Deputy Principal

Job Title: Deputy Principal

Capacity to work collaboratively as a member of the senior executive team to reflect on school practices, further develop teacher capacity and strategically lead the school towards excellence across all domains of the School Excellence Framework and within the context of current education reforms

Throughout my five years of experience as Deputy Principal at North Sydney Boys High School (NSBSH), I have worked effectively with the senior executive team to reflect on the successes and opportunities of the school and use this analysis to guide future strategy. My recent involvement in the development of a new strategic plan for the school demonstrated my capacity to align the school’s pursuit of excellence with the strategic frameworks and agendas of the Department of Education and the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES). As a school leader I have displayed the ability to ensure that quality teaching and learning and teacher capacity are fostered through effective educational policy and practice, as demonstrated through:

• Supervising the development of an initiative that has set new benchmarks in engaging and enhancing the gifts and talents of students. Within my role as Deputy Principal at NSBHS, I have analysed how the school delivers teaching and learning programs, and how they are applicable to students. This has involved a rigorous review of how the Quality Teaching Framework is embedded within the school, including teaching, observation and coded assessments. Under this framework, I have actively promoted the facilitation of higher-order thinking, broader individual learning, negotiated assessment tasks, opportunities for enrichment and acceleration, as well as differentiation and peer tutoring. Furthermore, I have encouraged the use of information technology and a strong emphasis on literacy and contemporary context in order to ensure that all students are engaged in their learning. This has seen greatly improved whole school outcomes, as reflected by the increase of attainment of the best Higher School Certificate (HSC) results in the school in 2011 and the subsequent increase in 2014. Moreover, the school is recognised as the premier boy’s school in New South Wales, which is testament to the standards of excellence achieved and maintained during my tenure in the role of Deputy Principal.
• Contributing to the development of a Strategic Plan to drive the delivery of quality teaching and learning. As a member of the executive team, I contributed to the development of the NSBHS 2015-2018 Strategic Plan, including the embedding of educational reform priorities such as Local Schools, Local Decisions and the Quality Teaching Framework in to the plan. Taking responsibility for the component of the Strategic Plan which focused on student wellbeing, I led consultation with staff, students, the community and the executive team, including review of data obtained through the ‘Tell Them From Me’ survey, to create Strategic Plan items which would lead the school towards excellent standards of student wellbeing against the setting of current education reforms.
• Driving the implementation of technology systems that improve the capacity of teachers to complete their administrative tasks and monitor student whereabouts. Whilst undertaking the role of Deputy Principal at NSBHS, I identified the opportunity to increase teacher capacity through the introduction of technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness whole-school communication. In order to achieve this, I led the implementation of a new student welfare and attendance system, Sentral. The system allows staff to link attendance, timetables, reports, commendations, disciplinary issues and medical alerts. I initiated the use of the system with a test group and, after a successful trial, introduced its use to the whole school. The attendance module is a web-based module and as such, teachers can mark the rolls electronically and send the data back to the database in the Sentral system. Introduction of the Sentral system has liberated classroom teachers from the need to use valuable teaching time in following administrative processes regarding absences from their class. Staff have found the system to be effective and easy to use, and have found that its implementation has increased their capacity to focus on delivery of quality teaching and learning in the classroom.

Possessing a strong knowledge of contemporary educational reforms, frameworks and priorities, I am able to lead the pursuit of school excellence in a way that is strategically aligned with the NSW educational direction. I proactively identify and act on opportunities to increase the capacity of teachers, and ensure that all staff understand the relationship between their individual roles and the overall school strategic direction. Through ongoing reflection on, and review of, educational policies and practices, I am able to lead staff in the delivery of quality teaching and learning and positive student-learning outcomes consistent with the School Excellence Framework.

Vision and capacity to lead executive and teachers with a wide range of teaching experiences in the development of whole school teaching and learning programs for gifted and talented boys from Non English speaking backgrounds

My extensive experience in executive leadership roles includes five years of demonstrated success as a Deputy Principal at the academically selective North Sydney Boys High School (NSBHS), at which students from non-English speaking backgrounds are strongly represented. Throughout my educational leadership career, I have initiated numerous innovative improvements in relation to teaching, learning and classroom practice, resulting in an outstanding record of achievement in the provision of a holistic education to gifted and talented boys. My capacity has been demonstrated through:

• Facilitating the implementation of the Quality Teaching Rounds (QT Rounds) observational methodologies. Developed by Professors Julie Bowe and Jenny Gore of Newcastle University, the QT Rounds offer a research-based tool for deep collaboration regarding teaching and learning within and between schools. Having been responsible for introducing the QT Rounds framework at my previous school, I was able to share the knowledge of the framewor5k gained through this experience with my fellow executive team members at NSBHS. Recognising the benefits that the QT Rounds would provide teaching staff in relation to their professional development and teaching practice, the senior executive team invited Professor Gore to NSBHS to deliver a QT Rounds information and orientation day, in addition to intensive training workshops on the implementation of QT Rounds. As part of the process, I worked with the senior executive team to create a Professional Learning Committee (PLC) comprising participants from all key learning areas within the North Sydney community. This was a positive opportunity to build a strong collaborative team, aimed at enhancing the school culture through a valid and objective method of focusing teacher professional learning on improving classroom practice. Under the guidance of Professor Gore, I had the opportunity to conduct preliminary lesson observations and coding of lessons in accordance with the Quality Teaching Framework, in addition to providing valuable feedback to the teachers involved to inform and improve decision-making about student learning. Engaging the expertise of Professor Gore has facilitated a common understanding and a common language of productive teaching and learning practices within the school. Due to the success of the QT Rounds, the executive team implemented the process of observations across the whole school, including engaging staff in reflection on their practice and application of the Quality Teaching Model in order to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
• Driving collaboration and partnerships with leaders in educational research in order to improve teaching and learning activities for gifted and talented students. As a member of the Professional Learning Team at NSBHS, I proactively challenged staff to strive to meet the needs of our gifted and talented students. As a team, we have linked with the Gifted Education Unit in order to gain access to special research and innovative programs within the University of New South Wales. Additionally, I developed and maintained a learning link with Doctor Andrew Martin, an action researcher with the University of Western Sydney. This link has facilitated my ability to thoroughly understand the interrelationships between motivation, giftedness and underachievement. Whilst working with Doctor Martin, I have led the development and implementation of a survey used to better identify students at risk of disengagement. Utilisation of this survey has proven effective and as such, it is now part of the school Welfare Team’s annual scope and sequencing activities.
• Engaging faculties in the development of authentic, meaningful, and constructive assessment tasks that allow students to develop skills and capacity toward clear success criteria. As Deputy Principal for NSBHS, I met with teachers to assist them in understanding the priorities of assessment at NSBHS, particularly that assessment was to be used for the primary purpose of learning, not for the purpose of marking work. I facilitated the creation of programs of assessment that are mapped backward from key learning outcomes and provide all students with the data that they require in order to progress toward them. This involved developing whole school assessment templates that provide both staff and students with transparency regarding the purpose of the assessment tasks, in addition to meaningful feedback. As a result, staff and students are able to access feedback for teaching and learning that is critical for students to strive for high-end results. The students have learnt how to effectively read the templates, assess their own ability against both formative and summative assessments, as well as their peers, and I have observed that this has encouraged all students to consistently strive for high results, particularly at Band 6 level. Furthermore, those students who recognise that their achievement has been below standard through monitoring their own assessment data are provided with an opportunity to aim higher. This has proved to be a high quality and inclusive practice with clear expatiations that has resulted in improving student-learning outcomes.
• Facilitating the provision of honest feedback and collaboration in order to enhance professional development for staff. Following a period of research on the practice, the senior executive at NSBHS introduced Growth Coaching at the time of my tenure as Deputy Principal. Through the use of this robust, respectful and professional dialogue, staff within the school were able to share their learning and bring out the best in each other, whilst also building upon the quality of relationships. Staff are encouraged to discuss their own personal goals, as well as those of the whole school, thus allowing conversations that contribute toward development of teaching and learning strategies. Facilitating Growth Coaching across the executive staff level of NSBHS has allowed the development of a shared language and shared goals regarding the improvement of teaching practice and student-learning outcomes.

As Deputy Principal, I have a proven capacity to lead both executive teams and teaching staff. The extensive knowledge and experience that I have brought to school leadership teams has enabled me to spearhead the development of teaching and learning programs that pursue excellence across the school community, including in the development of programs targeted at for gifted and talented students.

Capacity to initiate and lead proactive and holistic wellbeing programs that meet the needs of maturing boys within the selective environment

Possessing long-standing experience as a Head Teacher Welfare at NSBHS, I have gained a deep understanding of the strategies and processes that maintain and promote student welfare. This experience extends to designing and implementing engaging learning environments which consistently ensure that appropriate priority is given to student welfare. My capacity to initiate and manage proactive and holistic wellbeing programs has been demonstrated through:

• Leading a review and improvement of school welfare, behaviour management and learning support structures within NSBHS. Upon my commencement as Head Teacher Welfare, I observed that the current system tended to ‘forget’ the students in the middle grades of Years 8 and 9, leading to a lack of engagement amongst those particular students. Subsequent to establishing a team comprising Deputy Principals, Year Advisors, Head Teachers and Welfare and Counselling staff, I led the process of developing a clear whole student management plan, known as the Student Wellbeing Policy. Part of this process included initiating and leading a Welfare Conference, as well as consulting with all staff regarding the new procedures in order to seek their commitment and feedback. Following this, I developed a process for the implementation of learning support and formally developed the Policy. As a result of my leadership regarding the review of the school’s welfare, behaviour management and learning support structures, behaviour management processes were able to be consistently, equitably and fairly applied to students in alignment with the Department of Education and Training’s (DET) Good Practice Guide. This meant that teachers were empowered to effectively manage behavioural matters within the classroom, resulting in fewer referrals to management staff for behavioural consequences, as staff were consistently taking responsibility for dealing with classroom issues and implementing the student management procedures. The new structure additionally resulted in a reduction in ‘repeat offenders’, or students who repeatedly displayed poor behaviour. In addition, clear roles and responsibilities for Year Advisers have been established, meaning that Year Advisers are now consistently meeting to analyse data and prioritise student action plans.
• Enhancing student engagement through recognition and reward of positive behaviour and the application of ‘Positive Behaviour for Learning’ strategies. A key component of the revised welfare structures that I developed at NSBHS, involved the initiation and implementation of a new merit system where students are recognised and rewarded for their positive classroom, extracurricular and community actions. Subsequent to conducting a ‘Tell Them From Me’ online survey to capture the views of students, teachers and parents during my review of the school’s welfare, behaviour management and learning support structures, I identified that further work was required to engage the students in Years 8 and 9. Utilising the feedback data obtained from the survey, I was able to make an informed decision regarding the implementation of the merit system through the ‘Sentral’ student welfare and attendance system. Utilising the system has resulted in increased ease of communication with students and their parents and carers regarding their performance, meaning that all parties are well informed when a student is recognised with an award. Recognising the potential for the use of the system, I took a further step to customise the system to provide notifications to students, their Year Adviser and Head Teacher, regarding the reward points that they receive. Furthermore, I have utilised the system’s capacity to automatically generate letters, such as a letter recognising the student’s achievement that can be sent home to parents and carers. This comprehensive reporting system has made tracking the success of students much easier. Furthermore, actively involving students in their achievements and learning experiences within the school community, and sharing their successes has fostered a positive and supporting teaching and learning environment that promotes the welfare and wellbeing of students.
• Collaborating with subject matter experts in order to foster a positive culture of change, challenge and support. When implementing an overhaul of school welfare, behaviour management and learning support structures as Head Teacher Welfare at NSBHS, I recognised that the new systems would have an impact on teachers and would require change in the way that they managed classroom behaviour issues. In order to allow a smooth transition for teachers, I engaged with an educational consultant in order to understand the elements of a successful change management process. By ensuring that I utilised expert advice to manage change in a way that encouraged support and acceptance, I ensured that teachers within the school became strong supporters of the new processes, thus providing my revised welfare, behaviour management and learning support systems the best opportunity to be effectively implemented. Providing the teachers with this support to enable them to confidently implement and engage with new systems and processes contributes to the wellbeing of students by ensuring that the new program was being effectively implemented from its earliest commencement.

My successful development and implementation of wellbeing and engagement frameworks and strategies has ensured that the needs of maturing boys were met at NSBHS under my leadership. A strong capacity to analyse, identify and respond to areas of opportunity to increase student wellbeing ensures that I am able to proactively develop and lead wellbeing programs that meet the needs of students.

High level skills in managing and analysing student data to plan for the future needs of individual students and groups of students, leading to improvement in student learning outcomes

Highly experienced in the collation, analysis and interpretation of student learning data, I am able to use the results of this analysis to respond to identified areas of opportunity and to plan for future needs. With the capacity to undertake analysis and assessment of learning activities and outcomes, I possess a demonstrated record of success in using the information gained from analysis to formulate strategies for improvement in teaching and learning policy and practice, including through the following experiences:

• Undertaking analysis of data in order to develop strategies for improving teaching practice. As part of my contributions to improving educational practice at NSBHS, I have undertaken analysis of National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) data in order to identify areas of underachievement. As a result, I recognised that students in Years 7 and 9 were scoring below average in areas of literacy particularly writing. This enabled me to drive the creation of a learning support committee with a focus on developing appropriate literacy, time management and organisational resources for classroom implementation to raise the achievement levels. This has included the provision of graphic organisers, scaffolding teaching resources, templates and organisational charts, which have allowed students to grasp difficult literacy skills and concepts, in addition to managing their time more effectively both within the classroom and outside of the school environment. Furthermore, I have provided professional development opportunities for teachers in relation to scaffolding quality essays and providing feedback to students to enhance their learning. The strategies that I have put in place, in addition to creating before school workshop with English tutors, has seen above normal growth on the My School website in literacy achievement across Years 7 to 9.
• Providing leadership and guidance to others in the analysis of data and implementation of strategies in response to data. As Deputy Principal of NSBHS, I worked with Head Teachers to provide them with the skills to analyse and interpret RAP and SMART Data relating to students’ HSC results. Through reviewing this data, including the Component Reports relating to particular exam questions, I was able to work with the Head Teachers to identify the areas of the curriculum in particular subjects where results could be improved. This allowed for the planning of professional development activities, the recruitment of staff with specific skills in the desired area, or the management of the performance of existing staff in those subject areas. Over the five years that I undertook this process with teachers at NSBHS, the school saw a marked improvement in its HSC results.
• Driving collaboration and partnerships with leaders in educational research in order to improve teaching and learning activities. As a member of the Professional Learning Team at NSBHS, I, developed and maintained a learning link with Doctor Andrew Martin, an action researcher with the University of Western Sydney. Whilst working with Doctor Martin, I led the development and implementation of a survey at NSBHS used to better identify students at risk of disengagement. Utilisation of this survey has proven effective and it is now part of the school Welfare Team’s annual scope and sequencing activities. The use of this data has facilitated my ability to thoroughly understand the interrelationships between motivation, giftedness and underachievement.
• Responding to data with proactive and positive strategies to address opportunities and prevent issues from continuing. As Deputy Principal at NSBHS, I undertook intensive analysis of the data arising from the ‘Tell Them From Me’ survey. This data illustrated to me that there was a lack of engagement with the school from student in Years 8 and 9. In particular, I was able to identify the subject areas in which these students were particularly disengaged, allowing me to develop targeted strategies to address this problem. In response, I introduced a problem-based learning framework for these year levels, specifically designed to increase the level of engagements with the school curriculum and teaching and learning activities amongst these students. Early indications were extremely positive, with students demonstrating high levels of interest in, and engagement with, their project or problem-focused tasks even in the traditionally difficult last months of the school year.

The improvement in HSC results for NSBHS during my five years as Deputy Principal is in part a testament to my capacity to plan for future needs in response to analysis of student data, and my leadership of others to do the same. My ability to analyse data allows me to identify and respond to opportunities for improvement and continued success.

Outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to support and engage the whole school and establish genuine partnerships across the local and wider community

A strong relationship builder, I possess sound interpersonal skills and the ability to engage others in the pursuit of common goals. I successfully liaise and negotiate with stakeholders to achieve mutually agreeable outcomes and form genuine partnerships. Recognising that student learning extends beyond the school environment, I foster positive relationships with parents and the broader community in order to ensure the provision of a holistic and supportive education. This has been demonstrated through:

• Engaging in whole school project management for the development of new school infrastructure, including a new community-funded library at NSBHS. My management of this $2.8 million project encompassed all aspects from fundraising to overseeing the building and development stages. To ensure the success of the project, I worked in collaboration and negotiated with architects and builders, as well as the whole school community, which facilitated my ability to put my vision of an educational space designed for 21^st Century learning into motion. Additionally, I was required to undertake negotiations with the local Council in order to secure additional car parking spaces, which was a success. Throughout each project phase, I maintained continual communication with project supervisors so that I was able to keep all stakeholders informed, both verbally and in writing, of the progress. Furthermore, I liaised closely with representatives of the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities in order to provide progress and statistical reports, and to ensure them that all works were carried out in accordance to relevant legislative requirements. My strong project management capabilities, in conjunction with my effective relationship-building skills, resulted in the overall success of this project and instilled confidence within the school community regarding my abilities. This has enabled me to secure an additional $600,000 in community funding that will be used to initiate a school sporting field project in the near future.
• Leading the implementation of technology infrastructure to facilitate flexible learning and support teaching with modern technology catered to 21^st Century On behalf of NSBHS, I successfully negotiated with the Department of Education and Training (DET), and Aruba Networks for the upgrade of the school’s wireless Internet capabilities to ensure strong, quicker and better Internet access. The introduction of a Wi-Fi network that meets educational needs has allowed students to connect and remain connected to the Internet from anywhere in the school’s perimeter. This means that teaching and learning using technology can now take place outside of the classroom, allowing for new student experiences and increased engagement in lessons. The quick content access, ability to change location without having to log back on, and uninterrupted video streaming have all contributed to increasing the time that students have available for learning activities when using technology at the school. As NSBHS was the first school to implement this technology, the DET was closely monitoring the progress and as a result of its success, the wireless internet capabilities are being implemented in other schools in New South Wales.
• Establishing processes and structures that increase staff, student and community participation in meeting the educational goals as set out in the school’s Strategic Plan. To enable consideration of stakeholder views in forming the NSBHS Strategic Plan, I facilitated consultation with the Parents and Citizens’ Association, the Student Representative Council, as well as school prefects to seek feedback and develop consensus on strategic goals. Furthermore, to ensure collaboration throughout decision-making processes, I ensure that I take into consideration all feedback and viewpoints from the whole school community. Utilising surveys such as the ‘Tell Them From Me’ online survey has provided me with the opportunity to gain valuable insight into student engagement, wellbeing and effective teaching practices, from the perspective of students. This collaborative process ensures that the whole school community feels valued, and their opinions heard, as well as provides a platform for students and their families to be involved and take ownership of their education.
• Engaging families within the school community. Having seen first‑hand the benefits for the school and students when parents and families are actively involved in education, I always encourage them to not only contribute to decision-making within the school, but also to engage on a social level. This involves inviting parents and families to events within the school such as Year 7 afternoon teas, school performances and sporting events. These events provide teachers with opportunities to get to know them on an informal level, as well as provide the parents and families occasions to get to know each other. Promoting this interaction within school has increased the confidence of parents and families so that they are more likely to approach teaching staff when their child is experiencing issues, in addition to actively contributing to their education.
• Developing a coaching culture that encourages honest feedback and collaboration in order to enhance professional development for staff. As Deputy Principal of NSBHS, I introduced Growth Coaching to the school staff to improve the quality of conversations within the school community. Intended outcomes from Growth Coaching included to ensure my effectiveness as a leader, to ensure that that teachers teach well, parents and the community contribute well, and students learn well. Through the use of this robust, respectful and professional dialogue, staff within the school have been able to share their learning and bring out the best in each other, whilst also building upon the quality of relationships. Staff are encouraged to discuss their own personal goals, as well as those of the whole school, thus allowing conversations that contribute toward whole school change strategies. Facilitating growth coaching across the executive staff level of NSBHS has allowed the development of a shared language and shared goals regarding the improvement of teaching practice and student-learning outcomes.

My knowledge, skills and experience enable me to effectively communicate and work collaboratively with students, teachers, executives and the broader school community to achieve whole school targets with a focus on continually improving teaching and learning outcomes. In a new role, I will continue to utilise my well-developed interpersonal skills to engage the school community to promote positive outcomes for students.