IPPN

Published: 22 November 2017

Priorities for Principal Teachers – Staff

The stated aims of ‘Priorities for Principal Teachers – In Clear Focus are to:

• support the many principals who are struggling to manage their workload and are unsure what aspects of their role they can delegate or deprioritise
• offer a fresh perspective on how the wider educational community might be used to support principals
• provide a means of defining the priorities for the leadership role of principal.

This section will focus on staff and give examples of tasks that can be categorised in the following ways:

• Key priorities for the principal
• Priorities principals could delegate or share
• Other tasks principals should not personally undertake and those the school might agree to ‘de-prioritise for a time’.

While we don't have all of the answers - what works in one school may well not work in another - the process of discussion and examination of tasks greatly facilitates the sharing of good practice and alternative approaches to dealing with the issue of workload, which is the whole point.

Having discussed the approach outlined in the publication with hundreds of principals, the general consensus is that we should first discuss the prioritisation of tasks within our local principals’ support group, followed by discussion with our deputy principals. This will help us when we then consult with our Boards of Management and the rest of our staff to gain their buy-in to a change in how work is prioritised and allocated throughout our schools.

Staff

A school’s staff is the most critically important resource within the school. Once responsibilities have been assigned among staff, the principal’s role is to support, encourage and review progress rather than micro manage. How well the staff collaborate with each other and work effectively with the Principal is the key determining factor in a school’s success.

But what specifically must principals do, what can be delegated or shared and what should be avoided? To help with this, IPPN looked at all of the activities that take place within schools and consulted with school leaders to determine what IPPN believes to be the best possible guidance in terms of where principals spend time.

In relation to dealing with staff, the following is the guidance presented*:

Key Priorities for the Principal – Must Do	Other Priorities – Could Delegate or Share	Other Tasks – Deprioritise / Principal should not need to personally undertake
Lead the teaching and learning in the school Affirm, support, motivate, counsel and empower the staff, encouraging best practice, creativity and innovation Be conscious of the health and well-being of all staff Facilitate a culture of instructional leadership with staff and pupils in relation to organisational, curricular and pastoral matters in the school Ensure that staff carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements of the Rules for National Schools, other statutory obligations and those mandated by ministerial circular Allocate teachers to classes and other roles based on pupil requirements, teacher talents/preference and in line with school policy Provide constructive feedback to teachers in relation to their work Ensure that BoM decisions are implemented by the staff.	Ensure Children First Guidelines are implemented Assist staff who are experiencing professional difficulties Attend relevant Continuous Professional Development (CPD) workshops, seminars, meetings and conferences to develop distributed leadership among staff Act as Safety Representative Attend meetings re. school activities which involve staff members, parents, BoM members Conduct standardised testing and communicate results to parents Monitor school and pupil performance according to School Self-Evaluation guidelines.	Ensure the care and storage of school requisites, equipment and teaching-aids Maintain school website Conduct and manage an inventory of teaching and learning resources Manage routine class discipline & behaviour (primary responsibility rests with the class teacher) Attend one on one parent/teacher meetings (unless requested by teacher or it is the class of the teaching principal) Handling any tasks or queries relating to salary, taxation, PRSI, Teaching Council status, holiday and other entitlements etc. (staff should get advice directly from the relevant authority).

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