Transformative leadership, impact and sustainability: Raukura Rotorua Boys' High School
Introduction/Whakataki
14 July 2023
This best evidence in action feature provides a window into effective educational leadership in the Aotearoa New Zealand context.
After participating in Te Kotahitanga Phase 5, Raukura, Rotorua Boys’ High School won three Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards including the Excellence in Leading – Atakura Award in 2016 and 2019, and the Supreme Education Excellence Award - Te Tohu Nui a Te Pirimia, in 2019.
Te Kotahitanga … allowed us to undertake the best school-wide professional development programme that I have seen in my career.[1]
In the decade following Te Kotahitanga and through engaging in further work with Poutama Pounamu, Raukura leadership continued the momentum of reform. In 2022 for each given year level:
- 95.1% of Year 13 Raukura boys achieved NCEA Level 3
(National comparison for boys 65.6%) - 82.5% of Year 12 Raukura boys achieved NCEA Level 2
(National comparison for boys 73.3%) - 85.9% of Year 11 Raukura boys achieved NCEA Level 1
(National comparison for boys 63.4%).
On 1 January 2023, Chris Grinter, the Principal of Raukura Rotorua Boys’ High School, was appointed a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and to Māori.
Leadership such as this has transformed schooling at Raukura, Rotorua Boys’ High School enabling strong improvement in equity, excellence, belonging and wellbeing for Māori and for all learners. Not only has the leadership at Raukura been able to reform the pedagogy and culture of this school; they have continued to build on and sustain these initiatives since 2010.
If anything I am more proud of how far we have moved forward in this kaupapa since we had the wonderful resourcing of Te Kotahitanga/Kia Eke Panuku. We are doing so well to further develop and embed and our results continue to move accordingly. We really have if anything gained sustainable momentum. [2]
In this feature we present and listen to the voices of transformative leaders at all levels of the school, its home community and the wider community.
