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Leadership for School Excellence

Who it's for

School principals and preschool directors with a minimum 2 years' experience

How long

5 days + 3 follow-up sessions

Partner

Harvard Graduate School of Education

You’ll work with colleagues from Australia and New Zealand, exploring techniques and leading practices as you develop leadership plans tailored to your school’s or preschool’s context.

Attending the Harvard Leadership Course in Sydney was the best professional development I’ve done as an experienced Principal. It provided opportunities to learn from international academics with a clearly Australian lens; to reflect on our own practice in safe, small learning groups and build a network of colleagues from across the country and the globe.

Sonia Pringle, Ocean View P-12 College

Program overview

The Leadership for School Excellence program directly supports leaders to turn Our Strategy for Public Education in South Australia into action. Aligned with the focus on empowered leadership and partnering with families and communities, it develops skills and dispositions, identified in the Leadership Capability Framework, that leaders need to lead people, shape culture and drive improvement.

The program includes the Harvard Principals’ Centre in Australia’s 5-day program in Sydney (11 to 15 January 2027) with follow-up sessions co-designed by Orbis, Harvard faculty and participating site leaders.

The program equips school and preschool leaders throughout Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia with the strategies and tools to lead change and accelerate learning for every student. Each session is tailored to our local context, focusing on key topics such as culture, strategy, wellbeing and engagement.

This is an empowering opportunity for you to:

  • learn through Harvard faculty-led sessions and case studies using Australia-specific examples and learning contexts
  • participate in facilitated discussion groups that engage peers in collaborative learning and reflection
  • reflect on and refine personal leadership goals
  • create a plan to develop the leadership within your school
  • benefit from engaging with a network of Harvard faculty and fellow principals and preschool directors throughout the year.

Learning objectives

Through participation in the program you’ll:

  • gain a deeper understanding of the leadership skills needed to establish high expectations, including how to cultivate a learning culture that prioritises learning for all
  • become a more effective educational leader and learn new leadership approaches for creating change and building optimal conditions for learning
  • develop leadership strategies informed by relevant data to make evidence-based decisions that align resources and initiatives
  • foster improved outcomes by increasing the involvement of family members, community stakeholders, school principals and preschool directors.

Hear from preschool director Clare Crew and principals Roy Page and Sharon Okmasich as they share their experience of the Leadership for School Excellence program in 2026. Watch the video.

Eligibility

This program is designed for school and preschool leaders with a minimum of 2 years’ experience. If you’re successful you must be available to attend all program days and 3 follow-up sessions.

Program costs

Orbis will fund up to 20 principals and preschool directors to participate in the program.

Funding covers:

  • program costs valued at $6,360 (early bird rate) per participant
  • the cost of accommodation at Rydges Sydney Hotel (5 nights)
  • return economy flights to Sydney
  • follow-up sessions at Orbis.

How to apply

Applications open from Wednesday 9 September 2026 and close on Sunday 27 September 2026 11.30pm (ACST).