Lighting New Fires: School & Policy Updates - October 2022 (NZCEO)

TĒNĀ KOUTOU KATOA

Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou 

The AIS conference held in early September was a wonderful, positive event which was well attended by stakeholders in our sector. As CEO of APIS, it was disappointing that due to illness I could not attend every event over the three days, however, I did manage to catch up with a number of stakeholders over the three days of the conference and was able to interact through three opportunities to facilitate presentations. Hopefully, by wearing my mask I did not infect anyone else with the cold I had. APIS would like to express our thanks to Mark Larson, Rhonda Thorpe and the AIS Executive members for their excellent facilitation in bringing together such a comprehensive programme that had something for everyone and for their manaaki over the three days. It was an exciting opportunity to reconnect with our sector after such a long period of being unable to meet in such large numbers. Thank you to those in APIS who supported this conference. 

The CEO is hearing some concerns from within the state integrated school sector about the impact of the Equity Index on operational funding for school boards in 2023. While I have asked the Ministry of Education for some summative data concerning the impact of the EQI on the state integrated school sector it may take a week or so before APIS receive this information, if it is made available to us. In the meantime, information given to APIS suggests that a number of low decile, large, urban Catholic state integrated schools in South Auckland have had operational grants slashed by more than $100,000 in 2023 as a result of the introduction of the EQI to determine equity funding (replacing the decile system). Any policy that increases inequity is a concern and APIS will continue to seek information on the impact of the EQI and advocate to the government if we feel that the new system is unfairly impacting on school communities who badly need these resources to support achievement and pastoral outcomes. 

Welcome to New School Board Members 

With the 2022 triennial School Board elections having been completed, APIS wants to congratulate and thank all successful school board representives who were either elected or appointed as proprietor representatives. A role on a school board is so important to the successful governance of state and state integrated schools, and the relationship between governance and management has underpinned schools since I entered education in 1989.  

The relationship agreement which APIS signed off recently with NZSTA should help support training and resources for our new board members. APIS has completed significant pieces of work in collaboration with NZSTA in recent months including the evaluation of employment templates for special character positions, a governance framework and some work to design professional development resources to support school boards of state integrated schools in their governance role. APIS, in collaboration with NZSTA, looks forward to releasing further resources in support of our school boards. APIS wishes to acknowledge Elise Adams (CEO of NZSTA) and her leadership team at NZSTA for their openness and willingness to engage with us in reviewing the needs and resources that are particular to state integrated schools. It was lovely to finally sign off on the relationship agreement after almost twelve months of discussion. 

Mr Guy Gifford vs Secretary of Education 

APIS has received information from the Wellington High Court outlining that Mr Gifford will not be appealing the recent decision in support of the Ministry of Educations current guidelines on proprietors’ ability to request donations and donate funds to a school board. Mr Gifford has consented to the discontinuance of the proceeding and this has brought this judicial review to a close. This ends a long running and complicated judicial review that APIS was part of as a second defendant. The APIS Executive and Board of NZCEO are very pleased to get to this point and we are grateful that this issue has been concluded. In summary, the Judge’s confirmed decision is: 

[41] I declare that proprietors of State-integrated schools may fundraise for purposes other than the acquisition and maintenance of land and buildings, and may dispose of funds to school boards. While this is not provided for explicitly in the Act, it is supported by its scheme and purpose, and accords with current practise. 

[42] I answer the agreed questions by making the declaration as follows: the only limitations on the ability of a proprietor of a State-integrated school to fundraise or dispose of funds are those expressly set out in the Act or in the Proprietor’s Trust Deed or other governing document or documents. 

This decision will provide proprietors with a legal precedent ensuring their right to request donations to carry out their legal responsibility to protect and promote special character is protected (as well as the ability to request donations for other reasons). The decision also confirms that a proprietor can legally donate funds to a school board and that the school board can use these funds for reasons associated with the function of a school. The only limitations are those expressed in Schedule 6 of the Education & Training Act 2020 or those expressed in a Proprietors Trust deeds or other governance document. Thank you to all of our proprietors for your support. 

Essential Property Maintenance Package (EPMP) 

With the benefit of having all the data available, APIS would like to congratulate all proprietors who qualified for EPMP funds. APIS has now received applications for approval from every participating proprietor and for every qualifying state integrated school resulting in $52.3 M worth of applications. This milestone means that every qualifying state integrated school will receive funding to accelerate their policy one work and this will be a major benefit to school communities. This result also ensures that there will not be any remaining EPMP funds to be reallocated or returned to the Ministry of Education, and that is a noteworthy result. 

As CEO of APIS, I want to thank proprietors, property managers, school staff and my own staff here at NZCEO for their efforts in contributing to this outcome. The last few months leading to the August 31st deadline were very difficult and challenging and I am very appreciative of the additional efforts needed to bring about this result. Well done to you all. 

Please keep those pictures of completed EPMP projects rolling in as they are invaluable in supporting our reporting to the minister of Education and help highlight how well these funds are being used in support of our school communities. Our mantra of “No Funds Returned” is there to maximise the benefit of these funds to our sector. 

Ngā manaakitanga 

Kevin Shore, Chief Executive Officer 

Update on the Essential Property Maintenance Package (EPMP)

Phase One of the EPMP programme has been completed.  This means all eligible schools have an EPMP project(s) approved, and all available funds have been allocated to proprietors.  The key highlight is that $52.3M has been allocated which represents 614 approved projects.  These 614 projects, once completed, will mean upgrades to property for health and safety improvements, essential infrastructure upgrades and improvements to classrooms to ensure students have quality learning environments. 

Phase two of the EPMP programme is focused on releasing funds to proprietors to enable them to initiate projects. Phase three is completion of all projects. To date 107 projects have been completed.  

APIS would like to express their thanks to everyone involved in ensuring projects for approval were submitted by the deadline. Many proprietors have limited property administration support, so the EPMP office appreciated the many hours dedicated to completing the paperwork for the project approvals.  It was inspiring to see the commitment of all involved to providing quality learning environments for students.

As always, please contact the EPMP office if you have any questions.

The gallery below (click on photos to enlarge) shows the progress of the new Outdoor Learning Space at Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Thorndon, Wellington. 

We encourage you to share photos or videos of your school's EPMP projects. Any  media can be uploaded to our Dropbox by clicking on the link below.

Induction for new school board members

New school board members will have taken office and perhaps attended their first board meeting.  One of the critical factors to the successful transition of new board members is the induction process. 

Each Catholic diocese will have board training initiatives in place and boards are encouraged to make contact with the education team at their diocese to find out what is available.  Alongside this, NZCEO has created an induction page on their website where you will find:

• A quick guide to effective governance in a Catholic state integrated school
• Information about the key aspects of a Catholic state integrated school board
• Where to find the online board handbook for Catholic schools
• Information about how to find your integration agreement

The induction page also contains links the governance training and resources available from the New Zealand Schools Trustees Association who are the providers of advice and support to school boards.

NZCEO welcome and thank those new school board members for taking an active role in their school’s board.  For returning school board members, we thank you for returning for another term.  This is a good time for the board to review their governance knowledge and practice and also to support new board members with their induction. 

NZCEO Annual Report 2022 – we need you!

NZCEO were delighted to feature many of our wonderful Catholic schools in our 2021 annual report – see some of the pictures in the gallery below (click to enlarge) and follow this link to view the full report.

If you would like your school to feature in the annual report for 2022 please share a photo featuring your school by uploading it to our Dropbox account  Photos need to be high resolution and have permission to publish in our report.  Photos available from school websites are always welcome. This report is for Catholic proprietors and shared with our schools and also features on the NZCEO website.

We look forward to seeing your pictures!

Privacy Act 2020 - Key information for schools

The Privacy Act 2020 came into force on 1 December 2020, replacing the Privacy Act 1993. The 2020 Act was intended to strengthen privacy protections, and enhance the role of the Privacy Commissioner. A key purpose of the Act is to give individuals more control over their personal information.

Significant changes which came into force in 2020 include the requirement that if a business or organisation has a privacy breach that has caused serious harm to someone (or is likely to do so), it will need to notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as soon as possible. In addition, the Privacy Commissioner will now be able to issue compliance notices requiring a business or organisation to do something, or stop doing something, if it is not meeting its obligations under the Privacy Act.

All schools need to have a privacy officer, and every board of trustees needs to make sure it has appointed a privacy officer. The privacy officer is the person who is responsible for encouraging the school to comply with the Privacy Act and handling any requests under the Privacy Act. In short, they are the person who takes responsibility for privacy and personal information. The privacy officer should be someone who is interested in privacy and wants to improve the school’s practise in this area. Key responsibilities of a privacy officer include dealing with requests made under the Privacy Act, working with the Privacy Commissioner's office when someone makes a privacy complaint, encouraging the school to comply with the Privacy Act, and helping staff understand their responsibilities under the Act.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has made available a free and interactive online course to help schools understand their responsibilities. This can be accessed here:

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has put together a wide range of resources to help individuals and organisations understand the new Act:

• The Privacy Act 2020 is structured around 13 information privacy principles relating to how an organisation can collect, store, and use personal information. Here is a quick guide to the updated Privacy Principles. A full guide to the privacy principles is here. 
• A summary of the key changes in the new Act and what they mean for individuals and organisations.
• 'Priv-o-matic' - a user friendly Privacy Statement Generator.
• A Privacy Impact Assessment Toolkit.
• 'NotifyUs' - an online tool to help work out if privacy breaches are notifiable and report them. 
• A series of online training modules at the Privacy Commissioner's eLearning site. (Free registration required). 

The Ministry of Education website has produced a guide to the Privacy Act for schools and early childcare centres:

Aspiring Leaders Programme 2023-24

This programme is to support teachers, Directors of Religious Studies, Deputy Principals and Assistant Principals who are seeking to grow their careers in Catholic education.  The focus is on growing faith leaders who have the capabilities to lead for the mission of the Church and therefore the school.

The programme will be limited to 25 people who are intending to move into the next leadership level in a Catholic school within the next three years.

The Aspiring Leaders’ Programme 2023-2024 consists of:

• Two days in Wellington-May 8 & 9 2023 at the Home of Compassion, Island Bay.
• A series of regular online workshops and seminars providing further support and development opportunities for participants. These are held approximately two monthly outside of normal teaching hours.
• A final one-day in Wellington (date to be advised)

In 2021-2022 the modules for the three face to face gatherings included:

• A time of spiritual reflection and prayer
• A brief history of Catholic education in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Purpose and goals of Catholic education
• Leadership habits and skills/Building Catholic culture
• Faith Leadership in a Catholic school
• Leadership and Mission
• Catholic social teaching and decision-making
• Expectation and resilience: The application process
• Preparation for your future career in a Catholic school

 In 2023-24 some modules will remain the same and others will change depending on the group’s requirements.

There is no registration fee and NZCEO will pay for accommodation at the Home of Compassion on 8 May 2023. If there is insufficient accommodation there, NZCEO will pay up to $100 per person at an alternative hotel or motel on receipt of a tax invoice and proof of payment.  The only other cost to participants will be travel and an evening meal on 8 May.

If you have further questions about the programme please email Rosalie Connors, Manager, Special Character, NZCEO r.connors@nzceo.org.nz

To register click below:

Te Kupenga and NZCEO 2022 Symposium Series: Session two

RE Curriculum Resource Developer role with NCRS

The National Centre for Religious Studies (NCRS) is seeking an experienced, creative and theologically knowledgeable RE teacher to design, write and create quality educational resources to support the new Catholic RE Curriculum – Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith – for Year 12 in Catholic colleges. The successful applicant will have significant experience of teaching RE at senior secondary level.

The successful applicant will be able to:

• Distil theological concepts into engaging and accessible resources and activities for young people.
• Create attractive, engaging, accurate and effective material to support teaching and learning in RE.
• Demonstrate flair and a high level of competence with MSWord and PowerPoint, and have the ability to find and utilise appropriate web-based products to enhance the learning experience.
• Participate as part of the NCRS team in the implementation of the new Year 1-13 RE curriculum. (Requiring a high level of knowledge and understanding of the current RE curriculum). 

         For full details follow the link below:                                                           

Graduate Diploma in Theology

Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Catholic Culture

From Te Kupenga – Catholic Theological College (CTC)

Are you working in a Catholic School or Parish, for a Catholic diocese or organisation, or perhaps with a Religious Congregation? In your present role would you like to lead with the “mind and heart of Christ?” The Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Catholic Culture (GCLCC) may be for you.

Effective leadership in Catholic organisations begins with formation. Such formation is at the heart of the Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Catholic Culture (GCLCC). This programme brings together the head, the heart, and the hands. It emphasises the spiritual underpinnings of theology. This programme develops graduates’ capacity to integrate a Catholic imagination in the mission of their organisation. The course aims to build personal formation capability to:

• articulate and implement the principal features of a Catholic identity, ethos and mission in your organisation
• integrate a Catholic perspective into key leadership roles with an emphasis on mission
• exercise authentic spiritual leadership role
• interpret key Church documents relating to the leadership of Catholic identity, mission, and ethos
• review current practices and policies in relation to Catholic ethos.

The Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Catholic Culture comprises four intensive units.  Each unit will be taught over five days in Auckland by ACU lecturers. Participants are encouraged to engage in group discussion and knowledge sharing with fellow students and undertake work-based projects to ensure learning is integrated into the workplace.

Full details are available at the link below:

Making a Difference through the Caritas Challenge

There is still time for schools to join in the fun of participating in the Caritas Challenge for 2022 through term four if they haven’t already done so earlier in the year. Every dollar that is raised will be matched with $3 by the New Zealand Aid Programme to support local communities throughout the Pacific that Caritas is partnering with. For great ideas go to www.caritas.org.nz/caritas-challenge or watch the promo video or get in touch with Michael at michaels@caritas.org.nz. ONE DAY of difference will make a lifetime of change!

Aroha and Diversity in Catholic Schools

The National Centre for Religious Studies, supported by a small group of Catholic principals and national agencies have been developing a resource to support schools with new guidelines for Catholic schools to support young people with regard to sexual diversity. This document ‘Aroha & Diversity in Catholic Schools’ has been approved by our Bishops of Aotearoa. NZCEO would like to express our gratitude to our bishops for publishing Aroha and Diversity in Catholic Schools and for supporting an approach to young people founded in respect for human dignity and a desire to wrap the students in our schools and colleges in the korowai of love and compassion.

The full document is available to read and download at the link below:

Congratulations to new principals

Our warm congratulations to the following new Principals:

Barbara Costelloe at Sacred Heart Girls' College, New Plymouth

Gemma Gardiner at St Patricks School, Napier 

Maria Prescott at Marcellin College, Auckland

Thank you to our key sponsors