Newspaper Article 2002 – Sacred Heart gets tick of approval

Sacred Heart gets tick of approval

A change of direction at a Napier college has resulted in the Education Review Office changing its opinion of the school.  MANDY KAYE reports.

Napier’s Sacred Heart College has got the thumbs up from the Education Review Office following a period of board and staff upheaval.   The board of trustees resigned at the end of 2000 after a highly critical report from the review office.

The report criticised the management and said a culture of mistrust had developed within the board.  The climate amongst adults in the school and on the board was characterised by discord and factions, it said.

A ministry-appointed commissioner ran the school in 2001, with a new board formed at the end of that year.

The principal then resigned suddenly at the beginning of term three in 2001 in the wake of a following Education Review Office report that stated long standing issues among staff had not been resolved.

A new principal was appointed in October last year and the office said significant changes of personnel in middle management have also been made since the previous September 2001 report.

Both previous reports said pupils received a sound education.

The latest report focused on the effectiveness of governance and management systems, and effectiveness of teaching and learning and student support with an emphasis on year nine.

Significant changes in personnel since the previous report had promoted a change in direction and purpose throughout the college, the office said.

Management of the school was much improved.

The new principal, Monica Johnson, provided strong professional leadership and clearly articulated the vision for the college.

She implemented effective management systems and worked collaboratively with all staff to establish a climate of trust and sharing.

“Staff are well supported and there is a strong sense of professional collegiality,” the office said.

The highly professional and complementary skills of the senior management team facilitated the smooth day-to-day operation of the college and encouraged and empowered staff to focus on improving the quality of education and improving student achievement.

Sound communication systems were a feature of both governance and management.

Board members contributed a range of valuable skills and had worked collaboratively to establish good relationships with the staff.  Extensive consultation with the school community, including staff and pupils, had helped to refocus the vision of the college, the office said.

Students received well-structured teaching and the college provided a positive learning environment.  High-quality departmental documentation, recently extensively reviewed, provided a platform for effective curriculum delivery in all subject areas and at all levels.

Management had been focussing on the programmes for year nine students during the past two years in order to improve the quality of education and increase enrollments.

A number of initiatives had been introduced to support student learning and motivate students to become more self managing.

The hostel, Hampton House, which had been rebuilt after a big fire in mid 2001, provided very good quality accommodation.  The staffing ratio was good and a well designed roster ensured appropriate supervision for students at all times.

Considerable care had been taken to promote a safe and secure physical environment.

Board of trustees chairman Paul Singer said he was very pleased with the report and was positive about the school’s future.

He said it had been quite easy getting the school back on track.

The fundamentals of the school were always there and it was a matter of getting good leadership back into the school.

The roll had dropped in the past few years but it was now climbing again.  There were just over 300 pupils at the school.  Mr Singer expected the school to reach full capacity in the next two to three years.

Photo caption – Principal: Monica Johnson