I believe the most impactful has been, bringing this re 60 degree survey of other people alive into practice. This was much more reflective cycle for myself, and I'm able to actually pinpoint my growth in my authenticity of delivery, my growth in authenticity, of working alongside my teacher. But this time it allowed me to have that strength of conviction, especially, thinking to some of our presenters in terms of allowing us to sit back and really question, what are we doing, and are we doing it in a manner that's going to be true change?

And that for me was the greatest outcome of this. So in terms of true collaboration, I've already found five colleagues and said apply for the next cohort. It will be challenging. You will go through moments where you're questioning, what are you doing? Not only the program, but why are you, lady? But most of all, for me, it was that, self-advocacy.

I learned to step into. I can do this, and I can do this with a vulnerability that I perhaps haven't done before. So to be vulnerable, the most impactful things, from the program on my leadership has been both personal but also, an impact from my school. I've really grown in confidence. Throughout the, the program and by, also, leading a collaborative inquiry at my school.

We've seen a lift in our school results specifically around the area that we've been focussed on. And so it's been really beneficial both for me personally and also for my school. One of the most impactful aspects was probably also one of the most confronting initially, and that was the results of the 360 degree survey. I had always thought I was a very collaborative and consultative leader, and when I got this survey back, they were the two areas that I needed to improve on.

So once I got over my initial, shock and horror, I set very deliberately to try and improve in those areas. And through that, I think I was able to make that the the vehicle through which I did everything. It's made me question why I do things in the way I do them. And just to really focus on that, extending myself and seeing how I can do things differently.

That's been a really big thing for me. The other thing that has been really beneficial, I think, to to my leadership, the writing of the leadership report, once I started writing it, I actually really enjoyed doing it because I think in my mind I had thought I was going down one path, but having to actually write it and analyse and think about what I was doing made me realise that my project was really, truly about my leadership, not just the project I was trying to do.

The project I would have always done anyway, but it it was more successful than I could have imagined, and I think that was because we were required to really analyse what we were doing and frame it in the lens of leadership. And because I did it, that way. I think I've just grown as a leader every I think, every initiative I try and implement at school now, I'm going to be really questioning myself how and drawing on the professional learning as well to to make it even better.

Every seminar is a wow moment. Every seminar you go to you think, wow, can this get any better? And then the following seminar becomes better. Or not better, but you know you're able to utilise that in so many ways once you're back at school. Leading is a privilege. And I think that looking at the overview and seeing something like this come out, it jumped at me and I thought, this is what I need to be an even greater leader.

And this program has delivered everything that it's promised to deliver. So over the last 2 weeks, I was able to look at, you know, my application video and I thought, wow, I have grown so much in, you know, the 6 months that I've been part of the program. So to say there's been one highlight, I actually can't. I think fit just being part of this program has, every aspect of it has been a highlight.

Well, there are many highlights. Very high quality presenters with the current expertise, research and relevance to education and educational leadership. You also work with a group of like-minded school leaders with a principal facilitator for a reasonably long period of time to strengthen your leadership capabilities and build a network of colleagues from across the state in different school settings.

So I think these are the highlights. Having to think really deeply about the work that I'm doing and applying it against the leadership for innovation and inquiry model and think about each of those phases in a way that I don't think I would have done previously. When I take the time to go really slowly with my team in those phases of learning about the areas of focus at our school and then really understanding what the needs of my team are before jumping in with a solution.

I think that's probably been a really big part of my leadership development through the program. And I think truly understanding each of the leadership mindsets and what it really means for me as a leader. I think you can glance at that model and sort of go, oh, I understand each of those, and I know what they all are about.

But actually taking some time to really reflect deeply on your work as a leader and truly understand, am I being collaborative? What is it about what I'm doing right now in this meeting? It's making me really consciously skilled as a leader. One of the highlights for me was the professional learning, to have professional learning that was so tailored to our aspirations and, you know, where we are in our professional career was the most amazing experience.

And then to have that professional learning being led by Viviane Robinson just took it to that next level. And to have her, you know, talking to us and leading us in really robust discussion was an absolute privilege. The fact that we were expected to read professional readings is another thing that I really like. So to have that time almost quarantined where this was expected of us also seemed like an incredible privilege.

And I thoroughly enjoyed doing the professional learning and then having that opportunity to discuss with the participants, not only in my own group, but across the cohort was just an amazing experience.

Sophie Mendick

It has fuelled it tremendously. I think that what has been so wonderful about this program has been how affirming and also challenging it has been. There have been some things that I have had the chance to really dig quite deeply into.

Some of the 360-degree survey feedback that initially, when I glanced over it, I felt quite confident and understood exactly why I was seeing what I was seeing.

But through the conversations I've had with my group and with the principal facilitator that we have, and with all the professional learning that we've done, I've actually moved into a completely different approach to some of the conversations and some of the ways of working than I would have had I not been a part of the program.

I'm a better leader as a result of my engagement in the program. And I really just feel so supported now with this enormous network of aspiring principals as well, who I know I can connect with throughout the rest of my career.

Lux Senthil

I started in cohort 9, and I wasn't very sure about what I wanted when I finished. Then going through cohort 10, interacting with the other participants, doing the project and writing up the report, speaking to my principal facilitator, it probably cemented for me where I want to go and what my next steps were.

When I started the project, I was working in corporate in education support. This project really strengthened my belief that I need to be in school.

So, I guess it's twofold. The fact that I needed to be in school. But yes, I needed to take that next step slightly out of my comfort zone and look to, you know, a principal position in the future.

I think without the APLP, I probably wouldn't have had that confidence to strive for that.

Kai Liu

It makes you think about what sort of leader you are capable of becoming, that will have the best impact for our students and for our public education.

Megan Mitchell

This is a really interesting one for me because as I said, mid-point through this course and program, I really, really was tested to my vulnerability as a leader and thought, do I really want to be a principal? And what I found was it gave me purpose and I've come out the other end, and I'm speaking more strongly than I ever have about being a principal.

I've always had people come up to me and say, you fill a room, you act like a principal. You have the role already. You take, you know the role very seriously if my principal is away and I'm relieving.

I never actually saw that. And I can honestly say for the first time, I'm seeing that. So, I've actually started looking for possibilities and avenues to pursue.

I believe I can make some changes, and I can make a difference, so it's allowed me to have some growth in, you know, that I could apply to be principal, and I'm sure that I'll have something that I can add to a school.