PRINCIPAL INDUCTION CONFERENCE 2026
P&C Federation NSW’s Guide to P&Cs
What is a P&C?
P&C Associations are volunteer groups of parents and citizens who play an important role in bringing public school communities into close collaboration. Through a range of activities, meetings, and events, P&C Associations are working to enrich public school communities and to unite them around the shared goal of enhancing public education.
P&C Associations Exist To:
Θ Promote the interests of the school by bringing parents, citizens, students and teaching staff into close cooperation.
Θ Assist in providing facilities and equipment for the school and in promoting the recreation and welfare of the students.
Θ Encourage parent and community participation in curriculum and other education issues where there is no school council.
How P&Cs Help Schools
Merit Selection
When a job vacancy at the school goes to a merit selection panel (e.g. school principal, head teacher, etc.), the school’s P&C must be given the opportunity to provide a parent representative. If there is no P&C at the school, the P&C Federation will be given the option to nominate one of its representatives. For this reason, having a P&C at the school ensures there is a local parent voice in selecting school staff.
Funding Support
P&Cs are often the biggest contributor funds to schools outside of Department funding. P&Cs raise funds for a range of projects, improvements, upgrades and more, in line with P&C core Objects and for enrichment projects beyond what the Department of Education funds, such as:
Θ Playground upgrades, gardens, and recreational items (e.g. table tennis tables)
Θ Technology enhancements (e.g. tablets, robotics kits, interactive whiteboards)
Θ Additional library resources (e.g. cushions, beanbags, shelving)
Θ Play and wellbeing items (e.g. sporting equipment, board games)
Θ School event support (e.g. performances, cultural activities, meals)
Θ Special programs that support inclusion, wellbeing or student engagement
As P&C Associations are not under school management, they are often eligible for various community grants that government schools are not eligible for, which can support various projects in the school.
The Principal’s Role Ex Officio Membership
As a school Principal, you are automatically part of your school’s P&C. This is known as “ex officio” membership, meaning you are a member by virtue of your role as principal.
While Principals cannot hold elected P&C positions such as President, Secretary or Treasurer, they can participate in discussions and vote on matters at P&C meetings. As with any member, it’s important to be mindful of conflicts of interest and step aside from discussions where appropriate.
Principals also play an important role in keeping the P&C informed about what’s happening at the school, often through a short Principal’s Report at meetings or in the meeting minutes.
Attendance at meetings isn’t mandatory, but your presence and insight can strengthen collaboration and help build a positive partnership between the school and the parent community.
Advocacy Case Study #1
Narrabeen Sports High:
Securing brand new CAPA Performing Arts Hall & Infrastructure Upgrades
An earlier multi-million dollar commitment stalled over ten years and was dumped leading to poorly maintained and neglected facilities.
“…this was unacceptable to our community — so we went public to get noticed.”
“The P&C played a central role — working closely with school leadership while advocating in ways principals often cannot. Our strategy focused on raising the school’s profile with both the NSW Government and the NSW Department of Education. This investment will give our students and teachers a renewed sense of pride and belonging. It’s a powerful affirmation that they are worth it”.
Suzie Stanford, President, Narrabeen Sports High School
Advocacy Case Study #2
Jerrabomberra High School
Joint advocacy Principal by primary school to reopen High school
When Jerrabomberra Public School opened in 2002, it quickly became a thriving centre of the community and now enrols more than 900 students each year. For decades, however, one key piece of local infrastructure was missing: a high school.
Families wanted their children to be able to continue their education close to home and transition to secondary school alongside their primary school friends. Parents, residents and the school community advocated consistently for a local secondary option, highlighting the needs of a growing suburb built around young families.
In 2018, the community’s persistence paid off when the long-awaited Jerrabomberra High School was announced. By January 2023, the first cohort of Year 7 and 8 students walked through the gates of a temporary “pop-up” campus while permanent facilities are developed.
The energy that had built during the advocacy campaign quickly flowed into supporting the new school.
Jerrabomberra Public School already had an active and enthusiastic P&C Association, and many parents were eager to continue that involvement at the high school.
The inaugural Jerrabomberra High School P&C Association formed in July 2022, bringing the community together even before the school officially opened. For principals, the Jerrabomberra story is a helpful reminder that P&C Associations are often powerful community advocates. When principals and P&Cs work together, that shared commitment can help ensure schools grow in ways that reflect the needs and aspirations of the families they serve.
Advocacy Case Study #3
Homebush Boys High School:
Securing $2.1million upgrade through P&C advocacy
March 2021 NSW Premier announces $2.1 million upgrade to Homebush Boys High School following a petition to the NSW Parliament that gar nered general community support. “Once we realised that the reasonable requests made by the Principal were being ignored and that we could never fundraise our way through this, we decided to go straight to the NSW Parliament… with the support or our local MP”
Cathy Callaghan, President Homebush Boys High School P&C
What do you value most about your public school?
Sense of community for child & family
Building Facilities
School Staff
Equity, diversity & inclusion
Academic Achievements & Low / No Cost
How would you describe your P&C’s relationship with your school principal?
Very Negative
Negative
Acceptable Positive
Very Positive
Supporting your P&C
A strong partnership between a principal and the school’s P&C is one of the most effective ways to build a vibrant school community. Most P&Cs rate their relationship with the principal as very positive when there’s regular communication, mutual respect, and shared purpose. Here are fun, practical ways to make that happen:
Be Present
Attend P&C Meetings where possible. Provide a short Principal’s Report with updates on school priorities, achievements and upcoming focus areas. If you cannot attend, provide a written report or nominate someone to attend on your behalf. Visibility demonstrates that you value the partnership.
Communicate Regularly
Promote P&C Activities and Achievements in the school newsletter. Invite the P&C to contribute content. Support the promotion of P&C meetings and events through school communication channels, including social media and the school website, where appropriate.
Collaborate on Planning & Budget
Invite the P&C to comment on school priorities and planned spending. Share key goals early in the year so fundraising and advocacy efforts can align with school needs. Transparency builds trust and improves outcomes.
Support Events & Fundraising
Work together to ensure P&C events are well supported and promoted. Encourage staff participation where suitable. Recognise and acknowledge the contribution of volunteers publicly.
Align on Goals
Discuss advocacy and fundraising priorities for the year. Agree on shared objectives so the P&C’s efforts directly support strategic school initiatives. Encourage Community Involvement
Help create opportunities for families to engage with the P&C. Support inclusive practices that encourage new and diverse parent participation.
Celebrate Success
Acknowledge milestones, fundraising achievements and community impact. Recognition strengthens morale and reinforces the value of partnership.
Principal In Action
Haberfield Primary School Principal, Kristy Haggett
I believe wholeheartedly in strong partnerships with our parents and community and have seen firsthand the benefits these partnerships have.
At Haberfield Public School, our P&C is one of our greatest assets. By building trusting connections with parents and remembering to ‘keep students at the centre of everything we do’, we have had over two years of incredible outcomes.
The parents of the P&C are volunteers who generously give of their time and energy and go above and beyond, with the sole purpose of impacting positively on our school and students.
Together, we have worked with local council to improve roads surrounding the schools, applied for and received grants, raised funds for infrastructure and additional outside areas, provided additional resources and organised numerous community events. All of which, have long lasting outcomes that benefit the school and staff.
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Looking around, what we have achieved in terms of not only the built infrastructure, but also the change of culture within the school, is something we can all be proud of.
The P&C have a huge range of subcommittees: Inclusion, First Nations, Sustainability, Traffic, Creative Arts, Grants, Uniform and Fundraising. You name it, and we have the parent engagement to support.
I’m genuinely passionate about P&C partnerships and supporting strong, collaborative relationships between schools and their communities. When I first became Principal at Haberfield, I made a conscious effort to be visible and available to connect with parents. From there, I was able to listen to understand what was working, and importantly what needed improvement to support needs and growth. By not implementing a ‘top down’ communication, I was able to hear the narrative and value the diverse perspectives coming from the parents and make space for them in the school. It’s not difficult, it just takes following through on promises, working alongside parents, having respectful communication and seeing the P&C and parents as partners, honouring their role in education and their child’s learning.
For students, seeing their parents on school grounds working with teachers, impacts their perspective of education long term, and they understand we are in partnership. Parents and schools working on the one team, only positively benefits student learning outcomes.
Department of Education Supports Parent Voice in Education
Read more about the work that we do in partnership with the Department of Education to support and enrich public schools throughout NSW in the ‘Productive Partnerships guidebook: This resource supports principals and their local P&C Association to clarify their respective roles and responsibilities:
Θ establish their agreed ways of working together
Θ reflect on and develop their processes and practices for collaboration
Θ support schools and P&C Associations where issues or conflict arise.
We know strong partnership across education communities, between students, parents and carers, teachers, educators, school and department staff, help to foster engagement and positive learning and wellbeing outcomes.
The Federation can help support Principals & P&Cs
How to Start / Restart a P&C
Starting a P&C Association is straightforward. The key steps are:
Θ Gather a group of at least 7 parents or citizens to have a meeting to agree to start a P&C
Θ The 7 or more attendees elect 5 office bearers: President, 2X VicePresidents, Secretary and Treasurer
Θ Send the P&C Federation the minutes of this meeting showing the decision to start a P&C + the election of the office bearers. We will use that to activate the P&C’s membership, set up public liability insurance, and guide them through what comes next
Contact Us
We offer general member support to all P&C Association members in NSW, as an ex officio member, this includes you. The Federation exists to represent and support P&C Associations as they carry out their work as volunteers, advocates and role models in school communities. We can help to direct you to resources and key documents, and - where appropriate - offer advice.
Please note that some matters of greater complexity or interpersonal conflict may not fall within our services. While we will do what we can do help, some matters will fall outside of the member services branch of the Federation.
Log into our website to view our library of resources including: factsheets, templates, video interviews and much more.
Call our Member Services Team on 1300 885 982 between 9am and 4pm Monday - Friday for support or send us an email to mail@ pandc.org.au.
