One of the enduring problems in the education system is the gap between theory and practice, where the research to improve teaching and learning is not fully realised in the classroom. This has impacted the effectiveness of education reform. We take a systems thinking approach to better understand the complexity of an education system, which involves multiple stakeholders, each with different levels of power, purposes, and perspectives about what is important. Drawing on an extensive body of research we propose a set of six foundational and five enabling principles that support systemic educational reform. These 11 principles are put forward to provide guidance for decision-makers, researchers and practitioners on how a given educational reform might be more effectively implemented.