Welcome

Welcome to the NSW Branch of IPSHA

To work collegially in education for the holistic benefit of children is a most honourable pursuit and important undertaking to safeguard the future for all. Therefore the mandate of IPSHA to ensure support and assistance to Heads of Junior Schools in a way that is collegial, warm and personal is welcomed as a practical means of seeing this ideal realised.

The support we provide to Heads of schools is threefold and includes direct support and professional development for Heads, the opportunity for staff development through umbrella groups and the provision for sporting and cultural opportunities for our children. Since the Association’s inception in 1952, there has been a strong collegial platform to the support members have enjoyed. We implicitly understand that our schools can be lonely places to lead from and thus to know that we can rely on the collegial trust and support of colleagues in similar situations is most welcome and reassuring. The professional development offered to Heads at our meetings, country weekends and biennial conferences is first rate and speaks directly to the issues so pressing and demanding in our daily roles.

The Umbrella Groups provide excellent professional development and collegial support for specialist staff within schools. This is especially valuable where schools have just a single staff member responsible for the delivery of a KLA and opportunities for networking and discussion pertinent to their subject discipline are difficult to achieve within the school confines. The IPSHA Umbrella groups are an ideal vehicle for such forums.

IPSHA (NSW) provides sporting and cultural opportunities for students in members’ schools. Each Saturday alone over 6000 students engage in sporting endeavours around Sydney in games that are designed to develop skills, fitness, teamwork and camaraderie. In addition to this the Association provides cultural activities such as debating, music festivals, travelling art exhibitions and social issue forums for our students.

Whether through direct support to the Head, or in less overt ways through provision of activities for staff and students, the Association is committed to facilitating enhanced educational outcomes.

These are certainly turbulent and changing times with the National Curriculum set to become a reality and issues of funding to primary education a real imperative. Thus, to have an Association such as IPSHA, where we can seek information and support while also finding a voice to contribute constructively to such debates, is certainly worthwhile and invaluable.

As with any membership, it is in the contributing and involvement that benefit is had. Thus I warmly encourage all members to fully engage in the opportunities presented as a means of seeking support and assistance in our roles as leaders in primary education.

Sally Ruston
IPSHA (NSW) President 2008-2010