Significant appointments – Principal, Deputy Principal, Head of Teaching and Learning, Head of English and Head of Mathematics in one of Australia’s oldest schools.
The Brief
An independent co-educational school in Victoria, catering to students from Prep to Year 12, partnered with Future Leadership in June 2022 to appoint a new Principal. The school is committed to excellence in both academic and co-academic domains, underpinned by a caring Christian ethos.
Reporting to the College Board, the Principal was expected to embrace the school’s philosophy while bringing their own educational leadership to shape a lasting legacy for future generations.
Following the successful appointment of the Principal, Future Leadership was engaged to lead the search for several key leadership roles to support the school’s strategic direction. In September 2022, the Deputy Principal was appointed, reporting to the incoming Principal and tasked with leading Heads of Department and the Head of Junior School Curriculum to drive academic improvement across the school.
In 2025, Future Leadership continued its partnership with the school to appoint a Head of Teaching and Learning, a Head of English and a Head of Mathematics, further strengthening the academic leadership team and supporting the school’s commitment to high-quality teaching and learning.
Candidate net Promote Score
Future Leadership combines truly personalised relationships with innovative technology solutions to ensure an approachable and efficient process for all our Net Promoter Score across clients, successful candidates and unsuccessful candidates is well above industry standard.
Candidates supported every year
We maintain genuine relationships with past candidates and continue to support them with leadership solutions long term, after they land their role.
Senior Women Appointed since 2002
Over half of the executive search assignments undertaken by our team have resulted in the appointment of outstanding female or LGBTQI+ leaders to high profile roles.
Candidate Retention Rate for 12 months since 2002
Our thorough briefing process and ability to engage passive candidates mean that we go to great lengths to find the right person for the role – long term!
The Process
Future Leadership conducted comprehensive briefing sessions with key representatives of the school to gain a deep understanding of its culture, strategic priorities, and leadership needs.
For the Principal role, the ideal candidate needed to demonstrate a strong cultural alignment, the gravitas to engage confidently with all stakeholders, and a sound understanding of educational leadership within a business context. Building trust and confidence within the school community was also essential.
For the Deputy Principal, the brief focused on identifying an innovative educational leader and excellent communicator, capable of leading curriculum development and driving academic outcomes across the school.
Two rounds of panel interviews were conducted for both the Principal and Deputy Principal appointments.
In 2025, Future Leadership continued its partnership with the school to appoint a Head of English, Head of Mathematics, and Head of Teaching and Learning. Each appointment followed a similarly rigorous process, ensuring alignment with the school’s academic vision and leadership culture, and further strengthening its commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.
Emerging Capabilities
Curriculum
Designing and implementing educational programs and course structures that align with academic standards and meet the diverse needs of students, ensuring a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.
Education Management
Overseeing the administration and leadership of educational institutions or programs, including managing staff, resources, and policies to create an effective and supportive learning environment.
Committees
This skill refers to participating in, leading, or managing committees within an organisation. It includes coordinating activities, facilitating discussions, and making decisions that align with the organisation's goals while representing various stakeholders' interests.
Educational Leadership
Demonstrating strong leadership within an educational setting, including setting strategic direction, managing staff, fostering a positive learning environment, and ensuring the effective delivery of educational programs.
Staff Development
This skill involves designing, implementing, and overseeing professional development programs for staff. It includes identifying training needs, fostering continuous learning, and improving skills to enhance overall performance and organisational effectiveness.
The Outcome
The Selection Panel was extremely pleased with the calibre of candidates presented throughout the process. The Principal was appointed from within the school, having previously held the roles of Head of Science, Head of Teaching and Learning, and Acting Head during the search period.
Following the Principal’s appointment, they joined the Selection Committee for the Deputy Principal interviews. The successful candidate was selected as the preferred choice, bringing over 20 years of educational experience and demonstrating a strong commitment to innovation, relationship-building, and academic excellence.
In 2025, Future Leadership continued its partnership with the school to appoint a Head of English, Head of Mathematics, and a new Head of Teaching and Learning. These appointments were made through similarly rigorous selection processes, further strengthening the school’s academic leadership and supporting its strategic direction.
For our school, working with Future Leadership has been a very positive experience.
Liam King and the Future Leadership team provided invaluable assistance in securing our new Principal and took great care in learning our needs and applying those needs to the search process.
Liam put together an outstanding candidate list and we were impressed with the responsive and open communication.
Most importantly, we are delighted with the appointment and addition to the Executive team at our school.
I can’t speak highly enough of my experience as a candidate in the search for the Principal of this school. Liam and Liz were professional and supportive through every stage of the process.
The ‘touch bases’ I received the day before each interview were both kind and helpful and really made a difference to my mindset as I approached each step. I cannot thank Liam and Liz enough for making what is a tough process as enjoyable as possible.
