Secondary Principals’ Collective Agreement 2025-2028
The Secondary Principals’ Collective Agreementopen_in_new (SPCA) was ratified in December 2025 for a term of 30 months from 9 December 2025 to 8 June 2028.
What changes should you be aware of?
Along with base remuneration increases, the new SPCA includes these key changes:
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A new NCEA Change Implementation allowance to be paid in five $3,000 instalments between December 2025 and December 2027.
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Increases of $1,500 to the Secondary School Principal Career payments.
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Increases to MITA rates to align the SPCA with the Area School Principals’ Collective Agreement.
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Updates to the annual leave provisions to reinforce expectations around annual leave planning, recording, and management, ensuring that principals are supported and encouraged to take their full leave entitlement each year (see clauses 5.9 and 5.10 and our article Annual leave for principalsopen_in_new).
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Introduction of a principal mentor allowance, entitling principals who mentor participants as part of the Aspiring and Beginning Principals Programmesopen_in_new to $5,000 per annum (see clause 3.10).
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The splitting of the U16 grade into U16-U19 to acknowledge the leadership scope, scale and responsibilities of larger schools (see clause 3.1.1).
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Tightening of the criteria for disregarded sick leave, including removing eligibility for disregarded sick leave when the raising of a complaint/personal grievance against the employer has substantially caused a stress-related or non-physical illness, where the employee being subject to a disciplinary or competency process has substantially caused the sickness or as part of settlement of an employment relationship problem or a negotiated exit from employment (see cl 5.2.7(e)).
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Introduction of the requirement to obtain the concurrence of the Secretary of Education for any medical retirement (see clause 7.1.7).
What actions are required of you?
Existing employees on IEAs – all employees on Individual Employment Agreements (IEAs) based on the SPCA will need to sign a new IEA to receive the new pay rates and enhanced conditions.
The new IEA is available from the Ministry of Education’s Secondary principals' collective and individual employment agreementsopen_in_new page.
The new rates and conditions will apply from the date the IEA is signed.
New appointments – all new staff covered by the SPCA will need to be offered an SPCA-specific letter of offer for employment.
These can be accessed from our Recruitment and Appointmentsopen_in_new section of the Resource Centre.
If they are not a member of PPTA Te Wehengarua or SPANZ, and choose not to join a union, they will need to sign the promulgated IEA for area school principalsopen_in_new.
Do not use old letters saved to your computer as they are out of date.
Templates, resources, and references
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Ministry of Education