Who are our middle and senior leaders?
Middle and senior leaders are a large and diverse group – diverse because of the differing needs for pedagogical and administrative leadership across schools. The majority are classroom teachers and interact with students as part of their roles.
Senior leaders include associate, deputy, and assistant principals. This group, along with the school principal, usually makes up the senior leadership team. Senior leaders can be called on to stand in for the principal in an acting capacity.
Middle leaders work with and support classroom teachers and students, providing pedagogical and pastoral leadership and fulfilling various administrative functions.
Middle leaders include:
- pedagogical leaders at the subject, curriculum, and faculty levels;
- team and syndicate leaders;
- pastoral leaders involved in student services, career or guidance, and counselling work;
- teachers with specific or designated whole-school responsibility, such as for sport, information and communications technology (ICT), assessment, literacy, special education needs, or mentoring;
- coaches and mentors who help lead professional learning.
These roles can be used as preparation for more senior positions; they can also be career destinations in themselves.
