What did NZ principals do well – and want to improve on – under a COVID-19 lockdown?
Throughout 2020, Springboard Trust has maintained a close relationship with principals across the country – providing support, adapting to the conditions to deliver leadership development remotely, and listening to their concerns and successes.
Between March and May (the Level 4 lockdown period), we undertook a survey of 65 principals nationwide, asking them about what had gone well, what hadn’t, and what kind of support they wanted for the future.
We’re very excited to present the results of this survey in Connecting with Principals – a brand-new report based on reflexive thematic analysis and research from the Springboard team.
The results tell a tale of immense strength – how school leaders and their teams kept their students, whānau and communities engaged from a distance, where they found support and how distance learning has reshaped the way their schools run.
Of course, it is also a tale of challenges – inequities in resourcing, maintaining school culture without face-to-face interactions and the competing demands of home and school environments.
All told, we believe this report provides useful and detailed insight into school leadership during the most difficult of times to be in this role. You can read the report below – we hope you find it enlightening and useful.
“This is a fantastic new step for Springboard – we cherish our relationships with so many school leaders in New Zealand, and hope that presenting these findings helps to shine a light on not just the challenges they have faced under COVID-19, but the remarkable way they have rallied their communities to the benefit of a massive number of learners”
Dale Bailey, Springboard Trust CEO
