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NTPA President Robyn Thorpe
It was terrific to see you at the Leaders Summit and to enjoy the collegiality of school leaders across the NT. The Leaders’ Summit provides the opportunity for interaction and connection which is (as quoted by Michael Carr-Gregg) the greatest predicator of positive wellbeing for school principals. Thank you to those who attended the NTPA networking session and visited our stall to find out more about the work NTPA has accomplished. I would especially like to thank those school leaders who shared their learning and school improvement journeys with colleagues in workshops. This is a great credit to the strength of leadership in the NT, and reflective of our adaptive expertise. I recommend all schools to apply for a Susan Ryan Award (details below) to recognise and commend the outstanding achievements of schools that have shown exceptional dedication to establishing valuable partnerships with families.
If you didn’t have a chance to provide feedback at the time, use you Chapter meetings to provide feedback on the 2023 Leaders’ Summit.
Congratulations to Natalie Law from Canteen Creek, who was the winner of the NTPA raffle. Natalie won a piece of local Aboriginal artwork from Yuendumu. Thank you to everyone who contributed their thoughts to the question “How can NTPA support you to thrive?”
Principal Salaries
Recently NTPA prepared a paper requesting a review of the current salary levels for executive contract principals, and more importantly to provide a progression pathway. This is essential for the NT to continue to attract, recruit and retain quality school leaders during a workforce shortage crisis.
The recent announcement by the Commissioner of Public Employment advising of new Executive Contract Officer (ECO) Determinations providing for 2% salary increases, new leave conditions, and motor vehicle contribution rates was welcomed but is not inclusive for all executive contract principals.
The following applies to all ECO principals:
- $2000 lump sum payment
- Motor vehicle contribution rates rise, in-line with the 2% wage rise - (for all ECOs with vehicles).
The 2% salary increase is only applicable to those on contracts issued under Determination 13 of 2011, 5 of 2019 and Principals (PLECs) under Schedule 2 of Determination 1049 of 2023, which has replaced Determination 1027 of 2021). Basically, this means those that didn’t sign up to the2019 wage freeze will not receive the 2% salary increase.
Here is a summary to explain who gets what:
Principals who signed a frozen contract before August 2019 received no increment for 2019, 2020 and 2021. Under the General NTPS Agreement they received $4000 in August 2022; 2% + $2000 bonus in end of August 2023; and 2% + $2000 bonus in August 2024.
ECO principals who didn’t sign the 2019 wage freeze received increments of 2.5% in 2019 and 2.5% in 2020. These principals continued to receive the award salary increases whilst those on a frozen contract did not. When they signed a new contract, they reverted back to 2018 salaries. That could have been anytime between 2019 and 2023. These principals will get a $2000 bonus in August 2022, 2023 and 2024. But are not eligible for any salary increases until the new General NTPS agreement is reviewed in 2025.
Principals who elected to take the option on ongoing permanency are covered under the EBA Teacher Agreement and receive increases of 3% for 3 years. The next EBA negotiations begin in 2024.
NTPA will continue to advocate for all principals to ensure we have a collective and united voice to receive fair and equitable conditions and pay to support the retention of our experienced principals, make the principal position attractive for those aspiring to principalship, and to keep the NT competitive against other jurisdictions.
Christmas closedown 2023
NTPA have continued to raise the issue of the 3-day Christmas Leave for Administration Officers on any level on 92% or 96% arrangements. We appreciate the efforts of school leaders to provide this leave within school terms, but do not understand the rationale for the provision of this leave for those working school terms. This has added to the workload for those in schools.
Please make sure you have your say through the survey in regards to the Christmas closedown period as it does impact on ECO principals’ leave. Please complete the short survey with your preference on the 2 proposed option:
- Friday 22 December 2023 – Sunday 7 January 2024 (17 consecutive days off – 8 business days)
- Friday 22 December 2023 – Monday 1 January 2024 (11 consecutive days off – 4 business days)
From Christmas Day to New Year’s Day, staff covered by the Northern Territory Public Sector 2021 – 2025 Enterprise Agreement (NTPS General EA) are entitled to 3 days’ Christmas closedown miscellaneous leave between 25 December and 1 January.
Christmas closedown miscellaneous leave is not available to employees covered by the Teachers and Assistant Teachers’ 2021–2024 Enterprise Agreement.
NTPA Executive Meeting
NTPA meet once per term for a full day Face to Face meeting. All Chapter Chairs and office bearers attend these meetings and provide feedback from our 6 regions. It is important that as an Association the collective voice of our diverse school leadership across the NT is captured. NTPA met with the CE, Deputy CE, Executive Directors of Teaching and Learning, Education Leadership Culture and Care, and Inclusion and Engagement Services.
As key stakeholders, NTPA maintains important relationships with executive members of the Department to be kept informed, and to provide feedback, guidance and an opportunity for consultation.
NTPA provides regular feedback in regards to Finance, HR, Infrastructure and Housing issues. Please let us know if you have unresolved issues so that we can advocate for the collective.
| Robyn Thorpe |
President (ASPA, APPA & AGPPA Representative) |
ntpa.president@education.nt.gov.au
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|
Jo Poulter |
Exec Officer |
ntpa.admin@education.nt.gov.au
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| Carolyn Edwards |
Secretary Acting Top End Chapter Chair |
|
| Belinda Pearson |
VP Primary (AGPPA Representative) Central Chapter Chair |
|
| Joe Hewett |
VP Secondary Arnhem Chapter Chair |
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| Sarah Corry |
Treasurer (ASEPA Representative) |
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| Joanne Alford |
Central Chapter Vice Chair |
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| Leah Crockford | Darwin Chapter Chair | |
| Stephen Nimmo | Barkly Chapter Chair | |
| Jane Arnott |
Big Rivers Chair |
Workforce Shortages
As you are preparing your 2024 staffing and budget, we are aware of the recruitment pressures that everyone is facing. This was raised with Education Leadership, Culture and Care Division and we were informed of the steps being taken to address the teacher shortage crisis. These include a national educator recruitment campaign, workforce planning support for schools, advice on best practice for principal panels and composition and expectations to align with merit selection processes and making the recruitment pool attractive again.
We recommend that all principals communicate their workforce needs for 2024 to ELCC, so that our system can capture the real need that exists across the NT.
Keep up the great work, support each other and take time to interact and connect with colleagues.
Stay well
Robyn
Robyn Thorpe
President Email: ntpa.admin@education.nt.gov.au or ntpa.president@education.nt.gov.au
ACSSO acknowledges the significant role of family involvement in improving the overall educational journey of students. The Susan Ryan Awards are a way to recognise and commend the outstanding achievements of schools that have shown exceptional dedication to establishing valuable partnerships with families.
This is a gentle reminder to consider submitting your school's initiatives for the Susan Ryan Awards. These awards recognise your school's dedication to family engagement and highlight the innovative strategies you have employed to create an inclusive and supportive educational environment.
Award Categories
When determining award categories, ACSSO will use the ICSEA scale (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) to ensure that schools with similar demographics are fairly and equitably compared. Please note that this scale is not a school rating, nor is it related to the school's staff, facilities, or educational programs.
There are four categories.
- Schools with an ICSEA of less than 800
- Schools with an ICSEA of 800 – 1000
- Schools with an ICSEA of 1000 – 1100
- Schools with an ICSEA of 1100 plus
The announcement of the finalists for each category is scheduled for early September. Those selected will be invited to attend the award presentation on September 15, 2023
How to Apply:
Visit the Susan Ryan Awards Website for the application form and guidelines. Complete the submission detailing your school's family engagement initiatives and outcomes.
Submit your application before the deadline on 31st August 2023.
We encourage you to seize this opportunity to celebrate your school's achievements and contribute to the broader conversation about family engagement in education. Your dedication plays an integral role in shaping our students' futures, and the Susan Ryan Awards provide a stage to recognise your exceptional efforts.
For any inquiries or assistance regarding the application process, don't hesitate to contact ACSSO.
Michael Grinder online training sessions
NTPA are pleased to offer a series of 4 workshops with Michael Grinder. Michael Grinder is a nonverbal communication expert and has over 40 years of experience training thousands of groups. Known as the pioneer of nonverbal communication, Michael helps executives and educators assess people more accurately, connect with others more deeply, and build their charisma.
Dates: 13th September, 20th September, October 11th & October 18th
Time: 8am to 9.30am online via Zoom
Megan Hunter, CEO and Co-Founder of the High Conflict Institute
We are excited to announce that this year Megan can provide a face to face workshop in Darwin. The cost for this workshop will be $100 for members and $200 for non-members.
‘This was the best workshop I have ever participated in. It provided me with deep understandings and powerful strategies to navigate challenging conversations that are often part of a school leaders role.’ Belinda Pearson, Braitling Primary School
‘Highly targeted for the current needs of principals in the Territory to lean in on evidence-based practices when dealing with regular high conflict situations.’ Liza Parr, Nakara Primary School
Wednesday 15th November at Michael Long Centre 8.30am to 4.00 pm
Please register via this link: https://forms.office.com/r/ndiEF7AWam
Australian Government Primary Principals Association
Recently at the AGPPA national meeting the Victorian Principals Association shared the Victorian Auditor General Report (VAGO) Principal Health and Wellbeing report. A focus of the report was ‘Is the Department of Education (the department) protecting the health and wellbeing of its school principals’? The report made the following recommendations to: further reduce principal workload and better monitor, evaluate and report on principal health and wellbeing outcomes.
See the report here which provides an insight into school leader wellbeing.
AGPPA continues to advocate with a unified and authoritative voice to promote and advocate for government primary school students and leaders.
National School Reform Agreement
All affiliated National Associations took the opportunity to make a submission to the Expert Panel to inform a Better and Fairer Education System.
Paper can be found here:
Please see NTPA’s submission here.:
Please see AGPPA’s submission here:
NTPA participated in the ‘Have Your Say’ national survey which was open to teachers, parents and students to take part in a national survey to help shape the future of school education. The results of the survey have now been released and key feedback has been:
- 87 percent of parents and 78 percent of students said teachers give students the encouragement they needed.
- 82 percent of students say their school makes them feel welcome.
- 74 percent of teachers said reducing workload would help lift student outcomes.
- 35 percent of parents and 40 percent of students are concerned about classroom disruption and its impact on learning.
- 55 percent of parents said access to small group and individual tutoring would support their child.
- 77 percent of parents and 59 percent of teachers support improved access to allied health professionals, including occupational therapists and speech pathologists.
- In total, 13,684 teachers, 8,494 parents/guardians and 2,790 students took part in the survey.
Please see the Australian Primary Principals Association article ‘It takes a village’ for further reading:
https://www.educationmattersmag.com.au/it-takes-a-village-appa/
ASPA Newsletter
Here is the latest ASPA newsletter:
https://aspa.schoolzineplus.com/enews?nid=4
ASPA President Update Andrew Pierpoint:
As you would be aware, I have worked very closely with the Education Leadership team at Monash University for some time. With your assistance, we have produced research papers around Principal Recruitment and Selection and Principal Autonomy. These papers have attracted a great deal of conversation in and out of Federal Government circles. Our next piece of research is around the emotional capital that Principals bring to their job – and your assistance is vital to this research.
Invisible labour: Principals emotional labour in volatile times
This is a project funded by the Australian Research Council. It is being conducted by education researchers from Monash and Deakin Universities and the University of Sydney.
We are asking public school principals from across Australia to assist us by participating in this survey.
This is not your typical survey. We want to collect your stories about the more invisible but crucial aspects of your work as a government school principal – the “emotional labour” of doing the job.
The main thing you will be doing in this survey is telling a significant story about a critical incident that you have experienced as a principal. We think these stories are crucial to collect to capture the extent and diversity of this invisible work and expand public understandings about the complex nature of the principal’s role.
PARF Funding- leadership research opportunity
Principals Australia Research Foundation Limited (PARF) invites applications from associations of school principals for undertaking or facilitating research and development in school leadership and effective leadership practices, designed for long-term beneficial outcomes for leadership and education consistent with PARF’s Research and Development Funding Guidelines.
Details of the applications should be typed into the relevant parts of this document; be succinct (fewer than 2000 words in the Research Description). Applications close on Friday 27 October 2023.
Click here to read the latest from ICP
Western Australia Primary Principals Association have released a position paper on supporting students with complex needs.
The increasing presence of students with combined complex needs, coupled with a significant lack of resourcing and support, has had a profound impact on the way schools now operate and the manner in which they can provide for students’ learning needs and the safety of the school community. The paper presents a number of initiatives for a greater and more sustainable impact on improving the outcomes for all students who attend WA government schools.
Our colleagues from Western Australia have also shared the direction WA Government has taken to have a strong stand against violence.
Remember memebrships are for a calendar year so now is is the time to renew or join for 2023. Click on this link to complete the form. Membership prices are now pro ratered for the rest of 2023.
Since, our original Northern Territory Principals’ Association Facebook site was hacked by a video creator group we have been rebuilding.
We recommend you block this site: Old facebook site
Then follow this one: New NTPA facebook page
Thank you!