| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Education and Teaching |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Principal |
| Direct reports | Academic Coordinator, Exam Coordinator, Post Graduate Teacher, Trained Graduate Teacher |
| Experience | 10+ years of teaching, including 3 years as a coordinator or section head |
Vice Principal job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Vice Principal
Department: Education and Teaching
Reports to: Principal
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Vice Principal runs the daily operations of a school under the principal: timetable, substitution, discipline, exams, teacher punctuality and supervision of coordinators. The role reports to the Principal and takes charge whenever the principal is away. Coordinators, and through them the teachers, report to the vice principal on day-to-day matters. A good vice principal makes the school day start and end on time, applies discipline rules consistently and frees the principal to lead.
Key responsibilities
- Build the master timetable before the session and revise it for staff changes, new sections and special periods.
- Publish daily substitution before the first period, spreading extra periods fairly among available teachers.
- Apply the discipline policy on late arrival, uniform, mobile phones, bullying and misconduct, keeping a record of every action taken.
- Plan school exams with the exam coordinator, from date sheets and invigilation duty to question paper custody and result compilation.
- Supervise coordinators on lesson plans, notebook checks and syllabus coverage, and intervene when a section falls behind.
- Observe teachers in class and share feedback with both the teacher and their coordinator.
- Watch teacher punctuality and leave patterns, and talk to anyone with repeated late arrivals before escalating.
- Coordinate assemblies, inter-house competitions and field trips, including permissions, consent forms and safety plans.
- Handle first-level parent complaints on discipline and academics, and pass on only what needs the principal's decision.
- Take charge as principal during the principal's absence, using the powers delegated in writing.
Requirements
- Postgraduate degree with a B.Ed
- Experience as a senior teacher and coordinator
- An M.Ed or school leadership training is an advantage
- 10+ years of teaching, including 3 years as a coordinator or section head
KRAs and KPIs for a Vice Principal
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Timetable and substitution | Zero unattended periods, with substitution published before the first bell every day |
| Discipline | Discipline cases recorded and closed within 3 working days, with repeat offences falling each term |
| Exam conduct | All school exams held as per the date sheet, with results compiled within 10 days |
| Teacher punctuality | Teacher late arrivals under 3 percent of working days each month |
| Academic monitoring | Syllabus coverage checked monthly in every section, with a recovery plan for any lagging section |
| Parent complaints | First-level parent complaints resolved within 48 hours |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Timetable software such as aSc Timetables, School ERP, MS Excel, CCTV monitoring, PA system for announcements, Parent communication app.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Principal, Academic Head
Interview questions for a Vice Principal
- Six teachers are absent on Monday morning. Walk me through how you plan substitution.
- A Class 9 student is caught with a phone for the third time. What action do you take?
- How do you build a timetable that respects teacher workloads and lab periods?
- A teacher has been late four times in two weeks. How do you handle it?
- Parents complain that the date sheet clashes with a festival. What do you do?
- How do you decide what to take to the principal and what to settle yourself?
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What are the duties of a vice principal in a school?
A vice principal runs daily school operations: the timetable, substitution, discipline, exams, teacher punctuality, events and first-level parent complaints. The vice principal supervises coordinators, observes teachers and acts as principal whenever the principal is away, so the school keeps running without interruption.
How do you become a vice principal in a school?
Schools usually ask for a postgraduate degree with a B.Ed and ten or more years of teaching, including time as a coordinator or section head. An M.Ed or a school leadership course strengthens the application. The affiliating board may also set minimum requirements for senior posts.
Can a vice principal act as principal?
Yes. When the principal is on leave, travelling or the post is vacant, the vice principal is usually placed in charge, with powers delegated in writing by the management. Major decisions on staff appointments or fees may still need the management's approval during that period.