The Principal, School Leadership (PSL) and Principal, Coach-Mentors (PCM) team members work professionally with principals to develop the mindset and capabilities needed to create sustainable leadership practices, and an effective, healthy school.

Each PSL/PCM supports principals through coaching, mentoring and professional learning activities. These combine to build the skillset needed by principals to lead and manage their schools, and enable strategic school improvement.

The PSL/PCM team assists principals to improve quality teaching in their school, and ensure the progress of all students, in alignment with the School Excellence Policy. This includes working with principals to facilitate the development of an evidence-based Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP), and facilitating the external validation process. Read the External Validation Guidelines on the School Excellence Policy webpage (listed under 'implementation documents' at right).

PSL/PCM support

Access the PSL contacts webpage for a list of PSLs across NSW and the networks they are affiliated with, and a list of all PCMs.

PSLs and PCMs are a statewide resource. If a specific or specialist skillset is required, email pslcoord@det.nsw.edu.au with your request and a PSL manager will contact you to discuss how the PSL/PCM team can best support your school.

The Principal, School Leadership role

The PSL role supports principals by:

• assisting with School Excellence Policy implementation, so principals can lead effective, evidence-based improvement, innovation and change in their school
• coaching and mentoring principals around strategic school improvement in their school and improving professional practice
• guiding principals in effective and sustainable leadership practices so they can operate strategically and effectively in a complex and dynamic role
• helping newly appointed, first-time and relieving principals to reflect on their professional practice and set goals using the Australian Professional Standard for Principals and the Leadership Profiles
• offering assistance to principals in managing their schools by developing their knowledge and understanding of instructional leadership, policy requirements and resource management skills such as finances, assets and staffing
• providing differentiated support to principals in their instructional leadership role by working with them to analyse evidence of student progress and achievement in order to assess the impact of teaching and learning
• developing principals’ skills to coach and mentor staff to continuously improve teacher performance, and provide quality feedback to continuously build the capabilities of all staff
• actively supporting principals to manage difficult and contentious operational and educational school-based issues.

The Principal, Coach-Mentor role

The PCM role supports principals by:

• coaching and mentoring principals of varying levels of experience to improve their professional practices with a focus on strategic school improvement
• contributing to effective and sustainable leadership practices of principals by strategically supporting them to operate effectively in a complex and dynamic role
• supporting newly appointed, first-time and relieving principals to reflect on their professional practice and set goals using the Australian Professional Standard for Principals and the Leadership Profiles
• maintaining and modelling continuous improvement and active engagement in high impact professional learning (HIPL)
• developing a culture-reflective practice for principals, to confidently apply relevant quality strategies and techniques when providing leadership, to meet challenges and capitalise on opportunities
• supporting the facilitation of professional learning networks for newly appointed first-time and relieving principals
• supporting principals in managing difficult and contentious operational and educational school-based issues.