation to Augmentation: AI as a Teaching Assistant
- Student-Driven AI Use Cases: Shaping Policy through Practice
- Towards a Collaborative AI Framework: Co-Creation with Teachers, Students, and AI Specialists
- AI And Assessments – Detecting inappropriate use and using AI to decrease the burden of marking and evaluation
- Equity in AI Education: Ensuring Access for All Students and All Staff
Lee Barrett, Prompt Engineer and AI Advocacy Officer, CEnet
Anthony England, Director of Innovative Learning Technologies, Pymble Ladies College
Dr Paul Wood, Director of Education Standards, NSW Department of Education
Miriam Scott, Generative AI Education Consultant, Association of Independent Schools of NSW
Moderated by Prof Matt Bower, Professor of Learning Technologies, Macquarie University
11:50
Addressing the Myths and Misconceptions of Explicit Teaching
- How students learn best
- Minimising the risk of cognitive overload
- How chunking information can help manage the cognitive load
- Breaking down complex information into smaller instructional tasks
- The need to demonstrate and model what students need to learn
- Effectively implementing evidence-based practice in the classroom
Dr Jenny Donovan, CEO, Australian Education Research Organisation
12:10
Can great teaching be scripted?
- Ensuring teachers get what they need at each stage of the teaching journey
- Supporting teachers at various career stages
- Matching leadership style with individual needs
- Moving from scripted teaching to full-guided support
- Reading the room – responding to the needs of the students
- The use of data to measure impact
Jocelyn Seamer, Founder, Jocelyn Seamer Education
12:30
Panel: Embracing Explicit Teaching and a knowledge-based curriculum
- Improving student outcomes with an explicit approach to knowledge and skills
- How explicit teaching can bring every child along for the learning journey
- Understanding cognitive load theory and how this can aid student learning
- Minimising the risk of cognitive overload
- Improving classroom behaviour through explicit instruction
Paul Martin, CEO, NESA
Anthony Smith, Teaching and Learning Coordinator, Narromine Christian School
Danielle Purdy, Executive General Manager Learning Outcomes, Catholic Schools Parramatta
David Stitt, Principal, The Entrance Public School
Moderated by Glenn Fahey, Program Director- Education Policy, Centre for Independent Studies
13:00
Presentation by Angela Debnam, CEO Kokoda Youth Foundation followed by Lunch
14:00
Panel: Solving teacher workforce issues?
- How can we uplift morale in the teaching profession today?
- How are we tracking on admin burden?
- How can schools and the system work smarter to avoid burnout?
- How are we addressing supply issues?
Henry Rajendra, President, NSW Teachers Federation
Rebecca Birch, Academic in Residence, Queenwood
Shaun Ruming, Chief People Officer, NSW Department of Education
Moderated by The Hon Adrian Piccoli, Former Minister for Education NSW
14:30
Panel: The future of Professional Development in NSW Schools
- Enhancing flexibility by removing Accredited and Elective PD categories
- Effective models of teacher recognition and professional growth across all career stages
- How investing in teachers impacts student success by developing a culture of Professional Learning in the School Context
- Recent experiences from the HALT program
Prof Jenny Gore, Laureate Professor at the School of Education, The University of Newcastle
Sarah Warby, Director of Professional Practice and Research, Loreto Kirribilli; HALT Assessor, NESA
Stef Thom, Learning Partner: Learning & Teaching, Catholic Schools Broken Bay
Edmund Misson, Deputy CEO, AITSL
Moderated by Christopher Harris, Education Reporter, The Sydney Morning Herald
15:00
Afternoon tea
15:20
Panel: Addressing High Potential and Gifted Education
- Supporting every student to maximise their potential in the academic, arts, sport, and social domains
- Enrichment, extension and extra-curricula programs. How effective are they?
- How best to train teachers and equip schools to recognise potential and implement high-potential programs
- Coaching colleges. A blessing or a curse?
- Equity and HPG education
Martin Graham, Deputy Secretary Learning and Student Wellbeing, NSW Department of Education
Prof Jae Jung, School of Education, UNSW
Lisa Brown, Principal, Meriden School
Kevin Carragher, Director of Education and Research, Sydney Catholic Schools
Denise James, Principal, Bulli High School
Moderated by Christopher Harris, Education Reporter, The Sydney Morning Herald
15:50
Keynote Address: Shaping Australia’s national assessment to support improved student outcomes
- Where we’ve got to – online NAPLAN assessment, earlier test window, new clearer proficiency levels, earlier reporting to schools
- What’s next in 2025 – trend data, cohort comparisons and improved data reporting
- What’s in the future – future of national assessment
Stephen Gniel, CEO, Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority
16:10
Harnessing the Science of Learning – Success stories to help kick start your school improvement
- Combining classroom practice, school leadership and scientific research for initiating and maintaining school improvement
- Exploring practical ways to harness transformation through exemplary school case studies
- How discrete changes can have marked impacts
Dr Nathaniel Swain, School of Education, La Trobe University
16:30
Panel: School Improvement
- What does school improvement look like? Is continual growth possible?
- What are the major impediments to school improvement and how are they best overcome?
- Achieving staff buy-in to new programs and ideas
- Prioritising future growth opportunities
Dan French, Acting Deputy Secretary, Strategic Priorities, NSW Department of Education
Carolyn Blanden, Principal, Warakirri College
Brendan O’Connor, Principal, John the Baptist Catholic Primary School
Chris Bradbury, Principal, Radford College
Moderated by Dr Nathaniel Swain, School of Education, La Trobe University
17:00
Closing remarks from the chair and networking drinks
Pricing
| Packages | Full Rate |
| FACE TO FACE – Schools/Govt/NFP Rate | $995 + GST |
| VIRTUAL Pass – Schools/Govt/NFP Rate | $887 + GST |
| FACE TO FACE – Supplier Rate | $2,295 + GST |
| VIRTUAL Pass – Supplier Rate | $887 + GST |
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Lunch sponsor
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Summit Coverage
SMH Schools Summit 2024 Highlights – Why You Need to Attend in 2025!
Discover Why You Can’t Miss the SMH Schools Summit 2025!
Get inspired by highlights from the 2024 event and see what’s in store for this year’s must-attend education summit.
Testimonials
Event Images
2024 Updates
Blog
Read exclusive interviews with our expert speakers.
Former ACARA CEO gives his take on 3 teaching controversies
From this year, the Australian government will expect states to meet clearly-defined standards for school performance, under the new Better and Fairer Schools Agreement aimed at optimising educational outcomes.
Can great teaching be scripted?
Can great teaching be scripted? It’s a question Jocelyn Seamer, former principal and education consultant, has been asked a great deal – and one which she believes has a nuanced answer.
Maths marvel Eddie Woo on the future of teaching
Prof Eddie Woo – an award winning maths teacher whose YouTube tutorials have earned him global fame and a dedicated fan-base of almost 2 million followers – believes the world of teaching as we know it is about to become radically different. Read more >>
The structure of Australian schooling needs to change – Prof. Adrian Piccoli
Former NSW Education Minister and Director of the Gonski Institute for Education, Professor Adrian Piccoli, is challenging the status quo of Australia’s school system, in a bid to achieve greater equity for students.
Piccoli believes the existing structure, funding model, and underlying regulatory framework is doing a disservice to low socio-economic status (SES) students… Read more >>
Major curriculum overhaul looking likely
Professor Geoff Masters, the person behind a proposed curriculum overhaul for New South Wales has so far racked up “considerable support” from teachers for his suggested redesign, which is due for finalisation this year. Since the release of his interim report in October last year, Masters has received more than 700 submissions providing feedback on his recommended reforms…. Read more >>
Teachers need more training to help students with special educational needs
Special education’ is a broad term and requires an equally broad set of skills, providers and strategies – not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach – says academic expert, Dr. Kathleen Tait. “Included within a typical education classroom one could find students with a range of intellectual, social and emotional difficulties; children who are gifted and talented; and/or children with learning difficulties… Read more >>
Normalising mental health protocols and intervention in Australian schools
When it comes to physical health, we’re not short of nationally-endorsed protocols that support our wellbeing. From hand-railings on public stairways, to mandatory vaccinations, to the highly-publicised “slip slop slap” sunscreen campaign. The same also applies in school settings. When a child is injured, they’ll receive first aid from an appointed, trained first aider. There will be rules in place to help avoid… Read more >>
Student Engagement & Technology in the Classroom: Igniting the Fire in Young Learners with Eddie Woo
Technology is rapidly transforming the way students learn and teachers teach, a study found that Australia is one of the highest users of technology in schools in the OECD – so how can technology benefit Australian students and what are the costs? What can it do and what can’t it do? Wootube is a prime… Read more >>
Student well-being at Wenona School
Adolescence is a difficult time for most people, but for a growing subset of young Australians, it is more than just an “uncomfortable phase”. Statistics show that one in five 13-18 years-olds will experience a severe mental health disorder; and more than half of people with a lifetime mental health diagnosis will encounter their first… Read more >>
Small group tutoring in NSW – why the need and how will it work?
Next year, students in New South Wales (NSW) will have access to free tutoring for the first time, thanks to a $337 million program as part of the state’s 2020-21 Budget. Under the scheme, an additional 5,500 staff will be employed to deliver small group teaching sessions to all eligible students… Read more >>
Venue
ICC Sydney
14 Darling Dr,
Sydney NSW 2000
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