Overview of area strategies
What is an Area Strategy?
An Area Strategy is a strategic plan to ensure that the school-age population – within a defined geographic area and over a specified time period – is catered for effectively. In areas of projected population growth, the development of an Area Strategy ensures there is enough schooling provision in key locations to cater for the forecast numbers of students in the area.
An Area Strategy provides strategic planning across a network of schools, rather than planning for individual new schools on an ad-hoc basis, and is an opportunity for innovative school network design. Consultation is a key part of the development of a strategy, particularly with existing schools and communities.
A final strategy is approved by the Minister of Education, with the Ministry of Education responsible for its implementation.
The process
The Ministry of Education works with other organisations to monitor changes in population across the country.
When a specific area is identified as needing more schools to provide for an increase in population, an Area Strategy is initiated. To start this process the Minister agrees that the Ministry of Education begins a consultation process with the community (including all stakeholders and interested people) to consider the educational needs of the area and provide feedback on them.
The Ministry engages an independent contractor to facilitate this process. A reference group, representative of stakeholders in the local area, advises the facilitator on effective consultation methods and assists in communication with stakeholders.
All information gathered during the consultation is compiled and a report is produced for the Minister. The Minister approves in principle the new schooling strategy which can include the establishment of new schools and changes to the existing network of schools (eg recapitation of contributing primary schools, maximum roll increases in integrated schools etc) that may be needed in order to ensure the successful implementation of the Area Strategy.
The Ministry monitors population change and when each aspect of the Area Strategy needs to be implemented a report is developed for the Minister asking for approval. This allows changes to be made when the population growth triggers them.
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Frequently asked questions
What issues do the Ministry of Education look at when developing a proposal for an Area Strategy?
The critical issues usually are
- how many children will live in the area?
- how quickly will the area develop and, how soon will schools be needed?
- what kinds of schools will best meet the needs of a 21st century community?
- how many additional students can other school in the area take, and for how long?
What is the process for deciding what schools are built and when?
The Ministry develops and consults on an Area Strategy. The Ministry then reports to the Minister and recommends the types of schools and the timing for establishing them. This always depends on the rate of growth of the school age population in the area. When a school is needed the Government allocates the funding needed to buy the land and build the school.
Where will children go until their schools are built?
Students in the area will be able to attend a reasonably convenient school.
Will there be further consultation at the time the new schools are needed?
Yes, the Ministry will consult the boards of other schools in the area and the wider community before individual schools are established. This consultation will happen as part of the detailed planning for each school.
What is a contributing primary school?
A contributing primary school caters for Years 1 - 6 (usually five to ten year olds). Programmes at contributing schools are based on the New Zealand Curriculum for this age group. After completing Year 6, students go on to a junior high school or intermediate school, or sometimes a Years 7 - 13 secondary school.
What is a junior high school?
A junior high school (or junior secondary school) caters for Years 7 - 10 (usually 11 to 14 year olds). Although they are relatively new in New Zealand, junior high schools have been part of education systems overseas for many years.
What is a senior secondary school?
A senior secondary school caters for Years 11 - 13 (usually 15 to 17 year olds). The proposed senior secondary school in Flat Bush would be one of the first such schools in New Zealand, although another is planned for Albany to follow on from the junior high school.
A senior secondary school provides an adult learning environment where independent learning skills are fostered. The emphasis is on preparing students well for further learning at university or an institute of technology, or for entry to the workforce.
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Specific Area Strategies
More information on specific Area Strategies can be found by clicking on the following links:
Auckland area
Tauranga area
Christchurch area
Queenstown area