27 March 2026

Kia ora koutou,

A couple of weeks ago, a colleague from Canterbury paid us a visit. Some of his leadership team had been here about 18 months prior, and given that he and I share a similar "vintage" of experience in this profession, I was keen to hear his initial impressions.

His first question caught me a bit off guard: "Do you actually stop to appreciate all of this .................enough?"

The honest answer? Not nearly enough. Maybe that's also to do with forgetting to stop!

It might have possibly been a lucky moment in time, but he also remarked that he had never been in a school that felt so calm. I’ll certainly take that!

The timing of his visit was particularly interesting because Brian is currently looking at the link with learning spaces, achievement and architecture. He was totally struck by how thoughtfully our school was designed back in the late 70s/early 80s.

It’s fascinating to realise that the very things newly built school environments are trying hard to include, for our diverse range of learners, were already woven into our buildings decades ago. Some quick thoughts include- 

• the softness of the layout.

• the warmth of the natural wood and sound absorption.

• the intentional mix of high and low spaces.

• the degree of choice for learners.

• the view, everything at child height and seen through their eyes.

It serves as a great reminder that in education, as in lots of spheres - nothing is ever truly "new, new".

If our school does make an appearance in Brian’s Inquiry, I’ll be sure to share. In the meantime, his visit has prompted me to pause more frequently, breathe, and truly appreciate the unique environment our children, staff, whānau and visitors get to experience.

Come to the Haerenga next Tuesday at 5pm and learn more about where we sit on the Peninsula through our children's learning and stories - it will be a great way to end the term.

Ngā mihi nui