50 Performance Review Phrases for School Principals

Self Assessment Phrases - Achievements

• I led [initiative] across the school, bringing staff along through planning and rollout.
• I built a school culture where teachers felt comfortable raising concerns before they became bigger problems.
• I managed the school budget carefully, balancing competing priorities across departments.
• I supported teachers through a difficult curriculum change and kept morale steady during the transition.
• I handled a sensitive incident involving students and families with care and discretion.
• I worked closely with the district to align school policy with broader requirements.
• I built stronger relationships with parents through more regular and transparent communication.
• I mentored newer teachers and helped them settle into the demands of the classroom.
• I led hiring processes that brought in staff who fit the school's needs and culture.
• I represented the school well in the community, which strengthened trust with families and local partners.

Self Assessment Phrases - Growth and Development

• I want to spend more time in classrooms observing teaching rather than being pulled into administrative tasks.
• I sometimes take on decisions that could be delegated to department heads, and I want to trust that layer more.
• I need to communicate difficult district decisions to staff more clearly and with more context.
• I want to get better at recognising good teaching in the moment rather than saving feedback for formal reviews.
• I could do more to involve teachers in decisions that directly affect their classrooms.
• I want to develop a clearer long term plan for the school rather than focusing mainly on immediate issues.
• I need to work on addressing underperformance among staff sooner rather than hoping it resolves on its own.
• I want to improve how I communicate with parents during difficult or sensitive situations.
• I could set clearer boundaries so staff do not come to depend on me for every decision.
• I want to build a more structured approach to staff development across the school year.

Peer Review Phrases

• They are approachable, and staff feel comfortable bringing problems to them early.
• They handle sensitive situations involving students or families with discretion and fairness.
• They advocate for their school's needs in district discussions without being difficult to work with.
• They communicate changes clearly and give staff time to adjust rather than springing news on them.
• They are consistent in how they treat staff and students, which builds trust across the school.
• They make time for other school leaders who are working through a tough problem.
• They balance the demands of compliance with genuinely caring about staff and student wellbeing.
• They are someone I would trust to lead a school through a difficult transition.
• They share credit generously and make sure their staff's work is recognised.
• They stay calm during a crisis, which keeps everyone around them steady.

Manager Review Phrases - Strengths

• You create a school environment where staff feel safe raising concerns before they escalate.
• You handled [situation] calmly, which kept the school steady during a stressful period.
• You manage the school budget carefully and communicate tradeoffs clearly to staff.
• You build strong relationships with parents and the wider community, which strengthens trust in the school.
• You are willing to make unpopular calls when the situation calls for it, and you explain your reasoning.
• You support staff through change without letting morale slip.
• You represent the school well in district and community settings.
• You spot when a teacher is struggling before it shows up in classroom outcomes.
• You handle sensitive family or student situations with care and good judgment.
• You take staff development seriously and follow through on the plans you set.

Manager Review Phrases - Areas to Develop

• Try to spend more time in classrooms so feedback to teachers is based on direct observation.
• Delegate more decisions to department heads so they build confidence taking ownership.
• Address underperformance among staff sooner rather than waiting for it to resolve on its own.
• Communicate the reasoning behind district decisions more clearly to staff.
• Involve teachers earlier in decisions that directly affect their classrooms.
• Be more consistent in how often you check in with different departments, not just the ones that ask for time.
• Bring concerns about school capacity or resourcing to the district earlier.
• Spend more time on succession planning so the school is not overly dependent on any one person.
• Set aside dedicated time for your own development, not just staff development.
• Work on giving feedback that focuses on specific classroom practice rather than general impressions.

How to use these phrases

Don't paste these in verbatim. Pick the two or three closest to what you actually did, then make them specific: swap the generic claim for your own project, metric, or outcome. Use the rest as a checklist of themes worth covering in a School Principal review, and see the Perform Review blog for guides on structuring the full review.

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