Principals Australia was set up as the Australian Principals Associations Professional Development Council (APAPDC Inc) in 1993 at the national conference of the Australian Principals Associations, to provide support for principals in their own professional development. It brings together primary and secondary State, Catholic and Independent principals' associations. APAPDC changed its name to Principals Australia in 2008. Principals Australia is owned by the four Australian peak principals' associations:

• Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA)
• Australian Secondary Principals Association (ASPA)
• Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CaSPA)
• Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA).
  

Principals Australia exists to support principals and their associations to build effective, inspirational and sustainable leadership in Australian schools. This leadership has the learning and wellbeing of students and staff as its prime focus. Principals Australia understands that to build the necessary social capital in school communities to maintain this focus, it needs to work with education, health, business and corporate sectors. Principals Australia delivers services directly to principals and other school leaders, and to their associations.

Principals Australia is a not-for-profit, incorporated body owned by the four peak Australian principals associations, representing secondary and primary Government, Catholic and Independent education sectors.

Principals Australia receives no financial support from its four member associations, and is funded for managing a number of national projects, including:

• MindMatters
• KidsMatter
• Dare to Lead

Principals Australia self-funds the remainder of its work, including:

• Leaders Lead
  

Principals Australia governance

Principals Australia is governed by a Board nominated by its owners. The Board meets three to four times a year and is responsible for the governance of the organisation. Click here for details of the 2010 Board members.

Principals Australia headquarters, South Australia

The Principals Australia secretariat and its major projects are located in three buildings in Hindmarsh, close to the centre of Adelaide in South Australia. Click here for a full list of everyone based in Hindmarsh at:

• 61 Manton Street - Main Reception, Operations Team (including IP, Finance, IT, Events),the Dare to Lead project and the MindMatters project
• 7 George Street - Office of the CEO, Executive Team, Executive Board Room 
• 9 George Street - KidsMatter project

Postal: PO Box 112, Hindmarsh, SA 5007
Email: principalsaustralia@pa.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8245 9800
Fax: +61 8 8340 7800

Chief Executive Officer: Ms Liz Furler

Principals Australia in the states and territories

Principals Australia's major funded projects have project officers in all states and territories. Principals Australia also has state and territory Branches. The Branches provide local, on-the-ground advice and support for the work of Principals Australia, and a non-political, cross-sectoral professional learning forum for the state and territory principals' associations, from which their membership is largely drawn. Membership of the Branches is voluntary, and their operations are supported by the Principals Australia Secretariat. The Branches are a critical aspect of Principals Australia's communication network.

Click here for more information about the Branches
Secretariat Branch contact Linnell Barelli

Principals Australia and the L5 Frame for building leadership in schools

Principals Australia's core work is supporting principals and their associations to build effective, inspirational and sustainable leadership in Australian schools. The focus of this leadership is the learning and wellbeing of students. Principals Australia fulfils this mission through embedding the development of school leadership throughout all its project work. Fundamental to this is the L5 Frame - a set of five propositions about school leadership that provide a lens for focussing on the work of school leadership, and a robust tool for interrogating and cultivating leadership practice - at any level and in any context