Victorian Aspiring Principal Assessment (VAPA)

The VAPA enables aspiring and past principals to:

• evaluate your readiness for the principal role
• identify your targeted professional development needs
• create an evidence base for professional recognition of performance.

Delivered in partnership with the University of Melbourne and Genos International, VAPA is accessible to all aspiring and past Victorian principals to complete in their own time and in their own environment.

Candidates are provided with expert guidance and feedback at each stage of the process by trained VAPA assessors, who have been selected for their expertise and experience in Victoria’s school system.

To learn more about the VAPA or to understand more about the portfolio component, register for an upcoming online or face-to-face information session.

Audience

Roles

• school leaders
• aspiring principals
• past principals.

People from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Note: To be eligible for employment as a substantive principal, a person must have a Statement of Readiness following completion of the VAPA. For more information, visit the Department of Education’s Recruitment in Schools policy.

School sectors

This program is available to the following school sectors:

• Victorian government
• Catholic
• independent.

Some content may contain information aligned with Department of Education priorities or initiatives.

VAPA and Unlocking Potential: Principal Preparation (UP)

UP aims to prepare aspiring principals for the principal role, and also supports you to undertake the VAPA.

Structure 

• aspiring principals: registration, application, assessment and outcome
• past principals: registration, assessment and outcome.

Application

As an aspiring principal, you must:

• complete a brief self-assessment
• provide a short biography
• submit a sample of practice against 5 professional practice areas. 

Applications are reviewed and successful applicants receive a formal offer of place in the assessment. 

Assessment

A mixed-method approach and self-paced. 

The purpose of this stage is to gather a rich evidence base of your professional practice and emotionally intelligent leadership competencies.

As an aspiring principal, you must:

• complete a 360-degree feedback assessment (1 hour)
• submit a professional practice portfolio (approx. 12 hours)
• complete an interview (approx. 1.5 hours).

As a past principal, you must:

• submit a career map
• complete a 360-degree feedback assessment (1 hour).

Note: for aspiring principals, the minimum time commitment is 18 hours, which can be completed in 5 weeks, including portfolio creation. Maximum completion time is 3 months.

Outcome

You will receive two detailed reports that indicate your strengths and areas for development against the professional practice areas and the emotionally intelligent leadership competencies.

At the conclusion of the assessment, you and an assessor will meet twice to debrief, using the reports as the basis of a professional discussion focusing on both the strengths and areas that may be targeted to maximise growth.

The two debriefs take approximately 90 minutes each.

Fees and financial support

We significantly subsidise costs for all participants.

Application process

To begin the process, aspiring and past principals must register for the VAPA.

Aspiring principals

As part of the application process, you are required to:

• complete a brief self-assessment
• provide a short biography 
• submit a sample of practice against five professional practice areas. 

For more information on the application process for aspiring principals, refer to our VAPA Application Guide.

Past principals

You must select ‘past principal’ on the registration form. This will assign you to the streamlined past principal process and allow your prior experience and expertise to be assessed.

You will commence the VAPA process at the assessment stage, as outlined above.