“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is: Educational Leadership.
Element 7.2.2: The educational leader is supported and leads the development and implementation of the educational program and assessment and planning cycle.
How effectively is your educational leader supported, resourced and empowered to build educator capability, strengthen pedagogical practice, and lead continuous improvement in the educational program and assessment and planning cycle across the service?
Effective educational leadership involves inspiring, mentoring and guiding educators to critically reflect on their practice, deepen their understanding of the approved learning framework, and continually strengthen outcomes for children. It is collaborative, visible and embedded within everyday practice. Educational leaders play a key role in creating a professional learning community where educators are encouraged to question, reflect, share ideas and work together to improve teaching and learning outcomes. They help establish ambitious goals for children’s learning while supporting educators to translate these goals into meaningful curriculum decisions.
Supporting the Educational Leader
While educational leaders are responsible for guiding educational practice, they cannot effectively fulfil their role without ongoing support from approved providers, nominated supervisors and management.
Support should be intentional and ongoing, rather than relying on the educational leader’s individual commitment or personal time. Educational leaders need dedicated opportunities to observe practice, mentor educators, engage in professional discussions, review curriculum documentation, and lead critical reflection. Quality practices may include:
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- Scheduling regular mentoring and support meetings between management and the educational leader.
- Providing non-contact time specifically allocated for educational leadership responsibilities.
- Ensuring the educational leader has access to current research, professional learning and sector resources.
- Ensuring the educational leader clearly understands and can explain their role and responsibilities under the National Law and Regulations (r118).
- Clearly communicating and promoting the educational leader’s role and responsibilities to all educators and families.
- Involving the educational leader in service-wide decision-making, policy review and quality improvement processes.
- Supporting networking opportunities with other educational leaders and professionals.
- Regularly reviewing the effectiveness of educational leadership practices and identifying areas for improvement.
- Ensuring educational leadership responsibilities are reflected in position descriptions, performance reviews and professional development plans.
Leading a Professional Learning Community
ACECQA emphasises that educational leadership is strengthened through a shared leadership approach. Educational leaders work alongside educators to build capability, confidence and professional knowledge. They encourage educators to critically reflect on practice, discuss pedagogy and collaborate in developing a curriculum that responds to children’s strengths, interests and individual needs.
Educational leadership in action:
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- Leading and facilitating regular critical reflection discussions about professional practice and implementation of the approved learning framework/s and learning outcomes.
- Coaching educators through the assessment and planning cycle.
- Inspiring educators to maximise the educational potential of routines and transitions by modelling and promoting intentional teaching strategies.
- Observing educator-child interactions, providing constructive feedback, suggestions for improvements and identifying opportunities to scaffold children’s learning.
- Supporting educators to analyse observations and assessment information to inform planning decisions.
- Supporting educators to explore contemporary research, pedagogical theorists and evidence-informed practices.
- Modelling intentional teaching practices in all interactions and practice.
- Working collaboratively with families and other professionals to strengthen curriculum decision-making and ensure a wholistic, child-centred approach.
- Modelling, incorporating and promoting inclusive practice through everyday interactions and curriculum decision making.
- Driving continual improvement through the development of shared, ambitious goals, in collaboration with children, families and educators.
Evidence of Educational Leadership in Practice
To demonstrate how the educational leader is supported and how they lead educational practice, services may maintain evidence such as:
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- Educational leader position description, recruitment, selection and appointment records
- Meeting minutes between management and the educational leader
- Educational leader action plans or checklists
- Mentoring, coaching and observation records
- Documentation of performance appraisals and professional development plans for the Educational Leader
- Documented reflective discussions where educators critically examine current practice that leads to quality improvement
- Professional development records
- Curriculum review and evaluation documentation
- Records demonstrating support and mentoring provided to educators individually and as a team
- Team meeting agendas and minutes discussing and reflecting on pedagogy, practice and the curriculum
- QIP goals linked to educational leadership initiatives
- Examples of improvements made to the educational program because of educational leadership
Strong educational leadership is not measured by the quantity of documentation reviewed, but by the influence it has on educator practice and children’s learning. When educational leaders are genuinely supported, they can create a culture of professional inquiry where educators feel empowered to reflect, collaborate, challenge assumptions and continually improve outcomes for children.
Services that intentionally resource and support their educational leader are more likely to foster a professional learning community where a continuous improvement mindset is embedded in everyday practice across the service.
Resources:
Guide to the NQF- Standard 7.2: Leadership, Element 7.2.2: Educational leadership
ACECQA- Educational leadership page
QA 7- The role of the educational leader
Educational leadership and team building
The Educational Leader Resource – Addendum for Outside School Hours Care, Addendum for Family Day Care
ACECQA- Educational leadership videos
Leadership professional development:
Victorian Educational Leadership Program
Leadership and Management Program (QLD)
Within System7 go to Quality Area 7/ Modules 34-36 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with educational leadership. These include Educational Leader Program and Practice Goals, Educational Leader Appointment, Meeting Agenda & Minutes, Educational Leader Guide, Educational Leader Job Description, Educational Leader Yearly Plans, Educational Leader Routine Checklist and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
The Desktop – The Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 7/ 7.2.2- Educational Leadership
National Regulations – 118 – Educational leader, 148 – Educational leader (staff record), 173 (2)(d) – Prescribed information to be displayed- education and care service other than a family day care service, 173A (2)(c)- Prescribed information to be displayed- family day care service.
System7 Module – QA 7/ Modules 34-36
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