Pathways to secondary school principalship: Enablers and challenges

Craig Morrison; Meredith Raukura; Kate Thornton

doi:10.26686/nzaroe.v30.9822

Authors

Craig Morrison
Meredith Raukura
Kate Thornton Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7785-0204

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/nzaroe.v30.9822

Abstract

A recent Education Review Office (ERO) report on preparation and support for new principals in Aotearoa New Zealand revealed that they are not always well prepared for aspects of their role (ERO, 2023). Three key drivers for preparation were found to be previous leadership experience, participation in post-graduate study related to school leadership, and coaching and mentoring support. While this report focused on both primary and secondary principals in their first 5 years as principals, two other recent qualitative studies have looked specifically at pathways to principalship in secondary settings. The first study involving interviews with eight recently appointed principals, highlighted the importance of career choices, postgraduate study, targeted professional learning and development (PLD), exposure to elements of a principal’s role, and mentoring. The second study explored the enablers and challenges experienced by five female principals of co-educational schools. Aspects that were identified as both challenges and enablers in this study included the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of principals and others, the support and encouragement received, mentoring and PLD experiences, and work life balance. This article will draw on the findings of the two studies and the ERO report to highlight the challenges in current principal preparation in the secondary sector and make recommendations for aspiring leaders considering principalship, current principals and Boards of Trustees, and policy makers.

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Author Biographies

Craig Morrison

Craig Morrison is Deputy Principal at Wakatipu High School in Queenstown. He has held leadership roles for over 30 years in both New Zealand's state and private schools, as well as in the private sector, both locally and internationally. Married with three adult children, Craig relates to the principals he interviewed in his research, having shared the experience of moving cities for career advancement.

Meredith Raukura

Meredith Raukura is a Deputy Principal at One Tree Hill College in Auckland and the mum of three teenagers. She has held various roles during her twenty years as a secondary school teacher and successfully balanced the demands of full-time work with raising a family. During her studies, she developed a real passion for the experiences of female leaders, and this became the research focus for her Masters of Secondary School Leadership (Distinction).

Kate Thornton, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Kate Thornton is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand. Her research interests include educational leadership and leadership development, professional learning communities, and mentoring and coaching. Kate is the programme director for the Master of Secondary School Leadership (MSSL) programme, a programme designed to prepare middle and senior leaders for principalship.

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