Are you a middle or aspirant middle leader looking to grow your leadership practice?

Effective leadership requires more than just managing down - it's about building strategic connections across an organisation. Middle leaders play a critical role in bridging school leadership, working with senior leaders and diverse stakeholders to support broader educational objectives. Hosted by Director of the Beyond Boundaries Institute, Cameron Thorn, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to hear firsthand perspectives from experienced leaders who have navigated complex organisational dynamics. Connect with senior and middle leaders from across different school contexts, explore authentic leadership journeys, and discover supportive strategies for the challenges you're facing or may encounter in the future.

Speakers

Brad Minchin: Brad is the Head of Arts at the School of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE), with over a decade's experience in Arts leadership in both the Independent and Department of Education sectors. He is the Chair of both the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Association's WA and National chapters and the Federal Media Arts Education Representative for the National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE). He is a regular consultant on Arts Education to the School's Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), authoring official curriculum work sample packages and Chairing Course Advisory Committees in his learning area specialty of Media.

Mark Stickells: Mark Stickells AM is CEO of the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre. The Pawsey Centre supports thousands of Australian researchers to accelerate scientific discovery using the Southern Hemisphere’s most powerful, energy-efficient supercomputers. Mark also serves on WA's Science and Technology Council, and is a non-executive director of Science & Technology Australia and the Australian Research Council.

Kylie Chatto: Kylie is an experienced primary school teacher who is passionate about cultivating conditions for learning that allow students to thrive through innovative curriculum design and meaningful connections. Kylie holds two Master’s degrees- in Literacy Education and in Innovation and Change. Her formal leadership journey started in a Teaching and Learning role, though she believes strongly in the power of informal leadership. She is currently the Assistant Director of Junior School (Education and Care) at All Saints' College. In this role, Kylie has worked closely with various members of the All Saints’ College Leadership team, in the development of Little Saints, drawing on her leadership experience to cultivate enriching environments for our youngest learners, while actively fostering meaningful connections between Little Saints and the broader College community.

Laura Strentz: Laura has spent her career empowering colleagues and students to become confident changemakers. Beginning her teaching journey in Chicago and Seattle, she discovered that authentic education extends beyond classroom walls—and that lasting change often begins “from the middle.”

As a middle leader, Laura has bridged the gap between school leadership and classroom practice, translating vision into action and advocating for growth. She helped design Perth Modern School’s pioneering critical and creative thinking program and was the inaugural Head of Propeller Industries at All Saints’ College, an innovation and entrepreneurship hub.

Now Educator in Residence at Young Entrepreneurs Academy WA, Laura draws on her experience across traditional and progressive models to help schools foster student agency and entrepreneurial thinking. She deeply understands the power of middle leadership to influence upward while empowering those around her.

Contact the host of Lessons from the Field – Managing Upwards