Introduction

2019 has been a BIG year. We achieved an excellent ERO Review in May and this was an outstanding team effort.

ERO had this to say:

"The school has an unrelenting focus on raising the achievement for all learners. By the end of Year 8, most children are on track to participate in the curriculum at secondary school.

School conditions are coherent, consistently well developed and effective in enabling accelerated learning, equity and excellence.

Respectful, trusting relationships build a strong sense of belonging across the school community. The learning culture that has been established values the contributions of all its members and affirms students’ cultural identity.

Leadership across the school is strategic and committed to the school’s vision and strategic direction. It is a shared enterprise, with leaders, teachers, students and families working together to analyse and use assessment information to promote acceleration. Leaders inspire staff to contribute to an environment of innovation and inquiry into learning theory and practice. Evidence-based decision making guides changes to school systems and processes, and supports well-aligned, coherent practices across the school.

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Pt England School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Strong."

As always, we review and build on previous years and our pursuit of equity and excellence continues unabated.

As we continue the push toward equity, both in our own community and in 10 other regions around these motu, it has been rewarding to be working in closer partnership with the Ministry of Education and with the communities of learning in those other regions. Most recently as the Manaiakalani partnership work has been costed and prepared for the 2020 budget, we have been thrilled to have the Treasury Dept declare that the value investment ratio for the crown into Manaiakalani is a $1:34 ratio. i.e one dollar investment delivering thirty four dollars of outcome for social improvement.

We are pleased to be working with both MOE and DIA to discuss and design the Digital Equity Strategy for NZ and are pleased to be trialling last mile connections with MOE and N4L.

We have had another successful annual procurement round to land a Manaiakalani Learner Device Bundle including Acer C733 ChromeBook, Bag, 3 Yr Warranty and 3 Yr no excess Insurance for $468 total. We are extremely happy with this outcome and a HUGE thank-you goes to Dave Winter for enormous and detailed effort he put into this, along with Caroline Dewstow, who leads this work for our Partner Noel Leeming Group.

On the home front, we are pleased to be working in an an ever strengthening coalition with the TRC, ADHB and other providers to develop a joined up Manaiakalani Wellbeing Strategy and to deliver increasing equity in the provision of learner devices and experiences, food, housing, health and general welfare. As we have commented before, we are extremely fortunate that Pat Snedden, the chair of ADHB is also the chair of Manaiakalani Education Trust and that we are able to work in such close partnership with the Tāmaki Regeneration Corporation.

As we continue to work assiduously in support of our disadvantaged and traumatised learners and deliver constantly improving pastoral support and care, we are extremely happy to report there have been no exclusions or suspensions in 2019.

This kind of result can only come from a great Team Effort, from teachers supporting teachers as well as supporting learners. I comes from the willingness to have "that extra child" in a class for a while and from the lavishing of love and care from the whole school as a family.

-Exceedingly well done Team!

The reader will see unfolded in this report some absolutely outstanding results. Like very year, there are still many things we wish to do much better at. We have good clarity about the things we wish to improve and as the Education Review Office noted, we believe we have the internal capability to do so.

2019 has been an outstanding team effort on the part of all our staff. I do wish, however, to congratulate the Management Team especially.

Andrea Tele'a has worked as Acting Associate Principal with responsibility for pastoral care and the behavioural culture of the school, standing in for Toni Nua who has been on study leave. Andrea, the job you have done has been absolutely outstanding. We have simply not had to worry about how this all important aspect of school life was being supported.

Kent Somerville Acted as Principal for me whilst I was recovering from surgery. The whole team supported Kent admirably and like stated above, we just did not have to worry at all about the quality and stability of leadership and way the school was guided and led. Kent also deserves sincere congratulations for the enormous effort he put into our ERO Review and certainly deserves credit for the result we got.

Toni has supported us amazingly and turned up whenever needed, although officially on leave. Her contribution to the ERO result cannot be understated and her wise support when needed has made a real and valuable difference to our decision making capability and the outcomes we have experienced.

Garth has been a totally reliable "anchor of operations", and like the others mentioned, has been responsible over and over for things we simply did not have to worry about because someone had thought of it and had it under control. We would all agree that The Toyshop on Zipzap Avenue was a real highlight of 2019.

We are blessed to have a loving and supportive community and wonderful families and learners to work with. Our staff continue to be reliable, passionate and loving. Our Board of Trustees, our Manaiakalani Team, Board, Academic and Public Partners have enabled a delivery far beyond what I ever dreamed back in 1991. -And as always, mihi ki te Atua to tātou kaihanga, ko te Atua to tatou piringa ko tatou kaha!

2019 brought us

• the beginnings of a Property Master Plan for our community and our school
• rationalisation and relocation of old prefabs
• long awaited design of our 5YA/10YPP
• the Medicube Project
• high performance in sports
• great Inquiries from the Manaiakalani CoL Teachers.
• Co-constructive partnership of Manaiakalani and MOE
• the Toyshop on Zipzap Avenue
• another great year of focused learner behaviour
• good improvements in academic achievement along with some real progress challenges
• Implementation design for the Tāmaki Education Change Plan

As you click through and read the detail of our achievements, you will see that this has been another successful year. I offer sincere thanks and congratulations to our Board of Trustees; Joanna, Fatima, Ana, Greg, Sally, and Shannon, our 2019 Board Chair.

• We continue our progress and achievement reporting from our Manaiakalani and School based, norm based assessments.
• We continue to see improvement in some domains of children's' learning, engagement and behaviour whilst we continue to seek particular improvement in others.
• we are in a stable financial position.
• We continue to fight for 'Protected Staffing' for the Manaiakalani Schools whilst the Tamaki Regeneration goes on.
• Along with the CoL Teacher Inquiries & Woolf Fisher analysis, our Pt England Teacher Inquiry into Practice has made a great contribution to understanding what we need to focus on in 2020.
• Once again our children have participated in over 20 sports codes and during the peak of our season well over 300 children have been participating in organised team sports.

To my Management Team partners, Toni, Garth, Andrea and Kent, I say that you are an outstanding team to work with. Your love, grace, wisdom and care are very precious.

To the Office Team, Leigh, Charlotte, Donna and Roz, who are a big part of keeping the boat the right way up, I thank you for your love, care and compassion for all who come your way, not the least me! I simply could not manage without you!

To the Specialist Staff, your programmes and energy are wonderful and you bring to our tamariki a concern for learning and and a care for them as whole people, that is very special.

To the Team Leaders, Class Teachers and Support Staff, your dedication making our kids look great and providing them with a wealth and richness of experience they would not otherwise have, is beyond valuable. Thank-you.

As we continue to pursue our mission and purpose, we will see learners and their whanau move from subsistence into capital building citizenship!

I thank Board, Staff and Community for all the opportunities I have been afforded to go and learn, support and advocate in other places on behalf of our school and community. I feel blessed and humbled by this.

During 2019, as well working to build capacity in the Manaiakalani Outreach Regions of Kaitaia, Kaikohekohe, Mt Roskill, Papakura, Gisborne, Hornby, Te Ara Tuhura, Greymouth and Hokitika, I've been privileged to discuss our ideas for partnership in capacity building with:

• the NZ Ministry of Education
• the Department of Internal Affairs
• Auckland and National Corporates and Foundations
• Tamaki Regeneration Corporation and other Agency Stakeholders

I selected the video below because in it our 5 yr olds describe aspects of how they understand their lives and look to the future. This movie is a beautiful example of the Learn, Create, Share pedagogy in action.

Our Manaiakalani Kahui Ako has continued to develop and grow in practice, knowledge and capability. I do wish to thank Fiona Grant Aaron Wilson, Rebecca Jesson and Hana Turner-Adams for their amazing contributions to this growth. It has been a real pleasure to take these learnings and share them with our regional partners in the Manaiakalani OUtreach.

I offer thanks and deep gratitude to the Manaiakalani Programme Team, Dorothy, Lenva, Fiona, Heather, Anne, Georgie and Dave and to the outstanding engine room of Pat, Jenny and Anita. This great work is available online HERE

We are now designing Outreach #3 for 2021. No pressure!

Our humble thanks goes to all of you, our friends and supporters, and as ever, to God.

Kia ora and Malo lava!

Russell Burt