Hayley Buckley We sat down with our retiring Trust Board Chair, Hayley Buckley, to reflect on her time on the Board over the past seven years. It has been an absolute privilege to serve our community on the Trust Board. I joined the Board in 2015 and was appointed Chair in 2017. Reflecting on this period, the College now has the highest roll in its history, and we have seen significant momentum under Justine Mahon’s leadership, including the establishment of the Year 7–13 Senior School and Year 11–13 Senior Academy, and the launch of our statement of intent, ‘Making Girls Amazing’. Making Girls Amazing exists to ensure that we support every student who comes through our gates to fulfil their potential. It reflects the incredible focus of our teachers to prepare our young women for their futures, to unlock their dreams, and to give the girls every opportunity to discover their own personal amazing. We are proudly an all-girls school, and will remain so. Research tells us young women learn best in an all-girls’ environment, where they have the freedom during these important developmental years to just be themselves and to really get to know who they are. Over the past two years, the Trust Board has spent considerable time looking at international best practice in education. We are excited to be looking forward to the next phase of our strategic planning, including the development of our campus masterplan, enhancing the use of technology and innovation in our curriculum, and ensuring we have the very 8
best wellbeing programmes in place to support our girls to confidently face the futures they choose. During the pandemic, a key focus of the Trust Board has also been to ensure that the College was well supported to deliver our outstanding StCuths@Home educational programme. I know as a parent, I was very grateful for the consistency and connection to the school that the fantastic online learning programme provided my daughter during the lockdowns, and I would like to pay tribute to Justine and her team for all they did to support our girls during an unprecedented time in our history. I have worked very closely with Leigh Melville since she joined the Trust Board in 2017, and I would like to welcome her as Trust Board Chair. She is a person of exceptional integrity, with a deep connection to the College. Having turned her passion into a career, Leigh runs her own commercial business, Auckland art auction house, Art and Object, and was founding Chair of the New Zealand at the Venice Biennale Patrons Trust which successfully supports New Zealand’s participation at the event. Leigh is also on the board of the Auckland Writers’ Festival. Leigh is an Old Girl of the College, serving as Head Girl in her final year. She was President of the Old Girls Association from 2015–2016 and brings a deep understanding of the connected community that is at the heart of our College.
Leigh brings her strong commercial and business experience to the role of Board Chair, and also her communication skills and an ability to unite people to get things done. As we plan for the future, she is uniquely placed to respect our wonderful heritage and traditions, but equally, understands the importance of progressing with momentum to ensure we continue to deliver a world class education to our students, to support them to find what makes them unique and amazing. I would like to thank my fellow Trust Board members for the incredible support which they have given me in my role as Board Chair. Thank you also, to our Principal Justine Mahon, our staff, parents and Old Girl community for everything you do for the College and our girls; it is deeply appreciated. With warmest regards Hayley Buckley St Cuthbert’s Trust Board Chair
