Supporting Leadership Research by Principal Associations.
Overview
Principals Australia Research Foundation Ltd (PARF) was originally registered by ASIC on the 17 April 2013. The company was previously named Principals Australia Institute Ltd (PAI), a registered charity. The new name was registered on the 2 July 2019.
The PAI ceased all operations and employment of staff on the 27 September 2018. A transition phase has seen a new Board elected and changes put in place to reflect the new direction of the charity.
The organisation was initially established by the peak principal associations to be primarily a provider of professional leaning to support school leadership and then later, managing the student wellbeing program called Kidsmatter. The educational landscape has changed and there are many professional learning providers in the market, including principal associations.
One area that principal associations have moved into is school leadership research and principal development. However, accessing funds to support research is difficult and there is a highly competitive process to win funding. Also, much of the research is led and owned by universities or independent companies. Principals Australia Research Foundation has been set up to support principal association wishing to conduct school leadership research. The key aspect is that the research is in response to a need identified by the principal association and therefore is directed and owned by the association. The outcomes aim to provide current research and information that leads to school leaders becoming more effective in their leadership.
To move the charity in a new direction and purpose, key changes were agreed with by the members, Australian Primary Principals Association Limited (APPA) and Australian Secondary Principals Association Limited (ASPA). These included a name change, amendments to the constitution including revised objects for the charity. These changes occurred on the 26 June 2019.
The objects of the Principals Australia Research Foundation Ltd are:
To be a charity with the Object to advance education including by undertaking any of the following actions:
supporting leadership in and of Australian schools through research and development that will contribute to the ongoing enhancement of educational knowledge and capabilities of educational leaders including school leaders and teachers;
collaborating with education systems and sectors, appropriate organisations and associations, universities, tertiary institutions and community groups on furthering and spreading the knowledge and understanding of effective leadership in education especially in schools; and
supporting school principals and school leaders in Australia, their associations and their schools, to build effective, inspirational and sustainable leadership through research.
Vision: School leaders will continue to build their leadership capability for the betterment of education.
In 2019, the annual application process for research funding from principal associations was opened. The Research Foundation received 8 applications and 3 were endorsed for funding. The successful associations are, N.S.W. Primary Principals’ Association, Queensland Association of State School Principals and South Australian Secondary Principals’ Association.
The research projects will be conducted in 2020, with final reports on the research due by the end of the year or early 2021.
The Research Foundation has approved funding for the following research projects to be conducted by the Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (2021); a joint project from the Australian Primary Principals Association and the Australia Secondary Principals’ Association (2022); The Australian Government Primary Principals' Association (2022); The Western Australian Secondary Schools Executive Association (2023); The Tasmanian Principals’ Association (2024); and in 2025, The Australian Primary Principals Association and the South Australian Secondary Principals Association.
Principals Australia Research Foundation Ltd is looking forward to working with the project leaders and promoting the expected outcomes from the research.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028
The Board is currently developing the Strategic Plan 2025-2028 and Operational Plan for 2025. A copy will be available soon. To support the Plan, a risk management and risk register is being reviewed. The preamble to the current document is here.
Board Members
Principals Australia Research Foundation is managed by a Board of directors, who have been nominated by the members, APPA and ASPA.
Dennis Yarrington
Chair
Dip T., B.Ed., M.Sp.Ed., M.EdL.,GAICD, Qualified Coach.
Dennis Yarrington is a leadership coach and education consultant. He was President of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) (2015-18). This role involved providing advice, representing and advocating for principals from over 7000 Australian primary schools to governments, employers and education organisations. He is a Life Member of APPA.
He was previously the founding Principal of Harrison School, a large Preschool to Year 10 School in Canberra, Australia (2007-2014). He has been involved in education for over 40 years, including the positions of teacher, executive teacher, consultant and Principal of a small country school, a large regional school, Special School and establishing a large metropolitan P-10 school.
Dennis has worked in catholic and government schools in NSW, NT and ACT. He has presented at State, National and International conferences (Italy, Canada, China, New Zealand) on school leadership, school culture, international partnerships, innovation and implementing learning communities. He has was a member of National Teacher Registration Review Panel (2018) National STEM Forum Panel (2017-18) and the ACT Schools Education Advisory Committee(2019) and served on AITSL’s Expert Leadership Committee (2015-18).
Dennis is a life member and past co-president of the ACT Principals Association and Vice-President of the Australian Government Primary Principals Association. He was a SchoolAid Board director for 6 years and has spoken to student leaders on philanthropy and Social Action Teams.
Dennis is an experienced board director and chair, with demonstarted credibility in leading organisations. He is passionate about school leadership development and a strong background in leadership research.
Michael Hall
Deputy Chair
Dip T., B.Ed., M.Ed.
Michael is currently Deputy Chair of the Principal’s Australia Research Foundation (PARF) Board. He is also the Asia/Oceania Regional Representative on the International Confederation of Principals (ICP) executive. He has been Deputy President and a Director of the Australian Secondary Principal’s Association (ASPA); is a past President of the Australian Capital Territory Principal’s Association (ACTPA) and was awarded life membership of this organisation.
Michael is an experienced School Principal and profession leader with over 20 years’ in school leadership positions. Not only has he led teaching and learning within a school environment, he has extensive experience in managing school education, recreation and community facilities. Michael has been a Principal in Canberra in a senior secondary college, a Years 7-10 High School, a Preschool-Year 10 school as well as a Deputy Principal at a Years7-12 High School and founding Manager of a Distance Education Centre in NSW.
Michael is a strong advocate for Principal and Teacher Wellbeing and has prepared a report which became the foundation for the Principal Health and Wellbeing Strategy in the ACT. He has also been a leader in ASPA’s work in this area across Australia. He is an experienced leader internationally – working with Principals in several other nations to research and shape alternative pathways for students particularly across Asia.
Michael has implemented Big Picture Education, Cambridge International Education, established a Trades Training Centre and Registered Training Organisation to enrich the Vocational Education and Training experience for students in senior school – making him a pioneer in these areas of education.
Currently Michael is working in school reviews in NSW as well as coaching newly appointed Principals in schools in Canberra. This work stems from his belief that coaching and mentoring are important for educational leaders so that they can further develop their talents as leading learners empowering them to focus on what really matters in schools and not get overloaded with mundane management matters.
Robyn Evans
Director
B.Ed., M.Ed.
Robyn currently has the role of Principal In Residence, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Public Schools, New South Wales Department of Education.
She is the immediate Past President, New South Wales Primary Principals’ Association and held this position from 2020 – 2024. The Association is a key stakeholder working in collaboration with NSW Department of Education, NSW Secondary Principals’ Council, New South Wales Teachers Federation, NESA, NSW AECG, NSW P&C Federation, NSW Government and the Public Service Authority. Robyn is currently a Board member of the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).
Robyn is a teacher first and foremost an educational leader and has been a primary principal since 2016. Her most recent principal position was at Casula Public School in South West Sydney. Robyn is an educational leader with expert qualifications and currency in reform.
Robyn’s expertise lies in Educational Leadership and pedagogical practice. She has undertaken numerous leadership roles in different contexts with broad reaching socio economic status and expectations. Robyn has initiated, led and embedded sustainable reform in schools that reflect deeply researched practices and evidence of growth and attainment.
Deborah Delwood
Director
Dip. T., Grad. Cert. Ed., M Ed., GAICD.
Deb is Deputy Principal – Advancement at Pulteney. She has forty years of experience working in both ELC -12 Independent Schools and a stand-alone primary independent school. Roles she has filled in schools were ELC director, Head of Junior School and Principal.
Other educational leadership positions she has held include the Assistant Director, Educational Services, Early Childhood/Primary with the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia (AISSA). Deb was Head of Junior School at Seymour College for 12 years, where she proved her ability as an innovative leader in education and curriculum development, and a skilled manager. She then led St Andrew’s School Walkerville as Principal for 10 years.
Deb has received awards including the John Laing Professional development award which acknowledges celebrate the contribution principals make to support the professional development of teachers and other school leaders. She has state life membership of IPSHA Independent Primary School Heads of Australia for outstanding and sustained contribution. She has been Federal President of IPSHA and on the Australian Primary Principals of Australia’s National Executive Council and been a member of the Ministerial Advisory committee: Multicultural Education and Languages (MELC) since 2017.
Angela Falkenberg
Director
B.Ed.,M.Ed.,Grad Dip. Strategic Leadership
Angela Falkenberg is an experienced school and education leader whose personal leadership commitment is to support students, educators, and families to have skills of resilience and optimism and for leaders to be and lead well. She makes effective use of data and research and has curated a range of ‘fit for purpose’ high impact culture building and wellbeing strategies that make a positive difference.
She is currently the elected President of the Australian Primary Principals Association, past principal of three primary schools, and has held leadership positions in secondary schools and in system roles (she has been a wellbeing leader, behaviour coach, a literacy leadership coach and led the recruitment and development of teachers to SA’s Aboriginal and Anangu Schools).
Her teaching career began in indigenous education in the NT and has included roles in primary and secondary education with a focus on students and families experiencing educational disadvantage. She also led a three-year health care project in the neonatal nurseries of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and is a past president of charity SIDS and Kids SA. She holds a master’s degree in special education and continues to embrace the joy of life-long learning.
Angela is also rational optimist as she can’t see the point in being anything else.
Matthew Wigzell
Director
Recently retired after a career of over 45 years in investment markets, principally as a financial adviser, and senior divisional manager in a number of Australian Stockbroking firms.
Jayne Heath
Director
B.Ed.
Jayne is currently Chief Executive of the South Australian Secondary Principals Association (SASPA)
Ros Oates
Director
B.Ed., M.EdL.
I have dedicated over 28 years of my career to teaching and leading in our rural areas of South Australia and supported many low socio-economic communities. I have led three schools in 16 years, including St Joseph's Gladstone, St Barbara's Roxby Downs and Our Lady of the River School Berri. At the beginning of 2022, I moved back to St Joseph's Murray Bridge as Principal of the newly established school, including Middle Years (R-9).
I am well respected among my peers, having held an executive position on the South Australian Catholic Primary Principals Association (SACPPA), the Vice President and Treasurer of the Australian Catholic Primary Principal Association (ACPPA), and a board member of the Australian Primary Principal Association (APPA) and inaugural board member of the Principal Australia Research Foundation (PARF).