Dear Members,

Congratulations on your optimism, drive and commitment to continue to work with passion during a demanding year. As our society moves into the endemic phase of the pandemic, we are continually facing the challenges of staff and student absenteeism, and the impact of this on attendance, budgets, school events, excursions and much more.

Taking care of yourself, during these trying times, is absolutely critical. None of us are super people. So, to put your wellbeing first I encourage you all to complete the 2022 Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey. School leaders who have participated previously would have received a special link via email. Those of you new to the survey can follow the following instructions:

The Australian Principal Health & Wellbeing survey is now live for new participant registrations from 31 August 2022 at https://healthandwellbeing.org/AU2021 report.  Ongoing previously registered participants have received their links but we ask that you encourage school leaders to contact us if their emails have changed.  If participants are no longer in a principal role, we still encourage them to take the shortened

The team appreciates your support and participation in this project.  This research has significant impact in the diagnostic feedback given to school principals, the evaluation of existing policy initiatives, and the consultation with state departments leading to important new policy initiatives.  There were at least 411 media mentions of our 2021 report.

We are about to begin the bi-annual election cycle for the following NTPA Executive office bearer positions:

• Vice President Primary
• Vice President, Secondary
• Secretary
• Treasurer

The new term will commence January 1 2023 until 31^st December 2024.

The timeline for this process is:

Date	Task
Friday 16th September	Notice of Election emailed to all members
Monday 19th September	Nomination period opens
Monday 3rd October	Nomination period closes
Monday 3rd October	Need for ballot determined
TBA if required	Ballot material emailed (electronic)
TBA if required	Ballot closes (10am)
Thursday 3rd November AGM	Declaration of results

In week 2 of term 4 we are  excited to host a High Conflict Resolution workshop on the 20th October. The Conflict Influencer: Skills for High Conflict Disputes  by Presenter Megan Hunter from the High Conflict Institute.  This will be a face to face and online presentation so all Principals may benefit from this training.  The finer details are further into the newsletter.

May you take the time to rest and recharge during stand down.

Warm regards,

NTPA are also hosting two webinars early next term from Kristen Douglas from Headspace, who has worked extensively with school leaders across Australia during the pandemic. Kristen is very aware of the challenges, burn out and overall sense of tiredness being felt by our profession.

Please keep an eye out for an email with further details.

And if you are looking for a whole school approach or wellbeing resources, Headspace have a whole range of resources and staff ready to help support your school community. Please reach out to the following people for more information.

Brian Morgan – Be You Education Consultant

BMorgan@headspace.org.au – 0484 269 957

Sammi Wilson – Be You NT Coordinator

SWilson@headspace.org.au – 0448 392 330

The Be_You_Wellbeing_Plan_for_Educators.pdf and Be You Planning for Wellbeing: mine, yours, ours resources are available for download at any time. Please use the strategies and the knowledge they contain to look after yourself moving forward.

We have been advocating for improved response process to critical incidents including the support for a school leader and streamlined reporting.

One issue we have is that we have not been able to capture all occupational violence incidents in a school through our current reporting systems. Without clearly collated data, including staff house break ins, we are unable to target our resources and interventions where they are most needed.

We look forward to sharing with you the progress that is being made in this area to keep schools at the centre. These are all actions that NTPA are helping the Department achieve through the School Leader Wellbeing Action Plan.

Advocacy for National Funding Agreements

The Australian Government Primary Principals Association (AGPPA) have put together a submission to the Productivity Commission who are reviewing the current National School Reform Agreement. The AGPPA submission can be viewed on our website.

The National School Reform Agreement aims to set out the long-term national targets for school education in Australia and is supported by the bilateral agreements specific to each state. AGPPA aims to significantly impact both the National School Reform Agreement and bilateral funding agreements which are all to be reviewed in 2023. The current bilateral funding agreements underfund government schools in Australia by $6.5 billion. This needs to be urgently addressed so that every government primary school in Australia can provide a quality education to every Australian child. Below is a table compiled by AGPPA NAC member Michael Burgess which outlines the funding for each state as identified in these agreements and the inclusions in the funding which states are allowed.

	NSW	VIC	TAS	SA	WA	NT	QLD	ACT
Federal Funding %	19.5	19.4	19.9	19.3	19.1	21.9	19.6	19.4
State Funding %	71.8	69.68	73.85	75	75	58.5	69.26	80
Inclusions	NESA Capital depreciation ASTP	Depreciation School Bus Unspent school funds VCAA VRQA	Depreciation Transport TASC TRB	SACE Education standards board Depreciation Transport	Depreciation Transport SCSA DoE Regulatory functions	Depreciation Transport Early childhood	Depreciation Transport QCAA	ACT TQI ACT BSS Preschool funding

 

AGPPA Twitter Account

AGPPA have created a new Twitter account to enhance the voice of government primary schools in Australia. Please FOLLOW and TAG us in relevant posts @AGPPA22

 

AGPPA Facebook page

AGPPA have also created a new Facebook page to further aid in enhancing the voice of government primary schools in Australia. Please CLICK HERE and LIKE the page to increase our reach to the public, and be sure to SHARE posts relevant to you.

APPA

The Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) is the national professional association for primary school principals in Australia. APPA represents affiliated state and territory Government, Catholic and Independent primary schools across the nation representing 7600 Government, Catholic and Independent primary schools (and approx. 2.27 million students) across Australia. It is the national voice on national issues and speaks directly to the Federal Government on matters that concern school principals and their school communities

On the 20th October NTPA are we are looking forward to providing a workshop to all school leaders on strategies usee when dealing with high conflict people. The facilaitator will present online but we are inviting Darwin and Palmerston school leaders to meet face to face at Nighcliff Middle School and Alice Springs school leaders to meet face to face at Braitling Primary School.

There will be online options for those remote or unable to attend. This workshop is free to all members or $100 for non members.

Please email ntpa.admin@education.nt.gov.au to register your interest.

Testimonial:

“This Professional learning was delivered to a group of us, not all Principals, in Alice Springs via Zoom as the presenter lives in the US in 2020. It was one of the best PLs I have undertaken I look forward to new learnings.” 

Belinda Pearson NTPA Vice President Primary

Hi, I am Gail Smith the NT School Leadership Partner for BTS Spark. To date I have worked extensively with the TRB and HALT teachers as well as with NTPA to provide workshops to Assistant Principals, coaching to individual Principals as well as working directly with a variety of schools and leadership teams in the Darwin/Palmerston regions. We are in partnership with NTPA and as partners we offer a range of professional learning opportunities. In 2023 we are expanding our reach to take into account our colleagues in Katherine and Alice Springs. If you are interested in quality PL or coaching for yourself, your leadership team or your whole school then check out what is available by visiting our website at https://www.bts.company/en-au/spark/index and use the navigation along the top of the page. Alternatively contact me directly and start that all important conversation. This testimonial by the President of PTANT provides you with a picture of how important this work we do is to educators.

“As an education administrator and school leadership member my professional development needs are both situational and strategic.

BTS Spark gives me options on soft and hard skills development with complementary professional development sessions selected from their Leadership curriculum.”

Ambrose Nicholls-Skene President Professional Teachers’ Association Northern Territory (PTANT)

It has been great to catch up with many principals and school leaders on our Principal Collaborative Learning Days.

I had the privilege of speaking at the recent Business Mangers Conference and acknowledging the incredibly diverse and intense work they do as a school leader. I read out a list of tasks they do beyond finance, HR and Infrastructure which many could associate with.

We are looking forward to the Leaders Summit in Week 4 Term 4 and the opportunity t connect with our colleagues from across the NT. Please take the time to attend the NTPA AGM Thursday3rd November followed by networking drinks at the Precinct.

Membership is now free for the rest of the year if you join for 2023. We are designing online membership via a new website to streamline the process and remove the paper trail.

Principal Position Panels

Thank you to all members who have participated in principal panels. This year there are a significant number as transition arrangements have been in place and closed merit panels take place when a contract finishes. Please note this information from the website:

• Executive contract principals in a position decreasing in the first 12 months from implementation will be offered an additional contract at your current level until December 2022.
• Principals in positions increasing in remuneration have been placed on higher duties allowance from 22 July 2021.
• Principals in principal levels 2 and 3 positions that increased in remuneration were invited to participate in a closed merit recruitment process for their substantive position and this process is now finalised.
• Principals in principal levels 5 and 6 positions that have increased in remuneration will be invited to

participate in a closed merit recruitment process six to nine months prior to their contract expiring.

• Principals in positions that are decreasing in remuneration will be invited to apply for positions at the equivalent of their former classification through a closed merit recruitment process.
• Substantive principals in principal levels 2 and 3 positions who have not changed in salary were directly appointed to their new level as of 22 July 2021.

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!