School Network & Programs

The Alliance convenes a School Network of Victorian low-SES schools to focus on what matters most for improvement in low-SES contexts AND to pursue change across both schools and the system. Check out the Network's 2026 Schedule here.

The Alliance also works with individual schools to engage students and teachers in co-design and as partners in their school improvement efforts for education equity

(see our Student & Teacher Champions for Education Equity Program below).

If you would like to discuss further, please contact the Alliance's Educator Voice Lead, Georgia Campbell, at georgia@equityalliance.com.au

Termly Forums

Each term, the Network comes together around shared improvement priorities for education equity.

These Forums are open to all Victorian low-SES schools (ICSEA below 1000) and those providing supports into these schools.

Join our Term 1 Forum (see right) on cultivating belonging in low-SES school communities. You will hear from Associate Professor Kelly-Ann Allen on the evidence-base underpinning belonging schools, as well as case studies from two schools - Monterey Secondary College and Kananook Primary School - who have achieved significant change in the belonging of their students.

Date: Thursday 19 March, 3.30pm to 4.45pm

Where: Microsoft Teams

Coaching Support

Receive tailored leadership coaching support for your context

Coaching from one of EEA' s experienced School Improvement Coaches, Kerrie Dowsley and Megan Corocoran, either one-to-one with a school leader or with your school leadership team.

Support to clarify key improvement priorities for equity in your individual school context, building upon your school' s existing SSP and AIP and EEA' s work on improvement priorities for equity.

Tailored support to approaching implementation of improvement priorities, including:

Establishing a clear narrative for change for the whole community;
Identifying the next step for improvement;
Utilising data to enable responsive implementation;
Enabling an effective school improvement team to guide implementation; and
Strengthening staff culture and buy-in.

In-School Program:
Student & Teacher Co-Design for Equity

An overview of the program can be accessed here.

This program supports schools to activate genuine voice & agency of Student and Teacher Champions to identify what matters most for education equity in their school community. The Champions then work together to co-design school improvement priorities aligned to the school's existing Strategic and Annual Improvement Plans.

The school identifies two groups:

Student Champions - 10-15 students from across student leadership and priority cohorts
Staff Champions - 5-10 staff from across School Leadership, Wellbeing & Behaviour, and Teaching Staff (especially those passionate about equity)

The Alliance facilitates the following activities:

Student Champions Intro Session (2 hours) - building an understanding of education equity and identifying a set of key barriers and opportunities
Staff Champions Intro Session (1 hours) - education equity definition, data and research; contributing to the set of barriers and opportunities
Co-Design Workshop (2 hours) - Student and Staff Champions work together to identify school improvement actions, evidence of impact and activities to address the barriers to equity.

School Network

Further information on the Network can be accessed here.

The Network brings together leaders from across Victorian low-SES school communities with the following objectives:

To focus on what matters most in low-SES contexts
To strengthen student and teacher voice & agency for improved equity
To enhance collaboration and connection both between low-SES schools and between these schools and the education system.

The Network partners with Kerrie Dowsley and Megan Corcoran, two experienced school leaders as School Improvement Critical Friends and with Orange Compass, experts in improving complex systems.

The Network is focused on low-SES schools across Outer Melbourne and rural/regional Victoria. We are looking for school leaders who are passionate about seeing improvement in our schools and education system, who have a deep understanding of their context and a track record of successful implementation of improvement priorities.

Catch up on our Term 4 Forum -
High leverage strategies for building a culture of attendance

This EEA School Network forum focused on practical strategies for building a strong culture of attendance in low-SES school contexts. Two case studies—St Albans Heights Primary School and St Albans Secondary College—shared their journeys and insights to achieving consistently high attendance outcomes.

Key Takeaways included:

Relationships at the core
Importance of safe and predictable environments to encouraging attendance
Family partnerships are critical
Student voice and agency provides critical insights
Consistent tiered support and data monitoring provide a foundation
Its culture AND process: A strong whole-school culture of attendance reduces reliance on intensive Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.

The bottom line: Attendance improvement is not about isolated processes—it’s about interconnected work across relationships, safety, belonging, family engagement, and consistent systems.

Access Case Studies Here:

St Albans Heights Primary School

St Albans Secondary College

Catch up on our Term 3 Forum -
Working strategically to strengthen classroom behaviour and engagement

On September 2nd we held our Term 3 Forum for a rich discussion of the strategic work of strengthening classroom behaviour and engagement across low-SES school communities. If you were unable to join, you can catch the recording below.

Highlights included:
Cate Whiting from Australian Education Research Organisation (see from 11 mins) breaking down the most critical, foundational classroom management and the work of leading a consistent whole-school approach to these practices, including the opportunity to leverage AERO resources to support this;

John Goodman, Principal of Springside West Secondary College (see from 1hr 2 mins) sharing his school's journey to strengthening student connectedness through a range of strategic interventions including boosting leadership visibility, ensuring consistency across classrooms, and raising accountability accompanied by restorative work;

Chris Deitch, Assistant Principal of Cranbourne West Secondary College (see from 1hr 15 mins) sharing his school focus on strengthening Tier 1 classroom practice through purposeful professional learning of staff;

Megan Corcoran, Director of Wagtail Institute (see from 1 hr 29 min) unpacking how common approaches to behaviour management can be approached from a trauma-informed lens so to ensure safety, trust and success of all students.

Catch up on our Term 2 Forum -
The science of learning as a critical lever for improved equity

On Thursday May 15 we were joined by school leaders and community organisations from across Victoria for a forum focused on the science of learning as a lever for equity.

The full recording can be accessed below.

It inclues:

8 minute mark - Overview of Systems Thinking Framework to enhance school improvement
20 minute mark - Guest Speaker: ‘Guiding principles for equitable whole-child design’ with Laura E. Hernandez from Learning Policy Institute (US)
1hr 8 minute mark - Case study of implementing the science of learning in practice with Lachlan Yeates, Principal of Cranbourne Primary School

Supporting Resources

The following documents underpin the Education Equity Alliance's work.

The Alliance's Ethics Statement sets out its guidelines for its ethical and responsible engagement with young people. This includes both the benefits of engagement, risk mitigation, and how student contributions are used appropriately.

The Alliance's Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and Code of Conduct covers how the Alliance meets its legal and ethical obligations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the students it works with.

The Alliance's Reading Guide sets out the key literature and research that underpin its approach towards both equity and system-change.

Education Equity Alliance