school principal — head of school
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
The person in charge of a school, responsible for managing teachers, students, and daily operations.
Say it like a native
Textbook The chief administrative officer of the institution summoned him.
Native The principal called him in.
'Principal' (or 'head') is plain; 'chief administrative officer of the institution' is absurd.
Pattern: school principal (noun)
In use
- The school principal greeted all the students on the first day of term.education
- In my opinion, the school principal plays a key role in creating a positive learning environment for both students and teachers.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She is the principal of our school director.
✓ She is our school principal. / the principal of our school.
Don't pile up titles — 'the principal' or 'head teacher', not 'principal director'.
Common collocations
school principal + context— the school principal, head teacher, the principal's office, principal of
Don't confuse it
'Principal' refers to the person, while 'principle' means a rule or belief.