New School work starts
Building is yet to begin, but work is well under way on setting up Hāwera’s new combined intermediate and high school, which will open in a year’s time.
The closure of the existing high and intermediate schools, to be replaced by a standalone year 7-13 school, was announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins in November.
The announcement followed years of community consultation about the future of the town’s schooling, after a fire badly damaged the intermediate in 2015 and the high school needed extensive repairs.
The new school will be on the current high school site in Camberwell Rd.
An establishment board was appointed by the minister in December and tasked with setting up the new school, to be known as Hāwera New School until a permanent name is chosen, board chairperson Will Edwards said.
‘‘We have hit the ground running. There have been a lot of meetings and work done in the 35 days since we were appointed.
‘‘We’ve got a lot to do in 12 months, but we have a very skilled, experienced and passionate team on the board, and we are excited about the challenge ahead.’’
Edwards is a company director and researcher with experience in governance in early childhood, secondary and tertiary education.
Board deputy chairperson Cheryl Luke-Maraki has worked in eduction for more than 20 years, mainly in kura kaupapa.
The other board members are Dinah King (who has a social services background and was nominated by Te Korowai O Ngāruahine), Hauraki Erb (who has a petrochemical and construction industries background and was nominated by Te Rununga O Ngāti Ruanui), and current Hāwera Intermediate School principal Neryda Sullivan.
Three people have been coopted: South Taranaki councillor and teacher Diana Reid, Te Kiri King, who was a student representative at Hāwera High School, and former South Taranaki Mayor Ross Dunlop.
The board has begun developing the vision and values for the new school by drawing on input gathered from the community, local schools and iwi during earlier Ministry of Education consultations, and is advertising for a principal, Edwards said.
‘‘The principal will be on deck by the first day of the second term, or earlier if possible,’’ he said.
A ministry-appointed change facilitator would work with the three schools to enable a smooth transition, and support was being provided to the schools’ staff, with extra pastoral care available for students, Hāwera High School principal Rachel Williams said.
‘‘That’s most important, to make sure the kids and the staff are well looked after. All of our students, bar 100 year 13s, will all be going to the new school, that’s 1000 kids we have to transition from one school to another.’’
Both principals were committed to continuing to provide quality education despite the changes looming.
‘‘Our focus is on the here and now ... school will be just the same, the staff will be just as committed,’’ Williams said.
Both the high school and intermediate school would be farewelled with respect, and this would be organised by committees at each school, Sullivan said.
‘‘It is important we go through and acknowledge the work that has been done, they have both done an amazing job over a long period of time. They’re not closing them because there is anything wrong, they are closing because we have the chance to create something better.’’