The English Language Preparation Program (ELPP) is Wesley College's in-house intensive English program for international and local students. Learning takes place within the framework of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum with students learning English in addition to undertaking language-focused classes in Art, Mathematics and Science. The full suite of extra-curricular activities available at the College further enables students to engage with peers and build friendships.

ELPP is flexible and adapts to meet the needs of each cohort and the year levels they will be entering. A student evaluation survey at the end of each term assists with further refinement, as does ongoing feedback from subject teachers.

In addition to developing a relationship with the student prior to arrival, there are ongoing progress meetings with families. Bi-lingual communication assists in enabling families to be involved in their child's education and these activities contribute to meaningful engagement. ELPP students are empowered to take a proactive approach to their mental health and participate in regular Wellbeing lessons with our bi-lingual psychologist. The Wellbeing curriculum aims to support their transitions and to develop and maintain their motivation, resilience and positive emotions. Continued focus on wellbeing throughout the Program ensures students are more likely to speak up or ask questions and thereby build a stronger sense of belonging and connection with their new environment.

The homestay experience represents a pivotal yet frequently underestimated factor in determining international student outcomes as they navigate Australian secondary education and prepare for university. Despite comprehensive pre-arrival programs for students, host families often receive minimal preparation to effectively manage cross-cultural dynamics, nurture student wellbeing, and create genuine intercultural connections. When host families lack structured training, ongoing support, and cultural competency development, this critical gap undermines both the student journey and the hosting experience itself.

Value Learning, specialists in student hosting and intercultural guidance, presents research-informed insights and practical strategies to transform homestays from simple accommodation providers into active facilitators of intercultural learning and belonging. This interactive session will explore how well-prepared host families create the foundation for positive student experiences, a sense of belonging, academic success, and smoother transitions to Australian life.

Participants will discover simple yet powerful tools for enhancing host family cultural awareness, building reflective practices, and fostering shared understanding between students and families. Drawing on extensive experience in the international education sector, we will share proven approaches to designing intentional programs that prepare and support host families throughout the hosting journey.

Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for implementing effective host family training, ongoing support mechanisms, and building systems that strengthen outcomes for students, families, and schools — ensuring international students thrive both academically and personally during their Australian education journey.

This interactive panel session explores how IELTS can play a role within the changing ELICOS landscape. The discussion will bring together Directors of Studies from NEAS member schools to share practical, experience-based insights into how IELTS is embedded across curriculum design, lesson planning and learner pathways. Panellists will discuss how aligning teaching with real-world assessment supports teacher confidence, learner motivation and long-term institutional sustainability. The session will invite audience participation through guided questions and reflections, encouraging teachers and academic leaders to consider how targeted IELTS preparation can respond to regulatory challenges while capitalising on sustained learner demand. The focus is on optimism, innovation and trust, grounded in classroom reality.

Since 1997, John Paul International College (JPIC) has been at the forefront of school preparation, developing research-driven curriculum that has successfully prepared thousands of international students for Australian schooling. Our High School Preparation and Primary School Preparation Courses integrate mainstream education research with second language acquisition theory, employing age-appropriate pedagogy and content.

While a few select Australian schools have already recognised the transformative impact of intensive English preparation within a school setting before mainstream integration, many schools continue to seek proven solutions. JPIC's curriculum addresses the critical gap between new students' English proficiency and the academic language demands of both primary and secondary education—a challenge familiar to teachers supporting international students nationwide.

This session introduces JPIC's curriculum licensing partnership model, offering Australian schools access to nearly 30 years of proven curriculum development without the significant investment of creating programs from scratch. Our curriculum approach, grounded in contemporary research and our extensive experience, provides a comprehensive student learning journey aligned to CEFR standards and validated through external tests and benchmarks.

Discover how partnering with JPIC can help your school deliver measurable English language outcomes while maintaining pedagogical excellence—leveraging our experience to support your international students' success and meet CRICOS and ELICOS Standards requirements.

As educators, our belief in the transformative power of education shapes the way we design learning experiences and support our students' journeys. In recent years, there has been growing recognition of neurodivergent learners in ESL classrooms and the unique challenges they face. This interactive session invites participants to share their experiences of working with neurodivergent students and the strategies, formal or informal, that have helped facilitate their learning.

Building on these shared insights, I will provide research-based and personal perspectives on the complexity of neurodivergent conditions and why a one-size-fits-all approach is rarely effective. While some accommodations can be simple and impactful, we must also acknowledge the limitations educators encounter.

Central to this discussion is the role of belief: belief in our purpose as educators, belief in collaboration between teachers, institutions, and learners, and belief in education as a force for transformation. By fostering empathy and understanding, we can provide learning environments that are not only inclusive, but empowering. Through interactive activities, attendees will have the opportunity to "walk in our students' shoes", gaining insights into their experiences and exploring how collaborative, belief-driven approaches can enhance quality and inclusivity in English language education.

The idea of communication being the cornerstone of the language classroom is nothing new. However, oracy helps to further develop these principles in a way that can help build self-esteem in our learners by giving them the tools to develop their speaking skills, while also helping them to become better listeners too.

This presentation will explore how the foundations of oracy can be built into the English language classroom to give our students the skills to deal with not only exams, but also many areas of their future English-speaking lives. We will examine how the Cambridge Oracy framework can be used alongside problem or project-based learning to develop life competencies, and how to guide students to reflect on and develop their communication skills. We will also look at how oracy can be integrated with digital communication to develop clear and confident communicators for a future that is increasingly interconnected.

Using examples from the Shining Lights course, this presentation will focus on high school learners, but many of the ideas will be relevant to students of all ages.

School-age ELICOS programs, such as Primary School Preparation (PSP) and High School Preparation (HSP), play a critical role in preparing international students for entry into mainstream Australian schooling. Given the high-stakes nature of this transition, robust quality assurance is essential to ensure that curriculum, teaching, and student outcomes align with the linguistic and academic demands of school classrooms.

There is currently no consistent industry standard for determining the appropriate duration of ELICOS study for school-aged students. Indeed, the pathway for students into ELICOS and/or mainstream schooling varies significantly between states and territories. While many schools use independent tools such as AEAS to guide placement and pathway recommendations, others rely on self-administered testing, gut feel or, sometimes, even commercially driven decision making. This results in significant variability in student preparedness and introduces risk into the transition to mainstream education.

Recent policy settings, including higher student visa costs, increased regulatory pressure in the tertiary sector, and the allure of a 'cap-less' school sector, have driven new entrants into the PSP and HSP market, further diluting consistency and quality across the sector.

This presentation explores the role of independent assessment, specifically AEAS, not only as a placement tool but as a longitudinal quality assurance mechanism. Drawing on over 40 years of testing data, AEAS provides externally benchmarked evidence of students' academic English proficiency, enabling schools and ELICOS providers to validate internal assessments and progression decisions. Using recent case studies, we will demonstrate how AEAS Testing frequently identifies students approved for mainstream entry who remain underprepared.

The session will explain how AEAS Testing can be used to monitor three key quality domains: student outcomes, curriculum effectiveness, and teacher delivery. It will also address emerging risks, including extended application-to-commencement timelines, during which students may stagnate or regress in their English development.

In an environment of sharper regulatory scrutiny of student quality and progression, strengthening independent assessment within the ELICOS-to-school pathway is essential. A more rigorous, evidence-based approach will better protect students, support schools in decision-making, and sustain the quality and integrity of Australia's school sector pathways.

This session looks at the international student accommodation landscape, unpacking the policy history that shaped it, and the pressures and opportunities the sector is navigating today.

We'll explore the full range of accommodation options available to students, think about what's working, what's missing, and what can be done for a better student experience. That includes a closer look at what StudyNSW, NEAS and SAP are doing to support the sector.

The session will wrap up with a forward-looking conversation about what a better accommodation ecosystem could realistically look like and what it might take to get there.

Transnational education (TNE) pathways play a critical role in enabling international students to transition successfully into global higher education environments. Within these pathways, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs serve not only as linguistic preparation, but as foundational spaces for developing academic identity, confidence, and agency.

Drawing on extensive experience in designing and implementing EAP programs across China–international university partnerships, this presentation examines best practices in developing coherent, scalable, and quality-assured EAP curriculum frameworks that support student success across diverse institutional contexts.

The presentation explores how a strong belief in the transformative purpose of education informs curriculum design, assessment alignment, and staff development practices. It highlights the importance of collaborative curriculum leadership, involving language educators, discipline specialists, and partner institutions, in creating vertically and horizontally aligned learning pathways.

Key areas of focus include outcomes-based curriculum mapping, integrated academic literacy development, contextualised content workshops, and sustainable moderation and quality assurance systems.

The presentation argues that effective EAP frameworks are built not only on technical expertise, but on shared belief in student potential and collective responsibility. By fostering purposeful collaboration and reflective practice, transnational EAP programs can continue to serve as powerful instruments for educational transformation in an evolving global landscape.

Australia's independent schools sector has become a significant and growing force in international education, defined by its diversity, student experience, and commitment to quality. This session takes stock of where the sector stands today - the numbers, the trends, and what genuinely differentiates independent schools from government providers.

It examines the strategic pressures schools face as their international programs mature: source market dependence, the challenge of diversification, and the need to give international education the dedicated strategic focus, staffing and resourcing it deserves. It also explores the critical role independent schools play in student pathways - bridging home countries and further study in Australian universities and VET - and what quality, best practice and professionalism look like in this context.

For international students, the journey to success extends far beyond what happens in the classroom. Student services professionals play a vital but often invisible role — navigating visa complexities, supporting mental health and cultural adjustment, mediating conflicts, and building the connective tissue between students, teachers, and institutions. This session, presented by ISANA, explores what student services actually means in the context of international education and why it deserves to be understood as a core part of the learning experience.

Following naturally from a discussion of student accommodation, this session takes the next step: once students have a place to live, how are they supported to truly belong and thrive? We examine the practical realities of student services work — from orientation and wellbeing programs to crisis intervention and academic referral — and the ways in which these functions directly influence retention, engagement, and outcomes.

A key focus of this session is the relationship between student services and teaching staff. When these two functions operate in silos, students fall through the gaps. When they work in concert — sharing information, aligning support, and trusting each other's expertise — the results are transformative. We explore what genuine collaboration looks like and how institutions can build the conditions for it to flourish.

Grounded in the NEAS 2026 theme of Believe, this session is an invitation to reflect on the belief that underpins student services work: that every student, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves the support to succeed.

Belief in what constitutes quality plays a central role in shaping how English language education is understood, valued, and evaluated by key stakeholders. This presentation examines how students and parents in Cambodia perceive quality in English language education.

Drawing on the CIPP framework (Context–Input–Process–Product), the study explores how stakeholders conceptualises quality in relation to learning purposes, educational provision, teaching and learning experiences, and perceived outcomes. Attention is given to the criteria stakeholders use to judge quality and the extent to which these reflect internationally recognised principles in English language teaching.

Data are collected through an exploratory online survey distributed to respondents, self-identifying their stakeholder role. The survey captures perceptions across the CIPP dimensions and provides insight into stakeholder awareness of quality-related reference points, including accreditation and quality assurance frameworks.

Framed by the conference theme Believe, the presentation invites reflection on how stakeholder beliefs about quality shape expectations of English language education and influence how quality is interpreted and communicated within local contexts.

The NEAS 2026 theme "Believe" challenges us to explore how conviction sustains and strengthens our profession. This presentation bridges the gap between the abstract concept of belief and the concrete execution of quality assurance. Drawing on extensive, multi-sector experience spanning regulatory compliance, academic leadership, and student welfare, our panel will demonstrate how robust regulatory frameworks (ASQA/NEAS) transform educational aspirations into tangible, quality-assured outcomes for learners.

Using the STAR model, we will present three case studies showcasing:

The Regulator's Lens: How compliance standards are the backbone of integrity, building essential belief in national qualifications (Speaker: Jo, ASQA SLG Member & TPS advisory board member).

The Educator's Lens: How belief in student potential influences innovative curriculum design and teacher collaboration (Speaker: Leisl, Director and educator, Ivanhoe Grammar).

The Support Lens: The vital role of connection — pastoral care, intervention planning, and community engagement — in sustaining student belief in their own possibility (Speaker: Vanessa, Head of International Programs, Hills International College).

Participants will leave with practical strategies for embedding the "integrity and care" of QA frameworks into daily operations, showcasing how commitment to quality assurance strengthens collaboration and reinforces education as a vital force for transformation.

Geoff will outline the National Property Accreditation Scheme (NPAS). This is an industry-led program that is owned, governed, developed and administered by the Student Accommodation Association (SAA) to assist national education stakeholders to identify, promote and support quality managed student accommodation businesses which provide accommodation for the exclusive use of students.