Professional learning in a Christian school is about enabling those within the school community to thrive. It is about intentionally training and equipping the next generation to be ready to participate in complex organisations with a clear vision of Christian education that honours God and equips staff to teach young people to live a life of purpose and hope in His Kingdom. Christian Schools Australia seeks to embed and preserve the biblical distinctiveness of schools through the continued development of Christian approaches to educational practice, employment, training and development, based around the CSA Leadership Framework.

Phases of Leadership

Professional Learning at CSA seeks to align offerings with the four phases of leadership explored in the CSA Leadership Framework and Leadership Rubric. 

An example of the various Phases of Leadership are briefly outlined below:

  • Phase 1 Leaders: New Leaders (Emerging leaders)
  • Phase 2 Leaders: Middle Leaders (Year Level Coordinators, Heads of Departments, Executive Assistants, leaders in administration)
  • Phase 3 Leaders: Senior Leaders (Deputy Principals/Heads of Schools/Sections, EAs to Principals, Heads of Corporate Services)
  • Phase 4 Leaders: Executive Leaders (Principals, Business Managers, Directors of Corporate Services)

Learn more about the CSA Leadership Framework Matrix and how it connects to the Leadership Phases.

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Exclusive to CSA Members

CSA members have full access to the CSA Leadership Framework, Leadership Rubric and 360 Online Development Tool via the Leadership Development Hub.

Leadership Development Hub

Staff Induction Program

Flourish: A Vision of Christian Schooling is a resource to empower staff in Christian schools to embrace purpose and mission as they seek to bring the message of Jesus, through education, to a world in need. Flourish explores the vision, history and purpose of Christian schooling, the hallmarks of a Christian school culture, the role that faith, theology and worldview play in a school environment and what it looks like to work, teach, and live out the Christian life in a school. It is designed as a staff induction program for staff who may be new to Christian schooling.

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FUSE: Find, Upskill, Support Emerging leaders

FUSE is a vital part of CSA's leadership development initiative to Find, Upskill and Support Emerging leaders in Christian schools. The domains and practices articulated in the CSA Leadership Framework are embedded in the FUSE Program, delivering a coordinated, well-resourced and accessible course that aims to intentionally identify, inspire, encourage and train potential leaders to equip them for high quality leadership from a Christian perspective (learn more about the course below). Together with the provision of well-researched, practical leadership development programs and opportunities, FUSE will upskill, support and equip new and aspiring leaders by enabling strong connections and facilitating structures that support emerging leaders. FUSE is about developing capacity of new and aspiring leaders to lead with confidence and humility to be all that God has created them to be.

Executive Leaders Business Course

The Executive Leaders Business Course provides an overview of the fundamentals of school business and governance for executive or aspiring executive level educators, support and administration leaders.

The program is comprised of 3 series, delivering 8 modules in total, provides tools, knowledge and exposure for the participant.

»  Series 1: Legal Form & Governance; Financial Management
»  Series 2: Risk Management and Policy & Compliance; Strategic Planning; Project & Change Management; Organisation Design & Effectiveness
»  Series 3: Human Resources; Marketing & Community Relations

Delivery of the course is currently online, via Zoom, with each series comprising of 6 x 1.5 hour sessions.

Download Course Overview

Next Available Series

ASPIRE: Navigating the Path of Female Leadership

Aspire: Navigating the Path of Female Leadership is a 7-session coaching series for a small group of only 20 women. Participants are taken through interactive sessions with expert guest speakers, who will share their own stories, experiences and insights. This exciting course goes beyond just identifying the problems, to providing practical strategies, which women can control and have agency over.

Each session runs for 1½ hours and participants are be encouraged to complete reflective tasks between sessions. The course has limited places available to enable high levels of involvement and the building of connections and networks.

Download Course Guide

Next Available Series

FLAME: Female Leaders And Managers in Education

FLAME is a network for women to support their journey into and through leadership at a school, leadership or board level. The FLAME network meet nationally on Zoom and locally at a State level to continue to inspire, support and challenge Christian women in leadership in Christian education. If you are a male leader, you are encouraged and welcome to champion this initiative by attending yourself and/or encouraging a female leader on your board or school management team to be connected in to this network. An initiative of the FLAME network has been the commencement of Aspire: Navigating the Path of Female Leadership to equip female leaders in their leadership journey.

The FLAME network enables strong connections between experienced and inexperienced leaders and help to identify and encourage structures that support women in leadership. Flame is more than networking and building relationships, it’s about developing capacity of female leaders and aspiring female leaders to lead with confidence and humility to be all that God has created them to be.

Next Available Gathering

Good Governance

Part of good governance is remaining mission true. When schools are established, they are begun by passionate individuals who have a clear mission and ministry in mind. CSA has produced a series called Missional Governance: Boards that Transform which seeks to keep a boards’ eyes on the right topics; to refocus, inspire and challenge boards to keep mission true. Good governance is also about highly functional boards. Boards set the bar in terms of effectiveness. A question we must all ask ourselves - are we a lid on our organisation’s performance and health? Or, are we a springboard? CSA has partnered with Effective Governance to develop the School Governance Program, which seeks to assist boards so they may sharpen their own performance to provide the support and guidance that the school executive team requires.

Missional Governance: Boards that Transform

Our goal for this resource is to provide your board with a series of short-form, thought provoking sessions that you can work through in each board meeting throughout the year. As a board, you have access to a wealth of highly technical and industry specific material that can assist you in the day-to-day governance of the school. That’s not what this resource is about. What we aim to do is provide you with an opportunity to step back - just for a moment - and evaluate the why behind what you do. Through short videos, insightful content and realistic case studies we want to give you an opportunity you may rarely get in a governance context: the opportunity to reflect on your sacred mission.

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School Governance Program

A key component in the sustainability of Christian schools is good governance. A collaboration with Effective Governance sees the launch of CSA’s School Governance Program, a four-day training program, covering 12 modules, specifically for board members and those in governance roles. Each module seeks to bring a depth, rigor and confidence to board practice. The course is NESA accredited for NSW schools and also for self-accreditation with AITSL professional learning standards.

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Responsible Officer Induction and Training Courses

The Responsible Officer Induction Course is ideal for newly appointed board members. The course is targeted to NSW schools, and is NESA Accredited, but available to CSA member schools nationally. It is offered in an online format to assist schools in meeting the requirements for accredited training, within three months of appointment, for new ‘responsible persons’ in NSW schools. You will need to be logged in to access the course material. Following the induction course, newly appointed responsible persons may choose to undertake the Responsible Officer Training Course, which is base training offered by CSA. For a more in-depth training course, refer to the CSA Board Directors' Course below.

Responsible Officer Induction  |  Responsible Officer Training Course

Learn more about CSA's Leadership Development resources - member access only

Leadership Development Hub