It was fantastic to once again be part of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals (VASSP) Conference, bringing together secondary school leaders from across Victoria for two days of conversations, learning and connection.
Held at Rydges Melbourne, the 2026 conference centred around the theme Stronger Together: Leading with Impact.
For our EWS team, conferences like VASSP are always about much more than having a presence in the room.
They give us the chance to catch up with school leaders we have worked alongside for years, meet new people, hear first-hand what schools are navigating and better understand the challenges and opportunities facing Victorian education.
Two days of leadership, ideas and conversation
Across the conference, attendees heard from an incredibly diverse group of speakers exploring leadership from very different perspectives.
Professor Arnold Dix opened with Leadership in Times of Crisis, sharing lessons around decision-making and leadership when the stakes are high.
Scott Darlow explored leadership through forgiveness, love, understanding, tolerance and empathy, while Milo Wilkinson looked at the neuroscience of belonging and how leaders can create environments where people feel genuinely connected.
Day two continued with Ben Shewry, who spoke about cultivating sustainable high performance and share some heart felt experiences, before Simon Dowling challenged leaders to think about doing less and designing more.
The conference concluded with Dr Louise Mahler, exploring presence, communication and what it means to lead with gravitas.
We were also pleased to hear from Gabrielle Williams MP as part of this year’s conference.
It was a program that provided plenty for school leaders to think about, but just as valuable were the conversations happening between sessions, over coffee, at the conference dinner and throughout the two days.
Thank you, VASSP
A huge thank you to Belinda Hudak, Amy Rashid, Jacqui Bates and the entire VASSP team for putting together another fantastic conference and for continuing to welcome EWS as part of the VASSP community.
Thank you also to all of this year’s speakers:
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Professor Arnold Dix
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Scott Darlow
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Milo-Arne Wilkinson
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Gabrielle Williams MP
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Ben Shewry
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Simon Dowling
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Dr Louise Mahler
And, of course, thank you to all the principals and school leaders who stopped by for a chat, shared what is happening in their schools or simply said hello.
We loved being part of it.
EWS is proud to support VASSP and the Victorian secondary education community, and we look forward to doing it all again next year.
🎥 Watch our VASSP 2026 Conference Highlights video below.
