Changing model to suit needs

Southern principals have successfully managed to get a countrywide learning model altered to ensure their children do not miss out on learning opportunities.

The Fiordland and Northern Southland Community of Learning (CoL) is now ‘‘full steam ahead’’ after changes meant this CoL could meet the needs of their students in isolated areas.

Lumsden School principal Andrew Watson said the principals of nine Northern Southland and Fiordland schools were meeting on a regular basis since September 2015 to establish themselves as a Community of Learning, but faced challenges adapting to the Ministry of Education’s set model.

The CoL did not fit the single lead principal model, but not want- ing to miss out on the opportunity to be in a CoL the principals approached the ministry to have their model adapted, he said.

Changing leadership with new, first time principals, distance between schools, smallness of schools, teaching principals and deputy principals, and a lack of relievers made it difficult for any one principal to commit to being the leader.

Ministry of Education deputy secretary of sector enablement support Katrina Casey said the ministry agreed to allow the CoL to advertise a dual leadership role that could be shared between preferably two principals.

The approval was given in November 2016, then Watson and Fiordland College principal Lynlee Smith were dually appointed to the role.

Only two CoLs had a dual leadership proposal approved, Casey said.

Watson said the workload for one lead principal would be equivalent to about two full days a week, which staff in rural schools could not afford to lose.

‘‘We had to justify why model wouldn’t work for us.’’

By splitting the workload, it meant they could not only share the heavy workload, but also share ideas, Watson said. that

Smith said that given the CoL’s ‘‘far-flung’’ geographical situation it made sense to split the job.

‘‘Right from the outset, we decided that the ideal leadership model for our CoL would be a primary and secondary principal, working together to co-ordinate strategies to make a difference for the children in our community,’’ Smith said.

‘‘With this alternative model, which hasn’t been put in place anywhere else, we’re blazing a trail in a way, which is exciting,’’ Watson said.

The schools that make up the Fiordland and Northern Southland Community of Learning are Fiordland College, Te Anau School, Mararoa School, Mossburn School, Garston School, Lumsden School, Northern Southland College, Balfour School and Waikaia School.