The critical role of school leaders and especially principals in delivering quality education has long been recognised. Since the reforms of the early 2000s, the Indonesian government has implemented a policy of school-based management that gives principals the authority to develop and implement school plans and budgets in partnership with teachers and the school community through school committees. This October 2019 policy brief explores key strategic issues and policy recommendations for school leadership and learning in Indonesia. The brief draws on INOVASI’s work and body of evidence to date, including emerging pilot endline data from Sumba Island, East Nusa Tenggara. A further update of the brief will be done in late 2019, with additional endline evidence from INOVASI’s four partner provinces.