About+Principals+Australia

__**About Principals Australia**__
 Principals Australia is the national professional development body owned by the four peak bodies representing Australian school principals: the Australian Secondary Principals Association, the Australian Primary Principals Association, Catholic Secondary Principals Australia, and the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. It is governed by a Board comprising nominees of these four associations, and managed by a secretariat based in Adelaide.


 * Principals Australia : **
 * has a national perspective. It works within the context of the national education agenda and seeks to support the peak associations and their affiliates. Principals Australia collaborates, directly or indirectly, with Australian education, health and justice systems and sectors, appropriate professional organisations and associations, university and community groups.


 * provides quality professional development activities and resources on leadership development and leading learning, particularly in the promotion of social and emotional health and wellbeing and Indigenous education.


 * bases its work on, and promotes accountability through, the use of sound data, research and evidence. Principals Australia offers national educational leadership, and frames its vision and work with the five propositions of the Principals Australia L5 Frame for building leadership in schools.

**Values ** At Principals Australia we:
 * Serve principals with innovative, responsive solutions to their needs.
 * Value our people by attracting, developing and recognising outstanding individuals and caring for them and their families.
 * Operate with integrity by treating school leaders, our customers, people, and suppliers in a fair and honest manner, as we would want to be treated.
 * Use our talents and resources to better the conditions in the diverse communities in which we work.
 * Lead by example and conduct our personal and professional life in a manner that will bring credit to ourselves, our family and Principals Australia at all times.
 * Operate in the centre of the field of ethical behaviour – never on the sidelines.
 * Create and maintain an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.
 * Listen carefully to school leaders and our team members who work directly with school leaders, and be open to ideas.
 * Encourage every team member to take risks, exercise initiative, deliver quality results, and never be afraid to make honest mistakes.
 * Create a supportive environment that nurtures personal and professional growth.
 * Do what we say we are going to do – and more than is expected.
 * And finally, while we are building this great organisation – have fun!

**Focus ** Principals Australia was set up in 1993 by the four peak national principals’ associations to “ensure that all Australian Principals have knowledge of, and access to, high quality, appropriate //professional development// activities…(which are) an essential element in the obligation all principals have to seek constantly to improve the quality of young people's learning”. (Principals Australia Mission statement 1993.)

This singular focus on professional development is of fundamental importance to us. Principals’ associations at the national and state levels must engage with more than professional development in presenting and promoting their members’ interests. They often need to address legal, industrial and political issues on behalf of their members – the Principals Australia has no involvement in these sorts of issues. Being able to focus only on professional development helps both the professional and administrative leadership of the organisation as well as the ‘grass roots’ school leaders to be clear about our work and what we do. Of course the individual principals’ groups also all maintain effective professional development programs of their own, but the programs and capacities developed by the Principals Australia add value to these in a range of ways. It is a very effective feedback loop.

** National ** The life of Principals Australia has coincided with the inexorable move towards national approaches to education in this country that has recently gathered even more momentum. Principals Australia is required to work on matters that have national applicability. Rather than being a constraint, this has been an advantage for the organisation and, through it, for school leaders. Through Principals Australia projects, principals and their schools have been involved in research and development that has continually helped shape the detail of the developing national agendas.

** Cross-sectoral ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Principals Australia is determinedly cross-sectoral in its outlook and conduct. We are required to provide professional development programs for //all// school principals, “regardless of the type, size, location or affiliation of their school”. It was a fundamental belief shared by those who established Principals Australia that principals have many more commonalities than differences in terms of their professional needs and aspirations for their students, staff and schools. If anything, our practical experience is that the commonalities outweigh the differences to a much greater extent than was envisaged by our founders. By involving all sectors, Principals Australia has opened up for principals a wide range of personal and professional connections that were previously difficult to access.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">** Ownership ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The governing board of Principals Australia drives and monitors all our activities. Its composition reflects the four peak bodies, thus ensuring ownership of our work among the leadership of those organisations. There is a Principals Australia Branch in each state and territory. Again, the cross-sectoral representation ensures engagement of principals’ associations at that level as well.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">** Communications and the use of ICT ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The life of Principals Australia has also coincided with the growth of communication technologies. The early Boards showed great foresight in making principals’ use of these technologies for their work a priority. The work of John Laing during the 1990s was instrumental in building many principals’ skills with ICTs. This has created a critical mass of expertise and expectations around efficient communications with and among principals, with the consequence that the Principals Australia is able, through electronic and print forms, to maintain timely and targeted communications with school leaders about programs and issues.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">** Quality and relevance ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">School leaders, like most people involved in school education, are incredibly busy. They have many demands on their time and commitment. The success (or otherwise) of the work of Principals Australia relies solely on the quality and relevance of the programs we offer, the materials we provide and the opportunities and connections that open up for school leaders.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A national initiative which supports schools with secondary enrolments to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A national Indigenous education project with two primary aims: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A national initiative aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of primary school students, reducing their mental health difficulties and increasing support and assistance <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Leaders Lead ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A national project which aims to support school principals and their associations to build leadership capacity in schools. The work of Leaders Lead is underpinned by the //L5 Frame// for interrogating and cultivating leadership.
 * Principals Australia manages a number of national projects including: **
 * MindMatters **
 * Dare To Lead **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To improve the educational outcomes of Indigenous students through increasing and supporting effective school leadership.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To promote the goals of Reconciliation for all Australian students.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">KidsMatter **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** The L5 propositions **
 * Leadership starts from within **
 * Leadership is about influencing others **
 * Leadership develops a rich learning environment **
 * Leadership builds professionalism and management capability **
 * Leadership inspires leadership actions and aspirations in others **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** The National Agenda Projects ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The current Federal government disseminates funding to the education sector to reflect its current education agenda. Principals Australia tenders for these short term projects when they relate specifically to delivery of professional learning for school leaders. Current national agenda projects include the Victorian Bushfire Support Project and Leading 21st Century Schools:Engage with Asia Project.

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