Since starting the Aspiring Principals Leadership Program Paul Haste has been appointed Principal, Harrington Public School and has been putting what he learned in the program into daily practice as a leader.

As the principal of a small school with many students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Paul has used the content of the APLP to help him solve complex problems, develop his staff and help with the school planning process.

The program’s Leadership for Inquiry and Innovation Framework has been the “backbone” of his leadership, he said.

“It really stimulated deeper thinking for me and helped drive strategic planning within the school. So that was one really strong emphasis for me that I felt was the backbone of what increased my leadership impact,” Paul said.

“When I've been working with my leadership team, I've used that as the umbrella for designing our milestones and our professional learning framework. It has given me the confidence and the toolkit to really ask those questions and drive that deep thinking which is more student-centred.”

The work of APLP presenter Viviane Robinson resonated with Paul, particularly the student-centred approach.

Harrington Public School was impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires, and combined with the impact of COVID-19 the school community has faced many challenges in the past 12 months.

The skills developed during the APLP have helped Paul guide his community through those challenges, using the SLI Leadership Mindsets as the foundation for communicating with the school community and ensuring the wellbeing of students and staff.

“I’m really grateful to have been a part of the program,” he said.