Successful school leadership in Victoria: a case study of the principal of a government secondary school

Master of EducationThis thesis reports the findings from a case study of a successful principal in a Victorian government secondary school. The subject of this case study is VF, the Principal of BW Secondary College a school that has demonstrated success on many fronts, with most attributed to the principal's leadership and vision. She was described as making a significant difference to the learning outcomes of students in her school and also increasing the student numbers at the school. The Principal was seen to have provided a vision of `BW's Personal Best'. There were high expectations of academic rigour being part of the culture. The principal's leadership was viewed as a central part of the school, important for school survival and curriculum development. Parents acknowledged the principal's strong, energetic, collaborative leadership style and her decision making process. This assisted the principal to implement and share her vision as she had gained the community's trust. Overall, there was consensus that the school was successful for the following reasons: the high VCE (Year 12) results; the fact that staff and students felt it was a safe school; that it was well run, with an `infrastructure like a well oiled machine'; that students had a strong work ethic; that there was strong leadership from the top; that the Principal had a clear vision which was consistently reinforced; that there were high expectations of both staff and students and that all staff understood what needed to be done; and finally, that there was an agreed philosophy of where the school was going