Ms Fiona Webster
Fiona Webster is the Executive Principal at Virtual School Victoria, the state’s largest provider of online and blended learning programs for students in the primary and secondary stages of schooling. Currently the school has over 5000 enrolled students located in Australia and across the globe.
Ms Webster has over 30 years experience in the education sector in Victoria and New South Wales. She has held leadership roles within schools and the Department of Education and Training.
Her work has championed inclusion, growth and academic excellence for students in Years F-12. She is passionate about equity of access to high quality learning opportunities for all students no matter their personal circumstances or location.
As a secondary English teacher, Ms Webster’s ‘bricks and mortar’ experience was predominantly in rural and regional schools in Victoria and NSW. It was during that time that she became excited by the opportunities that online learning could afford students who could not access the breadth of educational experiences available to their peers in large metropolitan ‘face to face’ schools. This interest led to further study in the field of online learning and a consequent move to the Distance Education Centre Victoria which has since evolved into Virtual School Victoria.
Ms Webster’s commitment to creating dynamic virtual learning experiences saw her lead the development of an interactive Learning Management System with the capacity for timely feedback and a Pedagogical Model for Virtual Learning with an emphasis on the importance of relationship development and collaborative learning opportunities for students who are often studying in isolation.
During the remote learning phase of the COVID-19 pandemic Ms Webster supported the state-wide system through the development of professional learning opportunities and resources for teachers unaccustomed to the online learning environment and was a presenter in a variety of webinars and in the media.
In 2020 Ms Webster led the establishment of the award-winning Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP) at Virtual School Victoria. VHAP has provided opportunities for students across Victoria to engage with a challenging virtual enrichment program where they can engage with complex ideas with like-minded peers. By the end of 2022, 48, 000 students in Years 5 to 8 from government schools will have participated in the program. Ms Webster was also a member of the Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) Reference Group.
A secondment to the Department of Education and Training as an Innovation Leader, led to Ms Webster’s leadership of initiatives focused on video conferencing in rural and regional schools, teaching and learning in innovative spaces and the integration of the wider workforce in schools.
Ms Webster holds a Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diploma in Education and a Graduate Certificate in Multimedia and Online Learning. Ms Webster graduated from Monash University with a Master of School Leadership and more recently a Graduate Certificate in Principal Preparation.