The collected data reveals Northern Territory principals are overwhelmed by administrative burdens, infrastructure concerns, technology limitations and inadequate support systems, all significantly impacting your ability to function as educational leaders.

Remote schools face particularly acute challenges.

The reports have been distributed to all NTPA members and DET CE and DCE Executive staff and has directly influenced the formation of four new principal reference groups addressing Administrative Burden.

NTPA looks forward to continuing to work with the Department of Education and Training to act decisively on these findings, working collaboratively with principals/assistant principals to implement meaningful changes that will enhance educational leadership and outcomes across the Territory.

The Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey – 2024 data NTPA released a media release

The Northern Territory Principals’ Association (NTPA) is deeply concerned by the results of the 2024 Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey, which shows NT school leaders experiencing the highest rates of mental health red flags in the country.

NT school leaders work with some of the most socioeconomically disadvantaged and geographically isolated children and young people across Australia. The survey reveals alarming statistics about their wellbeing:

• 4% of NT school leaders received a "red flag" email indicating risk of serious mental health concerns - the highest rate nationwide and a significant increase from 47.1% in 2023.
• School leaders nationally in remote and very remote schools reported concerning rates of exposure to threats of violence (64.1%) and actual physical violence (59%).
• 6% of NT principals indicated an intention to quit - the fourth highest rate nationally. If this trend continues, an estimated 500 school leaders could leave the profession across Australia.
• Nationally, 43.9% of principals reported experiencing violence and security threats, with very remote school leaders triggering concerning risk indicators at a rate of 61.1%.

Statements attributable to NTPA President Carolyn Edwards:

"The data is clear - workload demands, violence, and mental health challenges continue to escalate for school leaders across the Northern Territory. We simply cannot ignore what the data trends have been telling us for well over a decade now.”

"While principals demonstrate exceptional commitment to educational excellence and unwavering dedication to NT students, they are increasingly overwhelmed by threats and incidents of violence. The impact of these challenges, combined with gossip and slander, is taking a severe toll on principals' wellbeing and morale."

"The ever-increasing burdens of workload expectations combined with safety concerns are contributing to the worrying results in this report. We desperately need additional support and resources from the government to address these critical issues before more dedicated educational leaders leave the profession."

“School leaders have been ignored for too long - it's time for a genuine commitment and investment that makes their wellbeing a top priority.”

“Education systems must have strong practices and processes to enact ‘no tolerance to violence’ policies to keep everyone safe in schools, students and staff.”

On Wednesday 2 April NTPA president was interviewed by Katie Wolf 

Listen HERE

NTPA encourages all principals to take up this opportunity.

View the full flyer here:

On Friday, March 28th, the NTPA hosted a Professional Learning Day for Principals and Assistant Principals. The event focused on the three core elements of NTPA's mission: Advocacy, Leadership, and Wellbeing, with meaningful discussions around managing school leaders' accountabilities and responsibilities.

Department of Education Update

Participants had the valuable opportunity to hear from Susan Bowden, Chief Executive of the Department of Education and Training (DET). Ms. Bowden announced the formation of four new principal reference groups specifically addressing Administrative Burden. These groups will incorporate data from NTPA members' "Barriers and Solutions" feedback.

I strongly encourage all principals to consider applying for these reference groups. This is an excellent opportunity to directly influence positive systemic change.

Additionally, two principals will now serve as observers on the Educational and Training Executive Board. I will represent NTPA, while Leah Crockford will be the IPS representative.

Professional Development Highlights

Debra Bateman from the Teacher Registration Board (TRB) delivered an informative session addressing the primary challenges currently facing both the TRB and school principals.

The High Conflict Institute, presented by Megan via video recording, introduced strategies for influencing high-conflict disputes. Save the Date: NTPA will host full day High Conflict Institute workshops in Darwin and Alice Springs this May.

Representatives from Headspace and Be You showcased their valuable programs available to support students and school communities.

Professional Growth Opportunities

I encourage all Principals and Assistant Principals to take advantage of the numerous Professional Learning Programs currently offered by DET. These programs are designed to enhance your leadership capabilities and support your professional growth.

NTPA are excited to announce that this May, Megan Hunter, Co-Founder/CEO of the High Conflict Institute, will be presenting her NTPA tailored workshop in both Darwin and Alice Springs!

High-Conflict Kit Bag: Stay Sane, Defuse Aggression, Strengthen Relationships and Know You've Done Your Best

Darwin

Friday 16 May 8:30am to 4pm

Darwin Tennis Centre

Members $250 Non-members $350

Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/Fkp4T7AAw2

        Alice Springs

       Monday 19 May 8:30am to 4pm

       Centralian Senior College

       Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/tvCzXt1skC

       Members $250 Non-members $350

Training Overview

Do you dread high-conflict interactions? Aggression, threats of violence, and simply trying to meet high demands? It’s time to wake up ready to face each day with a kit bag of high-conflict communication skills and confidence that you’re creating a threat-reduced ecosphere in your school. No more dread. No more chaos. No more exhaustion.

For those new to high-conflict training, we will go over the Conflict Brain and the key communication skills to de-escalate, set limits and impose consequences, respond to hostile emails, and use proposals to reach agreements. If you’ve attended this training in the past, you will likely learn something new as we often hear things in different ways once we’ve had some experience with them.

Next we will work on the most challenging issues by problem-solving common high-conflict scenarios:

• Handling aggression and/or violence in the moment
• What to do with bullies in the moment and long-term (based on Our New World of Adult Bullies)
• Strengthening relationships between the school and families - getting them to work with you as a team for their child instead of them against you
• Help parents help their kids become a part of the big picture
• Building a structured process for parents to raise concerns with the school in a constructive way - get in front of social media campaigns
• Dealing with high-conflict fatigue from protracted conflict
• Responding to hostile emails, letters and social media posts
• Practice setting limits and imposing consequences
• Discover work-arounds to gaps in code of conduct/policy
• Join in our deep dive: “It’s All About Me” (taking care of yourself when high-conflict winds you up or down)

Whether you are new or have been around awhile, this training has something for everyone. This training include the most advanced conflict management skills. They can make a difference in your life, your career, your health, your happiness, and your well-being. Most importantly, you will impact your school (internal) and each and every family who passes through your doors (external) in new ways

This is what members were saying about the previous workshops Megan presented for NTPA:

‘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

‘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

Three representatives from the Northern Territory Principals Association (NTPA) participated in the Australian Secondary Principals' Association (ASPA) National Educational Summit held in Canberra on March 24-25. Vice President Joe Hewitt, Central Chapter Chair Joanne Alford and President Carolyn Edwards joined secondary principals and invited guests at Parliament House Great Hall for meaningful discussions on critical issues affecting secondary education across Australia.

Key Themes Explored

The summit focused on three main areas crucial to the future of Australian secondary education:

Flourishing Students

Discussions centred on equipping students to thrive in our rapidly changing world. Participants explored innovative assessment approaches, new learning models, and emerging technologies to create more inclusive and engaging learning environments. The conversations addressed how curriculum and support systems can better respond to diverse student needs while preparing them for future work and life demands. Participants also tackled issues of wellbeing, educational advantage, inclusion, diversity and equitable access to quality education.

Strengthening Leadership

Recognising that effective school leadership drives positive change and creates thriving learning environments, attendees discussed redesigning the contemporary principalship to create a more sustainable and fulfilling profession. Conversations focused on better supporting principal wellbeing and empowering school leaders to effectively manage their complex responsibilities.

Transforming Systems

This theme examined the critical role of equitable funding and effective regulatory models in shaping educational outcomes. Participants shared insights on moving beyond short-term political cycles toward long-term educational planning, developing more holistic approaches to measuring school success, and reorganizing schooling systems to enable flexible learning pathways that sustain school communities.

The summit aimed to shape an ambitious agenda for building a world-leading public education system that prioritises equity of opportunity for every Australian student while strengthening the capacity of school communities to lead this important work.

"I recently attended the ASPA conference at Parliament House in Canberra, where I was inspired by discussions on the future of secondary education, particularly the need for change in assessment and curriculum. There was a strong consensus that we must rethink traditional approaches to better support the growth and agency of young people, especially those disadvantaged by their postcode and the outdated structures of education.

Another key discussion focused on principal wellbeing, with ACU presenting alarming findings. While principals are deeply passionate about their work, it often comes at a significant personal cost. The conversation raised more questions than answers, such as: What does trust in principals truly look like? How do we acknowledge and value the emotional labour of school leaders? And how can we ensure principals feel included in decision-making rather than having policies imposed on them? These are critical challenges that require greater collaboration and thoughtful solutions."

Joanne Alford, Principal Centralian Senior College, NTPA Central Chapter Chair

NTPA is a key stakeholder and participates in a range of committees, reviews, meeting and taskforces to provide the principal voice. This term this has included:

• Swimming and Water Safety in Schools
• Top End Urban, Barkly, Big Rivers PCL days
• Barkly AGM, Top End Chapter meetings
• Meeting with Education Minister
• Meeting with Leader of the Opposition
• Principal Reclassification Review
• Family Inclusive Practice
• DEC Online meetings
• NT Principal Capability Framework
• DET Leadership Programs
• Be you
• CEP meeting

Please continue to reach out to your Chapter Chairs or NTPA President with any topics or feedback you would like NTPA to raise and advocate for.

You are warmly invited to celebrate 4 decades of promoting education excellence in the Northern Territory.

Friday 23 May 2025

6:00-9:00 pm

Novotel Atrium Darwin- Billabong room

Please RSVP via this link:https://forms.office.com/r/DfvPVrDwV5

Alternatively email ntpa.admin@education.nt.gov.au

Please join us to celebrate!

NTPA memberships are for a calendar year - so its time to renew for 2025

Feel free to email ntoa.admin@education.nt.gov.au with any queries.

Read the full article here

March has flown by, and with it, ICP has seen many exciting developments across the globe. Here’s a round-up of all the fantastic things happening this month!

Peter Kent at CIES: A Global Conversation on AI & Equity

Peter Kent recently took the international stage at the CIES (Comparative and International Education Society), where he shared a powerful message on equity, AI, and education. His presentation explored the tipping point we are at, where AI can either increase or decrease global equity. A notable moment was his reflection on the challenge posed by a delegate at the Mombasa Convention:

"Why are you telling me about AI when some of my pupils are still writing on clay?"

View the full April 2025 newsletter here

Because great teachers change children’s lives – Teaching Awards nominations open from 3 March to 8 April 2025.  

Nominations for the 2025 Schools Plus Teaching Awards supported by Commonwealth Bank are now open! 

Each year, national education non-profit Schools Plus with the support of some of Australia’s leading philanthropists chaired by David Gonski AC, and in partnership with Commonwealth Bank celebrates inspirational teachers who are making a transformative impact on children and school communities around Australia. 

Twelve outstanding teachers or school leaders receive a prestigious $20,000 Teaching Fellowship, including $10,000 for their school and participation in a unique 12-month professional learning program. 

The program features a 1.5-day collaboration workshop, master classes, and networking opportunities to expand their leadership capabilities. They will also attend the 2025 Teaching Awards ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra and join our growing alumni network of over 120 educators driving positive change in schools across Australia. 

From new teachers to experienced educators making a real difference in the lives of our children, we want to recognise and celebrate them. Nominate an outstanding teacher or apply yourself from:

Closes 8 April 2025. Visit schoolsplus.org.au/awards. 

Be You online events Dynamic learning experiences to translate knowledge into action.   Primary school setting events   10 JUN How to meet your school’s mental health needs Determine the actions needed for school 5.30 PM – 6.30 PM AEST Register today Secondary setting events   10 JUN How to meet your school’s mental health needs Determine the actions needed to support mental health in your school 3.30 PM – 4.30 PM AEST Register today

 

The Improving Indigenous Education Outcomes Conference is scheduled for 17–18 June 2025 at the Pullman Cairns International, with both Gimuy and online participation options. This two-day event is dedicated to reimagining Indigenous education through genuine partnerships, cultural strength, and systemic innovation. The conference will include keynote presentations, interactive panel discussions, and breakout sessions focusing on:

• Integrating Indigenous perspectives in the curriculum
• Developing culturally responsive teaching practices
• Enhancing community engagement and collaborative partnerships
• Leveraging data and evidence-based strategies for educational programs

NTPA members receive an $100 discount code until the 11th April: Education100

Register here

Brochure_8580_Indigenous_Education_1_.pdf

Brochure_8580_Indigenous_Education_1 pdf 8.42 MB

When: 3:00pm, Wednesday 21 May 2025 online

 Register:  via the Registration form by COB Tuesday 20 May 2025

Renez_Lammon_Leadership_Lounge_promotional_flyer_21_May_2025.pdf

Renez_Lammon_Leadership_Lounge_promotional_flyer_21_May_2025 _pdf 201.54 KB

*Receive a discount when you combine your registration with a new ACEL membership

Click here for more details and to register

The “Building a Sustainable Data-Informed Culture” 1-day workshop will be facilitated by Dr Selena Fisk, a keynote speaker and author who specialises in data storytelling, data strategy and effective data practices.

The workshop will delve into these pertinent key points for schools:

• Leadership first approach: Develop the data literacy, visualisation and storytelling skills of the school’s leadership team – “Do you know how to talk about data and how you want your staff talking about it?”
• Integrated systems and processes - The importance and role of having established data policies, plans and improvement frameworks that enhance existing workflows and school processes.
• Building the data-informed culture - How do we create a culture of evidence-informed practice that permeates the school and exists beyond one or two leaders?