Introduction
For information on renewing assistant principal contracts or leading teacher or learning specialist tenures, please refer to the Leading Teachers and Learning Specialists page on the Schools Policy and Advisory Library.
The employment of persons in the principal class is subject to Division 3 of Part 2.4 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 that requires that to be employed as a principal an individual is required to enter a contract of employment. The contract of employment is for a tenured period of up to 5 years. At the expiration of the contract of employment there is provision for renewal of a contract of employment for a further period up to 5 years subject to agreement between the principal and the Department of Education and Training.
Where the remuneration range of the position has increased the principal may be offered contract renewal at their substantive remuneration range (that is, the remuneration range determined on appointment to the position) or the position may be re-advertised. Where the classification level of the position has decreased the principal may be offered contract renewal at their substantive remuneration range or the lower remuneration range.
The contract renewal process places a greater emphasis on all of the interactions that a principal has with the person responsible for monitoring and reviewing their performance and supporting them to develop and perform in their role. An underlying assumption in the process is that the principal will, over the course of their contract, acquire a more sophisticated and comprehensive understanding of the knowledge base and skills of an effective educational leader and that they will deploy this knowledge base in increasingly effective ways over the life of their contract.
In this context it is expected that the principal will receive ongoing feedback on their performance throughout their contract period, together with the necessary support to effectively undertake their role. It is also expected that any issues of concern that arise will have been addressed at that point in time.
The contract renewal process operates in the following way:
Reviewed 10 June 2020
