The Principals (Aotearoa | New Zealand)

Today we’re continuing to talk about the health and safety responsibilities of tumuaki for people at your school. Today we're focusing on education outside the classroom – EOTC – more about the planning that's required, the risks, and what can happen when things go wrong. We’ll hear from Murray Burton, principal of Elim Christian College at the time of the 2008 Mangatepopo canyoning tragedy, in which six students and a teacher lost their lives on a school trip.   My guests this week are: Patrick Walsh, qualified lawyer and tumuaki of Sacred Heart College in Auckland Fiona McDonald, Chief Executive of Education Outdoors New Zealand Murray Burton, principal of Elim Christian College in Auckland.   This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.   You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz   Show notes Episode themes: The three tiers of EOTC planning – all about the EOTC guidelines, EOTC safety management plans, and the toolkit of EOTC forms which support the approval process (links below) Risk mitigation – what to think about before any outing The Mangatepopo canyoning tragedy, in which six students and a teacher lost their lives on a school trip, and what happened in the aftermath for tumuaki Murray Burton Handling the media after a tragedy Inherent risk in any school trips, and the importance of communicating risk – and the mitigations you’re putting in place - to parents Lessons learned.   Additional information EOTC guidelines https://eotc.tki.org.nz/EOTC-home/EOTC-Guidelines EOTC safety management plan template and toolkit form templates https://eonz.org.nz/eotc-management/eotc-smp-template-and-tool-kit-forms/   Questions 1:00 [to Fiona] In the last episode, you talked about the checklists for schools when they're planning trips outside the classroom, and you mentioned the EOTC guidelines and what they cover. Can you tell me a little bit more about what they cover and how they apply in practical terms when schools are taking students offsite?  2:41 [to Fiona] Is the planning before the trip the most important thing for mitigating risk on trips off school grounds? 4:15 [to Murray] You mentioned that a number of years ago there was a tragedy for Elim on a school trip. Can you tell me about that please? 7:07 [to Murray] Who was held responsible for that? 8:00 [to Murray] In the aftermath of a tragic accident like that, what kinds of things did you have to do as tumuaki – what was the process? 16:01[to Murray] Does your planning differ now for activities like this, or would you approach any trip the same as you approached this one? 19:16 [to Murray] There was recently a similar tragedy on another school's caving trip, and you got in touch with the tumuaki there to offer your support. What advice did you offer them? 20:33 [to all] We've talked a lot about mitigating risk in this conversation. What advice would you give around the best ways for tumuaki to mitigate risk around health and safety?

The health and safety of people at your school is one of the big responsibilities shared by tumuaki and school boards. As the principal, you have the most significant health and safety role in your school, and understanding your responsibilities should be a priority when you start in your new role. This episode covers your legal obligations for health and safety, what should be covered in a school’s health and safety policy, required planning and documentation for trips outside the classroom, the dangers of teachers and parents not understanding their role on a school trip, problems with blanket consent forms, and handling violent incidents in the school.   My guests this week are: Patrick Walsh, qualified lawyer and tumuaki of Sacred Heart College in Auckland Fiona McDonald, Chief Executive of Education Outdoors New Zealand Murray Burton, principal of Elim Christian College in Auckland. This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.   You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz   Show notes Episode themes: The health and safety obligations of a principal, and their purpose Thresholds for prosecution, and who can be prosecuted Getting your head around what you need to know about health and safety Planning and documentation required before a class/school trip The problem of teachers or parents accompanying ākonga on a trip thinking their responsibilities can be delegated to eg. lifeguard at the pool The need for familiarity with MOE’s EOTC guidelines, the need for an EOTC safety management plan, and the toolkit of forms you use to plan and deliver a trip (links below) The dangers of using umbrella consent forms Your duty of care to your tamariki, their whānau and the school community Taking a proactive approach to potential violent incidents in the school   Additional information EOTC guidelines https://eotc.tki.org.nz/EOTC-home/EOTC-Guidelines EOTC safety management plan template and toolkit form templates https://eonz.org.nz/eotc-management/eotc-smp-template-and-tool-kit-forms/   Questions 2:40 [to Patrick] What are the legal obligations of a tumuaki when it comes to health and safety? 4:31 [to Patrick] If something goes wrong, who can be prosecuted? 5:56 [to Patrick] There’s a level of personal responsibility for health and safety though? 6:38 [to Patrick] How can a new tumuaki get their head around all they need to know about health and safety legislation and their responsibilities?  7:33 [to Patrick and Murray] What should be covered by a school's health and safety policy? 9:52 [to Murray and Patrick] What kind of planning should you do before you head off the school grounds? 12:30 [to Patrick] What about parent help? 16:01 [to Patrick and Murray] If a school takes a student on a class trip without parental consent, what can the consequences be for the tumuaki and for the school?  17:46 [to Patrick and Murray] What kinds of plans should schools have in place for violent incidents and dealing with them? 20:55 [to Patrick] What about incidents between students from your own school?

As a new tumuaki, your relationship with your school board is one of your most important because it impacts directly on what you and the kura can achieve. In this episode we’ll talk about the board's role in the school, how tumuaki can get the most out of the relationship, and what you can do if issues arise.   My guests this week are: Belinda Weber, chief advisor governance at Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa (NZSBA) Jason Miles, tumuaki of Kaiapoi North School, Christchurch Regan Orr, tumuaki of Central Normal School, Palmerston North and leadership advisor for Te Mahau. Susan Jennison, tumuaki of Westburn Te Kura o Hereora, Christchurch   This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.   You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz   Show notes Episode themes: Role and powers of a school board Responsibilities of a school board to a principal Responsibilities of a principal to a school board Key relationships What the board and a tumuaki work on together Importance of the principal-board relationship Kinds of issues that can arise between a board and a tumuaki How to build relationships with your school board What a difficult relationship between a principal and a board can mean for a school How to improve a difficult relationship What to do if the relationship between the principal and a school board is unworkable What a good relationship between a board and a tumuaki can achieve Board induction for a principal   Additional information Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa New Zealand School Boards Association https://www.tewhakaroputanga.org.nz   Questions 2:13 [to Belinda] Can you please tell me about the role of a school board? 4:37 [to Belinda] What powers does the school board have?  5:31 [to Belinda] What powers doesn’t the board have? 6:00 [to Belinda] What responsibilities does a school board have to a principal? 6:51 [to Jason] What responsibilities does a principal have to the school board? 7:19 [to Jason] What’s the key relationship to get right? 8:33 [to Jason] What does the tumuaki and the board work together on? 9:39 [to Jason] Can you give me an example of when things go wrong around a complaints policy? 10:28 [to Jason] Why is it so important for a principal to build a good relationship with the school board?  11:10 [to Belinda] If the board's primary role is governance and obviously, the aim is to work in partnership with the principal in the board, but are there times when it becomes less of a partnership by necessity? 12:24 [to Belinda] What kinds of issues can arise between a school board and a tumuaki? 13:22 [to Belinda] What other scenarios do you see most often in terms of issues? 14:18 [to Susan] In your experience, when you first start as a principal or when the board changes, what's the best way to start building a relationship with that board? 17:25 [to Susan] In your experience, if a principal has a difficult relationship with a school board, what can it mean for the kura, and for you as tumuaki? 19:45 [to Susan] If a tumuaki doesn't have the best relationships with the board, what kinds of things would you advise that they do to try and improve that relationship? 20:43 [to Belinda] If a relationship between a principal and the board of a school is completely unworkable, what should a tumuaki do? 22:21 [to Regan] What can a good relationship between a principal and a board mean for a school? 23:35 [to Regan] What was your vision for your kura when you first started, and how did you take the board along for the ride with you? 26:19 [to all] How can a board be involved in onboarding a principal?

Today we’re talking about the unique opportunities and challenges rural principals  face leading a country school.   My guests are: Andrew King, NZRASLA president, tumuaki of Oropi School - Bay of Plenty Pete Wilkinson, principal of Northern Southland College and Southland Secondary Schools Chair Erin Browne, tumuaki of Upokongaro School, Whanganui.   This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.   You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz Show notes Episode themes: Differences between working in or being tumuaki of a rural school versus an urban centre The importance of rural schools in a rural community – they're the lifeblood of a rural community and school events are really important The importance of being visible and actively engaging with the community when you first start as tumuaki – the expectation is that you are visible and present at all community events Rural schools face some unique issues urban schools are unlikely to face, like costs and availability of contractors when things break, and the need to repair things yourself when no one else is available. The need to be a strong advocate for your ākonga when it comes to getting learning and behaviour support, and to think creatively around resourcing because the isolation of the school may make it challenging to find someone to work 2 hours a day when they have to drive 50 kms to get there. A big challenge is that the roll drives operational funding and staffing, and this creates challenges. There are some great things about being a rural school principal, including the connection with the community, the fresh air and beauty of locations, and the ability to tailor the curriculum to suit the location and the children. It’s important to connect with other rural principals for support and advice. The New Zealand Rural Schools Leadership Association (NZRSLA) can offer professional learning and development support by principals for principals. Becoming a rural school principal gives you a great grounding for moving to a bigger school because you understand every intricacy of a school's operation.   This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.   You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz   Additional information New Zealand Rural Schools Leadership Association (NZRSLA) https://www.nzrasla.ac.nz   Questions 1:18 [to Andrew] Can you tell me what differences you might notice between working in or being tumuaki for a rural school as opposed to a school in an urban centre?   01:59 [to Pete] Tell me how a rural kura fits into a rural community and its importance in that community.   3:03 [to Andrew] How do you go about building relationships when you first start as a rural tumuaki?   3:51 [to Erin] Should relationships be the focus for new tumuaki when they first start, or are there other things that are important to get your head around first when you first start?   6:11 [to Erin] You've had some interesting experiences in your time as a rural tumuaki . Tell me about that.   7:47 [to Pete] Are there other unique issues that urban schools likely don’t have to face?   8:40 [to Erin and Andrew] What have been your biggest learning curves?   10:16 [to all] I imagine there are other other challenges that are faced by rural schools and their tumuaki, including things like resources and support for akonga that may be quite difficult to access. How do you make sure that rural kids get the support that they need around learning and behavior?   12:56 [to all] What other challenges do rural schools and their tumuaki face, and how can you deal with those challenges?   16:22 [to all] Can you tell me about some of the great things about being a rural principal?   19:17 [to all] Is one of the benefits of being rural school tumuaki being able to tailor the curriculum to suit the rural lifestyle and rural kids?   20:18 [to Andrew] Can you me about the support that the New Zealand Rural Schools Leadership Association (NZRSLA) provides for rural principals and how they can connect with each other and with the association?   21:36 [to all] How important is it for rural principals to have support from their peers who are sharing, you know, similar experience as them?    22:11 [to Pete and Erin] How do you connect with other tumuaki in your areas or other rural tumuaki?   23:13 Is there anything that you'd like to add that we haven't already covered?