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In our first issue since the traffic lights were switched off for good, we take a look at some of the big shifts that schools are making post-lockdown. Among them, schools are working on building new pedagogical approaches to literacy education. We hear from Dr Rebecca Jesson, Associate Professor in Literacy Education at the University of Auckland, who explains how “success in literacy requires a culturally sustaining and relational approach” (page 14). We also consider what it means for schools to undertake a literacy review (page 16).
Speaking with the MOE and two founding members of the School Travel Collective, we find out what overseas education tours schools are busy booking for 2023
and what the current guidelines around insurance say (page 32).
School News had the great pleasure this Term of welcoming Principal Leanne Otene as our featured guest Principal Speaks columnist for the issue (page 6). Principal Otene was recently announced as the newly elected president of the New Zealand
Principals Federation and will be taking office January 1, 2023. In her role as Principal of Manaia View School, she has received tremendous accolades for her teaching advocacy and inspirational school leadership during COVID lockdown. In her column, she writes: “In all that time, I never dreamed that this role would include some of the things I’ve had to do in the last three years.”
In our Profile this issue, Joel Bradley explores Ārahi Programme Success at Nelson College for Girls Te Kura Tamawähine O Whakatü (page 20). Read about how the third oldest girls’ school in New Zealand, broke new ground and improved wellbeing by replacing its admin-heavy tutoring system with a new mentorship-led, combined yearlevel Ārahi group programme.
Elsewhere, we spoke with Dr David Parsons, National Postgraduate Director at The Mind Lab, about postgrad pathways on offer for school staff amid the teacher shortage (page 26).
Some fascinating products are on display in case studies this issue as well. We find out how Dulux teamed up with Ōhope Beach School to renovate with cultural pride (page 47), and we learn about the incredible, wallto-wall immersive sensory room at Massey University that has exciting educational possibilities for classroom design (page 31).
We also hear about how South Wairarapa schools have taken a region-wide approach to educating students on the health risks of vaping (page 35).
Got plans for your school in 2023? Write in and let us know so we can feature you!
Our featured Principal Speaks columnist this issue, Leanne Otene has been announced as the newly elected president of the New Zealand Principals Federation, taking office January 1, 2023. In her role at Manaia View School, Principal Otene has received tremendous accolades for her teaching advocacy and inspirational school leadership during COVID lockdown. In 2021, she won the Outstanding Mentor Award and Founders’ Principals Award for Leadership at the National Excellence in Teaching Awards. Here, Principal Otene speaks to some of the critical issues facing principals across Aotearoa New Zealand as we close out the school year…
I have been a principal for nearly three decades. In all that time, I never dreamed that this role would include some of the things I’ve had to do in the last three years.
Whether posting videos with my dog on the school Facebook page because of COVID lockdown, welcoming nans into our school as classroom facilitators, or employing Limited Authority to Teach staff because of an unprecedented teacher shortage…
The unexpected additional community responsibilities placed on the role of principal have been overwhelming, though often fulfilling.
In the last eight months, the rate of new initiatives, new documentation, changes to the curriculum, and most importantly expectations have
been relentless. Those of us that have been involved in the writing or consultation process of these changes understand that these are absolutely necessary to bring us into a new era of education but the speed with which this is happening is a real concern. More and more, I worry that the next generation of principals will not receive the training and support required to cope with so many of these new or refreshed approaches and as a result, we will see further inequities in our system.
For this reason, now that schools are back in session, we must reflect on the past few years and re-assess our processes so that we can formulate strategic roadmaps for the future.
Overall, expectations around school need to be re-set postpandemic and not only for our students, but for families, staff, agencies and us principals too. We need to remind each other about the importance of relationships, attendance, and social interaction, and we need to set new boundaries around communication with each other, with the varying support agencies and with families, so we can get back to our first priority — our bread and butter — teaching curricula and making time to focus on accelerating the learning of our young people.
In order to make these decisions with my senior leadership team, I operate as a reflective practitioner. This means taking stock and reviewing past practices to assess the benefit of each to teaching and learning, before making strategic decisions.
During the height of COVID, and particularly while in and out of lockdown, organising food packages and support for health and wellbeing was a top focus at Manaia View School, as it was at most schools around the country. Now, our priority is to cut through the noise and focus on teaching and learning.
Instinctively, all teachers and principals will know what I mean by the noise; everything and anything that gets in the way of teaching, much of it well-meaning, some of it essential, others useful, but all of it distracting and much of it time-consuming.
As teachers, school leaders, and principals, we can spend so much time trying to increase opportunities for our students that it risks pulling focus from the teaching curricula and learning itself, sometimes. The sheer number of initiatives, extra-curricular opportunities, professional development options, and other things now available to schools can feel overwhelming.
So, to combat this, we undertook an in-depth review to make sure we had an accurate sense of learning needs within our school community and could therefore assess what is working for students and prioritise initiatives going forward. From there, my senior leadership team, our Board of Trustees and I were able to lay out the core priorities for teaching and learning: teaching curricula, cultural competency, sustainable practices, the wellbeing of all, attendance, accelerating progress, and school-parent communication.
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Involving Mana Whenua in this process was also prioritised. These priorities help us make decisions about which initiatives to keep, drop, or trial.
Part of the issue since lockdown is that too much expectation has been placed on staff to undertake professional development in their own time. Whereas it used to be the norm for schools to organise professional development by sending key staff members to complete courses, this shifted during the lockdown. Now, it seems to be an expectation that staff do things like webinars and online learning on the weekends or evenings, which shouldn’t be the case. We need to re-set that expectation to prevent burnout.
On the same note, we are navigating entirely new terrain as principals and need to model
effective boundary-setting as mentors to emerging school leaders. This means trying to lead by example: tempting as it often feels, I cannot respond to emails outside work hours because I do not want my senior leaders and teachers to feel they must respond to emails from parents outside work hours. Everyone needs to have a personal life, and part of mentoring as a principal is setting top-down expectations around what a principal should do. It’s especially challenging in areas where principals are among the highest earners in the community and so there’s lots of guilt. You might feel like you have to earn your position as principal by overworking yourself but it’s essential that the next generation of principals protect their wellbeing. We must practice boundaries that help prevent burnout, staving off the need for noise in the form of short-term or one-off wellness solutions.
At the height of COVID, maintaining lines of communication with student families was a top priority. I started posting daily live videos to our school Facebook page, and it blew up! We suddenly had more followers than actual student enrolments, and I unexpectedly found myself the face of a TV show.
It turns out, this was because grandparents and extended family members had started following us during lockdown to watch my covid updates, partake in the school competitions, listen in to my one-off lessons and take pride in their tamariki receiving awards during my live sessions. This forged a wholesome, more personal connection between school staff and families
that have been maintained since returning to school.
However, while lovely to have built such a close-knit community, it does mean parents feel more comfortable sending emails over the weekend, and they tend to reach out directly rather than follow school protocol. So, part of re-setting our expectations around school means nurturing those relationships but also reminding parents and families about school procedures and scaling back the role of principal, and teacher, to what is manageable and reasonable.
This has been my message to school staff post-lockdown as we shift our priorities as a school back to refocusing on teaching curricula.
Where is the induction program for Principals before they are handed the keys to their new school?
…we can spend so much time trying to increase opportunities for our students that it risks pulling focus from the teaching curricula…Images courtesy of Manaia View School
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For the COVID generation, things are going to be different. If we keep emphasising this idea of catching up, we are going to create panic and stress that isn’t helping anyone. Certainly, it’s not helping the school leavers who have achieved an incredible feat just by getting through it.
While it is essential to prioritise evidence-based professional development and pedagogy to improve outcomes, we have a responsibility to meet learners where they are and work with them to help them move forward rather than stress about having to catch up.
As a school, one of our core actions and priorities post-lockdown has become transitioning parents away from their role as the driving force behind student learning during COVID, towards building a partnership with us in their child’s learning. As a school, it is vital that we celebrate and honour families as our students’ first teachers while also developing strong partnerships and fostering regular attendance.
The return to school has posed particular challenges for the
younger cohort of five-to-sevenyear-olds who have never known pre-COVID school environments. During the pandemic, they stuck to their bubbles, and transitioning them to normalcy at playtime has been a slow process. For them, COVID restrictions are normal and socialising outside
their bubbles is a bit scary. Thus, it has become clear that as teachers and principals we have a new balancing act that involves cohort-building but also meeting the individual needs of students and families.
We have a significantly higher proportion of neurodiverse students since lockdown, and adult diagnoses also seem to have increased, impacting staff, parents, and the wider community. Social interactions, meetings, and school assemblies, all pose different challenges since COVID, and we need new approaches to accommodate the different needs. Of course, these needs were always there but the pandemic has made us all more aware of them.
Never before this year, have I found it necessary to employ Limited Authority to Teach staff, due to a teacher shortage. I am so grateful to have such qualified support staff to elevate to these positions. In Term 3, teachers were being snapped up so quickly as permanent staff that I had no other option, and schools around the country are faced with the same challenge to problem solve.
Rural School Principals especially are struggling with the impact of this shortage, bringing me back to my central concern: how can we mentor our newly appointed
Principals better, so they are prepared to take on a new key role as Change Manager.
The ability to cope, and even to thrive as a principal, during COVID and any future crisis or major change shouldn’t be reliant on having had years of experience. So, what can be done to ensure that future principals have the knowledge, skills, and support they need prior to Principalship? What happens next?
I ask the question regularly: “Where is the induction program for principals before they are handed the keys to their new school?” I’m taking a punt here by saying that I think it is the only professional position that I know of, which does not have a rigorous induction process on appointment. Surely, we can do something to change this.
We owe it to the next generation of principals to ensure that they have the benefit of what we, as experienced principals of today, know are the fundamental requirements to not only cope but lead confidently and strategically.
Our emerging leaders deserve to have a solid foundation in educational pedagogy, management opportunities, and leadership mentoring, along with a strategically planned pathway towards Principalship and beyond.
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Schools could be a streaming-free zone by 2030 in Aotearoa New Zealand.
After the Ministry of Education announced its support for the Ending Streaming in Aotearoa report, released by the Tokona Te Raki: Māori Futures Collective last year, the national conversation about grouping learners based on perceived ability has intensified. Increasingly, teacher unions and educators are calling for an end to the widespread practice of academic streaming because of its detrimental impact on wellbeing and learning outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students.
President of PPTA Te Wehengarua, Melanie Webber said following the recent PPTA Te Wehengarua conference that streaming had eff ectively been masking the inadequacies and understaffing of the school system in Aotearoa New Zealand: “Lack of adequate staffing has
led to large class sizes and streaming, or banding is used to make that situation more manageable. Māori and Pasifika students bear an inequitable burden of this ‘work around’ and this must not continue.
“Research shows that streaming creates and exacerbates inequity, and it helps perpetuate influences from the social class background, by segregating students from diff erent social classes in diff erent streams.”
Delegates at the conference, representing 20,000 secondary teachers around the motu, voiced intent to advocate for more resourcing to enable schools to move away from streaming by 2030: “By 2030 about 30 percent of our students will be Māori and 17 percent Pasifika. The best time to create a more equitable education system, and society, was yesterday.”
One interesting study, led by University College London
researcher Jeremy Hodgen, found that the achievement gap between top and middlebottom streams widened dramatically over a two-year period and widened more dramatically in English than mathematics. OECD data shows that Aotearoa streams students into perceived ability groups at one of the highest rates in the world. In fact, around 90 percent of schools have a streaming system, according to Tokona te Raki. Likewise, Aotearoa has one of the largest achievement gaps between high and low achieving students.
Other studies have found that gaps between high and low ability groups also widen in terms of self-confidence and enjoyment of the learning area.
Aotearoa has one of the largest achievement gaps between high and low achieving groups
Much of this seems to draw from students knowing which group they’ve been placed into, regardless of pithy group names, and so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.
Streaming puts various social and educational limitations on students streamed into ability groups. For instance, in many schools, high ability groups are given diff erent resources, learning activities, and ultimately have diff erent schooling experiences than
middle or low ability groups. All this builds a rhetoric of exclusion and segregation.
A plethora of studies now show that students with English as a second language, Māori
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and Pasifika students, Black and Asian students are more likely to be streamed into lower ability groups for some subjects and girls are more likely to be streamed into lower ability
maths groups due to teachers underestimating their ability.
Likewise, Pākehā students’ ability level is more likely to be overestimated. Furthermore, once a student is placed in a low ability class, they are less likely to move up, so expectations of their ability to achieve and learn diminish over time.
Overturning the streaming system across Aotearoa will take a mammoth eff ort requiring a cultural shift as the practice has been so engrained for so long. However, a growing number of schools have already made the move.
For instance, Tokona Te Raki and the NZ Association of Mathematics Teachers studied four secondary school maths programs that made the switch to stop streaming, and they found that not only did learning outcomes improve but selfbelief as well, particularly for Māori and Pasifika students achieving more NCEA merits and excellences. In addition, PPTA reported that students working cooperatively in heterogenous classes formed stronger bonds.
Māori and Pasifika students bear an inequitable burden of this ‘work around’
Designing learning for real learners is critical as success in literacy requires a culturally sustaining and relational approach.
For our children to experience success, the collaborative efforts of parents, communities, teachers, school leaders and support networks in all our schools are required. In Aotearoa New Zealand, our educational partnerships begin with power-sharing conversations and close relationships with communities and whānau since they both know their children best and want the best for them.
As a bi-cultural nation, responsiveness in our teaching needs to be underpinned by cultural and relational responsiveness as ways of working. Children draw on different experiences, language backgrounds and histories of engagement with different literacies. These include oral, written and visual texts. Each child has differing rates and types of progress, and they each learn different things from the same learning experience.
Some children find literacy learning more challenging than others, and different aspects of literacy challenge children in various ways.
Children who find literacy learning difficult can be taught to read and write. The earlier they do so, the more they benefit from their literacy skills, processes, positive attitudes
and knowledge. In many cases, early literacy difficulties create further difficulties for children. So, the key to preventing literacy difficulties is to notice early and wrap support around children so that they can progress to become confident readers and writers.
Instructional packages don’t just work. What works is the close match between where a child is at, and the teaching that they receive.
To make this practical in classrooms, a comprehensive approach can be designed that considers what happens in class programmes, extra support in small group teaching and individual learning support. At each tier, the approach becomes increasingly tailored to children’s unique profiles, and additional teaching expertise is required to support that targeted teaching.
A tiered model requires a team approach to prevent literacy learning difficulties. At each Tier, the group
size gets smaller, meaning teaching is increasingly targeted to children requiring additional support, and tailored to their learning profiles. In this way, schools can systematically increase the literacy support by adding expertise, by bringing another expert teacher into the class to support the teaching of a small group. This approach adds another person to that existing relationship between the whānau, the teacher and the child. Formative use of assessments and conversations among professionals, whānau and students underpin teaching designed for specific children.
Success in literacy requires both teacher knowledge of the child and teacher expertise in literacy. Instead of seeking the right way to teach literacy, we seek the right way to teach the child. We look to make sure there is a close match between the child and the
literacy teaching they receive. This is a question of close observation, noticing change, expectation of pace, how to design for children, how to teach in front of colleagues.
These are the skills that underpin teachers’ experience and expertise. That adaptive expertise can contribute to the targeting of the teaching to small groups in the classroom or to individual needs. By drawing on the skills of teachers and the knowledge of whānau, lessons can be designed to be powerful, positive and inclusive, based on real children.
Whereas a traditional approach to literacy programmes requires that procedures are implemented as designed in routine ways, a responsive approach to literacy improvement means that teachers make adaptive decisions based on children.
Continuous measurement and improvement ensures that decisions are good ones that result in learning. Teachers collect regular evidence about their decisions and the learning that results. That’s why regular analysis and review underpin the teacher’s craft. That’s also why teacher collaboration and a team approach support the decision making. Using expertise, making strong decisions, reviewing effectiveness: collectively these actions work to make sure that learning is equitable for all.
University of Auckland Associate Professor Rebecca Jesson was recently appointed as Research and Academic Director –Literacy for Tui Tuia | Learning Circle. She is also a Reading Recovery Trainer and leads National Reading Recovery in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Creating a school-wide coherent approach to literacy means drawing on all the literacy expertise in your school to offer more wraparound support
In Aotearoa New Zealand, over 8000 Reading Recovery teachers have helped more than 350,000 students become confident, independent readers and writers.
Reading Recovery has over 40 years of research and evaluation results to prove its efficacy worldwide.
An evaluation of New Zealand Reading Recovery indicated that we are eff ective in improving literacy levels for the children we teach. The evaluation also indicated that Reading Recovery is no more expensive for schools than many other supports. While the training is highly valued by schools, fewer are using Reading Recovery because demand for support exceeded what could be provided.
As a result, since 2021, National Reading Recovery has been evolving the way Reading Recovery is delivered in schools to help enable stronger and more equitable outcomes for children. Building on the success of its one-to-one approach with children, it now off ers a three-tiered support framework that will enable a broader range of children to access literacy support.
At each tier, the instruction is increasingly tailored to children’s learning. Assessment and ongoing observation is used
to tailor how teachers respond to children’s learning. We know there are no simple quick fi xes to support all learners, so we are building systems for collecting, analysing and using evidence to self-improve. Our solution is embracing complexity. For multifaceted, complex and long-term issues, there aren’t silver bullets or simple solutions. Instead, it's a collective, joined-up response.
Highly skilled teachers make responsive decisions based on evidence. Teachers draw on what they know about the child and how the child is making sense of literacy, in order to support them to learn.
Ultimately, it’s all about teachers problem-solving, collaborating and sharing expertise.
Put together, it is planning eff ective, balanced schoolwide programmes that build children’s love of literacy and self-confidence in learning.
We’ve started this transformative process and have had some great feedback and exciting results from schools.
One Associate Principal said: “It’s a framework for freedom, which we can change as we need to. We’ve found it gives us more reach, so rather than one kaiako alone navigating the range of challenges, we’re supporting each other, which means intervention and support comes earlier, and kaiako share an integrated and aligned approach. That’s what we’re seeing in our results, even at this half-year mark; our ākonga are having great results and movement in literacy.”
We’ve also implemented educational science processes, to ensure that we continue
to self-improve. This includes more frequent reporting on child literacy development, monitoring progress and more support for the teacher network. We aren’t there yet, as there is always more to be done.
Ultimately, what we can contribute to schools are highly trained teachers making catalytic teaching decisions with colleagues, building on the strengths of students, families and communities. That’s the complex world of teaching.
For frequently asked questions about Reading Recovery & Early Literacy Support, please scan this QR code.
Reading Recovery now has a 3-tiered Early Literacy Support framework to improve early literacy outcomes at an individual, small group and school-wide level.
Specially trained Reading Recovery teachers will work alongside tumuaki, kaiako and whānau to deliver the right level of support based on the child’s individual learning needs.
To learn more about our success to date, scan the QR code or visit: readingrecovery.ac.nz
Learners are failing to meet literacy standards at an alarming rate, prompting schools to review their literacy programs.
Among the concerning trends are growing gaps between literacy levels of boys and girls, with boys more likely to fail standards in reading and writing, as well as declines in the number of high achieving literacy learners, reported in a 2022 review of available statistics by The Education Hub titled, “Now I Don’t Know My ABC”. Further distressing, is that Pasifika students with low
English literacy scores are 35 percent more likely to become excluded from school, according to recent data analysis by the University of Canterbury.
Immense pressure has been placed on kaiako to improve literacy outcomes by taking
a more structured literacy approach. At the same time, the Ministry of Education has promised additional funding and resources to fill teachers’ knowledge gaps around evidence-based literacy pedagogy and has designed new standards to strengthen
literacy education and the NCEA system. While yet to be implemented formally, more than 200 schools are currently piloting these new NCEA standards, with evaluations set for release in Term 1, 2023.
In the meantime, how should schools review their existing approach? What changes are schools implementing to improve outcomes?
We sought these answers from some leading literacy programs on these issues.
“There has always been diversity in our classrooms,” asserts
Learning Matters Founder and Managing Director Carla McNeil: “COVID hasn’t intensified this, it has put a spotlight on it, which I believe is a good thing.”
We have made the move to Structured Literacy and could not be more pleased with the iDeaL Approach.
The money we have invested vs outcome is an easy decision.”
To find out more head to www.learningmatters.co.nz
What changes are schools implementing to improve outcomes?
Providing the knowledge and tools to implement a STRUCTURED LITERACY approach in your school.
iDeaL is a complete, comprehensive, and costeffective approach that lifts literacy outcomesProfessional Learning
- School Principal
Rather, she says: “What we’re seeing now is a more deliberate focus on how literacy is taught in our schools and the questioning of whether we have the most effective and evidence-based practices in our classrooms.”
Significantly, “more and more teachers and leaders are really starting to question whether taking a whole-language or balanced approach to the teaching of reading is the best approach for all our tamariki.
Many of our teachers have been trained to teach in this way, so it is no fault of the schools or teachers. These approaches are unfortunately ingrained in our education system and have been the norm in New Zealand for many years.
“What is exciting to see is that many teachers and leaders throughout New Zealand are building their knowledge of how the brain learns to read. With this knowledge, we’re seeing the removal of conflicting practices that are not based on evidence and research, such as teaching phonics in isolation without a scope and sequence, asking students to use picture cues
and not keeping eyes on text when reading through words, and utilising running records which represent the assessment of the three cueing systems.
“These practices are counterproductive and a misalignment with the findings of the Science of Reading, on which a Structured Literacy approach is founded. Good readers don’t guess. Once our children can decode, then the cognitive load decreases, the focus shifts, enabling them to increase vocabulary, build language and reading comprehension and ultimately intellect.”
© stock.adobe.comA Structured Literacy approach has four components, and McNeil outlines these as being diagnostic, gathering assessment data in phonological awareness and alphabetic principle; systematic, taught in a logical order from easiest to most difficult; culminative, building on concepts progressively, and explicit, teaching intentionally.
As such: “When reviewing existing programs, or when surveying alternative options, I strongly encourage schools to research providers that build teacher knowledge. A shift to evidence-based practices
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not only needs to happen in how children are taught to read, but it also needs to occur in how our teachers are taught to teach reading. Any elements that do not align with evidence-based teaching practice should be removed.
“Schools should look for an approach that includes a scope and sequence, has repetitive instructional language, and includes elements of phonology, sound-to-symbol association, morphology, syllable instruction, semantics, and syntax. The approach also needs to be systematic and cumulative and provide a lesson plan or sequence which builds consistent practice and alignment from Tiers 1 to 3.
“Implementing an evidencebased approach that meets the needs of all students and applying it with consistency across all tiers will be the most effective in terms of outcomes.
“Finally, the approach must have the inclusion of diagnostic assessment tools that specifically direct teaching and learning.”
Edumaxi’s very own Madelize Bekker told School News that when it comes to literacy programming: “We all have our opinions and preferences, and we all operate within the boundaries of our own comfort zones, usually formed by personal experience and memories of when we were students. However, those personal preferences are not always underpinned by solid research and that leads to gaps when laying the foundation for lifelong learning and academic success for our students.
“Although it may not always be easy or comfortable, and it may take a bit more preparation time, evidence-based instruction is key to delivering effective education programs – especially literacy instruction.”
Still, she adds: “This is only true if we apply this in an authentic manner. Evidence-based and data-driven are two very popular terms that are often used as empty buzz words to please the audience. Evidencebased best practice allows us to benchmark against proven standards in order to provide
better results. So, we need to know the standards and we need to consider how these standards and benchmarks may change as new research comes to light.
“When this happens, we should be ready and willing to adapt, which means we need to be
informed and knowledgeable. Lasting, effective change is not possible otherwise.”
There is a caveat, according to Bekker: “Best practice does not mean one-size-fits-all. Programs must differentiate and adjust to individual student needs. I
also believe best practice in an educational setting should not just be focused on academic outcomes but should also focus on social and behavioural needs.”
“Take into account, for example, a student’s home environment. One of the strategies within
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evidence-based reading instruction may be a focus on phonemic awareness. However, the child who comes from a book- or reading-deprived home environment may need much more exposure and practice to master phonemic awareness than the child who comes from a culturally rich environment where parents communicate with them and read to them often.
“We are lucky in New Zealand for the fact that the Ministry of Education provides us with plenty of information on current research and we have plenty of professional development opportunities. However, it is also important to ensure we broaden our view and stay up-to-date with what is happening around the globe.
“As I mentioned, it is not acceptable any longer to teach to the middle of the curve, but it is important to take individual students’ needs into consideration. On the flipside, this puts tremendous stress on teachers because it increases preparation time exponentially, and this is where data and technology can support literacy education. It is not enough to merely have data on each student, but it is critical to be able to gain insights from that data. This technology should enable teachers to more effectively present each student with the best learning solution possible. It may not always be feasible, but it is surely something to strive for.”
The IT Education Company NZ’s Support and Training specialist John Kennedy has observed that “research-proven literacy development resources feature a structured approach to literacy
development, that is based upon many decades of the study of the science of reading”.
He explains: “A good resource will be adaptive and enable every student to progress at their own rate, with a suitable balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.”
Literacy is foundational as students engage with reading in nearly every area of the curriculum, “hence any improvements in literacy outcomes will have significant benefits for the student in the school and subsequent life,” Kennedy confirms.
“Educators are increasingly moving towards a Structured Literacy approach to teaching reading. The advantage of this approach, over more traditional whole language practices is
that it ensures students have a solid foundation in reading skills through a structured sequential development of skills.
“With all the gaps plugged in, students are well placed to extend their reading experience.”
He adds: “Schools looking to enhance literacy outcomes should be considering resources that are not only evidence-based but taken to the next step of being research-proven. This extra critical stage in program development provides more confidence in its efficacy and that it has been found to result in significant advantage in students gains under scientific scrutiny.
“The resources should pretest students to ensure that each student is placed at an appropriate starting level, dependent upon their current
skills. Students should then be challenged to progress in a variety of skill area’s concurrently, e.g., phonics and comprehension tasks that complement each other.”
In addition: “The resource should be adaptive and automatically offer additional, personalised, scaffolded support to students when they struggle. If the student does not respond successfully to this scaffolding the resource should alert teachers so that they can engage further with student to overcome the challenge.
“Online programs have the advantage of quickly adapting to at home use when needed, so teachers can monitor student development remotely in real time and students can work at appropriate skill levels, at their own pace.”
The third oldest girls’ school in New Zealand, Nelson College for Girls broke new ground in 2018 by replacing its adminheavy tutoring system with a new mentorshipled, combined year-level Ārahi group programme.
This strategic restructuring proved incredibly effective as the school recorded improved outcomes in attendance, student achievement, and wellbeing. In fact, Nelson College for Girls was recognised for the incredible success of its new programme as a finalist in the category of Excellence in Wellbeing Education at the 2021 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards. Supported by the Teaching Council, Education Review Office, and the New Zealand Trustees Association, these awards recognise teaching best practice by schools, and the Excellence in Wellbeing Education category recognises schools that have developed practices to enhance student wellbeing and have sustained those improved outcomes.
This issue, Principal Cathy Ewing speaks with us about the decision-making that went into the restructuring, as well as her future plans for the
historic school, established in 1883. Before launching their new programme, Ewing says the school knew “the previous system of tutoring was not working well”.
There was a “lack of engagement, partly because of [its] administrative nature and partly because it was at the start of the day” but also because the horizontal, oneyear level system consisted of groups that were too large. So, the school began by “investigating what other schools were doing” and discovered “an interesting programme operating at another school”.
From a meeting with that school’s staff, they “developed
the idea of a programme that was wellbeing focused, with the groups being smaller and vertical” combining students from Years 9– through to 13.
Ewing explains: “We wanted the programme to be a significant period of time.” For this reason, the school reorganised their “timetable to incorporate the 1.5 hours per week we felt we needed,” resulting in three weekly halfhour sessions, that counted as contact time for teachers.
“This gave it greater value. The
timing of the Ārahi sessions was also part way through the morning rather than at the start of the day.”
The school also found that reducing the size of the tutor groups by half to 15–17 students resulted in stronger relationships, and the combined-age groups forged more supportive connections between the students, with older students helping younger students navigate questions and any challenges they might have faced.
“The programme has a mentoring focus both about wellbeing and now also around academic mentoring,” says Ewing.
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“The tuakana teina approach allows everyone to learn from each other. While there are themes for each term, each kaiārahi (mentor teacher) has considerable flexibility to make the programme meet the needs of the students in their Ārahi. Two staff who have Within School Teacher roles have developed considerable resources that are shared digitally, and each kaiārahi can
choose to use these resources or to find other resources themselves. There is a lot of sharing of resources by staff.”
Ewing describes professional development as vital to
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These pūtoi meetings offer “rich discussion about the Ārahi programme and sharing of ideas. It is also an opportunity for a Senior Leader and Dean to understand any issues with particular students, or groups of students.”
Despite attendance being a challenge across New Zealand during and post-lockdown, the college’s Ārahi programme addressed these concerns head-on, according to Ewing.
sustaining this programme: “We invested time for teachers to be trained in being wellbeing mentors, both by using internal staff and also external facilitators.
“Five groups of kaiārahi (pūtoi groups) meet regularly with a Senior Leader and a Dean. Each Dean is responsible for a vertical group of students rather than one year level.”
The Principal notes: “During lockdown, the kaiārahi was a central contact with their students, which was very important to ensure that we knew how our students were coping.
“At all times, the kaiārahi is an important connection with whānau, particularly around attendance but also about any other concerns. They are also proactive about giving positive messages to whānau.”
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Ewing and her team of teachers, school leaders, and other staff, are constantly evolving and growing the programme.
While initially focused on wellbeing, the groups are “now moving to include academic mentoring, checking in with Ārahi students about their learning progress”.
She says, “we are also developing Learning to Learn materials, starting with our
learning values and moving to strategies to support learning.”
These Learning Values are Resilient, Resourceful, Reflective and Relational, and they coincide with the school’s Social Values of Positivity, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Empathy.
Sheridan Mackenzie, the Transition and E-Learning Director (Seconded) at the college further explains that “all these values work across all curriculum areas to prepare students to become life-long learners”.
She says the school is “now in the process of producing material to help support the development of these skills in our ākonga [students]” and is confident that the college will continue to develop the Ārahi programme”. And, particularly, “to ensure that it develops in a way that continues to strengthen relationships across year levels”.
Principal Ewing confirms that attendance has improved steadily during the last term and they will begin to use
the national advertising campaigns to boost attendance even more. Unfortunately, she says the launch had to be delayed because of the floods in the Nelson area.
The awards committee had no doubt that Nelson College for Girls would sustain the incredible progress of its new programme as “data shows improved attendance, better engagement and more positive att itudes, alongside a shift in student achievement”.
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There are different responsibilities for Boards of Trustees, principals, and proprietors that must be adhered to, and while budgeting and financial planning is a top priority for all schools, it’s something that can quickly become overlooked, resulting in some nasty end-of-year surprises.
At minimum, School Boards should be regularly meeting to review approved governance policies around theft and fraud prevention, cash management, sensitive expenditure, delegations, credit cards, travel, and entertainment. Any conflicts of interest should be updated, and each year should begin with a review and approval of the school’s budget statement of comprehensive income, financial position, and statement of cashflow.
Partnering with a school accounting professional is one way to streamline the process
and there are a few ways these partnerships can benefit schools, such as software solutions, guidance on forward planning, budgeting, financial reporting, training, and financial planning assistance. Service providers can prepare monthly financial reports for Boards to review, detailing income, expenditure, and outlines of any variances. Some schools will just want an external provider to put their annual financial statement together, while others will
require a quarterly review of in-house systems, or want a provider to pay the schools bills and minimise any risk of fraud or misappropriation.
External service providers can also draft financial statements for review prior to auditing. Enquiring with your auditor can also be a great place to start when choosing a service provider. Generally, the school executive officer would be the person
liaising on a regular basis with any external service provider, and then the school principal and treasurer would be involved in budgeting, and other reporting debriefs as required.
Once the budget is set and approved by the Board, it cannot be changed, so regular checkins and accurate reporting are essential for schools to assess needs and re-forecast for the remainder of the year. It is normal for some areas of the budget to
Making sure that school accounts are reported correctly and that all auditing requirements are met can be stressful and time-consuming.
have been exceeded and others under-utilised. For instance, emergency repairs, differences in numbers of staff and students, ratios of subject selection, and fluctuations in school events, can change on a dime and impact resourcing. Keeping track of these changes throughout the year is what is crucial to pre-empt and hopefully prevent any future financial troubles.
Given this year is a School Board election year, we asked for some industry expertise on how incoming members might avoid common mistakes boards tend to make around school finances…
Education Services Managing Director, Peter McBreen advised us that “one of the biggest mistakes new board members make is not understanding their role, which is one of Governance rather than of doing”.
“New members should not fall into the trap of getting involved with the reporting and recording of transactions. By all means, they should ask questions, so they understand how the information was obtained, and perhaps make suggestions or request further reporting to help with governance, but leave the day-to-day stuff to school staff.”
Thanks to COVID, finance priorities have shifted for many schools. Heading into 2023, Peter suggests schools focus on specificity in their budgets and accuracy in their reporting.
He explained: “The same rings true whether times are tough, or not; it is imperative you have access to timely, accurate reporting so you know exactly where you are compared to budget, and you get a full statement of financial position that helps you keep track.
“It is always best if you have school specific reports because having an off-the-shelf accounting package designed for a small business is not particularly helpful for schools. Further, make sure you have a robust budgeting package and ask for assistance from your service provider if you need it as they see a lot of schools’ financial information and will be able to assist when setting your budget.”
During the year: “Keep in contact with your provider and get regular updates, so there are no nasty surprises when the end-of-year approaches.”
“Do remember, in general it is more cost-effective to use a service provider” as “then you have constant access to a school financial expert, which means you can concentrate more on education.”
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What changes are schools implementing to improve outcomes?
Worryingly, the growing teacher shortage is pushing some schools to hire untrained teachers while others are asking staff to teach outside their subject specialisation, according to the Post Primary Teachers’ Association | Te Wehengarua union.
Trying to rectify the issue, government is pushing to increase funding and attract new people into the profession. As such, postgraduate pathways for teachers and non-teaching staff are growing in appeal.
Distinct from professional learning development opportunities that focus on gaining specific skills, formal postgraduate study focuses on gaining new qualifications.
Particularly as more people are expected to career-change into teaching, current teachers may want to increase their earning potential by obtaining a postgraduate diploma, certificate, Master’s or Doctoral Degree.
To find out what postgraduate pathways exist for school staff this issue, School News interviewed Dr David Parsons, National Postgraduate Director at The Mind Lab.
A: Postgraduate pathways for teachers range from short periods of study that might take only two or three months and includes micro-credentials, through to larger qualifications including Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, and up to Master’s and Doctoral Degrees.
There are a range of diff erent institutions off ering postgraduate pathways for qualifications accredited by NZQA, including universities,
It is just as important for non-teaching staff to be given the opportunity and encouragement to undertake higher study
polytechnics, and private training establishments, including us.
A: Formal postgraduate study can provide significant advantages over other forms of professional development, including the opportunity to achieve postgraduate qualifications that will be well recognised in the education sector as evidence of capability and commitment and can help with career progression.
Depending on their current role and salary level, gaining new qualifications can also assist teachers to increase their income, even in their existing roles.
Those who wish to become school leaders can particularly benefit from this type of higher study.
Across the board, achieving higher qualifications raises teachers’ selfeff icacy, confidence, and mana, and contributes to improvements in the education system through increased capability and influence.
Furthermore, engaging in formal study with recognised academic
institutions will provide a much better foundation for research literature than other forms of professional development, giving teachers more rigorous methods and processes for improving their practice.
A: There are certainly many pathways for non-teaching school staff, and higher education institutions off er courses in a wide range of education-related subjects, such as information science for librarians, that are not only intended for teachers.
It is just as important for nonteaching staff to be given the opportunity and encouragement to undertake higher study to further develop themselves and subsequently be able to contribute more in their support roles.
A: Part-time study while working is certainly an option and is probably more financially viable for most. However, with some of the higher qualifications like Master’s, and particularly
Doctoral study, teachers may feel that the part-time pathway would take too long and so might want to consider studying full-time, at least for a portion of these higher qualifications. This is especially the case when, for example, a part-time doctorate could take more than six years to complete. Many institutions deliver online or hybrid learning now, off ering teachers even greater flexibility and access to their preferred institute regardless of where they are based in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
A: There are many scholarships available for teachers, depending on their subject area, working context, and whether they are a member of a priority group such as Māori or Pasifika. Both educational institutions and many charitable organisations off er scholarships of various types and sizes. The Ministry of Education also off ers a range of scholarships to support teachers undertaking higher education.
Teacher shortages have exacerbated workloads, making it more difficult for schools and principals to prioritise PLD opportunities for staff. However, research shows a positive correlation between PLD and staff retention, so could prioritising PLD attract teachers to your school?
Eighty-four percent of teachers surveyed in the international Tes Wellbeing Report 2022 indicated that a school offering and supporting professional development was a more attractive employer. The report also found that 75 percent of teachers prefer hybrid PLD that involves in-person and online training. In New Zealand, hybrid and online-only PLD took off during lockdown. When the traffic lights system was relaxed
in September, the Ministry advised schools not to postpone PLD indefinitely but to gage comfort levels with face-toface delivery and continue sessions onsite or virtually depending on preferences.
Among other PLD preferences: 87 percent of teachers surveyed by the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association said PLD was most effective for them when it enabled collaboration with teachers from other schools; meanwhile, 98 percent of senior leaders preferred inhouse PLD. Both senior leaders and teachers indicated that reflection time was vital for PLD to be effective. To this last point, organising high quality PLD for staff requires careful timetabling so that adequate reflection time is possible. This involves a balancing act for schools and overworked school principals, to effectively organise PLD while balancing the additional workload demands of the teacher staff shortages.
Pauline Cleaver, the Ministry of Education’s Associate Deputy
Secretary of Curriculum, Pathways, and Progress, spoke with School News about the importance of careful scheduling, and these challenges principals are facing as they try to juggle wellbeing and workload: “Many schedule sessions before and after school so that learning time with students is not disrupted.”
She acknowledged: “We know principals weigh up the balance between the importance of professional development and the workload of their teachers.
“All teachers are entitled to time away from the classroom (classroom release time) during the term.”
In addition, School News was told that the MOE is “developing self-directed and guided resources and services that can be accessed and used during classroom release times or teacher only days.”
In 2023, PLD priorities will remain the same as those implemented in 2020: “New priorities for regionally allocated professional learning and development were
implemented to support teachers to provide culturally responsive and rich learning experiences and assessment practices for all students in 2020. These priorities will remain the same for 2023.
In terms of PLD training and support specific to the curriculum refresh, she further noted: “Additional supports and services will become available as each learning area is tested and refreshed.”
“While we provide PLD support for schools to support the curriculum refresh, schools receive funding in their operating grants to fund staff professional development for this purpose.
“We know teachers work incredibly hard, often going above and beyond the scope of their roles and recognise teacher wellbeing is a critical component of a productive workforce that can effectively support learners. The Ministry acknowledges the important work teachers do every day to deliver highquality learning to our children and young people.”
Graduation is a time to celebrate. To recognise the journey to achievement but also to look forward to what’s next.
At The Mind Lab, our September graduation, held at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, was an extra special event. The first we’ve been able to hold in person since March 2021, and the biggest yet.
For our more mature learners, there’s something extra sweet when graduating. Family, careers, community involvement, it all has to be done in addition to, not in place of.
Graduation with us is a family aff air, supported by kids, grandkids, partners and adult siblings. Having the joyful sound of tamariki and mokopuna skipping around playing added to the uplift ing feeling in the room and reminded us all, the futures we are designing now, are for them.
As teachers, learning is inbuilt into the daily rhythm of life. But stepping outside of one’s own classroom and into someone else’s, as a student, can reinvigorate the energy needed to teach and lead.
Stephanie Ngarepa, Master of Contemporary Education is one such person. Challenged by personal adversity through her studies, Stephanie still delivered an impactful project that fostered student agency. She empowered her Year 7 & 8 students at Longburn Adventist College to design and lead their own school camp. From planning, budgeting, shopping and partaking in all meals and activities, this ownership increased participation and engagement in the camp, with a 100% turnout. Stephanie found new empowerment in her ability
to positively influence others. For this, she was awarded the Lynley Schofield Award for resilience and perseverance.
“The Master of Contemporary Education opened my eyes up to the possibility that we have as teachers. I’ve been teaching for 20 years and this programme has really changed the way that I think about the power
of influence that I have within my classroom and the way that I can aff ect the kids and their learning journeys. It was powerful.” - Stephanie Ngarepa, Master of Contemporary Education, teacher at Longburn Adventist College, recipient of Special Lynley Schofield Award for resilience.
At The Mind Lab, we strive to deliver learning experiences that are founded on four key mātāpono (values): Manaaki, Pono, Rangatiratanga and Ako. To recognise students that embody these values, we have Te Ara Kōtihi Awards for each.
Taki Roberts, Postgraduate Certificate in Digital and Collaborative Learning and kaiako at Kaitao Intermediate School in Rotorua, was the recipient of the Tohu Pono. Taki showed determination and selfbelief to bring student voices to all class sessions, so the benefactors of contemporary education practices were not forgotten or dismissed.
‘E noho ana au i runga i toku taumata i Tiheia/ my journey begins at my mountain, Tiheia.
My students are the teachers and I model teaching using their classes and navigate alongside them, on their journeys.’
Since completing the postgraduate certificate in Digital and Collaborative Learning, Taki has been able to apply her knowledge of collaborative learning practices to ‘give mana to the knowledge they bring to the table and make opportunities available to apply their knowledge to new contexts. I’m able to model strength, encouraging my students to gain mana from their cultural identities, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. E hoki ana au ki toku iwi, kia Rangiwewehi. Ko toku papakohatu, ki Tarimano.’
Our goal at The Mind Lab is to provide the space for innovation, creativity and authenticity to thrive. For us, graduation is not just an event in the calendar. It’s a chance to celebrate kaiako, among others, who will go forward to drive positive change and create impactful futures.
You nurture the future everyday in your classroom. It’s important your own learning keeps pace with what that future could hold.
At The Mind Lab, we help educators like you build skills in digital technologies and contemporary education practices so you can confidently nurture the future in your classrooms, today.
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the plan for your future today… be the teacher that changes the course of others.
Scott Symonds Design Hangarau Teacher at Ross Intermediate in Palmerston North talks about their new laser cutter and CNC and how they have worked with MakerspaceNZ.
We recently undertook a substantial overhaul of our Design and Technology curriculum, facilities, and equipment with an emphasis on pulling the subject into the 21st century. We sorely lacked any sort of digital design and CAD/CAM gear, and with this as a priority we choose MakerspaceNZ based on their prompt response and excellent consultation.
MakerspaceNZ supplied and installed our laser cutter and CNC, and have provided substantial ongoing support in the form of training, maintenance and the
supply of consumables. They have a great knowledge of the machines they sell and customers they work with and have become key partners in our redevelopment.
Prior to redevelopment, our Art, Design and Technology facilities were solidly locked in the 1970’s, with vintage equipment leading to ‘vintage’ projects. Whilst students still enjoyed these lessons and learned valuable skills, we wanted to provide students with the means to design and realise
their own creations through an inquiry-based approach that more closely resembles a commercial product design process.
Our laser cutter has become central to much of what we do, allowing students to rapidly prototype technical designs using vector design software, as well as producing more decorative products and finishes using tablet and stylus.
We use the laser across Hard Materials, Soft Materials and Art.
Our laser cutter has been very successfully integrated into our curricula. What it offers as a ‘tool’ is the ability for students to create complex products with a level of finish that would have been unavailable to them previously.
Staff love being able to quickly create resources to inspire students, as well as making doubles of excellent examples of student work.
Beyond its practical benefits, we have found that the machine along with the design software that we have available, promotes a unique level of engagement that encourages student inquiry and experimentation.
Feedback from students and the parents who visit our facilities has been so overwhelmingly positive that we are now looking to invest in another machine dedicated to Soft Materials and Art.
Opportunities for learning are endless when your classroom can relocate to the deepest depths of the ocean or the farthest reach of space.
Massey University’s sensory science facility can shapeshift into any environment, using state-of-the-art wall-to-wall projections to recreate the ambiance of a supermarket, space rocket, an ancient marketplace, or even the Amazon rainforest.
The Food Experience And Sensory Testing (FEAST) lab is part of the university’s astonishing consumer testing facility—the only lab of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand that can boast an entirely immersive space—and it allows researchers to simulate different eating and drinking situations. As
Sensory Research Officer, Dr Amanda Dupas explained: “We can introduce sounds, smells, change furniture and accessories as we need for each study [and] we can maintain scientificallycontrol over our experiments.
“It is fantastic to be able to alter settings in the room!”
Massey approached Epson NZ to help facilitate their vision for a fully immersive space that would enable users to experience different realworld problems. Interactive
Technologies Technical Lead, Yousuf Baig knew this needed to be achieved with a wall-to-wall projection: “We were looking for a projection solution that could provide large images from a short distance. This was important due to the room dimensions and a low ceiling as we didn’t want to create shadows on the projection wall.”
The proposed solution? An ultrashort throw immersive projection system comprising EB-L1065UNL projectors combined with Epson’s unique ELPLX01S ultra short throw “ snorkel” lens.
Yousuf points out “there are few products available in the market that provide such a solution” and “apart from technical specification, other important factors included ease-of-use, versatility, installation options, compatibility with the control
system and cost”. This is where Epson NZ came in. “They were very helpful throughout the duration of the project: they sent us a projection lens for a trial without any commitments, which not only provided us the chance to check the product works but also to think about designing a system in the room for mounting the projector on the ceiling,” Yousuf recalls.
From Epson’s perspective, the project was an opportunity to partner with a leading NZ University on a ground breaking teaching space which offers a true immersive experience.
Institutions looking to design a similar space should ideally aim for something purposebuilt to provide an immersive environment, advises Yousuf: “Retrofitting a room will be challenging. Another important
point is to check if ceiling can hold the projector weight properly and proper mounting is used, which is resistant to earthquakes, etc.”
The new technology is revolutionising the traditional learning environment. For schools, this technology could elevate learning across all subject areas as it allows students to experience a range of different environments without having to leave the school.
Epson representative, Graeme Durham, advises that the use of immersive spaces is increasing, especially in the simulation & training verticals.
Likewise, Professor Joanne Hort, Director of the Food Experience and Sensory Testing Laboratory at Massey University explains how it is enhancing research experiences: “Traditionally, consumer testing is done in a controlled setting like a meeting room or sensory booths, however, these do not reflect real consumption contexts.
“For example, we recently immersed participants in a bar restaurant setting to evaluate consumer response to burger patties, with and without the sauce and bun! We’ve also used a supermarket setting, followed by a home dining room setting, in a single session to track consumer response to a plantbased product from purchase through to consumption.”
By Rosie Clarke, Editor
International student travel offers unique and expansive educational benefits to students, and the Ministry of Education (MOE) recommends following key guidelines to ensure safe travel, particularly involving insurance cover.
During COVID, the Commerce Commission received a slew of complaints from parents about money lost due to cancelled school tours. To prevent this from happening again and to re-instate confidence in the sector, the School Travel Collective Inc (STC) was formed and protects funds through the Travel Agents Association of
New Zealand (TAANZ) with fully bonded membership, rigorous and accredited health and safety auditing, and by adopting MOE’s best practice guidelines.
These guidelines are provided for schools “to organise international travel for students, including requirements for insurance cover,” explains MOE Hautū (Leader) of Operations and Integration, Sean Teddy. He told School News: “Agreements about overseas school trips are made between the school Board and the third party, such as travel and insurance providers.
“Boards must be financially responsible, but as crown entities they are not obliged to use specific travel providers or follow our guidance when they’re planning international travel. Deciding when trips will be booked and managing
consequences of those decisions if travel is not able to be completed rests with the school Board.
“Schools must be upfront with the families of students attending school-organised trips about what is covered in the cost of the trip and should get
agreement from families and the Board if they wish to use a non-bonded travel agent.
He added that “schools may choose to subsidise the cost of trips through fundraising activities or by applying for grants from nongovernment organisations”.
Confidence restored, schools around the country have begun planning incredible overseas educational tours once more. We spoke with two founding members of STC to find out where they are going, and what opportunities are opening up internationally for our learners.
“There is a saying that “if you do not learn from the past, you are destined to repeat it,” says Defining Moments’ Director, Stephen Gillingham: “Many schools and, more specifically, parents were majorly financially impacted because some travel companies did not adhere to best practices in terms of keeping client funds separate from operating funds.
“This is a fundamental requirement to being a full member of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) and why we founded the School Travel Collective (STC). There needs to be more advocacy around the MOE guidelines to ensure schools and their communities are best protected by following them. Making sure that the travel provider is both a member of TAANZ and STC will ensure they are dealing with organisations that have financial and health and safety best practice at the core of their operations.”
He says he has noticed that one “major outcome from most overseas student group tours
is a heightened awareness of cultural differences and a greater understanding of the importance of tolerance”.
“Many students have had their thinking transformed in light of being exposed to interactions in other cultures and many parents comment about the positive change they have witnessed in their son or daughter on return.”
Telling us about some of the different styles of educational tours schools are planning for 2023, he says: “We specialise in academic group tours, mainly consisting of Social Sciences, Classics, Languages, Business and Media Studies. Vietnam is a destination that has wide appeal as it delivers on so many fronts, particularly in the understanding of another culture along with new foods and traditions.”
Incredibly, he reflects that his tour company has had more than 100 groups travel to Vietnam: “Almost without exception, each student has had their life enriched beyond measure as a result of the experience.”
Brent Imrie, Director of Tour Time and founding member of STC, confirms that Tour Time is “100 percent in favour of the changes MOE have made”, “especially the fact that if schools choose not to use a TAANZ financially bonded tour operator, then all parents need to be informed and must agree not to use a TAANZ financially bonded company before booking”.
“Itinerary options popular with schools range from STEM to sports: STEM Tours include hands on workshops, visiting CERN and NASA (space tours are among our most popular!) visiting JPL, SpaceX & NASA. Virtual reality, Robotics and artificial intelligence can be explored as students learn about its societal impacts.
“Business, Commerce, Digital Technology, and Inspiring Leadership Tours are especially popular with students starting to think about career pathways. We don’t just take photos outside buildings; we go inside and learn valuable lessons from business leaders or sit in on famous university lectures.
“Sports Tours are consistently popular as we arrange competitive games and elite coaching for any sport. Tour Time has an exclusive partnership with The Sports Academy formerly known as Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy.”
“Classics & History Tours travelling through France, Belgium, Italy & Greece are always popular as visiting these sites brings the students text books to life.”
“Meanwhile, Music and Performing Arts Tours can be organised around competitions, festivals, venues, and performances. Two of our school choirs, prior to COVID, sang mass in the St Peters Basilica, Vatican City and many of our music groups have performed in the
Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna. The favourite destination for performing arts and dance is LA and New York, where students can have masterclasses with Broadway artists and go to shows in the evening.”
“To ensure your funds and students are safe and have the most memorable tour for 2023 and beyond, schools should only use STC member companies who are all TAANZ financially bonded and licensed school travel experts.”
The 12 schools, members of the South Wairarapa Kāhui Ako, brought their Year 7 and 8 students together in August to participate in a Vape Truths workshop presented by Life Education Trust educator Laura Campbell. Students also saw the Trust’s theatre-ineducation programme Behind the Scenes, which deals with impacts of vaping and influence of social media. An online webinar for students’ whānau and teachers was also held.
In the last few years vaping has become a significant issue for many schools with many young people addicted to vaping.
As a result of ongoing concern from principals and educators, Life Education has been working with the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation to address the issue. Behind the Scenes was developed with input from students, trialled in selected schools during Term 1 before being rolled out to secondary schools nationwide. South Wairarapa Year 7 and 8 students saw a version adapted for their age group.
“It’s alarming the rapid increase in the number of school student’s vaping and the incredibly high nicotine rates of vaping products. Secondary school principals are telling us that vaping has become an epidemic and a number of the primary school leaders we work with are also citing it as an issue,” says Life Education Trust Chief Executive, John O’Connell.
The ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey conducted with Year Ten Students in 2021, released results in February for regular vaping, and this showed dramatic uptake for all ethnicities; increasing from 12% in 2019 to 20% in 2021. This figure is in line with the regular vaping rates the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation/Secondary Principal’s
Association Survey reported which had youth vaping in the past 7 days at 27%. In the ASH Survey, regular vaping for Māori was alarmingly even higher, with 19.1% of Māori boys, regularly vaping in 2019 increasing to 30.6% in 2021, and for Māori girls, 19.1% in 2019 increasing to 40.7% in 2021.
Gina Smith, Principal of Featherston School, said the actors delivered an upbeat performance.
“Their transition between information and entertainment was seamless, meaning our students were informed throughout the whole performance.“
Behind the Scenes uses the successful format of Life Education’s other theatre programmes, SMASHED and SMART$ to entertain and educate students. Behind the Scenes focuses on vaping and the wider context of how social media influences decision making and behaviours. It will give young people the knowledge and skills to make positive choices around vaping and strategies to stand up to peer pressure. The content was informed by surveys of students to ensure it was relevant for the audience.
“Even though our students have had a presentation on vaping before, this was by far the most engaged I have seen them. These three young people delivered a tough message in a way we cannot do in a classroom and I believe their message got through to a majority of our students. “
“Behind the Scenes gives rangatahi a safe space to discuss vaping, its impacts and peer pressure. We know from our experience with our other theatre in education programmes that this platform works for students of this age as it tells someone else’s story – not their own.” says Mr O’Connell.
Life Education integrated vaping education into their Healthy Harold programme in primary schools in 2020 and educators now offer a specific vaping education workshop, Vape Truths, for Years 7 – 10. In conjunction with Behind the Scenes, Life Education has developed a 30-minute online webinar that schools can invite parents and community to participate in. The webinar focuses on information on the types of vaping products, the impact of nicotine on the adolescent brain, and how vaping is being woven into the social media that young people watch.
“It’s wonderful to see these programmes being developed for our rangatahi. We need to ensure young people are educated on the harms of vaping so we can turn Aotearoa’s youth vaping epidemic around, and prevent future generations becoming addicted to a product that will have a negative impact on their health,” says Chief Executive, Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, Letitia Harding.
To book vaping education for your Kāhui Ako, email tracey.scott@lifeeducation.org.nz
South Wairarapa schools have taken a region-wide approach to educating students on the health risks of vaping.The number of New Zealand teenagers vaping has increased dramatically.
To prioritise first aid, schools need adequately qualified attendants on site, facilitating sport and other activities, and on excursions.
Emergencies cannot be predicted, which is why schools must always be proactive and prepared.
Five aims of first aid:
• Preserve life
• Prevent injury from getting worse
• Aid recovery
• Relieve pain
• Protect the unconscious
Some of these principles might seem like common sense; however, first aid undertaken by an untrained person can put someone at further risk. Knowing when to act and what to do is critical.
If all staff can perform basic first aid, your school is in a stronger position. It is vital to make sure your school has an adequate number of qualified first aid officers. Training should be Health and Safety and Ministry of Education compliant, with NZQA units available as required. Training needs for schools can be complex, so consult your local first aid provider, many will tailor training to accommodate your school specifically.
First aid qualifications need to be completed and refreshed every two years, covering topics like asthma, fractures, diabetes, bites and stings, as well as CPR and defibrillation. Depending on the individual school and health and safety requirements, additional courses might be considered. For example, first aid competencies to treat a condition that is specific to a particular student, or for the treatment of Anaphylaxis, for early childhood care, outdoor emergencies, or advanced emergencies.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an effective lifesaving technique used in many emergencies such as neardrownings. CPR requires a set of skills that can decline over time, which is why CPR refreshers are recommended every 12 months.
In addition, CPR can prolong life, but an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is often the only way to restore the heart’s rhythm. AEDs should be installed in an accessible area clearly visible, well signposted, and maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Yes. First aid is a vital life skill for anyone, and many first aid providers recommend basic life support skills are taught to students annually. After all, when a student can confidently recognise an emergency and act effectively, it is an invaluable asset to their school, the community at large, and eventually the workforce.
Many students also enjoy learning first aid, with reports children (even primary school age) engage
well with first aid lessons and love to incrementally acquire age-appropriate lifesaving skills. It has been shown that First Aid can empower children of all ages and even pre-schoolers can be taught to provide life-saving help. For example, pre-school age children can be taught to dial 111 for help.
Furthermore, first aid training can teach school age children about taking responsibility for their own health and wellbeing, as well as brief them on what to do when someone else is hurt. Most importantly, students learn when and how to seek help
Injuries are very common during school sport activities, so it is particularly vital to have first aid attendants and a first aid kit kept on the sidelines. Providing staff with a quantity of first aid field pouch kits is an excellent idea. They are easy for staff to pick up and carry to an activity - during recess, lunch, a trip or for a sporting game. They allow first aiders to give hands free treatment, importantly they save time, and allow injuries to be treated quickly and on the spot.
Proper training and supply management is critical to support positive outcomes in case of emergency
Accurate records help schools assess stock needs for future orders. Maintaining your stock of regularly used items like adhesive strips, saline, bandages, and ice packs is crucial but schools should also review any gaps where additional items or equipment might be needed.
Schools should nominate First Aid Attendants who are required to ensure the school has adequate first aid supplies. These supplies can quickly deplete and are tricky to keep track of, so here are some tips to help attendants manage:
• Schedule weekly supply checks into the timetable
• Have a thorough content list for each kit, box, or first aid pouch
• Keep an up-to-date inventory of re-fill stock
• Keep an incident record to account for every item used, include details of how items were used, categorising the emergency and injury
• Keep records of requests for unavailable items to identify supply needs
Importantly, make sure all your supplies and equipment are in good condition: check expiry dates, functionality, and that any sterile products are still sealed.
First Aid for the School Environment (FASE) 4-hour course held at your premises at times to suit you. This is a cost effective course designed to give teachers con dence to cope with medical emergencies and accidents at school or on suburban trips. This ts with staff development and is based on Ministry of Education guidelines.
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For further information and pricing for all rst aid courses please email team@ rst-training.co.nz or call us 0800 1ST AID www. rst-training.co.nz
Trying to help might seem like common sense, but first aid undertaken by an untrained person can put someone at further risk
Schools are facing new security challenges all the time and need scalable systems in place that take a range of factors into consideration.
Generating a roadmap for your school that projects future security upgrades, needs, and costs, will allow you to plan proactively as well as provide reassurance to your community.
The first step is to approach a security consultant able to assess on-site risks and make security recommendations. These audits may be Ministry-funded, and schools should check their eligibility to access additional funding for security solutions sought upon the recommendation of an audit. All new schools and new school facilities and building upgrades that cost more than $200,000 require security alarm systems. All electronic
systems require schools to have an alarm response strategy in place before purchasing, and the Ministry recommends off-site alarm monitoring that alerts a security guard rather than on-site monitoring that would involve a staff member responding to alerts. Not all schools desire an integrated security alarm access system, so this is something to discuss with your chosen consultant or auditor.
Regarding alarm systems, it is important to note that the Ministry of Education requires school fire alarm systems to be the lead systems if they are combined with the security system. This means that the fire alarm can activate the security system but not the other way around in that instance.
Maintenance contracts are also recommended with any security system to reduce the number of false alarms and other issues and to maximise system performance in case of emergency. This is especially important with locking systems and key management.
The Ministry recommends that commercial locking systems are used and that locks and locking systems are updated consistently over time to keep levels of risk low. It is also recommended that changes to locking systems, including card and mobile systems, are introduced in stages.
Electronic access systems can make it easy to instantly revoke
access from the system. This staged, bite-size approach to upgrading school security has the added benefit of allowing staff members time to get used to new solutions or procedures relating to access control.
It can also support schools in preparing necessary paperwork and organising funding for projects.
eCLIQ is a wireless access control system which enables schools to regain and maintain control of their locking system.
For those who need to monitor and control access to their school, the reality of navigating streams of different people at any given time and ensuring that those who are authorised to have access to premises can easily do so, and those who don’t are prevented from entering, can be a huge challenge.
Fortunately, with eCLIQ this challenge is easily overcome. It features a key that combines the benefits of digital technology, including passwords, authentication, audit trails, flexible access control and so much more, with the security of robust mechanical locks.
It may be surprising that one of the most sophisticated, up-to-date access and security devices looks, at first glance, like one of the oldest. Based on the traditional lock and key, eCLIQ retrofits seamlessly into existing locking systems; cylinders are made to the same dimensions, and all electronics are self-contained - powered by a battery within the key.
Without the need for wiring, eCLIQ electronic keys offer features like programmable access rights, time scheduling, audit trails and blocking of lost keys. Simply put, if one of these is mislaid or taken away (either inadvertently or intentionally)
the school facility manager isn’t landed with the onerous task of rekeying the entire school. The individual key can simply be blocked at the cylinder, therefore removing the keys access rights, and blocking the operation of the key.
The school facility manger can also see who opened what door and when, easily change a person’s access rights by sending information to their key and control the time periods when keys are operational.
Installation is simple and straightforward, both for new school construction or retrofitting to existing doors at established schools.
For operation, it’s possible to use CLIQ Web Manager available in either cloud-based or serverbased software, depending
on the school’s preference. For those looking for the very highest level of security, the latter option is often selected.
For retrofitting an existing door, all that is required is the fitting of a key and cylinder into the standard mortice lock.
A simple procedure and one that is a much more cost-effective solution than monitoring people by installing expensive card readers, and the associated cost and complexity of running cabling across the school.
• Lost keys – Block or eliminate any lost or stolen keys to maintain the integrity of your system without having to replace the locks
• No rekeying costs – all access rights are granted electronically to the keys
• No wiring – Gain the functionality of access control without the hassle and expense
• Audit trails – Maintain control of the system as every lock and key can be tracked
• Change access – Easily change a person’s access rights by sending information to their key
• Schedule access – Control the time periods when keys are operational. Ideal for third party maintenance contractors or if you rent out spaces - with knowledge that access can only be gained when specified.
For more information visit www.assaabloy.com/nz or email nzeducation@assaabloy.com
Increasingly, schools hire out their facilities to local businesses or enable them to be used out-ofhours for community events and other activities. This can present some unique security risks that modern systems tackle head-on. For instance, some electronic security systems can restrict access to specific time periods, preventing external personnel from entering the premises early or staying late. Keyless and mobile solutions can also eliminate the need to provide third parties with security codes, which then must be changed.
Salto Systems Oceania’s National Sales Manager, Caine Hillier manages all things education at
the security firm and told us about some of the multi-faceted uses of Electronic Access Control (EAC) solutions that he has observed in schools.
“We have found that EAC is complementary in preventing vandalism. Some schools are now installing it in toilet blocks to deter vandalism as well as vaping inside the toilets during school hours. Further, schools are now utilising student ID cards as swipe cards. Students are now required to swipe their student ID if they need to use the toilets. This has prevented the students from vandalising the school’s toilets as well as stopped students vaping within the toilet blocks.
“Lockers are another overlooked usage: EAC can bring school lockers into the same system as the rest of your access points
for easier locker management, improved hygiene and simpler locker use for staff and students.”
“Schools can still have an open and welcoming atmosphere with security in mind. A modern smart access control system is less conspicuous and can significantly streamline the entry and exit procedures at your school while actually providing a higher level of security. Each school has their own policies and requirements, but using the right technology allows schools the flexibility to have an open-door policy and can lock down within seconds in case of an emergency.
“You do need comprehensive coverage to pull this off ; all doors to all classrooms and secured areas should have a battery online lock installed, but it’s exactly this level of security and peace of mind that enables an open environment.
“In practice, this means that all doors can be programmed to stay open so that students can freely access the classrooms as required. When the school needs
to be locked down, teachers can lock all doors within that area with a single swipe at a centralised lockdown reader on the wall. This allows the teacher to lock all doors within the building at one time instead of having to go to every single door and manually lock it. Once the lockdown is over, the teacher swipes the lockdown reader again and this will end the lockdown and all the doors will go back to their original opening schedule. Anyone that has access to the software can easily see which doors are locked.”
His advice for future-proofing school security is twofold: “Don’t lock into a specific card credential supplier; there are many security cards out there and some encrypt their cards so that schools can only use a handful of dealers for installation and support and can only use particular card readers and equipment. Second, if your teachers are frequently losing or forgetting keys, allowing them to use smartphone credentials to gain access to the school will eliminate the security risk of lost or stolen cards.”
Stand-alone or integrated into existing systems - there are options to suit every door, building and budget.
All access points including doors, gates, padlocks, boom gates and lifts can be accessed using the one credential.
Individual teachers can lock their rooms, or the manager can instigate a campus-wide lockdown from a central point.
Lower install costs with wireless, plus the exiblity to install in stages makes SALTO a budget-friendly yet comprehensive option.
For more information, please call +64 9-9513081 or email info.oceania@saltosystems.com www.saltosystems.co.nz
Say goodbye to the headaches of managing physical keys with our keyless, wireless, and cost-effective solutions.Image courtesy of Salto Systems
Schools are keen to boost sports engagement and scoreboards work tremendously, building excitement and spectatorship by ensuring a fair match.
Certainly, a scoreboard elevates school sportsmanship, but what makes an impressive scoreboard?
As the technological capabilities of scoreboards have increased, so have the number of designs. Multisport scoreboards are rising in popularity among schools, particularly for indoor facilities, and video playback and streaming functions are also sought-after.
Before considering these exciting features though, size should be a key consideration when looking to purchase or upgrade a scoreboard and generally, it seems the larger the venue, the larger the screen recommendation. Beyond screen size, consider that rugby fields will require larger character-size display than a smaller netball court for optimum visibility.
Different scoreboards have different interfaces and controls for things like brightness, so
consider ease-of-use. Durability for weather protection is a must for outdoor displays, and it is always a good idea to check out scoreboards in neighbouring schools to get a sense of what might work best for your school.
• The score. Before getting excited about customisation
and specs, you want to make sure you choose a scoreboard that’s easy to read, works well, and that you can maintain effectively.
• The time. Digits should be sharp, clear, and placed in a prominent position on the scoreboard.
• Who, what, when, and where? Additional elements like branding, advertising banners, and other features should not
get in the way of accurate, real-time game stats.
• Compliance with NZ safety standards such as Electro Magnetic Compliance and Electrical Standards for New Zealand should be checked off as necessary.
Beyond these essentials, schools should prioritise features based on intended use, according to recommendations from suppliers to the sector we approached this issue…
While investigating the essential purchasing considerations for schools buying new scoreboards, School News consulted with two industry scoreboard suppliers to identify emerging scoreboard trends so that our readers can stay ahead of the game.
The trend in scoreboards has moved toward full matrix scoreboards “like stadium displays or school gate signs”, reveals Craig Meldrum, Managing Director of WiPath Communications.
Specially designed software enables some scoreboards to be customised and according to Meldrum, schools are increasingly interested in this option, whereby “each scoreboard can be customised to any sport and include general messaging, sponsorship graphics and even full video playback with appropriate equipment”.
“With scoreboards, bigger is always better. The minimum size we would ever recommend for an outdoor scoreboard is about 1.8m2 although indoor can be smaller. You need to consider the distance from which the scoreboard is to be viewed, with a recommended rough guide for minimum digit height of 200mm for every 50m of reading distance.
“With fixed installations a data cable is always preferred for control and communications, however various wifi options are also available, though less reliable due to wifi signal variability. With mobile units point to point wifi is usually the best option.”
Additionally: “Power is always required at the scoreboard although in some situations solar may be possible, but it is a limiting factor in terms of operating time. Often, we look at batterycontrolled scoreboards with the scoreboard on a trailer and regular access to recharging facilities.”
His advice for schools looking into scoreboard technology is to “make sure you get a minimum 10-year guarantee on parts availability for your specific scoreboard. This means parts must be stored specifically for your scoreboard rather than general stock. LED signage is very factory dependent with no two factories offering major parts that can be used from another. The technology
is also changing rapidly with a scoreboard bought three years ago using quite different parts from a scoreboard built today.”
Electronic scoreboards are rising in popularity post-lockdown, says Colin Robson, Director at HTS Group: “As we see the relaxing of COVID restrictions and encourage our youth back into team sports, we are seeing the level of interest in scoreboards increase.”
He explains that deciding which scoreboard to purchase is determined by key factors, including the “disciplines being scored/timed”, “placement legibility”, and “budget”.
For schools: “A multisport scoreboard is likely the best option for indoor facilities as it features the ability to score multiple disciplines such as basketball, netball, futsal, volleyball, badminton, table tennis and more. These are available in a number of sizes and options with controllers able to be driven by anyone.
“When deciding on placement, the key is the ability to view the score quickly, especially in high activity sports such as basketball. All good multisport scoreboards will be ok for visibility within a school sports hall with viewing distances starting at 15cm and viewable at 60m for our economy models up to 30cm which are viewable at 160m for the super pro. If adding shot clocks, these are available in wireless and cabled. The latter is the preferred option given the increasing radio frequency noise generated
from more and more connected devices. “When deciding on an outdoor scoreboard, location is a key consideration. The ideal location will be one where the sun is not directly onto or behind the scoreboard during the typical times of the sport being played. Brightness and size of digits are considerations which, in
conjunction with placement will determine the model required.
Outdoor scoreboards typically have legibility ranges of 120m, 160m and 200m. If the full videoboard solution is outside budget, the next best solution is a scoreboard with the best total cost of ownership benefits.”
Multisport scoreboards to full size videoboards available for your sporting application
Warmth is a key consideration. The more use the shade structure will have in winter, the more important it is that it generates warm shade. First, assess how permanent your new shade structure needs to be. Next, ask about different materials, tints, and other options available that will provide the level of warmth you need.
More temporary solutions that are flexible and easily stored are ideal ways to facilitate sports events, carnivals, stalls, and other community and leisure events. Gazebos and marquees are ideal options here and are highly customisable, integrating logos, slogans, and school colours. They provide shade while maximising space and can travel with sports teams to external venues for weather protection and school spirit.
More permanent shade solutions can extend classrooms and provide year-round shelter for students to eat at lunchtime. These are ideal solutions for schools with
growing enrolments, EOTC goals, or simply want to improve existing architectural design. Canopies and verandas can accomplish these goals by providing multifunctional outdoor learning spaces. If a proposed permanent shade structure is also part of a roof replacement project, the Ministry may classify it as a priority 2 project.
Finally, schools should also consider the proximity of nearby trees and playground equipment to minimise climb-ability, asking suppliers for design suggestions. Shade sails are another type of shade structure, which are opensided and have a fabric top-cover; they can be installed quickly and are popularly seen on playgrounds, so it’s important they are designed to deter climbing.
Speaking with us from Archgola, Katrina Evans said that enrolment increases have prompted enquiries from schools building new classrooms and looking at shade options as part of this build.
“Schools are increasingly interested in outdoor learning spaces that are out of the sun and provide an open plan style learning environment where kids can be inside or out.
“When planning a permanent shade solution, it is important to select an experienced, certified company who offers a comprehensive design process and uses high quality materials. These elements are essential to ensure that the finished structure
meets your needs, withstands the wide range of weather conditions we are now more regularly experiencing in New Zealand and provide high level of UV protection.”
In addition, schools are also “installing canopies as replacements for the traditional shade sail, with schools seeking something more permanent for the kids to eat their lunch under,” according to Evans. “Often schools prefer to have canopies installed in the school holidays, so make sure you allow plenty of time to complete planning and approval process to achieve this.”
For schools looking to extend learning spaces using shade structures and canopies, they should start this process by “talking with other schools and sports clubs about the shelter options they have chosen and how the area is working for them.
“Then, arrange for an on-site consultation with a solutions provider to discuss your ideas. From there, measurements can be taken to begin the design and quotation process. Once you have established the total area to cover, you then consider roof shape options. This may be arched (giving you the widest span between support poles), gullwing (a double arch for very wide areas), or a flat profile. This decision will affect the number of posts required to support the canopy.”
Options aplenty: schools have lots to choose from when looking to install new shade structures thanks to the stunning new commercial designs on offer. So, where to begin?Image courtesy of Archgola
In terms of colour and customisation, Evans says: “Some schools choose to match roofing or joinery colours, others a bright contrasting colour. Finally, a roof tint can be chosen to provide cooler or warmer shade.”
According to Nick Suckling, General Manager at Shade Systems: “Schools have been looking for ways to not only provide great cover and shelter for sports and outdoor play, but something that can also double as an outdoor gathering space during these pandemic times and even be rented out to the community as an extra revenue stream. A covered outdoor learning area (COLA) canopy has proved to be an extremely popular solution for these needs as it provides protection from sun and rain.”
Additionally: “As more schools get artificial turf courts, we have noticed an increased interest in canopies that cover the entire court area. Artificial turf can get extremely hot in summer and covering it with a canopy keeps it cool through the hottest days.
Shade sails have always been a popular choice over playgrounds and play equipment and are also proving popular for schools that need shade in a hurry before the end of this summer as the process is a lot faster than a larger structure such as COLA.”
In terms of customisation, he says schools should ask: “Will your structure be close to a road? Do you want sides to prevent balls from escaping? Do you need it to be usable at night time and need custom lights installed?
“When planning for a shade structure, it is also good to consider the maintenance and upkeep for your structure. Just like any part of the school, your canopy will need to be cleaned and checked periodically so talk to your designer and consultant about what will be required later down the track. Try to anticipate what your school might need in five, 10 and 20 years’ time if you are considering a large structure like a COLA canopy as they are made to last the distance, so you won’t be replacing them anytime soon.
His biggest recommendation is “to get in touch with other schools and observe students using the structures to consider what things you like about them and what things you might want to do differently”.
For schools considering a printed gazebo, Up She Goes Gazebo representative Grant Morris recommends “insisting on a 300gm/600 denier roof that has been UV treated for New Zealand conditions, as this will protect it
against the damaging sun rays which are common in Aotearoa”.
Schools generally get their school’s name and logo printed on the four sides of the gazebo and also on the valance area in school colours. Sides can also be a nice add on to protect against the wind. These gazebos are ideal for use at sport day events as an easy-to-spot sunshade area and a safe place to store children’s bags and school equipment.
The two types of gazebos available in the marketplace are steel and aluminium, he explains: “The cheaper grades are made of
steel and generally get damaged if they get blown over during excessive winds. The other types available are made using aluminium frames (50mm legs), cast aluminium joints, stainless steel cross bar connectors, thick aluminium feet and re-enforced cross frames. These frames carry a 10-year warranty and are packed in a heavy duty 1200 denier with heavy duty wheels for ease of handling. The main aluminium type gazebo used by schools is the 6m x 3m size, but the smaller 3m x 4.5m and 3m x 3m gazebos are also available.”
So why does it tend to be low on a School Board’s list of priorities?
When budgets are tight, working preventative measures into your financial plan can grease the wheels with executives and send a positive message to your school community.
Painting maintenance sets school buildings apart—even if a school is struggling on the inside, well-kept walls work wonders to keep up appearances. On the other hand, shoddy paintwork puts off prospective parents and does little to instil pride in a student body.
To get on top of finances and keep your school in tip-top condition, implement preventative maintenance by scheduling lower cost regular cleaning and carry out preventative fixes. The goal is to avoid the need for another full-scale renovation down the road once complaints and hazards start to roll in. Choice of paint is important too—opt for higher quality, durable paints that won’t wear as quickly and ask the manufacturer for specific cleaning and maintenance advice.
Schools can schedule an audit first to identify any areas of concern, recommend and/or carry out necessary repaints and work with you to schedule routine maintenance. An annual wash, depending on the location of the school, can help paint last longer while re-coating faded areas can improve overall durability.
First, check the damage. Weather is a critical offender when it comes to paint longevity. Strong
UV rays cause fading and colour morphing, while winds and rain dirty paintwork and eventually cause cracks and splits. Ignored for too long, the only remedy is to strip the walls and repaint, but scheduled maintenance can stave this off by brushing, sanding, and treating where needed.
Water damage is a nastier offshoot and can be hard to spot unless you specialise in building maintenance—another benefit of scheduling regular professional attention—but bubbling paint, mould, peeling, and staining are all tell-tale signs that need to be assessed for health and safety. This is important for interior and exterior painting both. Another maintenance woe for schools involves vandalism and graffiti.
Along with general wear and tear from rogue soccer balls and illicit skateboarding, these kinds of marks are likely to attract copycat behaviour, so regular deep cleaning works as a deterrent.
To seek advice for schools on selecting colours that can enhance learning and encourage interactivity, School News sat down with three industry specialists from Dulux New Zealand, Specification Consultant Megan Meads, Colour and Design Specialist Davina Harper, and National Specification Manager Simon Blincoe.
“We are seeing a trend towards more sophisticated colour palettes and more refined colour combinations. The key with education colours is to keep them relatively earthy and neutral in learning spaces like classrooms and lecture rooms, while using brighter and bolder hues in break-out spaces.
“More schools are wanting to blend into their surroundings too, so we are seeing more use of timber and concrete. We recommend that schools choose a paint range that has independent third-party certifications from environmental programmes, a washable finish, and uses very low volatile organic compounds that are ultra-low odour. For the exteriors, we are seeing a lot of new builds and extensions, wanting to create large open spaces with moveable walls, so paint that is specially designed to provide a tough, hard-wearing finish for the exterior walls helps ensure weather protection.
“Free colour and coating consultation is available for advice so that facility managers and school authorities can make informed decisions when refurbishing an education facility.”
Stunning interior and exterior paintwork at the North Island school was undertaken to represent cultural identity and brighten up what is now one of the most inspiring learning environments in the country,
Consultant Mark Fraider was brought in to facilitate the striking renovation, which was recognised as a finalist for Best Commercial and Multi-Residential Exterior at the 2020 Dulux Colour Awards
Ōhope Beach School was built in an exposed position in the valley with prevailing winds and sea spray from the coast, so coastal weather durability was prioritised for exterior
painting. Meanwhile, the school’s high traffic interiors needed to cater to 300+ primary-aged students, so cleanliness and vibrancy were top priority indoors.
The exterior masonry of the school was painted with Elastomeric 201. This was chosen for its highly flexible, extremely weather resistant properties, and Weathershield for the other cladding and soffits.
The school is built in an exposed position in the valley with prevailing winds and sea spray from the coast. The windows, aluminium joinery, entry gate and stair screen were all powder coated. The Dulux Duratec® range was chosen for this due to its high-performance colour retention and gloss specifications and ensures a durable and easy to maintain building.
Meanwhile, the school interior was painted in Wash & Wear Kitchen & Bathroom for its stain resistance, washability and anti-bacterial properties and all walls were brush and rolled while doors and trims were spray finished.
Dulux wove stories from the region into the school’s exterior colour palette and designed the entrance with play in mind as poles, bay windows, frames and aluminium joinery were painted in bright blue, red, yellow and green powder coat colours.
“Each colour has significant meaning and is taken from the primary colours found in the school’s logo,” explains Mark: “Blue represents the school’s proximity to the ocean, red and green represent New Zealand’s native pohutukawa tree and yellow represents the sand found on Ōhope’s coastline.”
Helps prevent mould growth
Washable & stain resistant
Low VOC:
VOC
