Home
Help for Boards
Board as the Employer
Board as Employer of Principals
Professional Growth Cycle (PGC) for principals

Professional Growth Cycle (PGC) for principals

In 2023, the Teaching Council, in partnership with the profession, introduced the Professional Growth Cycle (PGC) for Principals, Ngā Tumuaki, and ECE Professional Leaders.

The PGC is the process by which the Teaching Council determines whether a principal meets its standards – The Standards | Ngā Paerewa.open_in_new

What is the principal responsible for?

The principal is responsible for their own PGC, which includes establishing an annual professional development plan.

They are expected to work in consultation with other leaders from within their Professional Learning Network (also known as a PLN) of colleagues, which could include their peers or an external mentor.

The principal is required to share their professional growth cycle plan with the board (or delegate) and seek the board’s support to implement it.

Principals must meet the requirements of the PGC to receive their:

  • Annual endorsement statement, and

  • Triennial endorsement for their practicing certificate renewal.

A member of their PLN will be required to confirm annually that the principal has participated in the PGC and whether they meet The Standards | Ngā Paerewaopen_in_new.

Which board member(s) should be involved in the PGC process?

This depends on your board, your policies, and the delegations you have made to committees or individual board members.

The Teaching Council suggests that the PGC process can be managed between the principal and the presiding member.

However, we remind boards that board members can only act on behalf of the board if they have the written delegation to do so.

We suggest your board discusses how you want to manage the PGC process and clearly record your decision in the minutes of that meeting, annually, early in Term 1.

How should boards measure school performance?

Changing to an annually endorsed PGC for principals has required a shift in the board’s approach to measuring school performance.

One of the aims of the PGC is to reduce compliance activities for boards and principals, leaving more time to focus on key areas such as the board’s strategic plan.

Moving forward, board-level discussions should be focused on the strategic plan, annual implementation plan, and progress towards the agreed outcomes.

That’s why your board must develop clear expectations through strategic planning and policy direction.

These expectations will then be monitored and reviewed through the principal regularly reporting to the board against the strategic plan, the annual implementation plan, and policies as required.

For more guidance, please see our strategic planning and reporting articles.

What happens to principal performance agreements and annual appraisals?

All principals are covered by a Collective Agreement, which sets out the terms and conditions of their employment. Traditionally, these required a principal performance agreement and annual appraisal. However, the Collective Agreements were renegotiated in 2023 and this requirement was removed.  

Professional growth (regarding teaching and learning) and whether the principal meets Teaching Council standards is now addressed through the PGC. A member of the principal’s professional learning network will confirm on an annual basis that the professional leader participated in a PGC and meets The Standards | Ngā Paerewa.open_in_new

Other aspects once dealt with using performance agreements and appraisals, are now handled by the principal collective agreements.

More information is available in our article on monitoring and assessing principal performance. 

It is important to note that although The Standards | Ngā Paerewa open_in_newcan appear to relate to the Professional Standards of principals, they are for different purposes and should not be mixed. 

Questions your board could ask  

  • Have we discussed and agreed on how we will support the PGC process with our principal? 

  • Have we documented this decision, and are any delegations required? 

  • Has the principal shared their annual professional development plan with us?

  • Does the principal need board support to implement their professional development plan?

  • What PLD has been identified that may require board support and funding?

  • Who is our principal’s endorser? 

Templates, resources, and references  

Click on the link(s) below to access the templates, resources, and references related to this topic.

These may download or open in a separate browser depending on your device.

Links from us

Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand