Your legal duties as a principal

What the law says you must do

1. Decide each pupil’s programme after talking with their teachers, and with their parents or guardians where it makes sense.
2. Examine pupils in the subjects taught, in the way regulation 44 sets out.
3. Control the school buildings, grounds, equipment and furniture.
4. Give staff their duties.
5. Be responsible for the discipline of the school.
6. Supervise the teachers.
7. With your teachers, prepare a scheme of work based on the official curriculum and suited to your pupils.
8. Prepare the timetable and organise the school by it. Make it available to pupils, teachers, education officers and anyone acting for the Minister.
9. Lead improvement of the educational programme, and guide and advise teachers.
10. Share out teachers’ duties to make the best use of each teacher’s strengths.
11. Take the steps needed so pupils make satisfactory progress in every part of the curriculum.
12. Register pupils by course of study, record their progress and send periodic progress reports to parents.
13. Keep discipline throughout the school at all times.
14. Administer corporal punishment when necessary, and delegate that authority to the deputy principal and senior teachers where applicable. This is how the regulation is worded.
15. Hold at least one staff meeting each term and keep a record of it.
16. Take reasonable care for pupils’ physical safety during all school activities, including recess.
17. Make sure the school premises are clean and well kept.
18. Make sure teachers are evaluated under the Education (Teacher Evaluation) Regulations.
19. Work with parents, parent-teacher associations and related bodies.
20. Supervise the non-teaching staff.
21. Make sure pupils’ attendance is recorded in the attendance register.
22. Report each year on the state of the school premises.
23. Pass correspondence from staff to the right person without delay.