Primary Context - Leadership Structures

Leadership Structures in Irish Primary Schools

The Education Act 1998 sets out responsibilities of Boards of Management in recognised primary schools. Current Boards term runs from December 2019 to November 2023. The board's main function is to manage the school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the pupils and to provide an appropriate education for each pupil at the school. The board is accountable to the patron and the Minister for Education. The school principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school and is accountable to the board. All boards of management must follow the governance manual set by the Department of Education. The boards taking office on 1 Dec 2019 must follow the terms of the Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2019-2023 (pdf). The manual sets out the key activities of the Board.

Leadership and Management in Schools

School leaders typically refers to formal leadership roles including teachers with posts of responsibility who carry out roles and responsibilities integral to the administration, management and leadership of the school. Both leadership and management roles are considered at all times as serving the school’s core work: Learning and teaching. The Department of Education has developed a Quality Framework for Primary schools entitled ‘Looking at our School 2016’ which provides a set of standards to schools in relation to two dimensions: Teaching and Learning and Leadership and Management. It clearly outlines statements of effective and highly effective practice for schools in relation to both dimensions. Page 12 of the document has a particularly useful summary.

Role of the Principal in legislation:

The principal is responsible for the day to day management of the school, is the leader both of learning and the school community, is a member of the BoM and an employee of it. The Principal can be the secretary to Board of Management but cannot be Chairperson or Treasurer. The Principal’s Role is set out in Section. 22 and Section. 23 of the Education Act 1998 as amended and Circular 16/’73.

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Role of Deputy Principal/Assistant Principal 1/Assistant principal 2 (formerly Special Duties posts A and B):

Shared/Inclusive leadership is a feature of school life in Ireland. The most recent circular 44/2019 outlines procedures and guidance in relation to the recruitment and assignment of roles and responsibilities for school leaders. An amendment was added as guidance for the Filling of Internal Leadership and Management Positions in Primary Schools during the Period of Covid-19 Restrictions. In relation to posts (Deputy Principal, Assistant Principal 1 or 2), roles and responsibilities which need to be performed for the effective leadership and management of the school are determined through a process of consultation between the Principal, Deputy Principal(s) and the teaching staff and approved by the Board of Management. This consultation process is informed by the leadership and management needs and priorities of the school. In-school leadership and management needs and priorities are context based and vary from school to school depending on the school size, location and pupils’ needs. Assignment or re-assignment of roles and responsibilities to Deputy Principals/Assistant Principals is delegated by the Board of Management/ ETB to the Principal.

Parents Councils/Parents Associations

Parents are also encouraged to have a leadership role in schools. The formation of Parents’ Councils/Associations is strongly advocated. The National Parents council has published Working effectively as a Parents’ Association to guide schools in this regard.

A support document entitled ‘Supporting Each other’ has been produced jointly by the Irish Primary Principals’ network and the National Parents’ Council.

Further Supports

The PDST provides professional development for school leaders through its specific leadership programmes and across all areas of teaching and learning. Its website for leadership supports includes a broad range of supports for school leaders. See https://www.pdst.ie/leadership

IPPN is the officially-recognised professional body for the leaders of Irish primary schools. IPPN’s key focus is to support principals and deputy principals at local and county level and to represent their views nationally. See http://ippn.ie/

The Centre for School Leadership offers support to school leaders on the continuum of leadership development. See https://www.cslireland.ie/

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