ACEL SA Branch Awards 2026
 

Call for Nominations

A highlight of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders South Australia Branch is the annual celebration and presentation of awards. ACEL SA honours those educational leaders who in the view of their peers have made a significant contribution to the understanding and practice of educational leadership.

To assist in this process, we urge all ACEL SA members to consider nominating worthy candidates for recognition of their leadership and service to education. The award nomination process is confidential until completed, and nominations have been approved. The ACEL SA Awards committee will evaluate nominations with respect to the essential criteria.

The ACEL SA awards committee will contact successful nominees on the completion of the process. In all cases the Committee Convenor will also contact all nominators in relation to the outcome of their nomination. Nominators seeking further information or assistance should contact the ACEL National Office at [email protected] to obtain contact details for the SA Committee Convenor.

Branch processes and celebrations will be staggered across the calendar year. Information in regard to the awards ceremony is available on our website at: acel.org.au/calendar

Nominations close
Wednesday 8 April at 11.59pm (AEDT)

ACEL SA Educational Leadership Award

Leadership Awards are presented each year to individual educators, teams of educators, schools, networks, and professional associations who have demonstrated excellent educational leadership in developing and implementing a significant educational initiative, conducting research, or influencing educational policy, leading to improved outcomes for students and/or colleagues in any educational setting.

ACEL SA Fellowship Awards

This award celebrates individuals whose contributions to ACEL and/or to educational practice have had a substantial and sustained impact at a national or international level. It honours those who have advanced the profession through achievements that extend significantly beyond the responsibilities of their day-to-day roles.

ACEL members receiving fellowships are permitted to use the post nominal FACEL (SA).

Evidence needs to be mapped against the following criteria:

  1. Australian Professional Standards for Principals:
    • Leading teaching and learning
    • Developing self and others
    • Leading improvement, innovation, and change
    • Leading the management of an organisation
    • Engaging and working with the educational, wider community and/or profession
  2. Contribution(s) to the profession beyond the scope of professional role.

ACEL SA ‘Alby Jones’ Gold Medal Award

The ACEL presents the ‘Alby Jones’ Gold Medal Award to a South Australian educator whose influence and contribution to the study and practice of educational leadership is assessed as most outstanding at the state level and whose significant contribution to education is recognisable at the national level. Furthermore, the contribution(s) should be beyond the scope of the professional role.

Confidential nominations for this award need to provide evidence of excellence in educational leadership with documentation that focuses on the outstanding characteristics of the nominee and the reasons why the nominee’s contribution to excellence in educational leadership should be judged as most outstanding.

ACEL SA Pip Field Emerging Leaders Award

ACEL presents this award to an emerging educational leader in their first five years of a designated leadership position, who has demonstrated outstanding educational practice in the classroom and leadership that has made a significant difference to colleagues and students. The awardee must have made a significant contribution to the improvement of student and educational outcomes.

The written submission should address the criteria and should make reference to the AITSL Professional Standards for Teachers at the Lead level. A brief outline of a professional learning plan and how the award will support their educational leadership learning is also required.

ACEL SA Distinguished Contribution to Research in Educational Leadership Award

The Distinguished Contribution to Research in Educational Leadership Award aims to promote quality writing by educators about educational leadership. It is presented to a researcher who has created new work or used existing work in creative ways to generate tools for critical thinking by practitioners about, or related to, leading in schooling or other educational contexts.

This award recognises an outstanding body or piece of educational writing or a presentation that is forward-thinking, innovative, and representative of new ideas and perceptions in education. This may take various forms (e.g., book, journal article, monograph).

ACEL SA Media Award

The ACEL (SA) Media Award is presented to a journalist who has reported on educational matters in a published forum at a local or national level. This award recognises a significant contribution by an individual or media organisation towards creating or facilitating depth and balance in public debate or profiling on educational matters in the media.

It may be awarded for a single media event or for a long-term commitment on the part of the recipient. This award is one that acknowledges positive journalism in education. Confidential nominations need to provide demonstrated evidence mapped against the given criteria.

Fill out the online form.