Update: Aranui community campus consultation – December 2013

On 11 September 2013, Minister of Education Hekia Parata announced a final decision to establish a year 1-13 Aranui community campus. The community campus is a fresh and exciting approach to education in Aranui, with many benefits for students and the wider community.

Further consultation on the campus began after the Minister’s announcement. The Aranui Community Leadership Group (ACLG), made up of nine members who all have a strong connection to the Aranui community, has been established to lead the consultation with the support of the Ministry and the education community.

The ACLG is working with the wider Aranui community to develop an exciting vision for the organisation of the campus, and the facilities and services it will provide. The ACLG is consulting on what types of schooling would best suit the community – e.g. a Year 1-13 school or a junior/middle/senior model, special education, and inclusion of a bilingual unit or Kura. The consultation will run until the end of December 2013. Read more about the consultation process.

The ACLG will make sure the community continues to stay involved every step of the way. Consultation includes workshops, focus groups, and public meetings. The Christchurch City Council, appropriate Government agencies, community groups and key stakeholders will also be consulted on how to maximise opportunities and shared facilities for the community.

The ACLG will guide the consultation and communication with the community until the Establishment Board of Trustees (EBoT) of the community campus is established in June 2014. It is likely that the ACLG will continue to provide support and advice as the EBoT works to establish how the community’s vision can be realised.

Registrations of interest for the ACLG closed on 27 September. 20 applications were received and nine members were selected, they are:

• Lynmaree Ariki
• Vanessa Burrell
• Andy Doherty
• Cheryl Doig
• Rachael Fonotia
• Tania Kaa
• Michelle McConnell
• Haneta Pierce
• Mark Scown

The group elected Haneta Pierce as their chairperson and Mark Scown as deputy chairperson. Haneta is the Board Chair for Aranui High School and Mark is the Principal at Avondale Primary School. The ACLG is keen to develop a strong vision for the new campus that will embrace the diverse needs of the Aranui, Wainoni and Avondale communities.

Read the Minster’s media release.

New education provision in Rolleston consultation

Consultation on new state primary and secondary education provision in Rolleston is now underway and will run until the end of October 2013.

There has been significant population growth in the area, which is expected to continue, and more schooling is needed to cater for children and young people moving into the area.

The consultation is seeking views from the whole community on the possible structure and design of the new education provision. For example, there could be new stand-alone primary and secondary schools; or the new primary or secondary provision could operate as an extension of an existing school; or there could be opportunities for shared governance and facilities. The consultation will also include discussions around provision for special education, middle schooling, technology, Māori, Pasifika and early childhood education.

The Ministry has appointed Michael Deaker, who has extensive experience with the consultation process around new schools, to facilitate the consultation process.

Read about how to have your say on the new education provision in Rolleston.

Note: An integrated Christian school has also been proposed for the Rolleston area. The Christian Schools Trust will run a separate consultation process during the same timeframe. If the proposed integrated Christian school goes ahead, this would give parents in the Rolleston area a further education option for their children. Go to www.rollestonchristian.school.nz for more information.

Proposed engagement up to September 2013

The engagement schedules below provide an overview of the proposed timeline for education renewal.

Greater Christchurch Education Renewal Schedule: A

Greater Christchurch Education Renewal Schedule: B

In addition to the range of engagements and consultations required to progress the Greater Christchurch Education Renewal Programme, we will be facilitating community meetings and a range of tailored workshops and forums to provide an opportunity for engagement on key topics.

This will provide an opportunity for interested parties and members of the wider community to provide more details around their thoughts for the future design of education facilities across greater Christchurch.

This thinking will support the development of standardised building designs to expedite renewal as confirmed during previous consultation.

Advisory Boards have also been established to support ongoing community input into education renewal planning.