Kia ora koutou e te whanau, 

Term two has just begun. Let’s pause for a moment and ask, “Am I looking after myself, taking care of my physical, mental and emotional health, keeping balance in my life and modelling healthy practice to my staff?” Remember, you cannot effectively lead others if you are not first taking care of yourself!

A good model to consider, and share with your staff, is Mason Durie’s ‘Te Whare Tapa Wha’. This model outlines the four corner stones of Māori health. These are Taha Wairua (spiritual), Taha Whānau (family), balance of Taha Hinengaro (mind) and Taha Tinana (Physical). If any one of these is missing or in any way damaged, a person may become unbalanced and subsequently unwell.

Check your diary. Likely, it will be jam packed with senior management team meetings, special projects meetings, HR, financial, property, Board commitments, appointments, parent meetings, contractors, events… but what about … swim in the pool/river, walk in the park/bush, game of indoor cricket, bike ride with my family, movie night, craft evening, night out with friends at the restaurant, pub quiz night? If you haven’t included just as many of these activities as your work appointments, you are already unbalanced!   

My last point on looking after yourself as a principal is to foster collegial support.  It will lead to improved job satisfaction, increased morale, and ultimately enhanced student outcomes. When colleagues work together and support each other, it creates a positive and collaborative culture that promotes growth and learning for all.

Principal Eligibility Criteria

My job in Wellington is to meet with our sector partners, and request updates on workstreams so that I have as much information as possible to advocate as strongly as possible for you.

I acknowledge Iona Holsted, Secretary for Education, and her team for always responding quicky to my requests for information, including, in some cases, where progress appears to be slow. One such issue is Principal Eligibility criteria. The Independent Taskforce that reviewed Tomorrow's Schools recommended that national eligibility criteria for principal appointments be developed. Section 617 of the Act requires that the Minister issues minimum eligibility criteria for new school principal appointments.  The new criteria will be applied to all principal appointments made in state and state-integrated schools. The criteria were drafted last year with a request for feedback by 30 September 2022.  

Current principals’ positions will not be affected by the criteria, but if they wish to further develop their skills for any of the eligibility criteria, they will have the opportunity to do so.

In response to feedback, the draft criteria were altered and tested by several Boards who had recently appointed a principal.  Feedback from the Boards was forwarded to the Ministry of Education who report it has been insightful and useful.

Te Rūnanga Nui, Ngā Kura a Iwi and Te Akatea are progressing their work on criteria for the Kaupapa Māori and Mana Motuhake Kura and for schools with Rumaki rua. The three groups plan to provide their draft criteria and advice to the Ministry by early May 2023. Full advice on eligibility criteria will be ready for the Minister in June 2023.

Currently, the only legal requirement for appointment as a principal is to be a registered teacher and hold a practising certificate. NZPF has long believed that aspiring principals should have a set of criteria to work towards and to have achieved certain standards in school leadership knowledge and competency before being eligible to apply for a principal’s position. In this way both the children of the school and the principal have the best chance of success.

Applying eligibility criteria to principal appointments will help lift the status and quality of principals in our profession and assist in attracting the best educators to lead our schools. Alongside eligibility criteria the unions also play a part in lifting the status of the profession by negotiating higher salaries - to reflect the value principals bring to young peoples’ education - and by fighting for improved conditions and reduced workloads to make the leadership role manageable.  

Ngā Pou E Whā 

To listen, to learn, to act.

Pou Tahi - Leadership Strategy

Jason Miles, Tracy Fraser, Stephanie Thompson, Leanne Otene 

Authentic Leadership

Leadership in any area of work has many facets. Leadership in our schools is especially complex. As principals navigate change and challenges, the importance of making the purpose of change and the vision clear, becomes even more important. Recently, in New Zealand, we have had ample opportunities for principals to navigate and lead through challenges including natural disasters and pandemics, but also local trauma which can occur at any time. Our Prime Minister and Education Ministers publicly acknowledge the important leadership role principals play in these times, as they should!

 There are many excellent examples of principals leading through complex and challenging times. Over time, with good leadership, vision and attitude, adversity can be transformed into greater prosperity, happiness and success. Mike Anderson, who led Waimairi School through the disaster and devastation of extensive earthquake damage, is a shining example of such leadership, as beautifully captured by Liz Hawes in an article in the March 2021 issue of our NZPF NZ Principal magazine. 

Our hearts and aroha go out to the family, close friends and colleagues of Mike Anderson, and the Waimairi School community. Mike lost his short battle with cancer earlier last week. He contributed so much throughout his career, as a tumuaki in Canterbury schools. Mike was a strong advocate for common sense, had a brilliant and innovative mind, and was just an all-round great person. Mike will be fondly remembered as a principal who truly walked his leadership beliefs and made a lasting difference for all in his community.

Pou Rua - NZ Curriculum refresh - Te Mātaiaho

Heidi Hayward, Karen Brisco, Jen Rodgers, Blair Dravitski 

Update to the work (April/May):

The Literacy, Communication and Mathematics Strategy (March 2022) and subsequent  Literacy, Communication and Mathematics Action Plan - which includes the notion of the Common Practice Model (August 2022) are intended to work hand in hand with Te Mātaiaho. 

The MOE Curriculum Refresh | Te Mātaiaho team suggested Te Mātaiaho sets out what is taught across eight learning areas – including English and Mathematics and statistics and the  Literacy, Communication and Mathematics Strategy, and more specifically the Common Practice Model focuses specifically on how literacy, communication, and maths is taught.

The Common Practice Model (CPM) is being developed in two phases. Phase 1 was published in March 2023 and describes the approaches to teaching literacy, communication, and maths. Phase 2 is currently in development and this will be published later in 2023.  These are the purposeful acts of teaching that kaiako can do in their classrooms to support learning in literacy, communication and maths .  

One action to promote:

Familiarise yourself with the CPM.  It might be a helpful goal for principals (as part of your PGC) to select some of the referenced material as your professional reading, to ready yourself to lead the learning in English and mathematics across your kura.

Pou Toru- Students / Ākonga / Inclusive Education

Shane Buckner, John Bangma, Phil Palfrey, Gavin Beere

Last week, one of our pou members attended the Highest Needs Review Change Programme workshop, in Wellington. The purpose of the meeting was to progress the business case for this work. Last year, Minister Tinetti indicated that a business case would be presented to Cabinet by June. 

Through our discussions, the meeting instead made a number of changes to ensure first, that te Tiriti o Waitangi is reflected throughout the work, and in addition, that Enabling Good Lives is central to the work. This includes consideration of persons with disabilities.  We now await our next hui before forwarding the business case to Cabinet.   

Pou Wha- Policy, Constitution and Legal

Hayley Read, Julie Hepburn, Cherie Taylor-Patel 

Attendance Officers - We acknowledge and celebrate Education Minister, Hon Jan Tinetti’s Attendance Officers' initiative which will be actioned regionally.  We encourage you to discuss your school’s attendance needs with your local association and make sure your school doesn't miss out on any resourcing.  We believe every region will develop an attendance programme that will meet the needs of the whole community, your school being a participant in the pathway to attendance success.

Civil Defence - We have recently sent a letter to the Auckland Regional Civil Defence inviting them to attend the NZPF June hui and share with the executive what schools could do to better prepare for weather events such as have occurred this year.  We will then share any tips and information with you.

Planning and Reporting - NZPF has commented, through a submission, on the MOE Planning and Reporting expectations. Read the submission here. 

Restraint Policy - NZPF encourages you to keep your restraints documentation up to date, and be mindful of changes to the Act.  Your documents must correctly reference the sections of the Act as outlined in the rules. We also suggest that you consider de-escalation training for your team, to avoid the need to restrain.  Restraint should be the last resort.  We all need to keep ourselves safe.