Combined, the member schools employ around 6,000 people, and are responsible for educating about 100,000 primary aged children.

The IPSHA evolved largely from informal gatherings of New South Wales headmasters, which called itself the Junior Schools' Conference.

At the biennial Conference in Perth in 1984, the Constitution was amended and the Heads of Independent Girls' Schools became eligible for membership of the IPSHA.

Along with this change, came eligibility for heads of co-educational junior schools to join, which provided a significant boost in membership.

The IPSHA Board has regular termly meetings that looks at the strategic, decision making, reporting and operational matters.

Its term meetings are held at a variety of schools and include relevant professional development through keynote speakers, discussion groups and workshops.

The South Australian Branch comprises a range of schools in diverse settings in both metropolitan and rural areas.

Twelve members representing schools from both the north and south of the State make up the current membership.

Meetings include a professional learning topic or issue, together with an opportunity for sharing learning and leadership practices and for general collegiality The Victorian Branch of IPSHA consists of over one hundred members from Independent schools across Victoria, including single sex, co-educational, denominational, non-denominational, metropolitan and rural schools.