Building Merged Learning Communities: Robin Staples Principal, Southern Cross Campus, Mangere East

Educational Leaders Forum 2013 Christchurch

28 August

Robin Staples

Changing the configuration of schools serving low decile communities to improve student outcomes? ………………………………….

3 Contexts

Advantages

Opportunities

Challenges

Context 1 A Northland District High School 1973

Succession of short term Principals

Social upheaval

Looking back ……………

Bad ERO reports

Collapse of secondary schooling

Business cases - Wyatt Creech

- Mary Sinclair - MOE

My first Principalship 1997

Grit?

Powhiri but real welcome day 1

Context 2 South Auckland 1995 - 1997

Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate

School Roll

• The number of

students increased

every year

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Helen Year 9

Year 13

Context 3

A young population

Roll not viable especially Y10 - 13

Social upheaval

Community safety and Policing issues

Staff shortages

1996 Mangere

All ages mix coming to and going from school –

with separate learning and play areas

Review of structure - 2007

One Area School:

Y1 – 6 Junior School (500)

Y7 – 9 Middle School (400)

Y10 – 13 Senior School (600)

Y1 – 13 Kura (300)

Four enrolment zones

Y 1 – 6

Y 7 – 8, Year 7 intake

Y 9 – 13, Year 9 intake

Zone based on Te Reo prerequisite

Structure now

Two Area Schools:

Y1 – 6 Junior School (500)

Y7 – 13 College (1000)

Y1 – 13 Kura (300)

Four enrolment zones

Y 1 – 6

Y 7 – 8, Year 7 intake

Y 9 – 13, Year 9 intake

Zone based on Reo prerequisite

Action Plan Serious about Learning 2013

• Student planners

• Attend every day

• Learning Advisors - Individual NCEA plans

• Complete all work, handed in on time

• Aim for Merit and Excellence Grades

Restorative Justice

Health

Participation

Engagement

Ownership

Leadership Strategic Plans

“Learning

Comes First”

“Do what ever it takes”

Excellent Learning – Saturday school

Home-School Partnership – parents meet in language groups

Celebrate Achievement – celebrate wins for us

1. Advantages

2. Opportunities

3. Challenges

Reconfiguration of schools ?

Can clarify the vision

Evaluate all the influences

Leadership dialogue from years 1 to 13

Teacher professional dialogue

Try to overcome barriers:

Low decile funding relative to comparative disadvantage

Discontinuity National standards/Y9 and 10/ NCEA

Advantages

Facilities ?

School Culture

Academic Structures &

Processes

People

School Leadership

Student Learning

Outcomes

Values and Beliefs

Knowledge and Experience

P Hallinger and R. Heck 2011

CONTEXT

CONTEXT

A Model of Leadership for Learning

Improved teacher buy-in

Success breeds success

Employ teachers on the same wave length

Constitution

Executive/Business Support

Southern Cross Campus Foundation

Opportunities

School Level

School size

Student composition

Teacher Quality

Instructional Structure

Community influences

Understand the Context

Home ?

Teachers ?

Leadership Incl. BOT

?

City Context

?

It’s a Battle for the Hearts Create a Belief Profile?

Students ?

Investment needed to provide the ability to reorganise – HR

Develop and get the right attitude

Consistency over next ten years

Must Drive in the Same Direction

It takes 10 years

Leadership structure

Sustained capacity

Governance structure

Sustained capacity

Ministry of Education

Politicians want to be with a winner

Challenges

Its about belief:

That all sections of the escalator are effective from

YEAR 1

Teachers

Home

Students

You get what you deserve

It starts at year 1

Belief

Measurement of success for ourselves

Curriculum loss is quickest here and hardest to get back!

Year 13!