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Strengthening Leadership

This session focuses on Strengthening School Leadership, recognising that effective school leaders are essential for driving positive change and creating thriving learning environments. The contemporary principalship faces significant challenges that hinder school leaders' ability to effectively fulfill their roles. This session explores these challenges and seeks potential solutions to empower and support our school leaders.

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Principals currently grapple with an increasing administrative burden, often exceeding the workload of leaders in comparably sized organisations. This load can divert them from their core responsibilities: leading their school community, improving educational outcomes, and supporting teachers and students. To address this, we need to consider fit-for-purpose staffing arrangements, efficient systems and processes, and streamlined administrative procedures. This could include dedicated support staff for HR, WHS, and other administrative functions, as well as the digitisation of systems and improved communication channels.

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Beyond administrative burdens, principal well-being is a critical concern. The demanding nature of the role, coupled with sometimes unrealistic expectations regarding availability and duty  of care, contributes to burnout and stress. A comprehensive strategy to address principal well-being is essential. This could encompass readily accessible support services and peer support networks. Furthermore, funded professional supervision programs, similar to those offered in other frontline service professions, could provide valuable support and guidance.

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Including principals and school leaders in the design and implementation of school policy in more consistent and meaningful ways will improve the likelihood of success. The recent establishment of the National Principals Reference Group advising the federal government is an excellent example. School leaders know their students, staff and communities, and have a good understanding of how education systems work. Including principals effectively in policy design processes makes sense.

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The teacher shortage continues in many places and further exacerbates the challenges faced by school leaders. Responsibility for recruitment is often left to Principals. Attracting and retaining high-quality teachers requires competitive salaries, attractive incentives, and supportive working environments. Removing visa restrictions for specialist staff from overseas, financial barriers to entry into the profession, recognising prior learning, and offering flexible work arrangements can broaden the pool of qualified teachers and improve retention rates. Ensuring all schools meet minimum standards for facilities, staffing levels, and resources is also crucial for creating positive and supportive work environments for both teachers and principals.

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This session invites you to share your insights and experiences. How can we redesign the contemporary principalship to create a more sustainable and fulfilling profession? How can we better support principal well-being and empower school leaders to effectively manage the complex demands of their roles? Your contributions are vital to help us work together and strengthen school leadership in Australia.

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If you need support:

Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Black Dog Institute: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

Headspace: https://headspace.org.au/

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Links and Resources

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