Secondary principals secure new pay deal with boosts for leadership and NCEA changes

Stanford says the settlement is an important milestone that acknowledges the vital leadership role principals play within school communities.

Education Minister Erica Stanford has welcomed the successful completion of pay negotiations for New Zealand’s secondary school principals, following a majority vote by members of both the Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SPANZ) and the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to renew the Secondary Principals’ Collective Agreement.

Stanford says the settlement is an important milestone that acknowledges the vital leadership role principals play within school communities.

“Secondary principals play a pivotal role delivering on our priorities, raising student achievement and leading school communities. This agreement recognises their significant contribution to making a difference for our young people,” she said. “I’m thrilled they will benefit from pay increases from Term 1 next year.”

The newly negotiated collective agreement covers approximately 330 secondary principals nationwide and includes several key improvements:

• A base salary increase of 4.7%, supporting principals as they continue to manage increasing administrative, academic and pastoral responsibilities

• A new $15,000 allowance recognising the substantial workload involved in leading schools through ongoing NCEA changes, including curriculum alignment, assessment adjustments, and implementation of new achievement standards

• Additional recognition and support for principals who contribute to new national programmes designed to mentor aspiring and beginning principals, strengthening leadership pipelines across the education sector

Stanford emphasised that the settlement reflects constructive, good-faith bargaining between all parties. She thanked Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche for his role in guiding negotiations to a successful conclusion.

“This agreement is the result of mutually constructive negotiations and a bargaining process conducted in good faith,” she said. “I thank Sir Brian Roche for seeing these negotiations through.”

The Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting teachers and principals as core drivers of student success.

“We are firmly committed to backing teachers to succeed in the classroom so every student, regardless of background, has the chance to reach their potential at school,” Stanford said.

The agreement is expected to strengthen stability in the secondary sector while supporting schools through ongoing education reforms, including curriculum updates, literacy and numeracy improvements, and system-wide achievement goals.