Excellence in Leadership

Award Sponsorship

The CaSPA Leadership Excellence Award is sponsored by the CaSPA Partners to recognise and celebrate the pursuit of excellence by Principals in Secondary Schools within Catholic Education in Australia.

The Leadership Excellence Award will be presented at the biennial CaSPA Conference. The award will include a crystal trophy and a scholarship to the value of $2,000.

Nomination Protocols

Nominations for the Leadership Excellence Award in each State and Territory will be open to all Secondary School Principals working within the Catholic Education Sector who are members, through their State/Territory Principals' Association, of Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CaSPA). The State and Territory nominations, together with appropriate achievement substantiation, will be made to the Executive of the Catholic Principals' Association in each respective State and Territory.

Please see the Selection Criteria Guide below to use as a possible guide for nominations. Nominations do not need to cover all criteria and should be no more than 500 words.

State and Territory Associations will evaluate all nominations and forward the most outstanding nomination to the Executive Officer of Catholic Secondary Principals Australia Board for consideration for the national award. Each State and Territory Nominee will receive an Award at the biennial CaSPA Conference.

The CaSPA Board, comprising a Director from each State and Territory Catholic Association, will make the final recommendation for the national Leadership Excellence Award.

Current CaSPA Board members are ineligible for nomination, but can be nominated for the Awards Ceremony immediately following their resignation as a Director even if they are no longer serving as a Principal.

Selection Criteria Guide

1. Catholic Identity and Ethos;
1.1. Ethos: Catholic beliefs, values, traditions and practices are integrated into the daily life of the school and underpin the school culture and ways of working.
1.2. Formation: The school is a faith community, nurturing spiritual development both individually and collectively, in collaboration with the parish and community.
1.3. Relationships: Positive, respectful, empathetic relationships demonstrate witness of Christ and are the cornerstone of all interactions between school stakeholders.
2. Teaching and Learning;
2.1. Culture: A culture of high expectations supports the belief that all students are deeply valued individuals and capable learners.
2.2. Curriculum: There is clear alignment between assessment, teaching, learning and reporting within an appropriate range of learning pathways.
2.3. Assessment and Reporting: Quality assessment practices provide accurate and timely feedback to students and teachers, and advice to parent/carer.
2.4. Engagement: Students are actively and purposefully engaged in rich learning experiences; teachers know curriculum content and how to teach it.
2.5. Inclusion: There is provision for all learners regardless of background.
2.6. Engagement: Teachers and other staff model active engagement in self-reflection, professional learning, team work and professional commitment.
3. Leadership Capacity;
3.1. Mission and Strategy: Leaders and teams think, plan and act strategically to live and share the mission of Catholic education.
3.2. Instructional Leadership: Leaders and teams make teaching and learning the core focus of the school.
3.3. People and Networks: Leaders and teams understand, value, build capacity in and care about people; they work in communities and networks.
3.4. Organization and Management: Principals and teams use technologies and collaborative planning to provide a secure, effective and efficient learning environment and support structures.
3.5. Parents and Community: School leaders provide explicit processes and structures, and actively facilitate parent/carer and partner engagement with the school.
4. Pastoral Care and Well-Being;
4.1. Organization: The school organization and culture promotes pastoral care and positive health and wellbeing.
4.2. Care. Stakeholders work together to plan, share and evaluate wellbeing and pastoral care learning and practice.
4.3. Responsibility. Partnerships with parents/carers and service providers put a range of pastoral care and wellbeing services within reach of all students and staff.
4.4. Intervention. Targeted interventions are planned and delivered when staff and students are at risk of not achieving reasonable health and wellbeing outcomes.
5. Communication, Networks and Community.
5.1. Partnership: There is a robust partnership between teachers, parents/carers and students, and the school and its community.
5.2. Cultural Diversity: School culture is attuned to and respectful of community cultures.
6. Finance, Facilities and Resources including ICT; and
6.1. Finance: Effective financial management complies with appropriate standards and optimizes learning outcomes.
6.2. Facilities: Effective facilities management promotes safety, comfort and optimum learning.
6.3. Resources: The effective management of resources, including information and communication technologies, promotes efficiency and positive learning outcomes.
6.4. Stewardship: Environmental stewardship and sustainability are key factors in decision making about learning and school management.
6.5. Human Resources: People who work for and with the school are managed and led creatively, respectfully and in accordance with legal and policy frameworks.
7. Innovative practice by means of strategic planning, implementation of improvement focussed initiatives, protocols and processes to ensure the achievement of excellent outcomes for :
7.1. the School/College
7.2. Leadership Team
7.3. Staff, Students and Community
7.4. The broader Catholic Sector
7.5. Education in the local Region
7.6. Education in the broader/jurisdicition and National Education Communities