Primary school Principal

Principal position

Purpose

To maintain high standards of professional practice

To promote the school’s aims and the achievement of its School Development Plans in accordance with the policies of the school.

To work in close partnership with Staff and Board to develop and manage the school effectively, providing clear vision and positive leadership for the growth of the school.

To inspire and ensure the highest possible quality of education, range of educational opportunities and standards of attainment for all pupils.

To lead in developing supportive relationships including positive liaison with parents, the local community and other schools.

Communicate effectively and productively with students, teachers and parents, and diffuse any arguments or tense situations.

To ensure and maintain a healthy occupancy level in the school.

Management

Manage all academic staff of the school. The principal is held responsible for the school’s academic performance and for the safety of students while they are on school grounds.

Appointment of Staff – participating in the selection and appointment of teaching and support staff. Human resources staff will assist in the administrative tasks of hiring, but the selections of teachers, teaching assistants and other staff are left to the principal’s professional judgment.

Management of Staff – deploying, managing and allocating duties to all the staff in a manner consistent with their conditions of employment.

Appraisal, Management, Training and Development of Staff – supervising and participating in arrangements in accordance with current legislation, and guidance to

Ensure that all teachers and care staff have access to advice and training appropriate to their needs.

Pastoral Care and Welfare –developing a policy and practice for the pastoral care of the pupils.

Behaviour and Discipline – determining and developing practices, which effectively manage challenging behaviour and positively promote good behaviour.

Budget - deciding how the school’s funds are spent. With general guidance from the Board and more specific instruction from the Operations manager, the principal decides how to most effectively allocate the budget.

Resources – allocating, controlling, and accounting for those financial and material resources, which are under the school’s control, subject to approval by the board.

Premises –working with the Operations team to make arrangement for the security and effective supervision and maintenance of the school premises, their contents, and grounds.

Policies – to ensure the school produces and maintains up-to-date policies as expected and required.

Curriculum

Oversee and manage the school’s performance, which is primarily measured by how students perform on standardized tests. The principal is expected to keep their school’s test scores high and in cases of low performance, expected to foster improvement in the scores each year until the school becomes high performing.

Curriculum – determining, organizing and implementing an appropriate entitlement.

Curriculum for the school having regard to the needs, experience, interest, aptitude and stage of development of the pupils and the resources available which all make effective use of the education experience.

Standards of Teaching – monitoring and evaluating standards of teaching and care practice ensuring standards of professional performance are established and maintained.

Pupils Attainment and Progress – ensuring that pupil progress is monitored and recorded and that targets are set.

Analyze student results and testing procedures to determine if improvements are needed. Assess available options to help students achieve the best results.

Set educational goals and establish policies and procedures for the school and must motivate staff and other involved parties to achieve those goals.

Leadership

Ensure the operations of the school are well looked after. Model good behaviour and demonstrate good leadership to all staff.

Maintain positive working relationships with all staff of the school.

School Aims – formulating the overall aims and objectives of the school and the policies and plans for their implementation.

Leadership of the School – Through partnership with the leadership team and the staff.

Liaison with Professional Associations – maintaining effective working relationships with representative organisations for all staff.

Self Evaluation and Review – keeping the work and organization of the school under continuous review.

Partnership with Parents – arranging for parents to receive regular information about the curriculum. The progress of pupils and other matters affecting the school to promote a common understanding of aims and to involve parents in their child’s learning.

Relationship with the Community – promoting and developing a partnership with members of a local and wider community.

Relations with Board – advising, assisting, and working in partnership with the Board in the exercise of their functions.

Relationship with Other Education Establishments – maintaining liaison with other schools and educational establishments.

Profile of the school – to endeavour to raise the local, national, and international reputation of the school.