Leadership

By the end of 2026, the question for Australian schools is no longer "Should we use AI?" but “how do we scale it without compromising our students' digital sovereignty?" As the Australian Government’s privacy reforms take full effect, leadership teams are caught between the pedagogical demand for AI and the operational risk of expanding a student's permanent digital footprint.

This session moves beyond the "ban or allow" binary. Drawing on cross-sector technology transformation frameworks, we explore the architecture of the Zero-Trace Classroom. We will examine how schools can provide students with high-level AI capabilities from real-time multimodal tutoring to advanced coding assistants using "Edge AI" and localised infrastructure that ensures data remains ephemeral and intent based.

Attendees will walk away with a strategic roadmap for "Privacy-First" AI, shifting the focus from data collection to Agency Achievement. We will challenge the notion that a large digital footprint is the price of admission for innovation and demonstrate how a "lean data" approach actually accelerates teacher adoption and institutional trust.

Key insights:

Architecture over Policy: Understand the shift from cloud-dependent LLMs to localized "Edge AI" solutions that minimize data leakage.

The Sovereignty Pivot: Strategies for teaching students to curate their digital presence using AI, turning their "digital shadow" into a managed professional asset.

Operational Equity: How schools with low digital maturity or strict privacy mandates can "leapfrog" traditional hurdles to implement high-impact AI tools.

Governance in Action: Aligning your school’s AI roadmap with the latest 2026 Privacy Act requirements and the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools.

Examples of how schools are revisiting or updating their initial AI guidance and policies

Practical insights into how teachers and leaders are adapting assessment approaches as AI becomes more common in classrooms

Lessons schools have learned from the first few years of AI use in teaching and learning

Every busy principal quietly asks: how do I get my time back? Drawing on 33 years in Australian education, Andy makes a compelling, practical case for why school leaders cannot afford to wait to engage with AI and productivity.

Leaders will take away:

• Why school leaders need to learn AI for their own well-being first, before leading it in others
• A clearer picture of what's filling their calendar and how AI, amongst other things, can start giving that time back for the things that matter most
• One key productivity step they can take on Monday morning that most leaders don't know about
• Where to go next if they want to go deeper
• A free copy of Take Back 5: 40+ AI Use Cases for School Leaders, yours to keep and use from day one

Teachers are stretched, leaders are cautious, and AI is everywhere — but what actually works in schools? Join this session to hear real stories from school leaders and experts using AI today to cut admin, protect data, and improve outcomes without losing professional judgement. Get practical examples, trusted approaches, and ideas you can take back to your school straight away. If you care about giving time back to teaching, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

This session invites participants to reflect on the changing nature of leadership in schools and systems, exploring the award-winning work of the Learning Commission, with commission schools and colleges now in place across the Northern Territory, ACT and Tasmania representing over 35,000 learners. John and Jess will explore what innovation in leadership means in contemporary education, how research-informed practice is mobilised by leaders to drive improvement and the role of partnerships between policy makers, school leaders, educators and students in leading change.

• Why more data and more dashboards don’t solve the real problem

Schools are often data‑rich but time‑poor — and insight without easy action rarely leads to impact.

• How connected technology creates the foundation for effective AI

When systems work together, information gains context and becomes far more valuable.

• What actionable insight looks like in practice

AI can surface what matters most, explain why it matters, and help prioritise next steps.

• How AI helps close the gap between insight and action

By removing friction, automating tasks, streamlining processes, raising alerts, and simplifying communication.

• What this means for schools and groups of schools today

Technology should work harder for people — reducing effort, supporting staff, and enabling proactive, outcome‑focused decision‑making.

Creativity doesn’t come from a program: If students are expected to think, contribute and solve problems together every day, creativity follows.

How students think and work with others is critical to creativity: We can’t predict jobs, but we can build judgement, responsibility and teamwork. That’s what will make kids relevant.

Giving students a say isn’t enough: Student voice works best when it's connected to their own growth and progress.

How to lead digital change with clarity—from decision-making to rollout

Practical ways to secure staff buy-in and sustain engagementWhat effective implementation looks like across diverse school contexts

Key challenges schools face—and how to navigate them proactively

How to align resourcing, training, and timelines for long-term success

• You will understand how to redesign professional learning so it drives genuine teacher capability, leadership growth, and sustained school improvement.
• You will learn how to implement a parallel pathways model that aligns professional learning, mentoring, reflection and accreditation to strengthen middle leadership.
• You will gain strategies to reframe accreditation from a compliance task into a meaningful, motivating professional growth journey.
• You will be able to embed structured reflection into professional learning so AI, digital tools and innovation translate into improved student outcomes.
• You will identify practical opportunities to partner with universities to connect research and practice and build future ready pathways for teachers.