Victorian Aspiring Principal Assessment assessors

Become an assessor for the Victorian Aspiring Principal Assessment (VAPA) and support a system-wide approach to identifying and preparing future principals.

The Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership (the Academy) delivers VAPA as part of a system-wide approach to identify and prepare Victoria’s next generation of principals. The assessment enables aspiring and past principals to: 

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

VAPA entails a mixed-method approach to assessment and reporting combining an interview, 360-degree assessment, and an annotated portfolio.

Role of assessors

VAPA candidates are assessed by a panel comprising a lead assessor and a partner assessor. These individuals are trained in VAPA framework and assessment methods and are responsible for making an overall ‘on-balance’ judgement of a candidate’s current level of competence.

They play a critical role in onboarding candidates, assessing and scoring portfolios, preparing for and conducting interviews, and moderating and finalising candidate scores.

You can find out more about role and its responsibilities by downloading the position overview.

Expressions of interest

Expressions of interest are currently open for 2023 VAPA assessors. To submit your interest, complete this form.

You will need to register as a new user in Award Force or log in using your current active credentials, then choose VAPA assessors from the dropdown menu and complete the form.

To be considered for the role, you will need to respond to the key selection criteria:

• demonstrated experience and record of successful school leadership and credibility in the profession 
• a strong understanding of the principal role and the work of educational leaders,
• technical capabilities to undertake all assessment tasks in an online mode
• understanding of and experience using competency-based assessment methods (e.g. portfolio, interview assessment) and developmental frameworks. 

If you would like to know more about the role or the expression of interest process, contact the Academy VAPA team, at vapa@education.vic.gov.au.