What is this place about?
Our commitment to each other and to the students and their parents/caregivers is

• Setting high, but realistic, expectations for all students
• Encouraging collaboration among all staff
• Using assessment data to support student success
• Addressing barriers to learning strategically, realistically and confidently
• Reinforcing classroom learning by engaging families
• Remaining optimistic about the ability of all our students to have success appropriate to their abilities
• Staff learning together through a coherent professional development programme
• Our belief that the demand for more and more transparency in public institutions is both irreversible and a good thing on the whole
• Allowing ourselves to be challenged by new ideas without undue anxiety or stress

Fullan, is an interesting and accessible writer on issues affecting schools these days. He notes that great organisations, including great schools, have the following characteristics:

• They choose the right people and put them in the right positions.
• They are able to face the often harsh realities of their environment without losing faith.
• They transcend the ‘curse of competence’. That is, they aim to be great, not just good. Being good is not enough. If we’re satisfied with just being good then we may not strive, collectively, to be great.
• They have a culture of discipline. That is, disciplined people, thought, actions. Combine that with forward looking vision and you have what he calls ‘the magical alchemy of great performance.’

(Fullan, The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, 2003)

Our 2010 Development Plan focused on particular issues in the learning, emotional and physical environment that we provide for students and staff.

The 2011 issues are:  

• Implement new NCEA Achievement Standards confidently.
• Ensure that our students' academic achievements are comparable with schools of our type
• Ensure that the academic achievements of our Maori and Pasifika students are comparable with similar students in schools of our type 
• Engage more effectively with parents about their students' attendance and academic results.
• Recruit and retain quality staff
• Improve our physical environment so as to improve the tone of the school