Are you working as a head of department or subject area? Perhaps you’re in a leadership position driving professional learning for colleagues? While the terms used to refer to middle leaders may differ between school contexts, they play a pivotal role in supporting teacher practices and student outcomes (AITSL, n.d.).
To support the development of middle leaders, and to recognise the importance of their role in schools, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) has developed national Middle Leadership Standards. Their use is voluntary, but they’ve already started being adopted in schools. In this Q&A, we speak with AITSL CEO Tim Bullard about why the standards were developed and how they can be used. He also shares some practical examples of what the standards might look like in action.
How do you define middle leaders for the purpose of these standards?
For these standards, middle leaders are qualified teachers who also have important leadership and management responsibilities across a range of areas. Most commonly, they are the people who guide teams of teachers to implement curriculum and pedagogy, and importantly, at the classroom level, help drive school improvement efforts that strengthen teaching effectiveness and growth in learning and wellbeing of children and young people. While middle leader roles differ across Australia, these standards identify the core leadership capabilities that are shared across these diverse positions.
The national Australian Professional Standards for Middle Leaders join AITSL’s other standards for teachers and principals. Why was it important to develop standards for middle leaders?
Middle leaders play a vital role in improving learner outcomes and are a key driver of school improvement. Their work is complex, influential, and central to the day-to-day functioning of schools. Developing the Middle Leader Standards was essential to recognise the importance of this role and to provide a clear, research-informed professional framework that sits between the Teacher Standards and the Principal Standard. The standards offer clarity, consistency, and support for leadership growth across all levels of capability.
Tell us about the development process for these standards. What did it involve? Who was engaged to contribute?
The standards were developed through a rigorous, research-informed process led by AITSL in partnership with the Queensland Department of Education. We engaged an expert academic panel of national and international experts and really reviewed the evidence.
Throughout the project, we engaged extensively with the profession, including teachers, middle leaders, principals, systems and sectors, ensuring the standards were grounded in the realities of contemporary middle leadership. This process ensured the final framework is fit-for-purpose, evidence-informed, and aligned with what effective middle leaders already do.
Educators told us that the standards accurately capture the complexity and significance of middle-leadership work. They valued the detail, specificity and clarity the standards bring to roles that have historically been highly varied and sometimes poorly defined. Overwhelmingly, educators emphasised the usefulness of the standards in supporting the work of middle leaders. They felt that the standards reflect existing responsibilities rather than adding new workload, affirming that they describe, validate, and elevate the work already happening in schools.
The standards are not compulsory for middle leaders, but they are freely accessible and available for use now. How do you hope they’ll be used by educators?
We’re pleased to say that these standards are already being used in some schools across Australia, and we hope this continues to grow as they are a practical tool for professional growth. They can guide reflection, goal setting, capability development, feedback conversations, and professional learning planning. For aspiring leaders, the standards provide a clear pathway into middle leadership and beyond. For experienced middle leaders, they offer a structured way to refine practice and strengthen impact on teaching and learning. Their use is entirely voluntary, but early adoption shows the profession already sees strong value in them.
You’ve said that all 6 of the standards are important, but you certainly see 2 of the core ones (leading improvement in teaching practice and coordinating high-impact teaching and learning) as most likely to have the greatest impact on improving student progress and achievement. Are these the 2 standards that middle leaders should always ‘have on their radar’ as a main focus of their practice?
Yes. While all 6 standards work together, these 2 core standards go to the heart of middle-leadership influence, lifting the effectiveness of teaching and ensuring high-impact practices are coordinated and embedded across teams. They are key drivers of improved student progress and achievement and should remain central to a middle leader’s ongoing focus.
Could you give an example of what this might look like in action for leading improvement in teaching and learning?
A practical example might involve a middle leader analysing student learning data with their team, identifying areas for targeted improvement, identifying relevant, evidence-based practices to implement, and leading collaborative, structured cycles of professional learning to address the improvement targets. This professional learning could include building teachers' knowledge of effective instructional strategies, establishing high-trust, high-challenge collaboration among teachers, and providing targeted feedback to build capability.
While principals have traditionally overseen school-wide improvement, the core work of school improvement is based close to students. It has long taken place within teaching teams and learning areas – middle leaders have always been central to it. The standards now clearly define and articulate that responsibility, giving structure and recognition to practices already occurring in schools.
And what might it look like in action for coordinating high-impact teaching and learning?
In practice, this might involve a middle leader coordinating the consistent use of high-impact pedagogical approaches across a faculty or year level to teach a knowledge-rich curriculum. For example, ensuring explicit instruction or formative assessment practices are implemented reliably and effectively. They may support teachers to implement these approaches for diverse learners, facilitate collaborative planning, and monitor impact over time using evidence of student learning.
Again, this is not about adding new tasks; it clarifies the important coordinating role middle leaders already play in shaping effective teaching and supporting improved rates of student learning progress and levels of achievement.
References
AITSL. (n.d.). Spotlight: Middle leadership in Australian schools. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlights/middle-leadership-in-australian-schools
Are you currently a middle leader? Do you see the 6 standards reflected in your day-to-day work? Can you give an example of how you’ve used them in action?
Are you hoping to become a middle leader soon in your career? How could you use these standards to guide your goal setting and professional learning planning?
