When it comes to the progress and achievement of young learners, school leadership matters.
Strong evidence exists that leadership which focuses on improving teaching and learning has a significant impact on student achievement. This impact is amplified in schools in challenging circumstances. This is also the case when leading teaching and learning is widely distributed so there is a shared responsibility for improving the quality of teaching across a school.
For Australia to achieve its goal of making sure all young Australians become successful learners and achieve excellent outcomes, it is essential that leaders in all jurisdictions and at every level of school leadership are properly equipped to have the maximum impact on teaching and learning. School leadership development has to be a national priority in education.