Mrs Jacqui Layfield

Mrs Jacqui Layfield is the Principal of Luther College, an independent co-educational secondary school in Croydon Hills, Melbourne. With a career in education that spans three decades, Mrs Layfield brings passion and commitment to the education of young people, driving significant change to improve the student experience.

Mrs Layfield believes education isn’t just about preparing students for the future, it’s about inspiring them to shape it. She sees schools as incubators of possibility, where curiosity thrives, leadership is nurtured, and ideas are transformed into action. This belief underpins every initiative she leads, from curriculum development to wellbeing programs and strategic planning, all of which contribute to the growth and development of the whole child.

A significant highlight of Mrs Layfield’s academic journey was graduating from the Bachelor of Education and receiving The Education Medal for the highest academic achievement across all bachelor degrees at Griffith University, an early recognition of her commitment to excellence and high performance. Her postgraduate studies culminated in a Global Executive Master of Business Administration from Monash University, which enriched her understanding of strategic leadership, governance, and the complexities of education in a global context.

Mrs Layfield has worked in both the public and private education sectors across Victoria and Queensland, giving her a broad and nuanced perspective on schooling and system-level leadership. Her career began in the classroom as an English and Drama teacher, before progressing through diverse and key leadership roles in a variety of contexts.

Across her career, Mrs Layfield has led transformative initiatives and whole-school improvements that have shaped her growth as an educational leader. She is committed to ensuring that leadership and governance operate in synergy to foster cultures where strategy is not just aspirational but translated into measurable impact that is implemented across the whole organisation. Her particular interest lies in evolving teacher development and building leadership structures and cultures of clarity that support true collaboration and partnership to enable schools to navigate the increasingly complex, multi-dimensional landscape of contemporary education.

Outside of her professional life, Mrs Layfield is passionate about her Border Collie and her horse, finding joy and balance in dog training and the discipline of dressage, an equestrian sport that mirrors her approach to leadership - measured, responsive, and deeply attuned to partnership.