Tags:Case StudiesPrimary SchoolSLPP

News
12/07/2020
5 min read

Students at the centre: The story of St Teresa's

Interested in learning with us through the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme? Expressions of interest for 2022 are now open!

One of the core elements of Springboard Trust’s work with principals is making sure everyone is heard. 

From stakeholder engagement to distributed leadership, empowering everyone in a school environment to influence and lead on their own terms is key to positively impacting student outcomes. 

For Suzi De Gouveia, principal at St Teresa’s School in Riccarton, this shone through in the most remarkable of ways.  

The value of visibility 

St Teresa’s is a Catholic school at its heart – but as Suzi explains, it is also much more.  

“You walk in, and you see we’re a Catholic school – that’s very visible. But we’re also an incredibly diverse school, with 19 different cultures represented in our students.” 

“The Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme massively helped me see this as a focal point. It helped me wade through the data, find our priorities – and one of the biggest was cultural responsiveness.” 

This has since become a key goal for Suzi and her team, with four projects underway to achieve it. 

“We want to make sure that everyone can walk into St Teresa’s and see themselves represented – that they can feel welcome no matter who they are.” 

Working with students and their families, an incredible amount of work is going on. Students and their parents are creating patterns from every culture in the school to be put on display. One parent is creating three Māori carvings to sit at the school, representing faith, hope and love. A central display in the foyer has contributions from the community, including a handmade Ethiopian handbag that a parent’s relative wore to their wedding.  

On top of this, Suzi herself will embody the breadth of diversity at St Teresa’s through a custom-made outfit.  

“Once it’s done, it will have something from everyone. South African beadwork, student art – some of my Tongan students have reserved some space on the back, because they want to put their strength behind me.” 

Upon completion of this work, Suzi is certain that everybody will feel welcome – a perfect partnership of the school’s Catholic values and utter conviction of their strength in diversity.  

“This focus – it all came through the programme. My Capacity Partner [Elaine] was sensational at challenging my thinking, having me step outside my comfort zone and really wade through the mud of data to work out what mattered most in the student voice.” 

We want to make sure that everyone can walk into St Teresa’s and see themselves represented
Suzi De Gouveia

Amplifying voices through the whole school 

The centering of voices outside the leadership team has shone through in other ways too, creating change at St Teresa’s that is extraordinarily exciting.  

The programme helped me understand stakeholders far better than I did before,” Suzi notes.  

“You always think of the students and parents, but a big one for me was the parish, how they could be more involved in the school. Businesses in the community, local specialists, everyone.” 

“We have a totally play-based curriculum, which means we need all the help we can get. The improvements I made in stakeholder work go a long way with that.” 

This expansion of their support network also happened internally, with the introduction of a Board of Students. 

“They run along the lines of the Board of Trustees – they have a budget, organise sports equipment, and report to the BoT – it's full student ownership, and it came directly out of hearing their voice.” 

And while St Teresa’s currently has extremely dedicated teachers and leaders, Suzi hopes to get the Board of Students involved in future hiring decisions too.  

Schools often have more information and data than they know what to do with – it is no exaggeration that Suzi, on several occasions, referred to analysing this information as “wading through the mud”.  

But through the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme and the invaluable insight from outside the education sector, she was able to clarify, prioritise and act in a way that best serves the students.  

The results, as you can see, are astonishing – and the work isn’t done yet.  

New horizons at St Teresa’s  

After every SLPP workshop, Suzi would check in with her leadership team, telling them what she had learned.  

“I went to-and-fro, talking with my team, with Elaine, with the team again, getting them involved in every step of my planning. I gave them full ownership of what we would do in the year ahead, and it’s meant our strongest year ever as a team.” 

“They see how excited I get about every new thing I learn – which meant our decision to do HPLT [High Performing Leadership Teams] later this year was a simple one.” 

“The response is along the lines of 'oh my, we get to do this too!’”  

Through the work that Suzi has done with her Capacity Partner Elaine and Springboard Trust, through the spreading of leadership and amplification of voices that often aren’t in a school’s strategic planning, St Teresa’s had made huge positive change.  

And as Suzi concludes, that’s down to the power of teamwork. 

“The programme, Elaine, the facilitators – the support you get [in SLPP] is outstanding. Everyone is so excited by and invested in what we do. They get to know your school inside out and are so committed to helping us make out school the best it can be.” 

“I’m so, so grateful. The best PLD I’ve ever done – and with 15 years at St Teresa’s, I’ve done a lot!”

Helping you lead through change with confidence and clarity.

Kickstart Your Strategy Workshop

A strategic plan is a foundation document for any future-facing school. However, that plan takes the long and broad view of your school’s vision and strategic goals and does not provide the level of granularity that is required to translate strategy into action.  Kickstart Your Strategy is all about breaking down your strategic plan into scoped, measurable pieces of work that your team can use to guide action and review progress on a regular basis.   How does Kickstart Your Strategy work? This workshop will assist you and your lead team to: Initiate - Practical experience in initiating and planning your activities Communicate - Understand who your key stakeholders are and how best to engage them Implement – Gain knowledge of tools that will assist in monitoring and measuring your plan Change - Appreciate your role in leading the strategic change within your school.  Who is Kickstart Your Strategy for? The KYS workshop is open to principals who have completed the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme in the prior year, as well as their senior leadership teams.   To find out more about our next KYS workshop, get in touch with your Programme Manager or head on over to our contact page. 

Professional Learning and Development

Professional learning and development (PLD) is at the heart of any good school. Building tomorrow’s leaders and helping them adopt the same lessons you have learned through our programmes is a key part a future-focused education.   But for so many New Zealand schools, needs are varied. Needs are unique. And those needs must be met to improve the lives of young New Zealanders. Springboard Trust’s can offer it's unique cross-sector learning to school leaders and Communities of Learning/Kāhui Ako where it fits the Ministry of Education's priorities and criteria. Our PLD model   Through funded PLD, Springboard Trust delivers similar learning to our philanthropically subsidised programmes and workshops. This has included custom versions of our Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme, or running programmes in regions where we do not have existing resources to deliver. It has also meant strategic design and / or evaluation, as well as helping leadership teams prepare for cultural capability work. In action, this will look different for every school. We are an accredited PLD provider with the Ministry of Education, and have worked in multi-agency and multi-school environments, right down to helping leaders with single-issue projects.   The theme is collaboration – consulting with every available party, from school to government to community, and finding unique solutions for your challenges.  We scope the work alongside you, find the right cross-sector experts to support with your needs and help to create positive change. To find out more about how we might be able to support you, please complete our expression of interest form and we'll get in touch.History of Springboard Trust PLD This offering has stemmed directly from our work with Kāhui Ako across Aotearoa. We had previously participated in the Communities of Learning Change Management panel with the Ministry of Education, and worked closely with many Kāhui Ako as a consultant to help them streamline, evolve and work together to achieve their common goals.   Through this work, we developed a keen understanding of schools’ ongoing needs that complement our original suite of programmes.   In 2019, we began a pilot series of "School Innovation Services" programmes, which expanded in 2020 to include a huge variety of bespoke leadership development for tumuaki across Aotearoa. This work complements (rather than takes the place of) our philanthropically-subsidised programmes, allowing us to expand our reach and transform schools together in places and ways we otherwise could not.

Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals (SLRTP)

Rural teaching principals face challenges that their metropolitan counterparts often do not.   Working as both teacher and principal, these leaders also have numerous other roles within their school. On top of this, in a rural context school leadership extends far into the community – to the extent that they are ‘always on’.   Finally, there are often significant hurdles for rural teaching principals in terms of accessing development opportunities, and finding relief teaching when those opportunities arise.   With some 20% of the country’s principals in this situation, Springboard Trust is thrilled to offer the opportunity to rural teaching principals to come together to support one another on their strategic leadership development journey.   Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals: Expression of interest Development for rural teaching principals  The Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals Programme (SLRTP) is the first of its kind in New Zealand bringing together principals with shared challenges and context.    SLRTP includes:  Regular online workshops and some face-to-face sessions where possible to support whakawhanaungatanga One-on-one support from cross-sector Impact Coaches  Debriefing sessions with Delivery Managers Cohort engagement through our Canvas LMS  Access to online ancillary resources   Taken over the course of a calendar year, principals will pair with Impact Coaches – volunteers from our network of experts – and learn the fundamentals of strategic leadership and planning, with a unique focus on rural teaching principal roles.   They will work together through our new blended learning model, combining the best of both virtual and in-person learning environments.   As with our other programmes, the relationship with your volunteer forms the cornerstone of your learning. A high-trust relationship forms, and helps you develop your skills as a leader within the parameters of the programme.  SLRTP eligibility requirements SLRTP is open to all rural teaching principals who wish to enhance their strategic leadership and who:    Have at least two years of experience as a principal Have been at their current school for at least 12 months Have no major PLD commitments in the coming year Have no Commissioner or Limited Statutory Manager Have the support of their Board of Trustees Uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles through a particular focus on results for Māori young people and their whanau Are willing to lead others in change  Across the 10 months, it is expected that principals will spend around two hours per week engaging in this professional learning and working with others, in addition to the workshop times. Start your application by expressing your interest here! Becoming an SLRTP volunteer Volunteer Impact Coaches will be required to give around 40 hours of their time over the course of the 10 month programme. For volunteers interested in becoming an Impact Coach, please contact our Volunteer Manager, Rebecca Brown.  

Annual Planning Workshop

Principals also need to know how to deliver their strategic plan effectively, year on year.  Which initiatives you’ll take on this year, who will be responsible versus who will be accountable, and when do actions need to be completed. With the Annual Planning Workshop, you get the clarity you need to deliver on your strategy in the upcoming year.     What happens in the Annual Planning Workshop The Annual Planning Workshop is a Term Four programme tailored for alumni principals who have completed the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme (SLPP). A single-day session for you, your senior and/or middle leaders, it is a time to break down your strategic hierarchy (vision, mission, initiatives, actions and outputs) and set clear goals and initiatives for the following year.   Once finished, you will:  Understand your strategic hierarchy  Be able to define and tell apart the above terms in your own plan  Have a shared language for talking about the plan in your team   Use the SCOT and PEST models, and apply them in your school  Understand where you are in the delivery of your strategic plan Be able to apply RASCI frameworks to your plan  Have a leadership team who understands the ins and outs of the strategic plan.  In short, the Annual Planning Workshop breaks down the strategic plan into an annual plan.    Who is the Annual Planning Workshop for?   As above, this workshop is open to all alumni principals who have completed the Strategic Leadership for Principals (SLPP) programme.   While principals may come on their own, we recommend they bring at least their Deputy Principals or Assistant Principals, as well as other key members of their leadership team.   In Auckland, the workshops will take place at the Springboard Trust offices in Onehunga. Elsewhere in New Zealand, we will host them at venues to be advised based on demand and resource.   Please note that, as with most of our programmes, resource is limited. While all alumni principals are welcome, we may have to prioritise based on school need. What does the Annual Planning Workshop cost?   Nothing but your time! Annual Planning is a free workshop, and will run for approximately six hours on a single day. Where can I enrol in the Annual Planning workshop?   Registration will open in term three but before then you can get in touch with your Programme Manager, or head on over to our contact page to fill out an expression of interest.  

High Performing Leadership Teams

Express your interest here! Springboard Trust believes that high performing leadership teams transform schools for tamariki in Aotearoa. Change in schools requires a commitment from not only the principal but also the entire leadership team. Springboard Trust’s High Performing Leadership Teams programme helps school leadership teams to understand their role as leaders of change, work effectively together and focus on achieving demonstrable results. What your team will gain: Over three workshops, participants will build a cohesive team who understand one another, and will learn to operate and communicate effectively to improve learner success. By the end of the programme, a leadership team will have:   A shared knowledge of what constitutes a high performing leadership team and a shared team purpose, behaviours, and goals to achieve this.  Increased skills and abilities to work effectively together as a high performing leadership team and lead change.    A shared commitment to change and a focus on operating strategically to achieve results.  Who it's for:   The programme is open to the leadership teams of principals who have completed our Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme or our Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals Programme). While all leadership team members are welcome, it is ultimately the principal’s decision who to bring to the programme. In particular, leadership team members who play an important role in the implementation of the strategic plan should be invited. Your commitment:  To get the maximum impact from the programme, teams should be committed to positive change and prepared to challenge current team performance. Allow time for the three four-hour workshops across the term, and time to reflect on learning individually and collectively between workshops. The programme cost is $4,500 +GST. How it works:  The High Performing Leadership Teams programme is designed to enhance the effectiveness of school leadership teams and distribute leadership capability throughout the school. Through the programme teams will reflect on and challenge their current performance. The programme addresses 3 key aspects of high performing teams:Principals and their leadership teams (both senior and middle leaders welcome) work with expert facilitators through three four-hour workshops, delivered across one school term.  A pre-programme self-assessment completed by participants helps the facilitators understand each leadership team, and tailor the programme to the team’s needs. Self-assessment results and analysis on how the team works together will be shared in the first workshop. To enquire about our next High Performing Leadership Teams intake, please head to our Expression of Interest form.  

Skills Workshops

Developed in response to school leaders’ needs, Springboard Trust Skills Workshops are one-day events that focus on a specific element of school leadership. These offer a fantastic opportunity for principals and their teams to dedicate time and resources to their planning and leadership, with guidance from our expert volunteers and Programme Managers.   With more Skills Workshops in development, Springboard Trust is thrilled to continue working with school leaders on whatever facet of their leadership needs focus.

Springboard Coaching for Leadership

Foster your strengths through a comprehensive 360-degree feedback system with coaching support. Springboard Coaching for Leadership is a service designed to support principals, senior and middle school leaders to understand their strengths and how these can be leveraged in existing or future roles.  Express your interest in Springboard Coaching for Leadership here! What school leaders gain: Through 360-degree feedback and expert coaching from our pool of experienced volunteers, school leaders will:  Foster trust, safety, creativity and exploratory thinking in themselves and their teams.   Develop strengths-based leadership with clear, practical next steps.   Get unique insight into their own leadership style.   Create positive leadership practices that impact the whole school and community.   Who it's for: The programme is open to all school principals, their senior leaders and middle leaders.  This service runs across two terms, and requires committed input from up to 15 key people, including leadership team members, direct reports and peers. Your commitment: Time - This is a two-term programme with intakes in terms 1, 2 and 3. The time commitment per participant is 12-13 contact hours plus time to apply coaching actions in the workplace. Involvement will be required from a wide cross section of other staff members who will be invited to provide feedback through the 360-degree survey. Please allow 30-40 mins for survey completion. Cost - The programme cost is $1,500 +GST per participant. Where there are three or more participants from a school, there is an additional one-off $500 +GST fee for a half-day Our Strengths workshop (see below for more information). How it works:  Springboard Coaching for Leadership is a process of reflection, introspection and then connection. Fully confidential, the programme provides a safe and supportive environment in which to receive the feedback needed to grow and thrive as a leader.   Leaders receive comprehensive 360-degree feedback from up to 15 coworkers and are supported through a series of one-to-one sessions with an expert volunteer coach to decipher their strengths, areas for development and where they should focus their efforts.  Springboard Trust’s leadership framework used as a basis for the 360-degree survey has been developed for the Aotearoa school context. Our Strengths Workshop Where three or more leaders from your school are participating in the programme at the same time, the programme includes a half-day workshop which allows the team to come together to: Share insights about their strengths gained through the 360 feedback and coaching Build a picture of strengths across the team and identify any gaps Reflect on whether strengths are being utilised to best effect strategically Reflect on how the team can embed a culture of feedback within their school and continue to support one another's ongoing development To find out more about Springboard Coaching for Leadership or to register your interest, head to our Expression of Interest form. 

Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals (SLRTP)

Rural teaching principals face challenges that their metropolitan counterparts often do not.   Working as both teacher and principal, these leaders also have numerous other roles within their school. On top of this, in a rural context school leadership extends far into the community – to the extent that they are ‘always on’.   Finally, there are often significant hurdles for rural teaching principals in terms of accessing development opportunities, and finding relief teaching when those opportunities arise.   With some 20% of the country’s principals in this situation, Springboard Trust is thrilled to offer the opportunity to rural teaching principals to come together to support one another on their strategic leadership development journey.   Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals: Expression of interest Development for rural teaching principals  The Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals Programme (SLRTP) is the first of its kind in New Zealand bringing together principals with shared challenges and context.    SLRTP includes:  Regular online workshops and some face-to-face sessions where possible to support whakawhanaungatanga One-on-one support from cross-sector Impact Coaches  Debriefing sessions with Delivery Managers Cohort engagement through our Canvas LMS  Access to online ancillary resources   Taken over the course of a calendar year, principals will pair with Impact Coaches – volunteers from our network of experts – and learn the fundamentals of strategic leadership and planning, with a unique focus on rural teaching principal roles.   They will work together through our new blended learning model, combining the best of both virtual and in-person learning environments.   As with our other programmes, the relationship with your volunteer forms the cornerstone of your learning. A high-trust relationship forms, and helps you develop your skills as a leader within the parameters of the programme.  SLRTP eligibility requirements SLRTP is open to all rural teaching principals who wish to enhance their strategic leadership and who:    Have at least two years of experience as a principal Have been at their current school for at least 12 months Have no major PLD commitments in the coming year Have no Commissioner or Limited Statutory Manager Have the support of their Board of Trustees Uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles through a particular focus on results for Māori young people and their whanau Are willing to lead others in change  Across the 10 months, it is expected that principals will spend around two hours per week engaging in this professional learning and working with others, in addition to the workshop times. Start your application by expressing your interest here! Becoming an SLRTP volunteer Volunteer Impact Coaches will be required to give around 40 hours of their time over the course of the 10 month programme. For volunteers interested in becoming an Impact Coach, please contact our Volunteer Manager, Rebecca Brown.  

Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme (SLPP)

A transformative 10-month leadership development programme for Aotearoa principals.  The Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme (SLPP) connects Aotearoa principals with strategic experts from outside of the education sector to develop principals' leadership capability and to support clear, insightful strategic planning for schools.  Strategic leadership is a pivotal element for improved school performance. The ability to effectively engage with key stakeholders, plan strategically, resource and implement initiatives, and measure and report on progress ensures strong relationships, clarity of direction and the right conditions to lead change for better outcomes and a thriving school community. Express your interest here to learn more and we'll be in touch! What you will gain: By the end of the programme, principals typically demonstrate significant progression in:  One- and three-year planning and outlook  Creating and communicating a vision and strategic plan Identifying, communicating with and gaining buy-in from key stakeholders Measuring the impacts of their changes Leading transformative change for their team  This forms the bedrock of the conditions for improved student outcomes, which we explore in more detail through our Alumni Services. For more information on the direct impacts on school leadership that principals gain through SLPP, please check out our annual Impact Reports.   Programme outputs include: 3-year strategic plan 3-year roadmap of initiatives Plan-on-a-page (single-page strategic plan overview) Measurement framework Annual plan for first year of implementation Who it's for:   SLPP is open to any principal who wishes to enhance their strategic leadership capability and who: Has at least two years of experience as a principal  Has been at their current school for at least 12 months  Has no major PLD commitments in the coming year  Has no Commissioner or Limited Statutory Manager in place at their school It is also important that participating principals: Have the support of their Board of Trustees Uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles through a particular focus on results for Māori learners and their whānau Are willing to lead others in change   Your commitment: Time - This is a 10-month programme which typically runs from Feb/March through to Oct/Nov. The time commitment is 100 contact hours plus an estimated average of 2 hours per week throughout the programme to apply the learning, engage with stakeholders and develop your strategic plan. Cost - Depending on the philanthropic funding available, there may be a requirement to apply for Ministry of Education RAPLD hours to access the programme, or a cost to participate. Please complete the expression of interest form to speak with one of our team and learn more. How it works: We form cohorts of 8 principals who, through a series of 8 workshops spanning 10 months, will explore the core elements of strategic leadership and strategic planning together.  These workshops are guided by an expert, experienced strategic leader from outside of education and a Springboard Trust Programme Manager.   Additionally, each principal receives 1:1 support from a Capacity Partner - also a dedicated, expert strategic leader from outside of education - with whom they form a high-trust, high-empathy relationship that delivers outstanding growth and impact. This cross-sector model is unique to Springboard Trust, and ensures every principal who takes part has personalised support to meet their needs at both a personal and professional level.   SLPP workshops may be delivered either in person, virtually or through a combination of both depending on the location of successful applicants. Please note that depending on location, some travel may be required for the former.  Express your interest here to learn more and we'll be in touch!

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