Educational leadership in action

Kiwi Leadership for Principals (2008) promotes the principal’s role as an educational leader. This includes influencing teacher practice in order to improve students’ learning and well-being. A key activity that defines this role for principals is leading change that will impact positively on outcomes for all students. Over 2008 and 2009, 14 primary school principals took part in a Ministry of Education-supported initiative that asked them to connect the educational leadership model (ELM) described in Kiwi Leadership for Principals with a project they were implementing in their own schools.

Principals in the Kiwi Leadership for Primary Principals project (KLPP) were invited to choose an element of the model that presented an opportunity for introducing a change they wished to make. Each used an action research approach to leading the change process.

Of the 14 completed projects, the greatest number were concerned with changes around curriculum design and implementation and changes in teacher professional practice. Three common themes were also evident across the projects: the quality of the relationship the principal had with those affected by the change was pivotal to its success; all principals were involved in professional learning; developing teacher leadership capabilities was seen as a key responsibility for principals.

Educational Leadership in Action gives you a summary of each principal’s change project and a link to the PDF and Word file of the full report.

New Zealand school stories

Learning conversations that strengthen teaching practice

by Marcus Freke

Learning conversations are a key strategy used at Vardon School to strengthen teaching practice and improve learning outcomes. Principal Marcus Freke outlines the school’s learning conversations framework in this report.

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Relationships are paramount

by Bill Noble

Principal Bill Noble believes that relationships are central to running an effective school.

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The Learning Partners' programme

by Marilyn Gwilliam

At Papatoetoe Central School principal Marilyn Gwilliam and staff have developed a professional learning programme called Learning Partners where teachers learn with and from each other in a professional learning community.

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Walking the talk

by Pip Wells

Principal Pip Wells writes about how she managed her key priorities as the new principal: forming positive relationships with the community, focusing on learning, and building a strong professional team.

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Principalship in 40 hours a week?

by Denise Torrey

Denise Torrey describes how adopting Malachi Pancoast’s seven-point plan has led her to having “office days” for management and administration tasks and “coaching days” for in-class observations.

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A “better than normal” learning journey

by Shona Oliver

Even experienced principals find starting at a new school can be a real challenge. In this project report principal Shona Oliver describes her journey towards building a trusting relationship with her new staff.

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Developing team leadership

by Eric Shaw

Eric Shaw, principal of Highlands Intermediate School in New Plymouth, says that one of the most important and enjoyable roles he has as a principal is developing leadership within the school.

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Changing practice through distributed leadership

by Peter Witana

Over a number of years teachers at Kawakawa Primary School have been involved in sustained professional learning that has led them to make some fundamental changes to their teaching practice.

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A model for change

by Madeleine East

In her project principal Madeleine East writes about how a team of younger staff led the development of realigning the school’s curriculum delivery with The New Zealand Curriculum.

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A curriculum design journey

by Bernadette Newlands

At Macandrew Bay School the revised New Zealand Curriculum has become a vehicle for growing leadership capability and strengthening the staff culture of learning together.

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Shaping a Marautanga-ā-Kura with our community

by Helena Baker

Helena Baker is the principal of Te Kura o Tākaro, a decile 1 full primary for Year 0 to 8 students in Highbury, Palmerston North. She has been involved in leading the community through a curriculum design process.

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Asking questions about teaching and learning

by Alistair Campbell

Here principal Alistair Campbell writes about the process he and the staff of Maori Hill School moved through as they reviewed their teaching and learning programmes in the light of the revised New Zealand Curriculum.

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A different practice of accountability

by Kay Tester

In this report principal Kay Tester explains the impact that the Ariki Project has had on her professional practice and that of her staff.

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Using practice-based attestation to develop a learning community

by Mike Bain

Te Mata School is one of 16 Hawke’s Bay schools that took part in the Practice-based Attestation (PBA) Project. Principal Mike Bain explains how the opportunity to participate in the project has supported the implementation of teacher inquiry at his school.

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