The Changing Nature of Principalship

Dr Adrian Camm, Principal and Managing Director

In the popular imagination, molded by decades of books and movies, and the representation of schools and principals, there are two opposing constructs. The first is the warm, beloved inspirational principal who comes into a failing or difficult school and by the sheer force of their will turns the school around into a place of happiness and eager learning. My daughter has had the 2022 movie Matilda the Musical on constant play in our house for some time. This movie portrays the second construct; the ogre that is the Headmistress Miss Trunchbull who exists only to terrorise and instill fear in staff and students. And whilst these two archetypes still exist to some extent, this portrayal is an artificial construction that oversimplifies. 

In my PhD thesis, I wrote about the “apprenticeship of observation.” Simply, this means that most of the Western world has been to school and therefore feels qualified to judge, critique, and comment on schools and those that have roles within these organisations. This judgment, critique, and comment is based on their individual experience which sometimes has merit but often is indicative of narrow or outdated views on schools and the roles of people that work in them. For instance, the role of school principal has evolved significantly over many decades, affecting how a principal uses their time, reflecting broader societal changes relating to the increasing intensification, accountability, performativity, and complexity of their work 

The role of the principal is multifaceted and includes setting the vision, strategy development and delivery, resource allocation, culture, organisational design, recruitment, talent development, admissions and enrolments, establishing operational rhythms, and stakeholder engagement with Board Directors, staff, students, parents, alumni, and local community. The principal is the chief storyteller, shaping the school’s narrative, directing its marketing activity, and managing its reputation. They are responsible for business continuity planning, master planning, and the ongoing financial sustainability of the school, ensuring enough surplus is generated each year to service any debt, and to invest in the construction of new buildings, the improvement of existing facilities, the development of new programs and in the provision of better workplace conditions for their staff. Risk and compliance obligations continue to increase in both volume and complexity, policy suites need to be constantly reviewed, refined, and enacted, and even crisis management response teams need to convene to discreetly manage highly sensitive, historical, and confidential situations. 

This list is not exhaustive and could be loosely referred to as working “on the business.” A principal also needs to be working “in the business.” 

Working “in the business” includes attendance at many afterhours events. For instance, in our Westbourne calendar this year we have 240 after-school events that I am expected to attend. Then there is finding time for a parent who wants a one-on-one meeting, attending sporting fixtures, and the induction of new staff. Principals need to ensure the continued delivery of an outstanding teaching and learning program, the professional learning program for staff, and need to meet community expectations in terms of student outcomes. The principal attends staff meetings and briefings, co-curricular programs, social gatherings, music recitals and soirees, athletics days, swimming carnivals, parent information evenings, executive, pastoral, faculty, and middle management meetings. They manage staff and students who exhibit performance issues or poor behavior, complete performance reviews, and attend and speak at assemblies. If the principal reports to a Board, then typically there are at least eight Board meetings per year, thirty or so sub-committee meetings, and strategic planning days. Connecting with students and visiting classrooms is a daily occurrence and one of the best parts of the job, as is getting to know families and providing support for community members in their moment of personal or professional need.  

Taking a moment to pause to reflect on just how much happens on any given day, week, month, term, or year, shows the enormity of the job. The role of the principal has changed. Not only do principals need to work “on the business” and “in the business”, external accountabilities have increased significantly with principals required to comply and attend fortnightly and monthly meetings, briefings, and forums with various external and regulatory bodies, and at least in my context, this includes the Association of Heads of Independent Schools Australia (AHISA), Independent Schools Victoria (ISV), Ecumenical Schools Australia (ESA), Association of Co-educational Schools (ACS), Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), the Department of Education (DET), and of course the ongoing requirements of maintaining our international student registration through the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).  

Let’s be clear. I love being a principal. I can’t imagine a better job in the world. It is an honor and privilege to be tasked with leading the education and wellbeing of almost 2300 students, engaging with 4600 parents, and providing an inspiring place to work for over 500 staff. This article is written only to provide a glimpse inside the black box of contemporary principalship. It is written to raise awareness and to articulate how principals are constantly grappling with how to allocate the limited time they have across a range of pressing and competing priorities. 

The days of a principal being all things, to all people, all the time, are over. Schools are now too complex. Because the role of the principal has changed, new ways of working and new ways of thinking are required that are both distributed and democratic. Principals need great people working together in high-functioning teams to deliver the school’s vision. 

This is why we invest so heavily in staff leadership development at Westbourne. It is why over the past three years we have had a focus on developing the Executive as a high-performing team which has focused on book readings, discussions, psychometric testing, 360 degree feedback, personality profiling, establishing a language of leadership, developing visibility strategies, media training, coaching certification, and developing understanding of governance, finance, strategy development, and risk; all with the aim of equipping people to be the best that they can be. 

With the recent public successes and acknowledgements we have received as a school, I think it speaks volumes about our approach to contemporary leadership which is about empowering others, sharing the load, developing highly effective individuals and teams, setting high expectations, and then trusting people to do their jobs well, all whilst engaging in the education of our community about what it is we do each day.