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The Role of Council
"The New South Wales Secondary Principals' Council - supporting Principals and Public Education."
Within the Australian education environment, the New South Wales Secondary Principals' Council (NSWSPC) is a professional body which represents Principals of government schools and colleges in New South Wales that have secondary school enrolments. These schools include government high schools, colleges, central schools, community schools (K-12) and a range of schools for specific purposes.
The NSWSPC operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Director-General of the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET). This Memorandum identifies the Council's role as being "to enhance the effectiveness of Principals through advocacy, professional support, professional development and collegiality, which in turn will lead to improved learning outcomes for students in State schools".
The Council is actively involved in a wide range of forward-thinking initiatives and representative activities. These focus on:
- improving the effectiveness of Principals and the NSW Department of Education and Training
- providing a forum for professional discussion and debate
- representing the views of Principals to the Director-General on key issues, policy and procedures
- coordinating meetings and professional development activities to assist Principals to be informed and empowered school leaders in learning communities
- effectively participating in local, regional and state level decision making
- providing advice and welfare support for Principals
- representing the views of Principals to relevant groups, organisations and stakeholders at local, regional, state, national and international level
- producing and distributing information to Principals through the Council's web site, newsletters, bulletins and other publications
- collaborating in the preparation and delivery of programs, including school leadership development programs, to meet the needs of Principals.
The NSWSPC is an affiliate of the Australian Secondary Principals' Association (ASPA). This provides us with a voice in the national education agenda. The Council also shares in the ownership of a national journal for Principals called Principal Matters and is involved in the activities of the Australian Principals Associations Professional Development Council (APAPDC).
The Council, through ASPA, is a member of the International Confederation of Principals (ICP). Through the ICP, the Council has direct links with similar Principals' representative bodies in many countries across the world.
Council Organisation
"District councils, regional committees, State Assembly, State Executive, reference groups and project teams comprise the key elements of the structure of the NSWSPC."
District councils form the basis of the organisation of the NSWSPC. Principals usually come together for district meetings at least once per school term to discuss local, regional and state matters. These meetings may occur on the same day as, or separate to, regional meetings of principals.
Each district council appoints one of its Principals to represent it at State Assembly. At the regional level these district representatives also come together to form regional committees, set up to enhance communication and liaison with regional staff.
State Assembly is the policy making body of the Council. It meets once each term. The Assembly consists of 44 district representatives plus the State Executive, a representative of NSW central schools and the Council's nominee to the NSW Board of Studies.
The State Executive consists of the President, three Deputy Presidents, an Honorary Treasurer and ten other members of the executive elected prior to the Council's Annual General Meeting. Additional members with special expertise are co-opted onto the executive or invited to work with the executive from time to time. The President is elected for a two-year term with a maximum of two consecutive terms, while the Deputy Presidents and other members of the executive are elected or appointed annually.
The NSWSPC Annual Conference is held on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday following the NSW June long weekend at venues rotated around the State. The conference comprises professional development, professional discussion and debate, policy development, Council business sessions and the Annual General Meeting.
State Meetings are one day meetings held twice each year (usually in Term 1 and Term 3) to enable dissemination of information and consultation on major issues and priorities. All members of Council are encouraged to attend these meetings, which are often either preceded by, or followed by, one or two day professional development conferences. Put together, these two activities provide an opportunity, especially for Principals of schools in remote areas, to travel to Sydney for consecutive days of professional development and discussion.
Reference groups and project teams, consisting of Principals from a wide variety of educational environments and viewpoints from across the state, have been specially formed within Council to relate to the various portfolios and directorates of the Department of Education and Training (DET). These groups consult with officers of the DET in an advisory and/or advocacy role, and respond to concerns and issues raised by district councils. The reference groups and project teams are organised into larger management teams, each of which is led by a member of the State Executive.
Examples of the range of reference groups and project teams currently in operation include:
- Learning and Teaching 7-10, Learning and Teaching 11-12, Assessment and Reporting, Technology in Learning, Vocational Education, Distance Education
- Student Welfare, Special Education, Integration, Aboriginal Programs, Multicultural Education, Disadvantaged Schools, Gender Equity
- Professional Learning, School Leadership Development, Principal Induction, Student Leadership
- School Accountability and Improvement, Staff Efficiency and Conduct, School Safety and Security, Occupational Health and Safety
- Administrative Services, Legal and Executive Services, Finance, Properties, School Structures, Specialist Schools, Technology Support
- Principal Support, Personnel Policy, Staffing Operations
Council has a nominee on the Board of Studies, which is the State-level statutory body responsible for the development of curriculum K-12 and for the assessment and certification of students at School Certificate (Year 10) and Higher School Certificate (Year 12) levels. This Principal is advised by a range of reference groups operating under the umbrella of the Teaching and Learning Management Team.
The Council also employs a Professional Officer and an Executive Officer to support the Council's operations. Both are recently retired Principals with wide experience in the Council's operations.
