How we set principal salary grades

Principals' salaries are made up of a roll-based component and other components including staffing. We set the salary grade for the roll-based component using the principal grading roll.

The principal grading roll is the school's provisional resourcing roll including:

• the new entrant adjustment, and
• a weighting for Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) students.

The salary grades that correspond to different roll ranges are listed in the relevant collective agreement.

Secondary principals' collective agreements

Area school principals' collective agreements

Primary principals' (NZEI) collective agreement

Primary principals' (PPCBU) collective agreement

Recalculating the grading roll

We recalculate the principal grading roll using the 1 March actual roll. The greater of this result, or the principal's provisional grading, becomes the principal's confirmed grading for the year.

Any grading increase is backdated to the beginning of the school year. See the appropriate collective agreement for more information.

How we count students for principal salary grading

The weighting for ORS students means:

• students classified as ‘very high’ under ORS are counted as 6 students instead of 1
• students classified as ‘high’ or ‘extension’ under ORS are counted as 3 students instead of 1.

For the provisional grading ORS students are counted as at 1 July in the previous year. When the grading is recalculated as part of the confirmed roll process, ORS students from 1 March in the current year are counted.

In a small number of special residential and other schools, each student is counted as 1, 3, or 6 for the principal grading roll.

In new schools with notional rolls, the principal’s grading roll is determined by that notional roll and as specified in the Education (School Staffing) Order in Council for that year.

Education (2024 School Staffing) Order 2023 – New Zealand Legislation

In all cases, the principal grading roll excludes:

• international fee-paying students
• assisted students whose fees are paid by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Where to find a principal's salary grade

You can view the principal’s grading roll in Pourato. A principal's salary grade (U-grade) can be viewed in the header of the staffing entitlement information.

Finding information in Pourato – Applications and Online Systems