President’s Welcome

Welcome to the website of the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council. The Council is an incorporated professional association, representing over 500 principals of government high schools, central schools and schools for special purposes across the state. Four key pillars underpin our work:

  • advocacy for principals, secondary students and school communities;
  • support for principals through high quality professional connections;
  • professional learning to develop the expertise of principals and school leaders;
  • collegial networks that build the capacity and sustainability of public secondary schools.

Our commitment is ultimately to enhance learning, teaching and outcomes for every student with whom principals and schools work.

Our work includes:

  • providing forums for professional debate and decision making;
  • representing the views of principals to officers of the NSW Department of Education and to the NSW Minister for Education;
  • undertaking research and developing high quality position papers on major educational issues;
  • advocating in the educational and wider community from a considered professional position informed by deep knowledge of learning, schools and school leadership;
  • working in alliance with parent organisations and other public education networks on behalf of public schools and their students;
  • co-ordinating learning  activities and professional experiences to develop the expertise of principals and school leaders;
  • providing high quality advice to school leaders and other educational professionals;
  • producing and distributing publications using a variety of communication media;
  • delivering high quality professional learning programs, often in partnership with other organisations.

The Council works closely with the NSW Primary Principals’ Association (PPA) and other key stakeholders.

Increasingly Council’s work is being done in national and international forums as secondary principals are asked to address a range of critical educational issues and we are active contributors to the International Confederation of Principals (ICP). Membership of our Council is open to all principals of public high schools, colleges, community schools (K-12), central schools and schools for specific purposes with secondary enrolments. The Council has a participative model of expert reference groups of principals who volunteer to work in specific areas including staffing, assets, curriculum, Aboriginal Education, and assessment. It also has project teams whose work is to develop policy and practice in emerging areas of educational priority. The state level work is underpinned by a  regional organisation that is a democratic, representative model of decision making, from which regional delegates and issues are forwarded to State Assembly, the strategic decision making body of the Council.

Ninety-six per cent of those eligible belong to our Council. This gives us the legitimacy to speak for and represent the principals of our public schools. It also means we have access to high levels of expertise and skill in responding to the complex issues which challenge educational policy and decision-makers as they shape the future for the young people of NSW.

The SPC is renowned for its positive and constructive approach in its work and members regard themselves as leading learners, constantly seeking to improve the way we support our members and students in NSW schools.

Craig Petersen

President 2022-2024

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